January 2009 eNews
Highlights include: Chief Information Officer's Forum, Landgate Fee Increase, NuMaps, Google's Street View Loo Boo Boo, LCNSS is Better Than GNSS and Microsoft Surface.
What’s Happening in the WALIS Community?
Chief Information Officer’s Forum
WALIS Stakeholders in the News
Dekho Set to Take Off in Asia Pacific
A Changing Climate: Western Australia in Focus
Australian Angle
Role of Spatial Information in Emergency Management
Zurich Australia Assessing Flood Risk
A Report to the Council of Australian Governments
National Data Grid Demonstrator Approved
Short Course Maps High-Tech Solutions
Google’s Street View Loo Boo Boo
New Zealand's Largest Coastal Mapping Survey Successful
South Land to New Holland: Dutch Charting of Australia 1606–1756
News from Around the Globe
Raytheon Team Completes Final Major Milestones on Next-Generation GPS Control Segment
China Plans Own Satellite Navigation System by 2015
PROCON Launches ‘The CUBE’ GPS Tracking Device
OGC and OSGeo Sign Memorandum of Understanding
GeoEye-1 Earth Imaging Satellite Captures Inaugural Celebration From Space
Vietnam's First Remote Sensing Satellite
Alternative Positioning Technologies Will Provide 25% of All Positioning Solutions by 2014
Upcoming Events
Details of events in Australia and around the world
Interesting Website of the Month
What’s Happening in the WALIS Community?
Chief Information Officer’s Forum
WALIS, in conjunction with the Australian Computer Society, is pleased to announce it will host a half-day forum scheduled for 12 March 2009, especially designed to cater for Chief Information Officers.
Peter Batty, the former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Intergraph, will be attending as the keynote speaker. Several other exciting speakers will also be present to discuss land information and ICT solutions and how they can value-add and grow your business.
An interactive Q & A session will follow.
The forum will be held in the ARRC auditorium at Bentley Technology Park, providing participants the opportunity to network and tour the facilities at iVEC.
Registrations are now open!
Contact: Melissah MacKenzie, 9273 7042 or visit http://www.walis.wa.gov.au/
The role of Manager for Governance and Reporting is being filled by Derrick Chan while Kumar Balakrishnan has been seconded to the role of Principal Policy Adviser Office of the Minister for Regional Development: Lands. This arrangement will be in place initially for three months, until the end of March 2009.
The
Northern Agricultural Catchment Council has become a new WALIS associate
member.
The Shared Land Information Capture Program (SLICP) imagery survey was published in December 2008 to obtain specific technical information about how agencies are currently using aerial imagery and what their business needs would be in the next three to five years.
This information is helpful to plan the SLICP activities and help guide decision making about digital capture services.
Thank you to those who completed the SLICP Survey - your responses will help shape our upcoming tenders.
The winners of the two ‘Earth is Art’ prints are: John Fathers from the Shire of Plantaganet and Jared Morskate from the Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup.
If
you haven’t had a chance to fill in the survey yet, please feel free to keep
providing responses. The survey will remain active on the website for another
few weeks. Your input is valuable and greatly appreciated: http://www.walis.wa.gov.au/slicp/questionnaire.2008-11-24.4061821112
Don’t
forget the closing date for SLICP submissions is January 31st 2009.
WALIS Stakeholders in the News
Dekho Set to Take Off in Asia Pacific
ESRI Australia’s locally developed location intelligence gateway Dekho was officially launched in the Asia Pacific region at the 2009 ESRI Asia Pacific User Conference.
Dekho draws on ESRI Australia’s long history of innovation, which began with the development of EView. Built on the ArcGIS Server platform, which is unparalleled in the marketplace, Dekho is the culmination of 13 years of continual product development. It assists organisations in bridging the gap between corporate databases, and realising their location intelligence potential. Allowing simple and effective data dissemination and management across an organisation through the common element of location, Dekho delivers the capability to see more and do more.
To find out more about Dekho, download the brochure or current press release.
