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MONTHLY Volume II, Issue 9, September 2006 POSITIONING, NAVIGATION AND BEYOND

Positional accuracy enhancement

Interviews James Doherty D Pandey Shailesh Nayak

CONTENTS – VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9, SEPTEMBER 2006

Articles

Positional accuracy enhancement of an INS/DGPS integrated system using cascade denoising algorithm KAI-WEI CHIANG, YUN-WEN HUANG, CHRIS GOODWALL AND NASER EL-SHEIMY

10 The end of ’Last Orders‘ in spatio-temporal representation? M MORAD, A ADAMU,

S KHADDAJ 20 Cartography as a tool in study of dredging SACHIN S PENDSE 28

Columns

My coordinates EDITORIAL 4 His coordinates JAMES DOHERTY 6 DR D PANDEY 18 DR SHAILESH NAYAK 24

History JIM SMITH 26 News GALILEO UPDATE 18 GPS 33 INDUSTRY 34 LBS 36 REMOTE SENSING 36 GIS 37

Conference ESRI USER 32 Mark your calendar SEPTEMBER TO JULY 38

cGIT 28A Pocket D, SFS Mayur Vihar Phase III, Delhi 110 096, India. Phones +91 11 22632607, 98107 24567, 98102 33422 Email [information] [email protected] [editorial] [email protected] [advertising] [email protected] [subscriptions] [email protected] Web www.mycoordinates.org

This issue has been made possible by the support and good wishes of the following individuals and companies A Adamu, Chris Goodwall, Dr D Pandey, James Doherty, Jim Smith, Kai-wei Chiang, M Morad, Naser El-Sheimy, S Khaddaj, Sachin S Pendse, Dr Shailesh Nayak, Yun-Wen Huang and; Contex, HP, Leica, Navcom, Septentrio, Thales, TraceMe, Trimble; and many others.

Coordinates is an initiative of cGIT that aims to broaden the scope of positioning, navigation and related technologies. cGIT does not neccesarily subscribe to the views expressed by the authors in this magazine and may not be held liable for any losses caused directly or indirectly due to the information provided herein. © cGIT, 2005. Reprinting with permission is encouraged; contact the editor for details. Annual subscription (12 issues) [India] Rs.1,200 [Overseas] US$80

Printed and published by Sanjay Malaviya on behalf of Centre for Geoinformation Technologies (cGIT) at A221 Mangal Apartments, Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi 110096, India. Editor Bal Krishna | Owner Centre for Geoinformation Technologies | Designer TSA Effects, www.tsa.in | Printer Sonu Printer, A110 DDA Sheds, Okhla, New Delhi, India.

This issue of Coordinates is of 40 pages, including cover.

September 2006 3 MYCOORDINATES

Planning planned cities

Delhi itself gives the glimpse of the status of cities of India.

The stress of increasing population, lack of basic amenities, the encroachment, the congestion, the mess…

Given the situation, worth attention is the ambitious National Urban Information System of the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India.

It is claimed that this will help in town planning.

Started this year, the scheme envisages to develop GIS databases for 137 towns in 1:10,000 and 1:2,000 scales.

Deliverables also include utility mapping in 1:1000 scale for 24 towns, GPS data, etc.

The urban spatial data generation will be undertaken by the Survey of India.

Hope that one of the deliverables will be the transformation of Indian cities a better place to live in.

Sounds fascinating.

We wait and watch.

Bal Krishna, Editor [email protected]

Chief advisor Muneendra Kumar PhD, Chief Geodesist (Retired), US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, USA Advisors Naser El-Sheimy PEng, CRC Professor, Department of Geomatics Engineering, The University of Calgary Canada, George Cho Associate Professor in GIS and the Law, University of Canberra, Australia, Prof Madhav N Kulkarni Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India Dr Abbas Rajabifard Deputy Director, Centre for SDI and Land Administration, University of Melbourne, Australia, Luiz Paulo Souto Fortes PhD Associate Director of Geosciences, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics - IBGE, Brazil, John Hannah Professor, School of Surveying, University of Otago, New Zealand

4 September 2006 September 2006 5 HIS COORDINATES “GPS has proven to be a boon to all the users” James Doherty, President, The Institute of Navigation on emerging applications and technological innovations

Tell us about the Institute mentors with the teachers conducting technologies, from simple dead- of Navigation? and assessing field work. Favorite reckoning computing (based on projects are surveying the school’s compass and wheel revolution The Institute of Navigation (ION) athletic field with GPS and other counters) to integration of carrier phase will celebrate its 62nd anniversary at equipment, and analyzing findings. differential GPS with optical sensors its Annual Meeting next year (April and inertial measurement units. 2007, Cambridge, Massachusetts). Other Sections, including Dayton Ohio and Rocky Mountain (Colorado I find the ION’s purpose statement a Springs Colorado area), Alberta You had been involved in the useful starting point from which to Canada, and Southern California, have Maritime Differential GPS describe this Institute: “The ION is programs to award undergraduate service for the US. Would you a scientific, nonprofit organization, and graduate scholarships. Once like to elaborate on this? whose programs are directed toward awarded, although there are no strings advancing the science, art, and attached, Section members frequently In my last tour of duty as an active standards of navigation by coordinating offer to mentor students in the study duty officer of the United States Coast the knowledge and achievements of activities or onward research. Guard, I was the Commanding Officer practicing navigators, scientists, and of the Navigation Center. When I arrived those involved in the development and The ION Satellite Division has also there in 1996, the Maritime Differential production of navigation equipment.” created a number of lesson plans on GPS (DGPS) had just achieved initial positioning, navigation, and timing operational capability (IOC). It was The Institute’s membership includes suitable for the junior high school (12- largely installed and operating, but it about 3500 individual and nearly 14 year old) level. These are available had not yet been certified, and it was 100 corporate members, drawn from on the ION’s website (www.ion.org). experiencing a few equipment problems throughout the United States and and maintenance difficulties. There Canada. In addition to the national The Dayton Section, supported by the were standards in place for service organization, there are currently eleven ION’s Satellite Division and several operations and receiver performance, active local chapters, which we call local sponsors, also runs the annual and we had a number of users. Over Sections, with several more in planning Autonomous Lawnmower Competition. the next several years, the Navigation stages, plus a Satellite Division. The course is challenging—a fixed Center helped focus a Coast Guard plot of grass, with obstacles (in known wide effort to update equipment, and unknown locations), an upper standardize the sites, and certify Any specific achievement time limit for completion, a maximum coverage and system performance to of the ION. speed limit, and a required technical mandated standards. In March 1999, presentation on (among other things) the Secretary of Transportation and I am particularly proud of the ION’s system affordability. Once started, Commandant of the Coast Guard, in work with students. This is largely the lawnmower must work complete a ceremony at the Navigation Center, done through the Sections. Most the course autonomously, without declared the Maritime DGPS fully of our Sections have a Student manual or remote intervention. There operationally capable (FOC)–in other Activities Committee. For example, are penalties for “cutting outside the words ready for full use by mariners. my own Section in Washington DC lines,” for failing to mow areas, for has a program of activities with hitting obstacles, and for taking an By the time of FOC for the US DGPS a number of local high schools, optional restart. This year, I had the network, virtually all maritime nations in which Section members assist pleasure of watching five university of the world had installed their own various science teachers develop field teams compete, and the competition similar service, operating to the same projects to engage students in using was heated. Ohio University’s team standards in their own critical ports positioning, navigation, and timing won. However, I was most inspired and waterways. This made it possible related technologies. The ION loans when I talked with the students from all for mariners to travel anywhere in the equipment and reference materials, the teams—they had been particularly world, using GPS when in open water and Section members serve as innovative in their integration of and taking advantage of the improved

6 September 2006 the Nationwide DGPS expansion accuracy and integrity of the DGPS was initiated, and the first phase of when entering virtually any port. Loran recapitalization was begun. He also served as Deputy Chair of the Department of Transportation’s Civil What about nationwide GPS Service Interface Committee. DGPS expansion programme? Jim is currently a Senior Analyst at the Institute for Defense Analyses, Science The Nationwide DGPS (or NDGPS) & Technology Division. Among his expansion began with a test station responsibilities, he serves on GPS in the Pacific Northwest, which Independent Review Team and the began operating in 1997. The test WAAS Independent Assessment Team. station filled a gap in maritime coverage in the upper reaches He has served on the Council of of the Columbia River and also the Institute of Navigation and in provided coverage for terrestrial user Jim Doherty retired from the U.S. various elected national offices tests, dominantly railroad users. As a Coast Guard at the rank of Captain of the ION since 1999. He was result of the tests, the Department of in 1999; his last duty assignment was Chair of the Washington DC ION Transportation made a decision to move Commanding Officer of the Navigation Section from 2000 until 2005. forward with the NDGPS. The Federal Center. Under his leadership, the In June 2005, he became the Railroad Administration sponsored the Maritime Differential GPS service Institute’s President, a position he system, with additional sponsorship by achieved full operational capability, will hold until January 2007. the Federal Highway Administration, and the Coast Guard agreed to develop, operate, and maintain the service as What is your focus area support new, non-navigation but reimbursed by the other agencies. of the work in Institute navigation-related, applications; The NDGPS would be operated to of Defence Analysis? miniaturization of user equipment; and the same standards as, and in concert new integrations of user equipment. with, the maritime DGPS service. I retired from active military service with the Coast Guard in June 1999, In the Coast Guard, I served as Most of the NDGPS sites were and about two weeks later I began a navigator aboard a Coast Guard Cutter developed economically using second career with the Institute for early in my career, and even earlier, as decommissioned United States Air Defense Analyses (IDA). It is hard a cadet at the Coast Guard Academy, Force GWEN stations. These sites for me to believe that I have been I sailed aboard a 44-foot sailboat in were nearly perfect for broadcast of with IDA for more than 7 years. At several ocean races. I was then part the DGPS correction signals, and IDA, I am a member of the GPS of an elite group of mariners and the site infrastructure was ruggedly Independent Review Team. I also aviators who could call themselves built. It was relatively simple to add participate in or lead various reviews “navigators.” In those days, we reference station and integrity monitor and assessments of position-navigation- used sextants, compass, fathometer, receivers, and then modify the signal time (PNT) and other technologies charts, and even though we had some generators to update a GWEN site for the Department of Defense and on radionavigation systems, such as to NDGPS operations. The first few occasion for other Federal agencies. radiobeacons and Loran-A, navigation NDGPS sites were also declared was a tough-to-master, learned skill, operational in the March 1999 FOC which required constant practice to ceremony for the maritime service. What trends you see in the remain proficient. Later in my Coast field of navigation in terms of Guard career, I was a circuit and DGPS and NDGPS are specified as technological innovations? system engineer working on the more 10-meter accuracy systems, but in modern Loran-C system, upgrading reality most users experience closer Very clearly GPS/GNSS has put transmitter and receiver systems to to meter level accuracies. There is a navigation literally “on the map” for improve performance and automate or new variant, called High Accuracy many users worldwide. The major remotely control operations. Still, the NDGPS, or HA-NDGPS. Employing trends I see include: increases in art and science of navigation remained long range carrier phase corrections, efficiency and safety in traditional the domain of the skilled professional. it appears possible to upgrade maritime and aviation navigation the installed DGPS and NDGPS applications; new applications in Today those professionals have a new infrastructure for decimeter level automobiles and personal navigation; tool, more accurate than ever before, accuracies nationwide. I am hopeful increased demands for global and more universally available—GPS. to see these developments occur. position and time information to With the Wide Area Augmentation

