Providing Geospatial Perspective

Experts from Autodesk, DLT, GeoEye and Google share their visions of a Geospatial future – from the power of visualization to mapping infrastructure.

Geospatial technologies coupled with 3D visualization are changing the way we relate to our environment. Applications are unlimited as we morph from being passive Geospatial data consumers to active Geospatial data contributors. At GeoSpatial Day, experts from GeoEye, Google and Autodesk talked about challenges and opportunities.

Providing much of the source data imagery for Geospatial users is GeoEye. Steve Miller explained his company core business is remote sensing, operating 2 very high resolution satellites that collect data at less than a meter resolution along with a fleet of survey aircraft.

These two collection methodologies provide a lot of the source data/imagery customers use to then overlay their individual vector data. Currently GeoEye is negotiating a follow-on to the NextView contract with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGIA).

As a major raw materials provider, Miller expects prices to go down as imagery becomes more of a commodity and more companies and countries launch their own satellites to collect source imagery.

That presents challenges in how to license and sell to an organization said Miller. Initially GeoEye copied the desktop application software licensing model. But that has changed with multi-organizational licensing where the data can be shared with appropriate users whether they are defense, civilian, state, local or NGO.

“We are getting pressure from state and local governments that want us to put data on their websites for citizens to used and download,” Miller noted. “That is a challenge as to how we capture economic value. We need another step in the evolution of relationship with customers as they get power to access and use the data themselves.”

Enabling Sustainable Design

Geoff Zeiss from Autodesk shared his excitement about the convergence of geospatial, 3D visualization and high-powered engineering and architectural programs that enable intelligent design and modeling.

“When you look at Google street view, right now you can’t see very much inside the buildings,” explained Zeiss. “Now we have tools that architects and construction companies are using and putting this together with Geospatial and 3D visualization. This makes this stuff exciting and makes it possible for you to convey to people who are non-technical.”

“If you are a city, state or the federal government, if you want to be able to convey to non-technical or the public what the implications are, a two minute video is much more effective than a 1,000 AutoCAD drawings.”

Further, Zeiss said the tools help with sustainable design for both new and older buildings. “We are able to take digital photos of an older building and create 3D models that can model energy consumption and the buildings carbon footprint and communicate that to the public.”

This dramatically improves business processes said Zeiss. “Instead of using an AutoCAD drawing tool for printing blueprints, people are now building electronic models of structures and can begin to estimate materials (e.g. how many 2x4s or bricks?).”

This web-based technology also allows the customer to walk through and experience textures and colors of your kitchen or living room. “This changes how construction companies design things and how you participate in the process, whether building a house or a water treatment plant,” added Zeiss. “It allows you to get all the stakeholders involved in the process.”

Mapping Infrastructure Challenge

While Zeiss sees big changes in design, one area where the challenge is worldwide is mapping infrastructure and keeping accurate track of our infrastructure, whether it is overhead power lines, telephone cables or underground power, telecom and water infrastructure.

Much of that information exists, but not in a form people can use easily.

“For emergencies, wouldn’t it be nice to know where the switches and transformers are? This is technically feasible.” ■