Landgate will apply new fees from 19 January 2009 for document registration and searching. The cost of deposited plan and strata plan lodgements, however, will not change.
Landgate has advised that its fees are based on a requirement to recover the cost of providing products and services. To minimise the burden to customers, Landgate has reduced some of its running costs but these have been insufficient to offset the effects of a recent significant decrease in document lodgements. Further cost reductions would compromise service levels.
The next fee assessment will take place as part of Government’s 2009-2010 budget review.
You can view the new fees here.
Changing Climate: Western Australia in Focus
CSIRO, the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (AMOS) and the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) are co-hosting a one-day seminar which will cover research in marine and terrestrial environments.
For the Western Australian climate change perspective, listen to experts outline the latest climate change research and the predicted effects.
Click
here
for more information.
Australian Angle
In the past cultural mapping has been used as a technique by professionals in the Community Development sector as a way of ‘Mapping’ community assets. How it was undertaken was largely dependent on who was doing it and why. The venture Cultural Mapping is all about finding the strength of their clients and to do this they have developed tools that are innovative and fun.
The Cultural Mapping Newsletter has been created to inspire, inform and facilitate a sharing of ideas and resources. It will be a tool to network and showcase innovative and inspiring projects or stories.
As the website becomes developed over time, it will become more interactive and provide opportunities for communities, projects, project partners and interested volunteers or volunteer organisations.
To read more about Cultural Mapping as a socially and culturally responsible venture, explore the new website.
NuMaps is an Australian based startup company that publishes Australian Bureau Statistics (ABS) Census data as DemographicDrapes which are simply semi-transparent thematic map overlays. These are provided as WMS services for those who have OGC enabled GIS products/ spatial applications. NuMaps initially considered using the Google Maps API but preferred to use OpenLayers as it supported access to any number of different base map suppliers and it provided a robust interface to OGC published services.
One of the key components of the decision to use OpenLayers was the support for OGC enabled web services. OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) compatibility was and remains strategically important. OGC compatibility allows NuMaps to support the widest range of end user client applications now and moving forward into the future. OpenLayers support of OGC web services helped make the library a natural choice as a basis for the application.
Web link to full article: http://docs.openlayers.org/casestudies/numaps
Source: OpenLayers
Role of Spatial Information in Emergency Management
The National Spatial and Information Management (NSIM) Working Group is a peak working group set up under the strategic guidance of the National Counter-Terrorism Committee, the Australian Emergency Management Committee and the National Committee on Critical Infrastructure Protection.
Spatial information and related technologies play a vital role in effective Emergency Management. The National Spatial Information Management Working Group (NSIM) commissioned the following video to give an insight into the role and importance of spatial information in the emergency management sector: http://www.spatialvision.com.au/html/videos-htm/vts-videos1.htm
In conjunction with the Connecting Country project and the Norm Wettenhall Foundation, Spatial Vision has recently released the Community Web Mapping Portal (CWMP).
The CWMP is a new initiative that allows individuals and community groups to create, view and share information about their local landscape.
A unique landscape-scale project lead by the Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forest (FOBIF), Connecting Country aims to increase, enhance and restore biodiversity across the Mount Alexander Shire.
Key to this project is the development of a “biodiversity blueprint” that will function as a hub for knowledge sharing and community decision making.
Web link to full article: http://www.spatialvision.com.au/html/r_web_mapping.htm
Source: Spatial Vision
Zurich Australia Assessing Flood Risk
One of the key reasons why Australian insurers lagged behind other Western countries in making flood cover available on a wide scale was their difficulty in obtaining the necessary information to accurately price the risk.
When Zurich Australia made the decision to automatically include flood cover in all its commercial policies late last year, the first step in that process was to develop a sophisticated flood modelling tool that enabled its underwriters to accurately assess the risk for each property.
Zurich has enlisted the services of MapData Sciences (MDS) to build the necessary interfaces for modelling risk into the company’s Z.stream platform. These interfaces link Zurich to the databases of MDS and its partners PSMA Australia and Risk Frontiers.