September 2006 7 System (WAAS) and other space- are getting more crowded, as are all Some the countries like India based augmentations, DGPS/NDGPS, modes of transportation. At the same don’t want to depend on new signals of GPS modernization, time, there is a continuing demand US GPS. Please comment. and companion elements of GNSS to move goods and people faster and (Galileo, GLONASS, et al), not only more directly from point to point, It has been Presidential policy since do the navigation professionals have and while also improving the level the 1980s that GPS be provided free access to these services but so also of safety. Intelligent transportation of direct user charges for peaceful everyone else. More and more people, system (ITS) technologies will help global use. There is even a law enacted with limited or no “navigation” increase automation to improve by Congress to that effect. You are training, are using the position and efficiency in transportation, and I aware of the US-EU agreement on time information from this robust believe if done right, improve safety. GPS and Galileo which also supports GNSS. For example, road maps such a policy. In a democracy such as have not quite disappeared from ours, I figure that is about as good a auto club shelves, but increasing Any specific issue you guarantee as one can get. Additionally, numbers of drivers are relying on would like to raise? there are two formal user groups, those factory installed or after market “professional navigators,” which help GPS-based navigation systems. You have seen my comment above assure consistent global quality in GPS about the student activities of the ION. and all GNSS services. That is, the So, with all that as background, When one of my sons graduated from International Maritime Organization what’s next? Users demand new high school (longer ago than I care to (IMO) and the International Civil services, market forces generate remember), I remember the graduation Aviation Organization (ICAO) set innovations to meet those user needs speaker’s theme—“if you can dream rigorous standards for the operation and expectations. Sometimes users it, in your lifetime you will have the and use of GPS/GNSS in maritime and are disappointed with their new GPS- chance to achieve it.” That one line aviation safety applications worldwide. based services, for example when particularly resonated with me. their automobile navigation system Those are the facts. But let me add a stops working in an urban canyon, I knew then that some technologies few thoughts. It is not an inexpensive tunnel, or parking garage. Some smart I worked on enabled some dreams venture to develop, deploy, operate, innovator then integrates the GPS unit to become reality for my generation. maintain, and sustain a GNSS with maps, odometer, and differential I would like to see that same constellation of satellites. Yet it is clear wheel counters to enable higher opportunity for future generations. from the widespread acceptance of accuracy dead reckoning through To that end, I hope to see the ION GPS that it has proven a boon to all the interruption in signal reception. and other professional organizations who would use it. GPS is not alone in I look for this type of integration continue to have active student providing GNSS services. GLONASS within user equipment to continue. programs—to get young students remains in operation, and Galileo has interested in technology and what launched its first test satellite. Thus, it can do to improve the quality there are definite indications that GNSS Would you like to highlight of life … and to stimulate some will become more robust. In that light, some of the emerging of them to further their formal your question might be considered in application areas? technology education to become benefit vs. cost terms—can countries the innovators of the future. afford not to take advantage of When people ask me this question, those services offered by others? I like to turn it back on them … but with a bit of a hint. That is, how do What is your perception Finally, it is clear that through their you think having access to a globally about the Galileo initiative? own DGPS or WAAS-like space- consistent, precise and accurate, based augmentation services, each position and time grid will help I believe that GPS provided a country has the capability to establish you? Will, for example, having up- breakthrough capability—ubiquitous the ultimate accuracy and assure the to-the-minute traffic information, position and time information—that integrity of GPS and other GNSS keyed to your current position has led to major productivity and for their own users. And, if a local or and planned route, be helpful? quality of life gains. Galileo will regional backup service were desired, Or, how about having your cell add robustness to the overall GNSS there are several legacy radionavigation phone call ahead to your home to services, in that it will provide more systems, such as Loran-C and reset the furnace or air conditioner satellites and thus improved geometry modernized variants (e.g., “Enhanced and make other preparations for when users have a limited view of Loran”), as well as mode-specific your comfortable arrival? the sky. The key is that the services systems (e.g., VOR/DME), that would be interoperable, such that the sum provide a measure of independence On a more serious note, highways is greater than the total of the parts. within critical infrastructures.

8 September 2006 September 2006 9 POSITIONING Positional accuracy enhancement of an INS/DGPS integrated system This article presents a novel cascade denoising algorithm to reduce the impact of short term INS errors and improve the positioning accuracy during GPS signal blockages using several INS/DGPS integrated navigation systems

KAI-WEI CHIANG, YUN-WEN HUANG, CHRIS GOODWALL AND NASER EL-SHEIMY

ccording to Skaloud [1999], Consequently, the remaining denoising algorithm is expected to the inertial sensor errors GPS biases contained within the preserve the true motion dynamic are composed of long term GPS navigation solution, such as signal and remove unwanted short term errors (low frequency ionospheric delay, tropospheric delay errors completely. In addition, Figure Acomponents) and short term errors and multipath, are responsible for the (3) also implies that the key element of (high frequency components). very long term errors illustrated in developing the pre-filtering algorithm Therefore, a conceptual plot of the Figures (1) and (2). Due to restrictions for removing unwanted short term frequency spectrum of the inertial set forth by the sampling theory, the errors is to investigate the bandwidth sensor errors in the measurements utilization of DGPS data to reduce the of the true motion dynamics sensed by can be illustrated as in Figure (1). short term INS errors is not effective each inertial sensor individually. Thus, since the sampling rate of DGPS the objectives of this article are to: (1) Figure (2) shows how each of the errors measurements (1Hz) is much lower identify the motion dynamic bandwidth is reduced by the INS/DGPS integration than those of an inertial unit. As a of a typical land vehicle sensed by process. The long term errors are result, the long term INS errors that are each inertial sensor individually, reduced by updating the filter with the reduced by the integration process with (2) evaluate the performance of the observed error state vector coming from GPS are usually more significant than proposed algorithm using various INS/ the GPS filter (position and velocity). the short term errors [Skaloud, 1999]. DGPS integrated land vehicle systems, Certain amounts of the short term errors and (3) investigate the negative are reduced by the smoothing that The long term errors usually include impacts of the cascade denoising is done by the numerical integration accelerometer biases and gyro drifts algorithm on different INS/DGPS process of the INS mechanization which are commonly modeled as integrated land vehicle systems. [Burton et al., 1999]. However, Figure error states. Therefore, the impact of (2) indicates the benefits of the INS/ these long term errors for long periods DGPS integration are band-limited as of time can be limited with external Spectrum analysis of the lower boundary of the error spectrum aiding. On the contrary, the remaining IMU kinematic signals is mainly determined by remaining short term errors remain and contribute biases in the GPS observations while the to the error accumulation during GPS Wavelet denoising algorithms upper boundary is mainly determined signal outage periods. Consequently, have been applied to separate the by short term inertial sensor errors. Figure (3) illustrates that a perfect low frequency (long term) and

� Fs/2: Naqusit Frequency (Fs: sampling frequency) � Fs/2: Naqusit Frequency (Fs: sampling frequency) Amplitude � VLE: Very Long Term INS Sensor Error � VLE: Very Long Term INS Sensor Error � LTE: Long Term INS Sensor Error Amplitude � LTE: Long Term INS Sensor Error � TMD: True Motion Dynamic � TMD: True Motion Dynamic � The plot is not to scale � The plot is not to scale

Reduced by Reduced by INS/DGPS INS Mechanization

STE STE STE VVLELE LLTETE VLE LTE TTMDTMMDD TMD

Fs/2 Fs/2 Frequency Frequency

Figure 1: The conceptual spectrum of INS Figure 2: Conceptual plot of the INS sensor errors sensor errors (After Skaloud, 1999) spectrum after INS/DGPS Integration

10 September 2006 � Fs/2: Naqusit Frequency (Fs: sampling frequency) Gyro and Z- Table 2: Relationship between stop Amplitude � VLE: Very Long Term INS Sensor Error � LTE: Long Term INS Sensor Error Accelerometer bands and decomposition level � TMD: True Motion Dynamic was mainly � The plot is not to scale due to road Fs=200 Hz Fs=100 Hz Fs=50 Hz Stop band Stop band Stop band Reduced by Reduced by irregularities INS/DGPS INS Mechanization (i.e., bumps). (Hz) (Hz) (Hz) In contrast, DL=1 64 32 16 Reduced by the narrower DL=2 32 16 8 Perfect Denoising Algorithm bandwidth DL=3 16 8 4 VLE LTE sensed by the X- DL=4 8 4 2 TMD Accelerometer, DL=5 4 2 1 Fs/2 DL=6 2 1 0.5 Frequency Y- Accelerometer Figure 3: The conceptual spectrum of INS and Z-Gyro 2 was derived using Daubechies sensor errors (After Chiang et al, 2004) indicates a much wavelet functions (DB(i), i=2 smoother heading ~ 15) [ Daubechies, 1992]. high frequency (short term) error motion along the trajectory, which components of IMU signals. See reflects the dynamic motion First Generation Wavelet Skaloud [1999], Burton et al., [1999], variation in typical land vehicle Denoising Algorithm and Nassar [2004] for details. However, applications [Czonpo, 1990, Chiang for land vehicle navigation applications et al., 2004 and Chiang 2004]. The basic principle of the first the concern is in removing short term generation denoising algorithm is to errors and improving the positioning perform thresholding on the DWT accuracy during GPS signal blockages Traditional wavelet denoising of the noisy signal, and then take without jeopardizing the true motion the inverse DWT of the thresholded dynamic components of the vehicle. Mallat [1989] proposed Multiresolution coefficients to obtain the denoised Analysis (MRA), which has been the signal. Donoho [1992] proposed the Indeed, such operation requires most common and general approach following schemes for denoising: the prior knowledge of the true to constructing a wavelet basis. In 1) Suppose x(n) is the original bandwidth for typical land vehicle signal processing, such an idea is signal of length n, y(n) = x(n) + motion dynamics and the spectrum implemented as subband filtering, or e(n), where y(n) is corrupted by characteristics of the wavelet denoising quadrature mirror filtering [Strang and e(n) ~ N (0,1). Find the DWT

algorithm. Thus, the positioning errors, Nguyun, 1997]. The decomposition of y(n) which is called Yj, k(n). after applying denoised kinematic IMU step consists of a low pass (h) and 2) Perform proper thresholding on

measurements, can be expected to be a high pass (g) filter followed by Yj, k(n) using δ chosen based on smaller than those obtained through downsampling (↓ 2) (i.e., retaining only Stein’s Unbiased Estimate of Risk the use of original data if the true the even index samples), see Mallat or Threshold choice (SURE) (see motion dynamic content can be well [1999] for more details about wavelet Donoho [1992] for details) , see preserved and the short term errors decomposition. Chiang et al., [2004] Chiang et al., [2004] for details can be removed during the denoising investigated the relationship between about performance of different operation. Chiang et al., [2004] the decomposition level, sampling thresholding algorithms. ˆ investigated the bandwidth of true frequencies (i.e., Fs=200Hz, Fs=100Hz, 3) Take the inverse DWT of X j,k to motion dynamics using kinematic IMU and Fs=50Hz), and the stop bands of recover the denoised signal XLˆ (). raw measurements sensed by several residual frequencies corresponding to systems and suggested the bandwidth the approximate signals through the Second Generation Wavelet of true motion dynamics for general spectrum analysis of approximation Denoising Algorithm

land vehicle applications as given in signals (Ai,i=1, 2, 3...n) and the detail

Table 1. See Chiang [2004] and Chiang signals (Di,i=1, 2, 3...n) generated The DWT is not translation invariant et al., [2004] for more details about at each wavelet decomposition (shift invariant), meaning that if a the spectrum analysis of kinematic level, as indicated in Table 2. DWT is applied to a shifted version IMU signals. The cause for the wider of a signal x, it cannot get the shifted bandwidth sensed by the X-Gyro, Y- The relationship presented in Table version of the DWT of x [Lang et al, 1996]. The lack of translation Table.1: Bandwidth of true motion dynamics invariance is not necessarily a problem for most applications, but for Gyro Accelerometer Sensor denoising this phenomenon introduces W_x W_y W_z A_x A_y A_z artifacts when using transform domain Bandwidth <8Hz <8Hz <2Hz <2Hz <2Hz <8Hz thresholding dependent on the kind of

September 2006 11 Table 3: Optimal decomposition level then for a signal X with length N, short term errors whose frequencies for kinematic IMU measurements ShX(k) = X((k+h) mod N). Now if are lower than the stop band when the L represents the DWT operator, existing wavelet denoising algorithm Fs=200 Hz Fs=100 Hz Fs=50 Hz T represents the thresholding is applied to the IMU signals. BW/L BW/L BW/L -1 -1 operator, Sh and L are the unshift Wx 8/4 8/3 8/2 and IDWT operators respectively, Wy 8/4 8/3 8/2 then the denoised signal is given Development of the cascade Wz 2/6 2/5 2/4 by the following equation: denoising algorithm Ax 2/6 2/5 2/4 1 N −1 Ay 2/6 2/5 2/4 ˆ −1 − 1 XSLTLSX= ∑ h h As indicated previously, through a N = Az 8/4 8/3 8/2 h 0 (1) spectrum analysis of the DWT/TIW denoising algorithm and kinematic transform domain one is working in The denoising procedure for IMU raw IMU signals, the bandwidth of the true [Jansen, 2001]. For wavelet denoising measurements is illustrated in Figure motion dynamics sensed and the stop

the artifacts are related to the behavior (4) where cAi (i = 1, 2, 3...n) and cDi band of the wavelet-based low pass near singularities. In the neighborhood (i = 1, 2, 3...n) are approximation filter can be determined as given in of discontinuities, wavelet denoising and detail coefficients generated at Tables 1 and 2. As a result, an optimal can exhibit pseudo-Gibbs phenomena each decomposition level. See Chiang decomposition level of the wavelet- [Coifman and Donoho, 1995].To [2004] for the relationship between based low pass filter was determined. reduce the impact of pseudo-Gibbs approximation/detail signals and Since the signals whose frequency phenomena, the Undecimated Wavelet approximation/detail coefficients. ranges are outside the bandwidth of the Transform (UDWT), which has been The optimal decomposition level (L) true motion dynamics are undesirable, independently discovered under several varies with the bandwidth of true wavelet-based low pass filters with names, e.g., shift/translation invariant motion dynamics in each sensor. It optimal decomposition levels (L) wavelet transform (TIW) [Coifman can be chosen using Table 2 and the can be applied for each sensor. These and Donoho, 1996], stationary bandwidth of the true land vehicle low pass filters are first used to wavelet transform (SWT) [Nason motion dynamics listed in Table remove undesirable high frequency and Silverman,1995] or redundant 1, which is given in Table 3. components whose frequencies are wavelet transform, can be applied. higher than the stop bands and then Chiang et al., [2004] indicated that applied to filter any remaining short Coifman and Donoho [1995] the major limitation of applying either term errors whose frequencies are extensively studied the similar the 1st or 2nd generation denoising lower than the stop bands of the low characteristics of the UDWT and algorithms was the remaining high pass filters, as shown in the Figure (6). implemented a so called Translation frequency components. The conceptual Invariant Wavelet Transform (TIW) plot of the frequency spectrum of Through this spectrum analysis of the based on the idea of Cycle-Spinning, both the 1st and 2nd generation cascade denoising algorithm, the above or denoising all possible shifts of a denoising algorithms is given in Figure mentioned limitations of the traditional signal and then averaging. The idea (5). Therefore, the remaining issue denoising procedure can be removed. was originally explored to reduce the involves removing the short term In addition, the cascade denoising is pseudo-Gibbs phenomena. If we let errors whose frequencies are higher able to provide superior performance