Web link to full article: http://www.mapds.com.au/casestudies/Zurich_article.pdf
A Report to the Council of Australian Governments
Infrastructure Australia has adopted a new national approach to infrastructure decision making to improve the quality and efficiency of transport, water, energy and communications infrastructure across the nation.
The intention is to boost national productivity, drive a more diverse, competitive and sustainable economy, and generate substantial and lasting economic, social and environmental benefits for Australians.
The report is a result of the information gathered from 600 submissions and Infrastructure Australia’s own analysis, a number of infrastructure challenges have been identified.
Click
here
to read the report.
National Data Grid Demonstrator Approved
Spatial Vision is pleased to announce that a project to further enhance the successful Platform for Environmental Modeling Support (PEMS) Demonstrator has been approved by the Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information (CRCSI).
The new demonstrator project, known as the National Data Grid (NDG), will build on the outcomes achieved in the original PEMS Demonstrator project. It will focus on an improved system that aims to support operational users in business processes nominated by the Victorian Departments of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), and Justice (DoJ).
Web link to full press release: http://www.spatialvision.com.au/html/r_ndg.htm
Thirty science students from across the country visited Geoscience Australia on 14 January to use the latest technology in the search for gold as a part of the 2009 National Youth Science Forum.
The half-day workshop simulated how geoscientists search Australia for new mineral deposits using rock samples, maps and data from remote Western Australia.
Web link to full article: http://www.ga.gov.au/about-us/news-media/latest-news/index.jsp#nyf2009
Short Course Maps High-Tech Solutions
A five-day course began on 20 January at La Trobe University’s Mildura campus introducing students to advanced technology for the mapping and overlaying of spatial information.
The course, supported by Mildura’s Spatial Information Services at SunRise21, has attracted national interest with participants from Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne and the education sector. There are also representatives from Mildura’s agricultural industries and local schools.
Web link to full article: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2009/article/short-course-maps-high-tech-solutions
Source:
La Trobe University
Google's Street View Loo Boo Boo
Google has swiftly yanked an image from its mapping service showing a man sitting on his outhouse in an inner-city Melbourne backyard.
The image of the man would have first appeared last August when Street View was rolled out in Australia.
It was removed this week soon after two websites, which track Street View oddities, posted links to the location on Google Maps where the offending photograph was visible.
Web link to full article: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4833054a28.html
New Zealand's Largest Coastal Mapping Survey Successful
The largest coastal mapping survey in New Zealand waters, which covered more than 3500 square kilometres of Northland’s seabed, has revealed reefs, new information about the iconic Hole in the Rock and mapped a prominent wreck site.
Three National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) vessels mapped the Bay of Islands and eastern Northland coast seabed during October and November as part of the government’s Ocean Survey 20/20 programme, co-ordinated by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ).
Web link to full article: http://www.linz.govt.nz/hydro/projects-programmes/hydro-news/20081219-boi-survey-successful/index.aspx
Source: Land Information New Zealand (LINZ)
South Land to New Holland: Dutch Charting of Austalia 1606-1756
South Land to New Holland: Dutch Charting of Australia 1606–1756 celebrates early Dutch exploration of the Australian coast, drawing on the rare maps and other resources from the collections of Australia's National, State and Territory libraries.
Visit
the website
for more.
News from Around the Globe
What happens to the misprinted and outdated New York City subway maps?
To repurpose for a purpose, several companies have taken these maps and recycled them into fashionable and usable goods. Among the funky items to be found are shoulder bags and clutches, zippered cases, metal trays, stationery, wrapping paper, notebooks, desk accessories and even clipboards, napkin rings and baseballs! Also available are cufflinks made out of subway tokens.
Visit the http://www.recycledplanetstore.com/ for more!
A new website describes different odours around the world and pinpoints where they can be found on a map.
Launched in December, the Japanese website "Nioi-bu," or Smell Club, has registered more than 160 scents around the world, ranging from "steam coming out of a rice cooker" to "used socks in the summer," and pinpointed their locations on a Google map.
Nearly 200 members, called "smellists," have joined the Japanese-language only site.
Web link to full article: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/717711/new-website-maps-out-smells
Raytheon Team Completes Final Major Milestones on Next-Generation GPS Control Segment
Raytheon Company has successfully completed two significant milestones for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation Global Positioning System Control Segment, or GPS OCX, establishing a solid foundation and roadmap to keep the program on track and on schedule.
The Raytheon-led team completed the segment design review and modernized capability engineering model demonstration Dec. 13, 2008.
Web
link to full press release: http://raytheon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1165&pagetemplate=release
China Plans Own Satellite Navigation System by 2015
China plans to complete its own satellite navigation system by 2015, making it independent of foreign technology such as the US-developed Global Positioning System (GPS).
The Beidou Navigation System will enable military and civilian users from China to find their way anywhere in the world.
To this end, China aims to launch 30 more satellites into space by the middle of the next decade, on top of five satellites already in orbit, according to the agency. Ten satellites will be launched in 2009 and 2010, it said.
Web link to full article: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-plans-own-satellite-navigation-system-by-2015-state-media-20090120-7kxz.html
PROCON Launches 'The CUBE' GPS Tracking Device
PROCON, Inc. the leader in mobile resource management solutions for the automotive finance industry today announced the launch of its latest GPS device named The CUBE.
This revolutionary new GPS device is the smallest GPS tracking device in the industry and sports a rugged automotive grade housing that is extremely durable and heat resistant, and installation of this new device is much easier than its predecessor. PROCON will be distributing this new device through its subprime automotive finance brand GoldStar GPS.
Web
link to full article: http://www.proconmrm.com/news.php?news_id=7
OGC and OSGeo Sign Memorandum of Understanding
In Valencia, Spain, at the December Technical Committee meetings of the Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC), the OGC and the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate in advancing open geospatial standards (OGC's mission) and open source geospatial software and data (OSGeo's mission).
Open source software is software that has been designed and developed in an open, community process. The OGC's open standards are similarly developed in an open, community process, but they are specifications (for interfaces, encodings and best practices), not software.
Web link to full article: http://www.opengeospatial.org/pressroom/pressreleases/944
GeoEye-1 Earth Imaging Satellite Captures Inaugural Celebration From Space
GeoEye-1, the world’s highest resolution commercial Earth-imaging satellite, collected an image over the United States Capitol and the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. The image, taken from 423 miles in space, is the world’s highest resolution, colour satellite image of the Inaugural celebration.
The image, taken through high, whispy white clouds over Washington D.C., shows the monuments along the National Mall and masses of people between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. Among the many interesting features in the image are the clusters of people gathered around large jumbotron screens.
Click here to view the photo. GeoEye is now offering for sale a commemorative poster featuring the image of the Inauguration. The Company had more than 100 times the normal traffic on its Web site after the satellite image was published by the media.
Web link to full articles: http://geoeye.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=314 and http://geoeye.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=315
Low Cost Navigation Satellite Systems (LCNSS) are designed to optimise performances over the area of interest while trying to minimise the overall costs.
Demand for Satellite Navigation technology and applications keeps on increasing in a wide range of economical, social, technological and environmental sectors. This growing interest in the development of Satellite Navigation Systems is demonstrated by the interest of several countries in starting the development of new systems or contributing to existing ones.
Web link to full article: http://mycoordinates.org/dec08/Icnss.php
Source: Maria D Lainez, GMV Aerospace and Defence S.A. and Miguel M Romay, GMV Aerospace and Defence S.A.
(Originally appeared in Coordinates, Volume IV, Issue 12, December 2008)
Vietnam's First Remote Sensing Satellite
The Research Program on Space Science and Technology of Vietnam plans to launch a satellite called VNREDSAT-1 by 2012. It will be the country’s first remote sensing satellite.
The Vietnam News Agency reported that the project will be worth around $100 million.