Sh represent the circular shift operator than the stop band and reducing the over traditional denoising algorithms

Spectrum Analysis � Fs/2: Naqusit Frequency (Fs: sampling frequency) of IMU Signal Sensor Output � VLE: Very Long Term INS Sensor Error Amplitude � LTE: Long Term INS Sensor Error � STE: Short Term INS Sensor Error Bandwidth � TMD: True Motion Dynamic Stop band � The plot is not to scale

Optimal L Decomposition Reduced by Reduced by Level INS/DGPS INS Mechanization

Stop band Reduced by Existing Denoising Algorithm (DWT and TIW) Spectrum Analysis of DWT ININSS VLE LTE STE MMech.ech. TH : Thresholding, TMD STE : threshold value, t : soft/hard Detail coefficients (high frequency) Fs/2 Approximate coefficients (low frequency) Frequency

INS Mech. INS Mechanization Figure 5: The conceptual spectrum of INS Figure 4: IMU kinematic signal denoising sensor errors after denoising

12 September 2006 September 2006 13 � Fs/2: Naqusit Frequency (Fs: sampling frequency) Spectrum Analysis of IMU Signal Sensor Output Amplitude � VLE: Very Long Term INS Sensor Error � LTE: Long Term INS Sensor Error Stop band � STE: Short Term INS Sensor Error Bandwidth � TMD: True Motion Dynamic Wavelet Based Low Pass Filter � The plot is not to scale

Optimal Decomposition Level Reduced by Reduced by L INS/DGPS INS Mechanization

Stop band Reduced by Cascade Denoising Algorithm Spectrum Analysis of DWT (DWT and TIW) VLE LTE STE TH : Thresholding, : threshold value, t : soft/hard/universal TMD d : decomposition level ININSS for denoising Mech. Mech. Fs/2 Frequency

Figure 6: IMU signal cascade denoising Figure 7: The conceptual spectrum of INS sensor errors after cascade denoising in the position domain. The conceptual the University plot of the frequency spectrum of the of Calgary. The test was conducted simulated outages along the test cascade denoising algorithm is given to replicate a typical land vehicle trajectory. The navigation solutions in Figure (7). Comparing Figure (3) to environment using three different INS/ obtained through the use of raw IMU Figure (5) and Figure (7), the spectrum DGPS integrated systems consisting of measurements and denoised IMU of the cascade denoising resembles a navigation grade IMU (Honeywell measurements were then compared that of a perfect denoising algorithm. CIMU), and two NovAtel OEM4 with the reference trajectory. This implies that the cascade denoising receivers. The performance of the is superior to traditional algorithms in cascade denoising algorithm was then Figure (10) and Table 4 provide the frequency domain. Furthermore, evaluated in terms of the IMU qualities summaries of the positional error Chiang et al., [2004] showed that (i.e., accuracy levels). Figure (8) performances when comparing the the cascade denoising is superior to illustrates the test van and the set up denoised INS/DGPS integrated traditional denoising algorithms in the of the IMU systems used in the test. navigation solutions to the raw INS/ position domain since it is capable of DGPS integrated navigation solutions providing significant improvements The reference trajectory was generated using a navigation grade IMU with in terms of the positioning using the CIMU/DGPS integrated the reference trajectory during each accuracy during GPS outages. system with a loosely coupled GPS signal outage period. It can extended Kalman Filter integration be seen from Figure (10) that the scheme. There were no natural GPS cascade denoising algorithm was Results and discussions signal outages in this test trajectory, able to provide visible improvements and therefore, eight simulated GPS during several GPS outage periods. To asses the performance of the signal outages were simulated by As indicated in Table 4, the positional proposed cascade denoising algorithm removing the GPS solutions being fed errors of six GPS outage periods a field test was conducted in October into the INS Kalman filter during the were successfully reduced using 2003 by the Mobile Multi-sensor integration process, see Figure (9) for denoised CIMU measurements. Systems (MMSS) research Group of the location of the

x 10 Simulated GPS outages

5.6794 INS/DGPS Outage (1) 5.6792 Outage (2) 5.679 Outage (3) Outage (4) 5.6788 Outage (5) Outage (6) 5.6786 Outage (7) 5.6786 Outage (8)

North (m)5.6786

5.678

5.6778

5.6776

5.6774 7.055 7.06 7.065 7.07 7.075 7.08 East (m) x 105

Figure 8: The picture of test van and system set-up Figure 9: Location of the simulated GPS signal outages

14 September 2006 4 North Where TP is the total Conclusions 2 number  of accumulated 0 δNEi, δ i -2 points during all GPS This article presented a novel cascade 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 2 outages (t is the total denoising algorithm to reduce the

or (m) East 0 length of all GPS outages impact of short term INS errors and

-2 and Fs is the sampling improve the positioning accuracy

-4 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 rate of the IMU), and during GPS signal blockages using

Position Err δNE, δ 4 and i i several INS/DGPS integrated Raw Total Cascade denoised are the accumulated navigation systems. The key elements 2 absolute magnitude of of any pre-filtering operation are to 0 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 positional errors along investigate the bandwidth of the true GPS Time - 499000 (second) the North and East motion dynamics and remove the short Figure 10: Positional errors (CIMU/DGPS) directions during each term INS errors without deteriorating GPS outage period after the true motion dynamic signal. The rate of improvement for and before applying the cascade individual outage periods was 75% denoising algorithm, respectively. Table The results of spectrum analyses (6/8). In addition, the magnitude 5 illustrates the PAIs for the CIMU/ demonstrated that the bandwidth of the of improvement ranged from 20 DGPS integrated system. As indicated true motion dynamics is very low. In centimeters to 1 meter and the in Table 5, the PAIs demonstrate fact, it can be divided into two groups. percentage of improvement ranged the improvements after using the The first group consists of the X- from 20% to 90%. In contrast, the proposed algorithm. Therefore, despite Gyro, Y-Gyro, and Z-Accelerometer remaining two GPS outage periods the minor degradations, the cascade with corresponding bandwidth were not significantly degraded denoising algorithm was effective in ranges from 0 to 6 Hz. In contrast, by the denoising operation. The improving the positioning accuracy of the second group is composed of X- magnitude of this degradation ranged an INS/GPS integrated system using a Accelerometer, Y-Accelerometer, from 5 centimeters to 20 centimeters navigation grade IMU in DGPS mode and Z-Gyro corresponding to and the percentage of degradation during several GPS signal outages. bandwidth ranges from 0 to 1Hz. In ranged from 20% to 35%. These outages were with different addition, the spectrum of the true lengths of signal blockages and motion dynamics is independent To provide a more accurate different motion dynamic variations. of the quality of the IMU used. description associated with the performance of the cascade For navigation grade IMU (i.e., CIMU), The cascade denoising algorithm denoising algorithm, a performance the long term errors of the IMU developed in this article was able to analysis index can be defined as (i.e., bias, drifts) are stable and well overcome the limitations of existing TP   behaved. This means that the remaining denoising algorithms in the frequency ∑ δNEi, δ i i=1 short term errors of the IMU account domain. In addition, it was capable PAI( N , E )= 1 − TP ,TP= t * Fs , t = 450 s for most of the residual position of providing superior performance ∑ δNEi, δ i i=1 error during GPS signal outages. in the position domain. The results demonstrated that the cascade Table 4: Performance summary (CIMU/DGPS) denoising algorithm provided the most significant improvement when using a RAW Cascade Denoising_DGPS Blockage navigation grade (CIMU-=[09) DGPS Blockage MAX_ N MAX_ E RMSE MAX_ N MAX_ E RMSE No. integrated system; the percentage of Length(s) (m) (m) Total (m) (m) (m) Total (m) improvement reached 58%. For a 1 30 0.1 1.13 0.43 0.02 0.05 0.03 navigation grade IMU (e.g., CIMU) 2 30 1.30 0.12 0.44 0.28 0.02 0.17 the long term errors (e.g., bias, drifts) 3 60 0.45 1.06 0.55 0.37 1.34 0.68 were stable and well behaved, while the 4 60 2.39 0.85 1.18 0.67 0.75 0.48 remaining short term errors dominated. 5 60 0.84 0.59 0.50 0.56 0.10 0.37 6 30 0.24 0.15 0.14 0.38 0.06 0.19 7 60 1.72 1.48 1.06 0.52 0.39 0.44 Acknowledgements 8 120 2.28 3.08 1.62 1.07 0.41 0.48 Table 5: PAIs (CIMU/DGPS) This study was supported in part by research fund from National Science RAW Cascade denoising   Council of Taiwan (NSC 95-2221-E- ∑ δ E ∑ δ N ∑ δ E ∑ δ N PAI(E) 006 -335 -MY2), the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of INS/DGPS 7.5410E4 6.2211E4 2.9063E4 2.8992E4 75% 69% Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian

September 2006 15 Geomatics for Informed Decisions Coifman, R.R. and Donoho, D.L. The University of Calgary (GEOIDE) Network Centers of (1995): Translation-Invariant Excellence (NCE). Dr. Eun-Hwan Shin De-Noising, Lecture Notes in Skaloud, J. (1999):Optimizing is acknowledged as a co-author of the Statistics, 103,pp.125-150,Yale Georeferencing of Airborne Survey AINS® toolbox used in the article for University and Yale University Systems by INS/DGPS, PhD thesis, providing the INS mechanization and Department of Geomatics Engineering, INS/GPS extended Kalman filter. Daubechies, I. (1992): Ten Lectures The University of Calgary on Wavelets. Philadelphia:SIAM. Strang, G., and Nguyen, T. (1997): References Donoho, D.L. (1992): De-Noising Wavelets and Filter Banks. via Soft Thresholding. IEEE Wellesley-Cambridge Press. Bruton, A.M., Skaloud, J., Schwarz, Trans. Info. Theory, Vol.41,No.3, K.P. (1999): The Use of Wavelets May 1995,pp.613-627 for the Analysis and De-noising of Kai-Wei Chiang Kinematic Geodetic Measurements. Jansen, M. (2001): Noise Department of Geodesy Beyond 2000- IAG General reduction by wavelet thresholding, Geomatics, National Assembly, Birmingham, UK, July New York Springer, Cheng-Kung University 19-24, International Association [email protected] of Geodesy Symposia, Vol. 121, Lang M., Guo, H., Odegard, J.E., 2000, Springer, 227-232. and Burrus, C. S., and Wells Jr. R. O. (1996): Noise Reduction Using Chiang, K.W., Hu, H., El-Sheimy, an Undecimated Discrete Wavelet Yun-Wen Huang N., and Niu, X. (2004): Improving Transform. IEEE Signal Processing Department of Positioning Accuracy of a GPS/ Letters, 3(1):10-12, Jan. 1996. Geomatics, National MEMS Integrated Vehicular Cheng-Kung University Navigation System During DGPS Mallat, S. (1989):A Theory of [email protected]. Outages Periods Utilizing Cascade Multiresolution Signal Decomposition: edu.tw Denoising Algorithm, GNSS 2004, The Wavelet Representation, IEEE ION, September 21-24, 2004 - Trans.PAMI,11,pp674-693 Long Beach, California, USA Chris Goodwall Mallat, S. (1999): A Wavelet Tour Mobile Multi-sensor Chiang, K.W. (2004): INS/GPS of Signal Processing, Academic Research Group Integration using Neural Networks for Press, 2nd edition, 1999 Department of Land Vehicular Navigation Application, Geomatics Engineering, PhD thesis, Department of Geomatics Nason, G., and Silverman, B.(1995): The University of Calgary Engineering, The University of The stationary wavelet transform [email protected] Calgary, UCGE Reports 20209 and some statistical applications, in Wavelets and Statistics (Antoniadis Czompo, T. (1990): Use of Spectral and Oppenheim eds.), P.281-299 Naser El-Sheimy Methods in Strapdown ISS Data Mobile Multi-sensor processing, Proceedings of the Nasser, S.(2004):Improving the Inertial Research Group international Symposium on Kinematic Navigation System (INS) Error Model Department of System for Geodesy, Navigation and for INS and INS/DGPS Applications. Geomatics Engineering, remote sensing, Banff, September PhD thesis UCGE Reports 20183, The University of Calgary 10-14,Springer-Verlag,New York. Department of Geomatics Engineering, [email protected]