The chair of the national Research Program on Space Science and Technology, Nguyen Khoa Son announced the decision to proceed with the satellite at the 2008 Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum.
Web link to full article: http://www.asmmag.com/news/vietnam's-1st-remote-sensing-satellite
Reprinted from www.asmmag.com, copyright 2009 ASM
Alternative Positioning Technologies Will Provide 25% of All Positioning Solutions by 2014
Many next-generation LBS applications such as social networking, local search, advertising, and geo-tagging are expected to be used in urban and indoor environments where GPS either underperforms in terms of fix times or accuracy, or fails altogether. So alternative positioning technologies such as Wi-Fi and Cell-ID will become increasingly important.
Web link to full article: http://www.abiresearch.com/press/1348-Alternative+Positioning+Technologies+Cell-ID+and+Wi-Fi+Combined+with+A-GPS+Will+Provide+25%25+of+All+Positioning+Solutions+by+2014
Microsoft Surface is a revolutionary surface-computing platform that responds to natural hand gestures and real-world objects. It employs a vision system with five cameras that enable interaction with hands, objects and devices. The rugged tabletop is able to withstand most everything – from sticky hands to spilled drinks and its viewing angle and brilliant display allow a number of users to see the screen while surrounding the table.
Visit
the Microsoft Surface
website or visit the product
page for more information.
Map World Forum 2009
10-13 February, Hyderabad, India
Map World Forum will not just be a conference. It will be a forum that will simply aim to “Converge Ideas and Expand Horizons for Sustainable Planet Earth”. It will aim beyond speeches and discussions to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people's lives.
Its mission, therefore, will be to encourage the geospatial family and the society at large to function in ways that protect the Earth's natural environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of present and future generations.
Visit the website for more.
Trimble Dimensions 2009
23-25 February, The Mirage, Las Vegas, USA
As a surveying, engineering, construction, mapping, GIS, geospatial and mobile resource management professional, Trimble Dimensions 2009 attendance is your ticket to greater success. Choose from more than 300 sessions and learn how to get the most from your positioning equipment. Listen to industry leaders discuss the future of positioning. Connect with peers from around the world and share information and explore new solutions in our partner pavilion.
Visit the website for more information.
iGeoMap 2009
20-21 March, J N Tata Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
With almost 300 million Indians living in urban areas (in 3700 towns and cities), the country has the second largest urban population in the world. Essential infrastructure facilities, specifically in the areas of water management, roads, transportation, housing, sanitation and sewage, need to be provided to this growing urban population.
Due to the increasing availability of information systems and data, planners and municipalities are focusing on modeling the urban space using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
The iGeoMap 2009 conference will address urban infrastructure issues using GIS along with presenting state-of-the-art practices.
Click
here to register.
2009 Annual Meeting of the AAG
22-27 March, Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas
The Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG) attracts geographers and related professionals from around the world. The meeting forum stimulates discussion about research, education, accomplishments, and developments in geography.
This year's program will feature 4,000 presentations by leading scholars and researchers from more than 60 countries; an international networking reception; exhibitions showcasing recent scholarly publications, advanced geographic technologies, and expanding employment opportunities; and numerous field trips to explore the rich cultural and physical geography of Las Vegas and the surrounding region.
Visit the website for more details, to submit an abstract or to register.
SPAR 2009
30 March – 1 April, Hyatt Regency, Denver Colorade
SPAR 2009 is all about the business and technology of capturing, managing and integrating 3D information. Topics to be discussed include 3D laser scanning, mobile survey and mapping, LIDAR dimensional control, asset management, BIM/ CAD/ GIS integration, security planning and forensics and digital heritage preservation.
Now in its sixth year, SPAR 2009 attracts attendees from the world's largest petroleum and petrochemical producers, manufacturing companies, shipbuilders, civil and transportation infrastructure engineering firms, industrial metrologists, architects, geotechnical and mining firms, land surveyors, and federal, state and local governments.
Register online here.