16 September 2006 The right tools. The right support. At the right time.

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©2006,Trimble Navigation Limited. All rights reserved.Trimble and the Globe & Triangle logo are trademarks of Trimble NavigatioLimited registeredn in the United States Patent and Trademark Office September and other countrie 2006s. SUR-10 7 www.trimble.com17 HIS COORDINATES “FSI is well equipped with state of the art systems“ Forest Survey of India celebrates 25 years. On this occation we spoke with Dr D. Pandey, Director General, FSI

of the FSI the use of Do you have any programme modern technology and for forest fire monitoring? methods of survey such as remote sensing, GIS, FSI is using the rapid response system GPS and data processing developed by Maryland University software for inventories of USA in collaboration with NASA are establishing its where MODIS satellite data has been roots to State/UT used for detection forest fire in India on Forest Departments. near real time basis during forest fire session (November to May). The State Forest Departments wherever the fire Please tell us spots have been detected are informed the role of on daily basis along with geographic Geomatics in the coordinates and approximate location in activities of FSI? What is the mandate of FSI? the district. On analyzing the response of the State Forest Departments more FSI has gradually progressed to adopt than 90% of the forest fire incidence The broad mandate of the Forest the geomatics as the basic science in have been found to be correct. FSI is Survey of India is to assess and monitor the assessment of the forest resources, now proposing to assess the area of the forest resources of the country Digital image processing of the forest affected due to fire by analyzing to provide reliable information on remote sensing data for classifying the remote sensing data of the periods various parameter of the resources the forest cover and use of GPS for immediately followed by forest fire. such as forest cover, its quality and ground truthing and estimation of the changes, volume of the growing forest plantation areas has become stock of wood within forest and quite popular. Operationalyzing of What role do you see in trees outside forests, monitor geomatics fully in all the activities of FSI in NSDI? success of plantation efforts etc. for of FSI is the only option to enhance state and national level planning. accuracy and speed in assessing Forest cover data is in demand by the forest resources. Forest Department of the State and UTs and also by developments agencies FSI is celebrating 25th years like Irrigation Department, PWD, of its existence. Would you What is the status of Railways, Rural Development and also like to highlight its three geomatics capabilities in by NGOs. On the other hand FSI uses major achievements? terms of infrastructure data from Survey of India and NRSA. and trained manpower? FSI is a partner to NSDI process,  Reliable data on the forest Operationalyzing of NSDI with meta cover of the country was first Adoption of any new technology is data standards and application protocol time estimated by the Forest a time taking process. Geomatics will facilitate sharing of the data both Survey of India in 1987 which infrastructure has gradually grown in by FSI and other stake holders. was hitherto not known. the organization and presently the FSI  Estimation of growing stock is well equipped with state of the art of wood in the forests of systems for carrying out RS, GIS & What is the status of forest India was first time achieved GPS applications. Through the regular in India in your perception? by the FSI in 1995. programmes of skill upgradation, the  Regular reporting of the forest technical personnel of the organization With the increasing population pressure cover of the country on the two have been trained to use the new and land hunger, India’s forests face year cycle has created a sense technology. Furthermore, trained a great challenge. Though at places of alertness among the State/UT young professionals in geomatics have forests get degraded but the stringent Forest Departments. Through also been engaged in various projects Forest Conservation Act supported the capacity building programme being implemented by the FSI. National Afforestation Programme has

18 September 2006 Galileo update helped in maintaining and improving the forest and tree cover of the Galileo – the European Programme for Global country. The preacher co-active role Navigation Services for civil purposes is an initiative played by the environmentalists and led by European Union. We provide regular updates NGOs also needs to be appreciated. to our readers on the Galileo programme.

German government makes funds Unveiling the extra cash, Mr Darling What steps you envisage available for Galileo development work said: "The Galileo project has real for forest conservations? potential to develop groundbreaking The German federal government will technology leading to more accurate in- provide funds to the tune of 2.5 million car navigation and new systems for the Most of the States/UTs Forest Euros for research and development work emergency services to locate missing or Departments are following JFM in Rostock on the European satellite- injured people.” www.thisislondon.co.uk formula. It is important that JFM areas based navigation system Galileo. are monitored periodically to know Galileo and the PRN codes hack the impact of JFM on the development In the course of a visit to the Rostock- of forest resources and biodiversity based technology company RST, Professor Psiaki has said that they wanted besides its impact on socio-economic Wolfgang Tiefensee, the Federal Minister the PRN codes of Galileo to begin testing conditions of the participating village responsible for promoting the industries receivers, which would work with the community. In addition strengthening of the eastern federal states that used Galileo satellites. Psiaki was working front line field staff who are responsible to make up the German Democratic on a receiver intended to work with both for conservation/protection is Republic, said that the groundwork GPS and its European civil successor, extremely important as over the R&D in the field of aerospace which together will considerably expand years the number is going down due technology carried out by companies today's global navigation satellite to sluggishness in the recruitment. in Mecklenburg West-Pomerania was systems. He and his team hit headlines of an outstanding quality. Substantial when they cracked the pseudo-random funds would now be invested in Galileo numbers (PRNs) codes of Galileo. application research, he added. For testing the receivers he wanted the Within the context of research undertaken codes and despite requests to the Galileo by RST, four transmitters will be set up folks, Psiaki couldn't get the codes the in the port of Rostock capable of giving team needed to test the receiver. Psiaki off Galileo signals. During the test phase and his team cracked the PRN codes the signals, which allow the receiver and published the codes and the details to pinpoint the position of the sender of how they did it on April 1. Within exactly, will be picked up by a ship of a couple of days other researchers the ferry line Scandlines. www.heise.de had downloaded the codes and begun using them. "Everyone knows this UK to invest another £21m in Galileo is not the final version," said Psiaki, "but we can test a lot of difficult and The UK government will invest another important stuff with this signal." £21 million in Galileo GNSS. Firms in Dr. D Pandey, completed M.Sc in the UK are already at the forefront of the Despite cracking and publishing the Statistics in 1971 from Allahabad £2.4 billion scheme to provide Europe codes, Psiaki really doesn't want anything University and joined the Indian Forest with its own independent system by 2010. bad to happen to Galileo as a result. Service in 1975 and was allotted AGMUT Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair "I and a lot of people want Galileo to cadre. Served in various capacities in Darling said the boost to the Galileo succeed," he says. "But we don't want the cadre and on central deputation as project was "good news for British to be shut out." www.theinquirer.net Faculty member of Forest Research jobs, British technology and science". Institute & Colleges. Completed Ph.D. (Forestry) from Swedish University of Agricultural sciences (Sweden) in 1996 with specialisation in ‘Forest Resources Assessment’. Served as Director, Forest Survey of India during 1997 – 2000. Has several national and international publications and monographs and has been a team leader and consultant in several important forest related studies at the international level. September 2006 19 GIS The end of ‘Last Orders’ in spatio- temporal representation? A proposed new model for spatio-temporal information management

M MORAD, A ADAMU, S KHADDAJ

espite the rapid advances database could model the changes, whereas in event-oriented models in software and hardware encompassing a mix of geographical events are time-stamped in a sequential technologies, the development objects and their relationships. For manner and stored progressively of temporal databases example, if a road is represented as over time (Frank, 1994; Peuquet, Dcapable of dealing with the evolution an object rather than as an entry in 1998 and Claramunt el at, 1999). of geographical entities remains a database table, associations with a challenging task. The aim of other objects (eg, street, building, etc) Although the triad model constitutes this paper is to discuss a proposed linked to the road can automatically an integrated approach to representing model that is able to handle spatial ‘inherit’ any changes made to the changes, it does not relate events to entities over time as a continuum. road, thereby making it easier to specific geographical phenomena; track later (Worboys, 1994) . while event-oriented models are suitable for temporally stable Time, Space and GIS Recent research proposals have used sequential changes but are not useful temporal GIS and object oriented for representing sudden changes The modelling of spatio-temporal techniques to explicitly define the (eg, earthquakes) and protracted changes features in a wide spectrum relationship between the events (or changes (eg, annual rainfall patterns) of applications, such as socio- processes) and the objects over time. (Peuquet, 1998). Neither model is economic analysis, environmental These proposals include the event- sufficiently suitable for tracking the impact assessment, epidemiological oriented model and the triad model evolution of geographical objects projections and transportation and. The event-oriented model involves where splitting, merging or transitions planning. Different types of data the use of object oriented techniques need to be recorded and retrieved. models, based on raster and vector to identify the pattern of changes (as approaches (Langran, 1993), have events) within the objects (Worboys, been used to represent changes 1994). In order to effectively track A proposed new model of geographical phenomena. versions of the original object, version management (Wachowicz, 1999) and Object orientation has the abstraction Relational database models have been identity-based methods (Hornsby and power to represent real objects, found to be well suited for applications Egenhofer, 2000) have been employed. provides the extensibility needed where the relationships among the The triad model (Peuquet, 1998) is to create new geographical models geographical objects are fairly fixed an integrated model, consisting of (through ‘inheritance’), and the and well-known. By contrast, object- three independent and interrelated semantic needed to construct complex oriented models can outperform domains (location, feature and time) objects of similar spatial and temporal relational models at handling complex relationships among geographical Geographical Object Class objects, and in dealing with temporal issues (Yourdon, 1994, Wachowicz, Version, Events and Processes Classes 1999); and optimum query mechanisms can also be produced by using object- oriented approaches. The need to adopt object oriented approaches have been prompted by the fact that there are problems with relational Thematic Class Spatial Class Temporal Class models in the context of dynamic environments where changes can be Aggregated Link

fast, and the databases cannot rapidly Associated Link accommodate the flow of information (Milne et al, 1993). An object oriented Figure 1: Composite classes of a geographical object

20 September 2006 states (through ‘polymorphism’) attributes of a geographical object backward versioning. The method in (Yourdon, 1994). The proposed object will dynamically generate related equation (2) provides a quicker access oriented model supports both object attributes and temporal links updated to the current versions. and attributes versioning, where by the corresponding versions, an Versions(x)=(CVx(n),∆x(n,n-

changes of geographical phenomena effective facility proposed originally 1),∆x(n-1,n-2),...,∆x(n0+1, n0)) (2) are handle by version management. in a research paper by Owen (1993). The relationships between the generic When a geographical object changes, A version of an object consists of object and versions of that object are the generated dynamic attribute composite classes, as shown in represented by a temporal version locates the versions and creates figure 1. The aggregated composite management approach, as discussed temporal links between the previous classes include thematic class, by Dadam et al (1984) and Wachowicz version and the new versions. Similar spatial class and temporal class. The (1999). This method of version equations, which can be used for associated composite classes include management uses temporal operators splitting and merging of objects, are events class and processes class. (eg, during, after, before etc) to handle provided by Dadam et al (1984). The spatial class deals with queries gradual and sudden changes, as defined about the location of the object (eg, by Allen (1984). To avoid the use of A version of an object is induced by “where is the best museum in this large storage space, only the generic changes (attribute or behaviour) of the city?”). The thematic class deals object (or subsequently the current spatial, thematic and temporal classes. with queries about the features of an object) holds the complete attributes Subsequent attributes and behaviour object (eg, “what is the speed limit and behaviour of the object while the of the classes are automatically of this road?”). The temporal class other versions record only the changes updated to the respective class. deals with queries about the time in their attributes and behaviour. Each attribute or behaviour change attributes of the object (eg, “when was is contained in a version, linked bi- hospital H built in this locality?”). The temporal relationships between the directionally to the respective spatial, current object and versions are given thematic and temporal classes. The thematic, spatial and temporal by: classed are linked to a composite class Versions(x) = (∆x (n,n-1), ∆ x (n-1,n-

structure recording versions, events 2),. . ., ∆ x (n0+1, n0), CVx(n0)) (1) Model implantation and processes. An event class deals and evaluation

with the cause of the changes of the Where CVx(n0) is the complete version

geographical object (eg, “the event of object x whiles n0 indicates the The model was implemented using an which marked reducing the speed generic version, which holds the object oriented database, Objectivity, limit on road R”). A process class complete attributes and behaviour. ∆ x and the object oriented programming handles the effect of changes of the (k, k’) represents the difference between environment Visual C++. The object (eg, “how much rainfall will the current version (k) and the previous relationships between the classes be expected to cause a flood?”). version (k’) of object x. As shown are established in the application in equation (1) access to the current schema file using the object reference Figure 2 explains the workings of the version n requires n-1 iterations, which class function, ooRef. For example, version class. A geographical object means evaluating delta version ∆x when the first line of code below

is represented as a generic object, and (n0+1, n0) followed by delta version is inserted in the version class and

the first object and any subsequent ∆x (n0+2, n0+1), then the next version the second in the spatial class, the changes can be represented as versions. up to delta version ∆x (n, n-1). This relationships between the version Each version of the object records forward versioning strategy provides class and the spatial class is created. the changes (involving an attribute or faster access to the oldest version. 1) ooRef(Spatial) current_spatdata; behaviour) signalled by the aggregated 2) ooRef(GObject) current_SpatObject; spatial, thematic and temporal classes A shown in equation (2), previous and the associated events and processes versions can be evaluated from current Objectivity/DB has the capabilities to classes. Subsequent changes of the versions, and this strategy is known as represent the versioning approaches (ie, linear, splitting and merging) demonstrated in the OOM. Linear

V V changes are represented by linear GO V0 1 (n+1) versioning method using the setVersSt atus(oocLinearVers) function. Changes Time involving splitting are represented by GO = Generic Object branching versioning technique using V0, V1, V(n+1) = Version Changes = Temporal topology link the setVersStatus(oocBranchingVers) function. Geographical phenomena Figure 2: Relationship between the versions and generic object involving merging are represented

September 2006 21 by the merging versioning approach GObject::GObject(): Conclusion using the add_derivative function. If current_spatdata(newSpatial()), the properties of the merged object current_tempdata(newTemporal()), The proposed system constitutes good are similar to the previous objects, the current_themdata(new Thematic()); temporal representation, because the add_derivedFrom function is used. temporal attributes and behaviour of Versioning is established by invoking A dynamic function handles the the versions are independent, but retain the version(copy) and version(move) temporal relationships between dynamic relationships which enable the function in the application DDL versions, events and processes. The tracking of individual thematic, spatial (Data Definition Language) schema code below generates the relationships or temporal events and processes as file. The version(move) function between the versions, events and distinct (rather than hierarchically allows the attributes and behaviour processes. Each process is linked to indexed or consolidated) versions. of the previous version to be moved the event through the corresponding Moreover, the temporal attributes in to the current version and the version. the proposed model include temporal version(copy) function enables the EventH=new(GObjectH) operators to promote the continuous copying of the properties of previous Event(TempEvent); analysis of patterns of change. The version to the current version. ProcessH=new(GObjectH); system also works well with both gradual and sudden changes because Persistence objects are identified using A test of the functionality of the the attributes of events have temporal the object identifier (OID) which is model was conducted which involved operators, and versions have built- unique within a federated database. the tracking of geographical objects in relationships between them. The Objectivity/DB uses the object handle that experienced versioned events GIS system proposed by the authors class, Handle, to access persistent triggering by spatial and thematic eliminates the need for large data objects automatically by the DDL attribute changes. Comparing the storage capacities by recording only process for every persistence class historical map of Canbury Ward in the changes in the spatial, temporal, found in the schema header. The 1913 (figures 3-5) and that of 1933, thematic, event and process classes. persistent objects of the version class there was an expansion on the Upper The results have also indicated that was represented by GObjectH, the Ham Road in 1933 to ease traffic continuous tracking of the patterns of spatial class by SpatH, the temporal congestion in the area. Figure 4 shows change of geographical phenomenon class by TempH, the thematic class by a sample dialog box that was used can be achieved effectively. The ThemH, the process class by ProcessH to update the spatial attributes of development of an improved and the event class by EventH. For the Upper Ham Road. The attribute graphical user interface together example, the persistent objects of the changes (ie, spatial ) were updated to with interfacing with some existing version class and the spatial class are the new versions of the geographical geographical information systems generated using the method below: object. The spatial changes represent will be tackled in future work. Handle (Spatial) SpatH; Handle the Y (northing) and the X (easting) (GObject) GObjectH; coordinates of the geographical objects. The spatial attributes were updated References Aggregated relationships between on the map by retrieving values from the version class and the spatial the database as shown in figure 5. Adamu, A, Khaddaj, S. and Morad, M. class, the thematic class and the The updated spatial attributes shown (2004). ‘Object Model for Temporal temporal class are established in the represents the northing and easting Changes in GIS. Methodologies’, in application source code using the coordinates of the new versions of the Models and Instruments for Rural code below: geographical object Upper Ham Road. and Urban Land Management, ed. By Deakin, M., Mansberger, R. and Dixon- Gough, R., Ashgate Publishing, UK.

Allen, J. F. (1984). ‘Towards a

Figure 3: Changing the attributes Figure 4: Dialog box for updating Figure 5: Historical map of Canbury Ward of the old Upper Ham Road spatial attributes of a version in 1933 showing the new spatial attributes

22 September 2006 General Theory of Action and Time’, Owen, P.K. (1993). ‘Dynamic Artificial Intelligence 23, 123-154. Functions Triggers in an On-Line YES! I want my Topology Environment’, in European Claramunt, C. and Theriault, Conference on GIS (EGIS), 1249-1255. M. (1996).’Towards Semantics I would like to subscribe for (tick one) for Modeling Spatio-Temporal Peuquet, D. (1998). ‘Time in GIS  1 year  2 years  3 years Processes within GIS,’ 7th and Geographical Databases’, in 12 issues 24 issues 36 issues International Symposium on Geographical Information Systems: Rs.1200/US$80 Rs.2100/US$145 Rs.2700/US$180 Spatial Data Handling, 12-16. Principles and Applications , ed. by Longley, P., Goodchild, M.,

Claramunt, C. Parent, S. Spaccapietra Maguire, D. and Rhind D., Volume and Theriault, M. (1999). ‘Database 1, Chapter 8, London, Wiley. Modelling for Environmental and First name

Land Use Changes’, in Geographical Quantrani, T. (2002). Visual Modelling ...... Information and Planning, ed. By with Rational Rose 2000 and UML, Stillwell, J., Geertman, S. and New York, Addison-Wesley. Last name

Openshaw, S., eds., (Springer, ...... London,1999) 182-202. Sui, D. (19980. ‘GIS Based Urban Modeling: Practices, Problems, Designation

Dadam, P., Lum, V. and Werner, H.D. and Prospects’, International ...... (1984). ‘Integrating of Time Versions Journal of Geographical into Relational Database Systems’, Information Science (8), 7-24. Organization in Proceeding of the Conference on ...... Very Large Databases, 509-522. Wachowicz, M. (1999). ‘Object Oriented Design for Temporal

Frank, A (1994). ‘Qualitative GIS’, London, Taylor & Francis. Address ...... Temporal Reasoning in GIS- Ordered Time Scales’, in Sixth International Worboys, M. (1994). ‘Object ......

Symposium on Spatial Data Handling Oriented Approaches to Geo- City ...... Pincode ...... (Edinburgh Scotland International referenced Information’, International Geographical Union, 410-30 Journal of GIS (6), 353-399. State ...... Country ......

Phone ...... Hornsby, K. and Egenhofer, M. Yourdon, E. (1994). Object Oriented (2000). ‘Identity-Based Change: A System Design: An Integrated Fax ......

Foundation For Spatio-Temporal Approach, New York, Yourdon Press. Email ...... Knowledge Representation’, International Journal of Geographical Information Science 14(3), 207-224. I enclose cheque no ......

Khaddaj, S, Adamu, A, M Morad drawn on ...... (2004). ‘Object Versioning and M Morad dated ...... towards subscription Information Management’, Information Head of Department, and Software Technology, 46: 491-498. Urban Environment & charges for Coordinates magazine Leisure Studies, London in favour of cGIT. Langran, G. (1993). ‘Manipulation South Bank University, UK and Analysis of Temporal GIS’, [email protected] Sign ...... Date ...... in Proceedings of the Canadian Conference on GIS, 869-879. A Adamu Mail this form with payment to: Milne, P., Milton, S. and Smith, J.L. Researcher, Faculty of Computing, (1993). ‘Geographical Object-Oriented Information Systems & Mathematics, Coordinates – cGIT Database – A Case Study’, International Kingston University, UK 28A Pocket D, SFS Journal of GIS 7 (1), 39-55. Mayur Vihar Phase III Delhi 110 096, India Nash, P.J. and Parker, D. (Eds.) S Khaddaj (2005). ‘A model for spatio-temporal Senior Lecturer, Faculty of If you’d like an invoice before sending network planning Computers & Computing, Information Systems & your payment, you may either send us Geosciences’, Volume 31(2), 135-143. Mathematics, Kingston University, UK this completed subscription form and we’ll bill you, or send us a request for an September 2006 invoice at [email protected] 23 HIS COORDINATES “We encourage fishermen to use GPS” Says Dr Shailesh Nayak, Director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services while sharing his views on mandate, activities and future plans of INCOIS

What is the Mandate time and effort spent in searching Any role of GPS? of INCOIS? the fishing grounds. This service has helped to improve their socio- GPS has very important role to play. The mandate of Indian National economic status. The searching We are encouraging fishermen to Centre for Ocean Information Services time for the fishing grounds has use GPS for reaching fish aggregate (INCOIS) is to conduct research been reduced up to 30% to 70%. sites based on PFZ Advisories. in the field of Ocean Observation (in-situ and satellite), generation of data products and to provide Are they used by INCOIS role in ocean information and advisory services fishing community? related disasters? related to living resources, sea state and early warning for coastal and Certainly. Our estimate is that INCOIS is the lead agency to issue ocean hazards. This information about 20,000 fishermen have been early warning for tsunamis and storm is disseminated for the societal, actively using these advisories. surges. We have already set up a 24x7 governmental and research needs. Tsunami Warning Centre at INCOIS. This system encompasses: How do you communicate What are the main your information to them? • Near-real time determination of activities of INCOIS? earthquake parameters in two The information is communicated known tsunamigenic zones using The current activities of through Electronic Display Boards network of seismic stations. INCOIS are to provide located at 22 major fishing harbours, • Establishing a comprehensive i. Potential Fishing Zone 200 Fax and Telephone nodes 70 real time ocean observational Advisories thrice in a week email users and print media as well network comprising Bottom ii. Ocean State Forecast as through INCOIS website. We Pressure Recorders, Tide iii. Early Warning for Tsunamis provide these advisories in local Gauges and Coastal Radars and Storm Surges languages and in local measurements, • Numerical models for iv. Ocean Information Bank and units for their effective use. The tsunami and storm surges web-based dissemination research institutions and fishing • Generating coastal inundation v. To support ocean modeling and associations all make Web GIS. and vulnerability maps data assimilation research • Capacity building and training. vi. Satellite oceanography research vii. Ocean Observation. What is the role of geomatics? Do you tie up with Remote Sensing is playing very international organizations? What about Fishing crucial role in Ocean Observations. Zone Advisories? We derive Chlorophyll maps based Yes. We have very intense on our own Oceansat-1 OCM data, interaction with many international The Fishing Zone Advisories is one Sea Surface Temperature for PFZ organizations. They are of the most important activities of Advisories. Sea Surface height, sea • Intergovernmental Oceanographic the centre. You probably know that surface wind from international Commission (IOC), UNESCO, Paris about 7 million people living along missions are also used for Ocean • Indian Ocean Global the Indian coastline and are dependent State Forecast and Ocean Modeling Ocean Observing System on fishing for their livelihood. The activities. In fact, we receive directly (IO-GOOS) of IOC reliable and timely forecast on the NOAA, MODIS data at INCOIS. The • ARGO Profiling floats potential zones of fish aggregation, large amount of data in organized Regional Data Centre based on satellite data provided by in GIS and information systems are • Partnership for observation ISRO, helps fisherman to reduce designed for their effective use. of Global Ocean (POGO)

24 September 2006 • International Ocean Colour Dr Shailesh Nayak by the Ministry of Water Resources Coordinating Group (IOCCG) has been recently and Ministry of Environment and appointed as a Forests, Govt. of India, respectively. He Director, Indian is member of the Research Advisory Any plan to share the National Centre for Committee of the Wadia Institute of information with NSDI? Ocean Information Himalayan Geology, Dehradun and Services (INCOIS), Centre for Earth Science Studies, The information generated an autonomous Thiruvananthapuram. He was awarded by INCOIS is available on its institution under the the Indian National Remote Sensing website. We share our information Ministry of Earth Award for the year 1994 by the Indian with everybody. As far as NSDI Sciences, Hyderabad. At INCOIS, Society of Remote Sensing, Dehradun. is concerned,, issues related to he has been providing leadership for He is recognized as Ph. D. Guide by framework, format, standards, etc. realizing the project on “Establishment six universities. He was Member of the would need to be worked out. of National Early Warning System editorial board of the Indian Journal for Tsunami and Storm Surges in the of Marine Science and currently one Indian Ocean and conceptualization of the editors of Geospatial Today. What are the future Plans? and development of Marine GIS. He has obtained PhD degree in Geology He is President, ISPRS, Technical Our future plans include development from the M.S University of Baroda in Commission (TC) IV on ‘Geo- of coastal ocean state forecasting 1980. Earlier, he worked as a Group databases and Digital Mapping’ for system for providing daily sea state Director, Marine and Water Resources, the term 2004-08. He has represented bulletins, 3-5 days short-term forecast, at the Space Applications Centre ISRO at the International Ocean Colour monthly/medium range forecast and (ISRO), Ahmedabad from 1978 to Coordinating Group and International decadal long-term forecast. Apart 2006. He has been member of many Global Observation Strategy- from this, we would also like to initiate national committees related to coastal Coastal theme. He has published new services such as monitoring of protection, mangrove and coral reef, about 70 papers in International toxic blooms, assessment of fi sh stock, coastal zone management formulated and National journals and atlases. primary production, fl uvial fl uxes, coral and mangrove ecosystem health, etc.