GEO-9
1-2 April, Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK
GEO-9 is the UK's only dedicated geospatial trade exhibition. GEO-9 will be showcasing leading players from every aspect of the geographic information industry. From measurement and data collection through to advanced geospatial analysis, GEO-9 brings them all together at the same event.
GEO-9 will also host the popular, long running m3 conference. Grounded in the three m's; measuring, modelling, managing, this year's conference theme will be "When every penny has to count: cost effective geo-solutions for challenging times". The m3 conference provides delegates with the opportunity to come together to review current practice, discover emerging technologies and debate future opportunities and attracts business leaders, practitioners and academics from Europe and beyond. Each day will hear a stimulating keynote speaker to set the scene.
Check
the website for more details or
to register.
Expedition 2009
8-9 April, Le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel, Toronto, Ontario
As much as 85% of the enterprise data that companies already possess has a reference to location that is considered when making critical decisions. Location Intelligence leverages this location content to help companies unlock potential and improve business performance.
Attend Expedition 2009 to learn how your organisation can improve business performance by leveraging location content to Unlock the Potential.
Registrations are now open.
3rd International Conference on Remote Sensing
15-17 April, Altas Park Hotel, Moscow
The theme of the conference is ‘The Synergy of High Technologies’ and the main topics of the conference will be up-to-date technologies and development trends of Russian and foreign Earth remote sensing programs; software systems, technologies and solutions for data processing from leading international and Russian developers; applications of remote sensing data for different fields; and hits and misses while project implementation using satellite imagery and GIS.
Click here to register or visit the website for more information.
2nd International
Conference on Earth Observation for Global Changes (EOGC2009)
25-29 May, Chengdu, China
Knowledge about changes to the Earth's surface and the underlying processes that induce them has enormous impacts on how society responds to these changes. With its remarkable progress in the past decade, Earth observation technology has been playing a crucial role in studies on global changes.
EOGC2009 will include several presentations on the use of remote sensing applications to assess environmental changes, as well as Geospatial Data Processing and Integration for Change Detection and Environmental Monitoring by the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS).
Visit
the website for further details.
GeoTec Event 2009
1-4 June, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
The GeoTec Event offers its attendees high calibre and timely presentations from knowledgeable industry leaders, geospatial technologists and users from Canada and the world.
Click here for details on the call for papers.
SPRS Hannover Workshop 2009 - High-Resolution Earth Imaging for Geospatial Information
2-5 June, Hannover, Germany
Earth imaging from air and space has undergone major changes over the last years. Examples of new and significant developments comprise a growing use of digital aerial cameras, an increasing number of high-resolution and hyperspectral satellite sensors, of laser scanning and SAR/InSAR. Calibration issues are important for every sensor.
Today, all these data are used for the production of geospatial information. At the same time, updating existing geospatial databases has gained more importance, and automation has had a significant impact on the processing chain. In addition, the stunning success of Google Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth along with developments such as GEO (intergovernmental Group of Earth Observations), GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) and GMES (Global Monitoring of Environment and Security) have significantly changed the remote sensing arena in the last few years.
These developments form the background for the ISPRS Hannover Workshop High-Resolution Earth Imaging for Geospatial Information 2009.
Organisers
of the ISPRS Hannover Workshop 2009 are calling for papers
and abstracts should be submitted electronically by 1 February.
spatial@gov Conference 2009
15-16 June, National Convention Centre, Canberra
Spatial capabilities offer increased value to every facet of government operations. The 2009 spatial@gov Conference is a new event for the spatial community and will focus on the importance of spatial information in enhancing the business of all tiers of government. This conference will focus on the benefits of using ‘place’ or ‘location’ as a powerful enabler to support policy development, service delivery and internal business processes. The program will cover government spatial activities in the areas of national priority including Social Inclusion, Climate Change and a range of other government activities.
Visit the website for more details.