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+91-124-425 6819/20 or +1-415-446-7720 p o C © HISTORY Everest in England 1825-1830

or anyone serving in India His Report [1] published in 1830 was during the 19th and early 20th a major scientific work and to both century life was obviously very compile it and get the printed copies fraught with sickness problems. available by the time of his return was FEssentially if the sickness was not too a massive achievement. From the work bad you were sent to South Africa to already done on the survey he was recuperate but if it was serious then it able to make comparisons between was likely that you could obtain home three sections of the India arc with sick leave. This is what happened nine other arcs to determine values to Everest who was so affected by of his own for the earth parameters. fevers and the after effects that he was These became known as Everest’s away from India for five years. By First, or 1830, Figure of the Earth. any criteria that is a long period for any expansion due to temperature recuperation and in fact after the first To ensure that he was aware of all changes. This was ingeniously few years his masters insisted that he the latest instrumentation he spent achieved by use of the fact that the two be back in India within the five years. much of 1828 travelling around coefficients of expansion differed in the Europe including Rome, Venice ratio of 2 to 3. The whole was placed As with when he was in South and Vienna and almost certainly on rollers in a long wooden box. [2] Africa he was not idle. Whenever taking the opportunities to visit all his health allowed he was working the instrument makers. As a capable Consider the time it took Everest on on activities related to the Great mechanical engineer he would have the first baseline he measured using Trigonometrical Survey. Within a year been seeking ideas and these he took the equipment – i.e. from 5 November of leaving India he was nominated back to English makers where he had 1831 to 28 January 1832 for 33960 to become a Fellow of the Royal a small theodolite made to his own ft - with the time required today to Society. This was, and still is, one of design. This was unusual in having measure a similar line to the same the most prestigious memberships just two part circles rather than a accuracy. For that length the 10 ft that a scientist could achieve. whole one in the vertical plane. As the bars would have been set on tripods, instrument was aimed at use in revenue levelled up and readings taken almost Interestingly at the time of the award survey work his attitude was that only 3400 times. On 8 June 1830 Everest Everest had achieved little compared relatively low elevation angles were sailed for India with a wide range of with that which was to come later. required so why have a full circle. new instrumentation and would have had an even wider range if there had His time was particularly spent in two In 1829 Everest went to Ireland to meet been any person on his staff capable areas – the compilation of a Report Col. Thomas Colby who in 1827 had of using pendulum equipment. on all that had so far been achieved been involved in the measurement of on the Great Survey and secondly the Lough Foyle baseline of some 41 on the design and purchase of new 000 ft length. (12.5 km). In addition References instrumentation [2]. This latter allowed to showing a keen interest in the 1. Everest, G., 1830. An Account him to take back to India on his return theodolites of various sizes he was of the Measurement of an equipment that was at the cutting particularly keen to know all about Arc of the Meridian Between edge of technology at that time. the bar equipment that Colby had Parallels of 18º 3 ′ and 24º 7 ′ used for the measurement. This was Parbury Allen & Co. London. what came to be known as the Colby 2. Everest, G., 1835. On the compensating bar. There were six bars compensation measuring apparatus each of about 10 feet in length in a set of the GTS in India. Asiatic and Everest managed to obtain a set. Researches. Vol. 18. pp. 189-215 To test them out before returning to India he arranged to use Lords Cricket Ground in London and to practice over J R Smith a line of 567 feet length where his out jim@smith1780 and back measures agreed to 3/40 inch freeserve.co.uk (1:90 700). Each unit consisted of a bar of brass and another of iron so arranged and joined together to compensate for

26 September 2006 September 2006 27 CARTOGRAPHY Cartography as a tool in study of dredging The story of dredging is best understood by a sequential study of maps over the last two to three centuries accompanied by cross sectional profiles

SACHIN S PENDSE

umbai acquired its port project of reclamations all along the The Harbour importance only with the harbour front from Sewri to Apollo advent of the Portuguese Bunder. With these works, the Trust The deep and safe Mumbai harbour in 1508. Francis Almeida eventually created 1880 acres of land. is a creation of three main factors, Msailed into this harbour and called The Princes Dock was built in the The Thane creek, which branches it as Bom Bahia or the Good Bay. year 1885 and the Victoria Dock and from the west flowing Ulhas creek The British corrupted the Portuguese the Mereweather Dry Docks in 1891. southwards off Thane along the eastern name "Bom Baia" to "Bombay". Alexandra Dock was completed in shores of salsette Island towards the The Kolis used to call the islands 1914. The Port Trust Railway from Harbour Bay, acting more like a flush. "Mumba" after Mumbadevi. Ballard Pier to Wadala was opened On the eastern side of the harbour in 1915. Along this railway were entrance lays the Dharamtar creek It was the British who developed it built grain and fuel oil depots. of the river Amba and Panvel and into a centre of commerce to rival any Patalganga creek joins the harbour other centres in the country then. The The problem faced by port activities east of Trombay and north of Nhava- British embarked upon large-scale in the Harbour Bay were mainly Sheva. The port hardly had any reclamations and engineering works due to rapidly declining depths problems of siltation till late fifties. to consolidate the seven islands. In of the harbour making navigation 1803 Bombay was connected with difficult. This was further aggravated Before reclamation the harbour Salsette by a causeway at Sion. by the increasing traffic and that depth was maintained due to natural A causeway now called Colaba too with higher capacities. The topography, which allowed free access Causeway joined the island of Colaba harbour required greater depths up to the sea at various points. Excess silt to Bombay in 1838 and the Causeway to 12 meters plus in the navigation was carried away to the sea. The story connecting Mahim and Bandra was channel. The existing channel prior of dredging is best understood by a completed in 1845. This gave access to the construction was inadequate sequential study of maps over the last to the rich hinterland of the Deccan for accommodating the larger ships. two to three centuries accompanied by providing further impetus for the growth of then Bombay.

The Mumbai port was expanding and the need for extended port facilities led to formation of the Mumbai Port Trust (MPT) created in 1873.The MPT was responsible for reclamations and constructions in the harbour area of Mumbai. Sassoon docks were commissioned in 1875.

In 1880 the Trust inaugurated the Princes' Docks along with warehouses and storage sheds; in 1888 it completed the Victoria Docks, and two years later the Merewether Dry Docks. Towards the beginning of the 20th century, Marine Surveys 1855-1947 Part of Electronic Navigation Chart 2005 the MPT started on an immense

28 September 2006 cross sectional profiles. Cartography indeed becomes a powerful tool in understanding the problems and the temporal changes and shifts. Any solution for the future will have to be examined from a naval engineering point of view with the aid of maps of underwater soundings depths and the alignment of navigation channels. The present paper looks into this aspect, with help of maps and charts.

The Problem

The growing importance of the city as an economic hub resulted in increase in port activities. The Harbour Bay, which was initially a mud basin with multiple entries of the tidal rush through inland lagoons between the islands gradually, railway and road bridges. During the destruction of extensive mangrove underwent transformation. Bombay 20th century the creek was subject forests along the creek further became a major international harbour to rapid decay both in width and reducing the natural silt traps. with the advent of steam navigation depth. Thanks to land reclamations in the early 19th century followed by particularly along the eastern seaboard The major impact of this has been construction of docks in the second prominently in the second half of the that the natural flushing of the silt in half. Technologically steam ships twentieth century began to push into the harbour is getting reduced thereby brought in a new era of larger vessels the Thane creek was progressively making the Harbour Bay shallower. with a carrying capacity exceeding narrowing down the creek. Destruction The reclamations altered the flows 50,000 tonnes and later reaching to 3 of extensive mangroves on both sides and currents resulting in increased to 4 lakh tonnes. This required deeper of the creek added to the problems. siltation drastically. Now the natural drafts than that prevailing in the mid These changes in the morphology of harbour needs to be continuously 19th century. The Harbour Bay was Thane creek are evident from the two dredged. Presently some of the docks a small cove to south of the Castle nautical charts that of 1855 and 1967. and breakwaters have been rendered where Bombay docks were built in difficult to access. Due to siltation a 1848. Later the construction of docks Further the rise of New Bombay along heavy price is paid for faulty designing along the eastern front consolidated with its residential and industrial areas and ignoring natural the forces of the the island city. The inflow of the tide along the Trans Thane creek and large- sea.1 The creek decay has literally from the west was totally blocked. scale reclamations along Mulund, choked the north end of the Harbour The Harbour Bay became much wider Bhandup, Vikhroli and Ghatkopar, Bay. All this meant that the Harbour and enlarged between the island city caused further destruction, Caught in Bay had to be dredged constantly so as and the mainland shores. The inflow this dual sided onslaught the creek to maintain a navigable channel with of rainwater floods in the Harbour is dying rapidly. The growth pattern the entries to the docks at the desired Bay was both from north through suggests the lack the Thane creek and from the east of vision of town through the large number of tidal planners and builders inlets. The centripetal drainage of regarding its impacts Dharamtar creek and Kundalika estuary on the creek and the further south, unfortunately, brought sea. The changes in the increasingly muddy and silty waters tidal flows, siltation into the Harbour Bay making the bay and currents were shallower. Therefore in-spite of an ignored. Reclamations enlarged bay it was subject to a rapid for making of Sion rate of siltation and sedimentation. The causeway and later Thane creek ever since the railways along Sewree, were built in 60’s of 19th century was Wadala stretch, and slowly silting since the Ulhas floods then recently the were blocked at silte depth level by express way led to Main Channel: Location of Cross Sections

September 2006 29 depths. Lack of vision in construction at the Nhava Sheva renamed JNPT or hazards. Already few vessels have of the docks opening to the north has the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. In wrecked on the approach to harbour contributed to the tidal flush hitting retrospect it appears that the location due to siltation. A third aspect is the mainland shore turning south in a of this container terminal port is that of Thane creek decay and any ebb along the docks and contributing possibly a two fold blunder for two further siltation would lead to a direct to siltation of docks themselves which reasons. Firstly international container impinging effect on the JNPT port acted as silt traps. While it was being vessels being much larger in size than to north of Elephanta. The dilemma realized that dredging was inevitable its the shipping vessels hitherto visiting for the port authorities is pretty intensity has however to be gauged and Mumbai there is dire need for much serious. to dredge or not to dredge. constantly monitored. The depth of the greater draft depth of least 15 to 16 Harbour Bay even in middle stretches metres, since the navigation channel Perhaps a better solution would did not exceed 7 to 8 metres in earlier through which traffic flows from be to take a bold decision to shift stages. 20th century Navigation the Harbour Bay entrance to JNPT the container port to a much demanded approach channels that container port is merely an extension further destination. The political are at least 12 metres plus deep to of already existing navigation channel will required will demand an reach the individual docks. Dredging leading to Mumbai docks. While enlightened government. requirement in Mumbai harbour is apparently the pressure on docks steadily increasing and at present is traffic is reduced theoretically the about 10 million M3 per year2. The impact on the navigation channel References silt mainly accumulates around the has tremendously enhanced and 1. Maintaining Underwater corners and barriers. The main channel the congestion is nowhere showing Topography in Bombay Harbour needs to be dredged deeper every symptoms of reduction. New by Water Injection Dredging, fourth year as the Thane creek flushes problems are arising and dredging Lt.Cdr R.S. Chakravorty, the Harbour Bay. as seen earlier. the channel to further depth of Proceedings of nineteenth 5 metres is posing a tremendous anniversary joint seminar, Maritime With increasing congestion of traffic in challenge that may even boomerang. History Society, March 1998. the last 30 to 40 years in the Mumbai 2. Early European Nautical Charts harbour the Centre took decision to There is yet another problem that of Mumbai Port and Harbour, develop an independent container port dredging creates, While dredging is Ms Laxmi Vyas, Proceedings with its own infrastructure facilities. becoming a necessity the removal of nineteenth anniversary The obvious purpose was to segregate and dumping of the dredged spoil is joint seminar, Maritime History the port traffic of Mumbai docks from even more exacting. In earlier stages Society, March 1997. the container traffic now converging during the second half of the 20th 3. Is Thane Creek Dying? Dr PP century the spoil was being Gogte, B Arunachalam, Proceedings Width m Chart 1500 1000 500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 Datum dumped in the Karanja- Uran of nineteenth anniversary joint £ 2.0 Channel base that has fast filled in. seminar, Maritime History 4.0 1829

1881 6.0 1959 The nature of tidal circulation Society, march 1998. m 8.0 1881 - 82 1829* in Harbour Bay partly shifts 4. Some Suggestions for a wider Depth 1959 10.0 1829 1881 the dumped material into the use of Indian Nautical Charts, 12.0

14.0 Mumbai docks that have got B. Arunachalam, Proceedings SECTION B - B to be dredged continuously of nineteenth anniversary

Width m to the relevant depths. Also joint seminar, Maritime History Chart 1500 1000 500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 Datum £ 2.0 simultaneously a large volume Society, March 1998. Channel 4.0 of spoil is taken southwards 5. Mumbai By The Sea. B. 1959 6.0 1829* 1959 1881 by littoral drift circulation that Arunachalam, Maritime m 1881 - 82 8.0 1829

1959 Depth in early days used to choke History Society, 2004. 10.0 1829 12.0 the Dharamtar creek, but now 6. Early Marine Charts of India. 14.0 is being carried further south Dr. S.P.Sharma, National SECTION C - C of Revas, Kihim, Chaul and Hydrographic Office. 2004.

Width m 1500 1000 500 0 500 1000 1500 Chart Alibag shores incidentally 7. Bombay Port Trust Master Plan, Datum £

2.0 Channel resulting in formation of new Vol.2. Appendices, 1970. 1959 4.0 beaches. Any further dredging 1881 - 82 1959

6.0 1829

m 1829* 1881 as visualised to help the 8.0 Depth container port would demand Sachin S. Pendse 10.0 a fresh dumping ground much Lecturer, Tolani College 12.0 SECTION E - E further south along the Konkan of Commerce, Mumbai coast or at greater depths either sspendse2@rediffmail. CROSS SECTIONS: 1829, 1881-81, 1959. way posing serious navigation com

30 September 2006 September 2006 31 CONFERENCE ESRI's user conference highlights new developments in GIS A report on the 26th ESRI user conference, 7 - 11 August, San Diego, USA.

JIM BAUMANN

SRI President Jack Dangermond children in proximity to freeways. "Great Britain's Ordnance Survey has set the tone for the company's Bringing the datasets together in GIS developed one of the largest, most 26th annual international user to produce an animated historical successful GIS's I have seen. The conference by announcing in map that showed changes in asthma organization has transformed itself Ehis introductory address that, "This cases, air quality, and freeway from providing a traditional mapping week is all about GIS, geography, exhaust made correlations obvious. service to that of a complete geospatial and sharing our knowledge. You organization to meet the growing are working on problems that are Bob Kerrey, President of The New needs for GIS services in the United international in scope including School and former U.S. Senator, Kingdom." Other awards included population growth, global warming, delivered the keynote address. While the ESRI Lifetime Achievement urbanization, pollution, public safety, in government, Kerrey spent some Award, which was presented to and many other critical issues." time examining the relationship Larry Smarr, Director, California between geography and public Institute of Telecommunications and policy, which gave him insight into Information Technology, University the effects of globalization with the of California, San Diego. In relocation of people from agricultural presenting the award, Dangermond communities to urban areas. described Smarr as the “leader of the supercomputer movement." One of the many highlights of the conference was the awards ceremony Distinguished Service in GIS Awards honoring exemplary achievement in were presented to Dr. N. Vijayaditya, GIS application and implementation. Director General and Dr. Vandana The ESRI Presidential Award is one Sharma, Sr. Technical Director, both The imminent release of ArcGIS of the company's most distinctive of the National Informatics Centre 9.2 attracted much interest among honors and is presented annually to an of India, and Lt. General James R. the 14,000 plus group of conference organization that has achieved a level Clapper, Jr., U.S. Air Force (Ret.); attendees. These enhanced features of success that significantly expands Former Director National Geospatial- include improved tools and interfaces, its application of GIS technology. Intelligence Agency (NGA). support for sophisticated cartographic ESRI President Jack Dangermond design, advanced modeling tools for personally selects the organization Other conference highlights included image processing and analysis, and that receives the award. This year, the product updates and discussions enhanced CAD support. Another award was presented to The Ordnance by senior ESRI product managers, new feature is geodatabase archiving, Survey of Great Britain. Accepting the one-on-one consultations with GIS which allows the recording and award on behalf of the organization software experts, more than 300 display of changes over time that was Dr. Vanessa Lawrence, the technical workshops on ESRI software, can be used with the new animation Ordnance Survey's Director General more than 1,000 professional user tools to create, play back, and export and CEO. Observes Dangermond, paper presentations, an exhibit hall animations and animated graphics. showcasing hundreds of GIS solutions, GIS user achievement awards, To demonstrate this new and powerful special interest group meetings, and feature, information regarding the regional user group meetings. historical increase of children afflicted with asthma was displayed. Another Concurrent ESRI user conference dataset showed historical data about events included the Survey and GIS air quality in the areas where these Summit and the Education User children resided, and yet another Conference (EdUC), as well as more dataset showed addresses of afflicted than 40 pre-conference seminars and

32 September 2006 NEWSBRIEF - GPS special training sessions. Dangermond Glonass full deployment research paints a clearer picture of how indicated that, "The theme of this by 2010 the Earth changed after the December year's conference ‘Geography and 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, GIS–Communicating Our World’ Russia's 24-satellite navigational the 9.1-magnitude temblor that set off reflects both the maturation of and GPS, Glonass, will be fully a devastating tsunami across the Indian the industry and its expanding deployed by 2010 as per Russia’s Ocean in December 2004 disrupted the impact on society in general. Defense Ministry. The ministry's earth enough to change gravity and to press office said the development deflect satellites passing hundreds of "With the recent proliferation of and use of Glonass was discussed miles above. "The earthquake changed GIS Web-based services, combined in Moscow at a meeting between the gravity in that part of the world in with new server technology, and Deputy Prime Minister and Defense two ways that we were able to detect," intuitive, easy to use Web clients, Minister Sergei Ivanov and members said Shin-Chan Han, an Ohio State GIS technology is poised for greatly of a government military commission. research scientist. First, he said, the expanded use by many who may Also discussed were ways to improve quake triggered the massive uplift of not even be aware of the underlying the competitiveness of navigational the seafloor, changing the geometry of technology they are using. They have services, the mass production of the region and altering previous GPS problems to solve and research to navigational equipment for consumers, satellite measurements from the area. perform and Web-based GIS presents as well as legal issues. http://en.rian.ru Second, the density of the rock under the best medium to provide the the seafloor was changed after the necessary solutions or analyze results. Serbia builds GPS slippage, and an increase or decrease in infrastructure network density produces a detectable gravity "In this context, GIS technology can change, Han said. www.zeenews.com be thought of as a new medium for Trimble has announced that it has communication, not unlike newspapers, supplied GPS reference stations and Landing technolgy radio, television, and the Web. Today, VRS (Virtual Reference Station) with GPS this medium is being used to help software to establish one of the first people better understand situations Eastern Europe nationwide VRS Thomas Cook is the first UK airline and events and work collaboratively to infrastructure networks. Located in to gain CAA approval to use cutting determine the best solutions. GIS can Serbia, the multi-purpose network edge GPS-based RNAV (Required even assist in forecasting the future provides a geospatial infrastructure Navigation) technology in landing by means of predictive modeling. for surveying, engineering and GIS approaches. RNAV likely to be used professionals. The Serbian VRS by all civil aircraft in the future utilises "Over time, GIS will become more network or AGROS (Active Geodetic onboard computers and software widely used in collecting, categorizing, Reference Network of Serbia) is linked to Flight Guidance systems refining and communicating our operated by the Serbian Geodetic to produce remarkable new benefits collective human knowledge and Authority (RGZ), the national on approach. A three-dimensional experience. This will provide organization for cadastre in Serbia approach is generated which mimics many benefits to our global society and the network was established a conventional instrument landing, by helping us better understand in co-operation with Faculty of normally associated with a major and direct our shared future." Technical Sciences in Novi Sad airfield. The system supplies the (FTN). Built with 32 Trimble 5700 flight deck with accurate glide slope Dangermond concluded his remarks Continuously Operating Reference indications, even at destinations, by quoting the American cultural System (CORS), Trimble GPSNet which do not have precision approach anthropologist, Margaret Mead, and RTKNet software, the network aids. www.breakingtravelnews.com "Never doubt that a small group is available to all geospatial of thoughtful, committed citizens professionals. www.trimble.com Tracking train movement can change the world... indeed, it's in India the only thing that ever has." Tsunami’s impact on Earth’s gravity Southern Railway in India has installed GPS-enabled `station identification Scientists funded by NASA, the US and display boards' on the Madurai- National Science Foundation and the Chennai-Madurai Vaigai and Tiruchi- Ohio Supercomputer Centre have used Chennai-Tiruchi Pallavan superfast satellite data from NASA's two gravity expresses to give information on recovery and climate experiment train movements to passengers, (GRACE) satellites for the first time to especially foreigners. They have detect changes in the Earth’s surface been set up in the air-conditioned caused by a massive earthquake. The chair car coaches. www.hindu.com

September 2006 33 NEWSBRIEF - INDUSTRY

Products u-blox unveils GPS evaluation and Geospatial Solution with Google Earth visualization tool 'u-center mobile' Pro, and is available on the General Blue Marble introduces Services Administration's (GSA) FlexLM licensing u-blox AG, Switzerland introduces u- Schedule 70. www.finanznachrichten.de center mobile, a GPS evaluation and Blue Marble Geographics has visualization tool for Windows Mobile- 3G MobileBridge for mobile announced an update to their based Pocket PC handheld devices intelligent transportation systems Geographic Calculator software such as PDAs. u-center mobile is the application aimed at improving GIS handheld version of u-center, u-blox' Top Global has introduced 3G data management efficiency. The PC-based GPS evaluation software, MobileBridge communications gateway Geographic Calculator is known launched in 2001. www.u-blox.com for mobile intelligent transportation for its easy-to-use interface that systems (ITS). The MobileBridge is allows the user to perform simple MapInfo releases a patented, mobile/portable wireless coordinate transformations while MapMarker Plus v12.0 system. It is an integrated 3G mobile at the same time allowing for very IP communications gateway. The elaborate in-depth conversions. MapInfo Corporation introduced MobileBridge currently supports www.bluemarblegeo.com has introduced on MapMarker Plus all 3G standards including EDGE, v12.0, a geocoding tool. MapMarker UMTS, HSDPA, CDMA 1x, EVDO, Rikaline GPS 6036 Plus v12.0 outperforms current and EVDO Rev. A. It will also support bluetooth receiver geocoding technology, adding a mobile WiMax and HSUPA. With new patent-pending algorithm that EVDO Rev.A, the MobileBridge The Rikaline International Corp., more precisely identifies locations. delivers up to 3.1Mbps download Taiwan a professional hi-tech MapMarker Plus v12.0 delivers and 1.8Mbps peak upload speed, products provider focusing on GPS data-building tools and interpolation thus many innovative mobile and and its related application launches methodologies that bring companies as wireless applications can now be Rikaline GPS 6036 Bluetooth close as 75 feet on average to a given delivered. www.topglobalusa.com receiver featuring SiRFStar III GPS address, closer to its actual location chipset and a host of advanced on the ground. www.mapinfo.com features. www.mobilewhack.com Business AgGPS EZ-Boom 2010 automated Leica Geosystems launches application control system Intergraph to be acquired Leica PaveSmart 3D by investor group Trimble has introduced its AgGPS EZ-Boom 2010 automated application Intergraph Corporation announced control system. The system is designed on August 31 that it has signed a to help farmers cut input costs and definitive agreement to be acquired reduce operator fatigue by providing by an investor group led by Hellman precise automatic control of field & Friedman LLC and Texas Pacific spraying applications. The new AgGPS Group in a transaction valued at EZ-Boom 2010 system works with approximately $1.3 billion. Under the the Trimble AgGPS EZ-Guide Plus terms of the agreement, Intergraph Leica Geosystems announced the lightbar guidance system, AgGPS stockholders will receive $44.00 in launch of Leica PaveSmart 3D for EZ-Steer assisted steering system cash for each share of Intergraph Curb & Gutter paving applications or the AgGPS Autopilot automated common stock, representing a 22% - another first in machine automation. steering system. www.trimble.com premium over Intergraph's average Leica PaveSmart 3D for Curb & closing share price for the last twenty Gutter is the world’s first fully- Autodesk Government trading days. www.intergraph.com automated 3D all-track grade and steer Geospatial Solution control system for concrete paving NGIS to lead the development of equipment. Based on a completely Autodesk Inc. announced the NSW spatial information strategy new modular 3D software platform, availability of a new government and utilising Leica Geosystems’ geospatial bundle that combines NGIS Australia, in partnership with unique X-Function dataflow Autodesk's powerful GIS products Spatial Strategies Pty Ltd, has been concept, PaveSmart 3D lays the with Google Earth Pro; empowering selected to lead the development of foundation for Leica Geosystems’ business users to leverage highly an overall spatial information strategy next generation of machine control technical spatial data via an intuitive for NSW as part of an ongoing Board systems for the paving industry. and easy-to-use interface. The bundle of Surveying and Spatial Information www.leica-geosystems.com is called the Autodesk Government (BOSSI) project. www.ngis.com.au

34 September 2006 Geokosmos completes GIS significant step will be the opening of (C4ISTAR) information systems, for project for gas industry the EADS Technology Centre India. domestic and international markets. This campus-style institution will The initial authorised capital of the bring both the EADS subsidiaries joint venture will be Rs. 50 crore and the Indian partners under the (USD 10.5 million). www.hindu.com same roof, performing engineering and information technology GeoEye selects BAE Systems' services. www.moneycontrol.com software for 3D mapping of airports