GEOG-AN-MOD 09 and ICCSA 2009
29 June – 2 July, Kyung Hee University-Global Campus, Yongin, Korea
The Fourth International Workshop on Geographical Analysis, Urban Modeling, Spatial Statistics will be held in conjunction with the 2009 International Conference on Computational Science and its Applications (ICCSA 2009).
The growth of Spatial Data Infrastructures, geo-portals and private sector initiatives produced an increase of geographical data availability at any scale and worldwide. This growth has not been fully coupled by an increase of knowledge to support spatial decisions.
Spatial analytical techniques and geographical analysis and modelling methods are therefore required in order to analyse data and to facilitate the decision process at all levels. Old geographical issues can find an answer thanks to new methods and instruments, while new issues are developing, challenging the researchers for new solutions. This workshop is aimed at contributing to the development of new techniques and methods to improve the process on knowledge acquisition.
Click here for important dates or visit the ICCSA website for more details.
10th South East Asian Survey Congress (SEASC) 2009
4-7 August, Bali International Convention Center (BICC), The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
Geospatial technology has been increasingly recognised as a vital part of our life. Geo-information as the product of this technology has found its application in various sectors. At the individual level, geo-information has now become a part of our lifestyle, with the use of digital maps and satellite based navigation systems.
Globally, the world is facing many issues that need mutual collaboration among organisations and countries, since a problem that occurs in a country may interface its neighbouring countries. Geo-information is one of the important key factors to overcome such kind of global/ regional issues holistically.
Many organisations have been collecting and managing various kind of geo-information for their own purposes. This situation creates isolated geo-information islands that are not connected and accessible to each other.
Therefore,
“Integrating geo-information islands”
has been chosen as the theme of the SEASC. For more information, visit the website.
Map Asia 2009
18-20 August, Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Singapore
The 8th annual international conference and exhibition on geospatial information, technology and applications is being organised by GIS Development and the Singapore Land Authority.
The Asia and Pacific region demands and offers scope for application of the various Geographic Information technologies like GIS, GPS, Remote Sensing and Imaging.
To meet the requirements of the Geo-informatics community in the Asian region, every year Map Asia raises a platform for the Asian Geo-informatics community to realise, recognise, and reveal the stages of dissemination of Geospatial Information.
GISCA 09
27-28 August, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Geographic Information Science and Technologies have evolved into a key instrument for managing our societies, environments and infrastructures, as well as individuals’ daily lives.
The GISCA series of conferences aims at building a Central Asian network of GIS professionals supporting the sustained development of this region into an environmentally friendly, secure and prosperous society.
ISPRS Workshop Laserscanning 2009
1-2 September, Paris, France
Laserscanning 2009 is the 6th ISPRS workshop dedicated to the processing and the analysis of point clouds acquired and generated from active airborne and terrestrial sensors. LiDAR data has been studied for many years. They are widely used, from accurate city modelling to many thematic approaches (eg. forestry, hydrology) where the topography and the land cover are involved. Based on LiDAR data as well as data from other sensors, surveyors and scientists have built an operational framework to extract spatial information, but also are facing challenging tasks to enhance current point cloud processes.
Laserscanning 2009 will focus on new data, methodologies, algorithms and applications related to the processing of point clouds as well as sensor improvements and new sensor-driven calibration techniques.
Visit
the website for more details.
6th International Symposium on Digital Earth (ISDE6)
9-12 September, Beijing, China
The theme of the conference is ‘Digital Earth in Action’ and will continue the tradition of gathering world-class scientists, engineers and educators engaged in the fields of digital earth, earth observation, geo-informatics and relevant applications to review the progress of Digital Earth during the last decade and discuss the achievements of Digital Earth and the recent developments.
Click
here for details and the call for papers.
International Conference on Geo-Spatial Solutions for Emergency Management (GSEM)
14-16 September, Beijing, China
Geo-spatial technology is one of the three emerging technologies in the 21st century. Driven by societal and economical needs, geo-spatial solutions for emergency management techniques are now in the frontiers of the geospatial technology, and have received an increasing interest in the academic, government, industries, and beyond. CASM as the largest multi-disciplined comprehensive research institute in China in the field of surveying and mapping, will strive to make this event a symposium of the highest quality.
Visit the website for all the details.
Spatial Sciences Institute Biennial International Conference
28 September – 2 October, Adelaide, South Australia
This biennial conference is the premier event for spatial sciences in the Australasian region. It attracts a large and diverse audience and in 2009 will embrace a new format. It will provide cutting edge developments in the application of spatial science to a diverse set of disciplines, communities and people: indeed this diversity is the inspiration for the conference theme of Spatial Diversity.
The conference theme will be delivered via plenary and keynote presentations, technical papers, symposia, workshops, competitions, awards, site visits, dinners, lunches, coffee, exhibitions, breakfasts, walks and talks. The aim is to attract key players in the industries where spatial information is important – environment, mining, defence, land administration, agriculture, disaster management and more. Together with these people, a large range of exhibitors of technology and applications will be present.
The
call for abstracts is now
open. Visit www.ssc2009.com for more
information.
CoastGIS 2009
30 September – 2 October, Santa Catarina, Brazil
CoastGIS, the International Symposium on GIS and Computer Mapping for Coastal Management, is a series of conferences that began in Cork, Ireland, in 1995 as a collaboration between the Commission on Coastal Systems of the International Geographical Union and the Commission on Marine Mapping of the International Cartographic Association.
In the early 1990s, both were aiming to find a vehicle through which coastal issues and technological processes could be examined and means by which recent advances in the mapping of the world's coastal zones could jointly find an outlet.
As a major event, the CoastGIS series attracts an international audience of coastal researchers, managers and practitioners who use one or more of the geospatial technologies.
Visit the website for more.
22nd CIPA Symposium (2009)
11-15 October, Kyoto, Japan
The 22nd International Committee for Documentation of Cultural Heritage (CIPA) Symposium will be an international and inter-disciplinary event on recording, documentation, preservation and restoration of cultural heritage applying information and communication technology.
To be held in Asia for the first time, the topics to be covered will include GIS, intellectual property and open source, terrestrial/ aerial photogrammetry and terrestrial/ aerial laser scanning, remote sensing and strategies for long-term archiving of digital information.
Click here for the first announcement.
4th International Conference: Earth From Space – the Most Effective Solutions (2009)
1-3 December, Moscow, Russia
Rapid development of the space information technology has deprived the limited groups of specialists of the privilege to control telecommunications, navigation and remote sensing of the Earth from space. We can witness how Earth observation from space helps to resolve a wide range of practical tasks, becoming a modern public information instrument.
The International Conference "Earth from Space - the Most Effective Solutions" is the largest biennial event in sphere of Earth remote sensing in Russia and CIS countries, attended by around 350 participants from different countries. The goal of the conference is to show the experience of practical use of satellite monitoring in different branches of economy together with the recent developments in remote sensing as the backbone of cost-efficient functioning economic systems and is an opportunity to demonstrate the latest innovations, achievements and practical results in sphere of space information technologies.
Visit the website for more.
Interesting Website of the Month
Test Your Geography Knowledge
Are you a geography buff? Can you name all the state capitals in the United States? And are people constantly amazed just how geographically savvy you are (and always want you on their Quiz Night team!)?
Then put that knowledge to use and take the “Test Your Geography Knowledge” quiz. Lots of education and fun guaranteed!
Disclaimer: The information contained in this newsletter is provided for general information purposes. It does not constitute professional or expert advice and you must not use or rely upon it for that purpose. WALIS and the State of Western Australia, do not guarantee and do not accept responsibility for the accuracy, currency, completeness and reliability of the information contained in this newsletter. The opinions contained in the information do not necessarily reflect the opinions of WALIS or the State of Western Australia. Links to other Internet sites are provided for your convenience only and they do not constitute an endorsement, approval or recommendation of the material contained in those other Internet sites. It is your responsibility to evaluate the relevance, accuracy, completeness and reliability of material contained in those other Internet sites.