$3.9 million contract to GeoEye has selected BAE Systems' Geokosmos, the leading company Intermap Technologies SOCET SET and ClearFlite software in the Russian and CIS topographic for a project that will create 3- and geodetic survey market, has Intermap Technologies Corp. D maps for hundreds of airports successfully completed the largest GIS announced that its Intermap Federal worldwide. Pilots and air traffic project for gas industry. The project Services, Inc. subsidiary has received controllers will be able to use the new was initiated by Gazprom Joint Stock a US$3.9M contract to provide digital maps to guide aircraft into and out Company and Urengoygazprom elevation data and orthorectified radar of airports. The National Geospatial Ltd., the owners of the vast gas imagery for an international project. intelligence Agency (NGA) had field areas in the Tyumen Region The contract will deliver data for awarded GeoEye a $3.7 million (Western Siberia). This territory is geography never before mapped to contract in June to complete the 3D characterized by compound landscape the accuracy provided by Intermap's mapping project, which involves (tundra, swamp lands) and severe Interferometric Synthetic Aperture the creation of airport mapping environmental conditions with cool Radar (IFSAR) technology. Under the databases for 365 airports by June summer (around +15°C) and very agreement, Intermap will provide radar 2007. http://home.businesswire.com cold winter (around -30°C). The mapping services for the client over the project is focused on land survey, land next six-months. www.intermap.com. Smart Antenna reference management and land inventory. It is design for the first time when the state-of- PCI Geomatics to create accurate the-art airborne laser scanning and SPOT satellite images for Canada Sarantel and u-blox AG has announced terrestrial laser scanning technologies the availability of a new "Smart have been used in such a large-scale PCI Geomatics has been awarded Antenna" reference design that will project not only in Russia but in whole a contract from Iunctus Geomatics shorten time-to-market and reduce the Europe as well. www.geokosmos.ru to produce accurate satellite images risk of GPS integration for products covering all of Canada, south of 80° ranging from personal navigators to Thales navigation is North latitude. The five-year contract, multimedia players with built-in now Magellan which involves both the delivery of navigation functions. The new software and production services, is design uses Sarantel's GeoHelix®- An investment group led by Shah part of Natural Resource Canada’s P2 GPS antenna and the high Capital Partners (SCP) has announced (NRCan) $2.4 million award to Iunctus sensitivity LEA-4S GPS module they have completed the acquisition Geomatics and TELUS Corporation from u-blox. www.u-blox.com of Thales Navigation, a division of for the creation of new, high-quality Thales. The new company will be images of Canada from SPOT 4 and 5 CARIS Hydrographic Production known as Magellan, and is a leader satellite data. www.pcigeomatics.com Database Adopted by Ecuador in the consumer, survey, GIS and OEM GPS navigation and positioning Rolta announces joint CARIS has announced that the markets. corp.magellangps.com. venture with Thales Oceanographic Institute of the Navy of Ecuador (INOCAR) has selected EADS to set up technology Rolta has announced ts joint venture CARIS Hydrographic Production center in India (JV) with Land & Joint Systems Database (HPD) in order to move division of Thales, to be headquartered to database-driven hydrographic EADS is committed to supporting in Mumbai in India. To be owned production system. INOCAR has India in the development of both 51% by Rolta and 49% by Thales, the selected a full implementation its aerospace infrastructure and its JV will take advantage of technology of HPD which will include HPD industrial capabilities in aviation, transfer from Thales for developing Server, Source Editor, S-57 ENC space and defence technology. This state-of-the-art Command, Control, Editor and Paper Chart Editor. A was announced by EADS CEO Tom Communications, Computers, ten-day training session is being Enders during meetings in New Intelligence, Surveillance, Target planned now and will be hosted in Delhi with Indian top officials. A Acquisition and Reconnaissance Ecuador shortly. www.caris.com.

September 2006 35 NEWSBRIEF - LBS NEWSBRIEFS — REMOTE SENSING

Siemens wireless modules less than six-tenths of an inch thick Arirang 2 sends first XT75 and XT65 and weighing just 3.4 ounces, the photographs Katana is capable of downloading In December 2006, the Siemens premium applications, including A multipurpose satellite that South Communications Group, Munich will a global positioning application Korea launched into space in July, has bring to market two new modules for with full-colour maps and turn-by- sent back its first photographs, proving tracking and navigation applications: turn directions (with subscription to that the images provided by Arirang the XT75 and the XT65. Both modules additional features). www.qwest.com 2 are vivid enough to distinguish contain a GPS receiver that allows small objects on the ground. The global positioning, and EDGE or Wasp Barcode Technologies Ministry of Science and Technology GPRS technology for transmitting data upgrades asset tracking software and the Korea Aerospace Research to a mobile device. The modules are Institute (KARI) unveiled the images based on JavaT and have quadband Wasp Barcode Technologies from the high-resolution cameras of capability, which means they can be announced the release of its upgraded Arirang 2. http://english.hani.co.kr used in all GSM mobile networks MobileAsset v5 asset tracking worldwide. www.siemens.com software, which enables companies NASA, NOAA data indicates to capture, manage, view, report and ozone layer on the mend TeleNav launches 3D GPS track company assets. The solution’s navigation service Pro version sets a new standard for A new study using NASA and asset tracking, with new features for National Oceanic and Atmospheric TeleNav Inc., USA has launched linking multiple assets as a group, Administration (NOAA) data finds TeleNav GPS Navigator(TM) 5.0, the so they can be tracked as a single consistent evidence that Earth's ozone first GPS application on mobile phones asset assigned to a user or physical layer is on the mend. A team led by with full-colour three dimensional location. www.waspbarcode.com Eun-Su Yang of the Georgia Institute moving maps. Accompanying the maps of Technology, Atlanta, analyzed are either voice or visual directions AllSport GPS turn your 25 years of independent ozone with real-time construction and traffic phone into a workout tool observations at different altitudes updates. http://home.businesswire.com in Earth's stratosphere, which lies AllSport GPS between six and 31 miles above the Traffic routing using cell is new software surface. The researchers concluded phone positioning data that can turn GPS the Earth's protective ozone layer equipped phone into outside of the polar regions stopped IntelliOne, Atlanta, has developed the a powerful training thinning around 1997. Ozone in these TrafficAid system that could not only tool. Currently areas declined steadily from 1979 help guide drivers around tie-ups, but the application is to 1997. The abundance of human- also tell emergency responders where available on some produced ozone-destroying gases accidents are or how effectively an phones, mostly such as chlorofluorocarbons peaked evacuation is unfolding by pinpointing made by Motorola, at about the same time (1993 in the clusters of cell phones. The system can Nextel and Boost. The AllSport GPS lowest layer of the atmosphere, 1997 take anonymous cell-phone location Silver package uses GPS to track in the stratosphere). Such substances information and turning it into an the distance covered in the workout, were phased out after the 1987 illuminated traffic map that identifies the time it takes, speed, and the international Montreal Protocol was congestion in real time. The system calories burn. www.mobilemag.com enacted. The researchers concluded takes advantage of the steady stream approximately one half the observed of positioning cues--untraced signals Sony plans to include GPS ozone change was in the region of all cell phones produce, whether in use in PSP the stratosphere above 11 miles and or not, as they seek towers with the the rest in the lower stratosphere strongest signals. http://intellione.com Sony, USA plans to pump up the from six to 11 miles. The researchers volume for the PSP. Some of the attribute the ozone improvement Sanyo 6600 Katana with upgrades include a GPS, a camera above 11 miles almost entirely to the GPS applications with a built in microphone and the Montreal Protocol. www.nasa.gov ability to download videos and music Qwest Communications International via the internet.When the PSP was India’s evolves Disaster Inc., USA announced that Qwest first launched in 2005, Sony’s main Management Support Program Wireless(R) is offering its thinnest-ever focus was the gaming capabilities wireless phone, Sanyo 6600 Katana and the UMD movie format. The The Department of Space has evolved with GPS applications. Beyond its slim GPS will be a great addition to a Disaster Management Support and lightweight silhouette, measuring the PSP. www.mygamer.com Programme utilizing the capabilities

36 September 2006 NEWSBRIEF - GIS of space technology. The programme China ‘tightens’ control over In India enables providing space-enabled foreign surveying, mapping… products and services towards • The City Corporation of Tiruchy supporting disaster management efforts China will step up supervision of in the state of Tamil Nadu is in the country. These services mainly foreigners who conduct surveys and hopeful of reviving its ambitious in terms of value added products map areas of the country. Foreign project to map the entire city, for are generated from satellite, aerial organizations and individuals, who its satellite-based GIS, which and other collateral information, and engage in surveying and mapping was put in cold storage for over emergency communication support. in scientific research and teaching a year. www.newindpress.com The information provided is mainly programs, travel or exploration, must in the form of maps dynamically obtain approval from the government • LeadDog Consulting announces depicting the disaster impact, and accept supervision, the State the release of geographic databases damages, and also vulnerability. Bureau of Survey and Mapping said. of city streets for Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Indian Ocean tsunami warning The bureau notice said that foreigners Kolkata, Gurgaon, Noida, system not up to mark who illegally survey, gather and publish Faridabad, and Ghaziabad to geographical information on China support asset-tracking, government, A tsunami warning system is now will be severely punished. Chinese military, and commercial GIS in place for Indian Ocean countries, partners or translators will be fined applications. www.goleaddog.com but experts said there is still room for if they fail to stop illegal mapping improvement in methods to convey activities as soon as they find out about • The Bharathidasan and Madurai the alerts to coastal communities. them. http://english.people.com.cn Kamaraj universities have A tsunami that killed 600 people in undertaken `SCHOOLGIS,' the Indonesia two weeks ago exposed …and Britain's maps no country's first school mapping some shortcomings in a system longer 'censored' project, using GIS and GPS. With a still being built after the December Rs. 93-lakh grant from the Ministry 26, 2004 disaster that killed almost The Ordnance Survey has finally of Human Resources Development, 2,17,000 people in a dozen Indian stopped falsifying Britain's maps, channelled through Tamil Nadu Ocean countries, experts at a UN- almost 80 years after the government State Mission for Education- to- backed meeting said. Two international first ordered cartographers to All (Sarva Siksha Abhiyan), agencies issued warnings that the delete sensitive sites in the hope the project entails mapping of powerful sub-sea earthquake on July of thwarting German bombers. 56,000 primary schools and 17 could spawn destructive waves 65,000 hamlets. www.hindu.com crashing into Java's southern coasts. The popular Landranger series will But Indonesian officials in the capital now show the nuclear warhead • The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has Jakarta did not pass them on to local plant at Burghfield, near Reading, become the first organisation in communities in time. www.ibnlive.com hitherto shown as a mysteriously the Indian port sector to adopt the empty field although well known to GIS for management of its 11,000 Google asked to identify anti-nuclear demonstrators. Other acre estate spread around Kolkata, Korea correctly previously hidden installations include Howrah, Budge Budge and Haldia. the signal interception aerials at The GIS software, which has been The National Geographic Information RAF Digby in Lincolnshire and the launched at a cost of Rs. 15 lakh, Institute (NGII) has requested Google vast underground munitions dump would enable the port to increase Earth to change Japanese terms on at Glen Douglas in Scotland. revenue realisation from its landed the Korean map. The NGII said that it roperty that has been long suffering. would hand over an English-language The access road appears for the so- http://cities.expressindia.com map of Korea to Google this month called Corsham Computer Centre in with a request that the U.S. Internet Wiltshire, thought by conspiracy buffs • The Urban Development Ministry company stop using Japanese terms to be Tony Blair's nuclear shelter. The recently launched National Urban on the map of Korea. The map agency Internet and high-resolution satellite Information Scheme (NUIS) aimed said that several notable geographical photography have made attempts at at achieving better planning and names in South and North Korea are hiding sensitive information obsolete management of urban settlements. erroneously marked on Google Earth and the Cabinet Office security policy The Rs. 68.28-crore Urban in Japanese. www.asiamedia.ucla.edu division in Whitehall finally agreed Development Ministry initiative this March to scrap the censorship. will in its first phase cover 137 The maps are being revised in a rolling cities and towns across the country. programme. www.guardian.co.uk http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

September 2006 37 MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Dr N Vijayaditya September 2006 GIS-IDEAS 2006 receives Distinguished Second International Symposium on 9-11, November Service in GIS Award Geoinformation and Disaster Management Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam 25-26 September, Goa, India http://wgrass.media.osa- [email protected] ka-cu.ac.jp/gisideas06/ http://www.commission4.isprs.org/ The 12th IAIN World Congress 2006 ION GNSS 2006 18-20 November, Korea 26 - 29 September, Fort Worth TX, USA [email protected] www.ion.org/meetings#gnss XXVI INCA International Congress October 2006 New Delhi November 23-25, 2006 [email protected], [email protected] 27th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing 9-13 October, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Southeast Asian Geography Association www.acrs2006.mn Conference (NIE-SEAGA) 2006 Intergeo 2006 28-30 November, Singapore www.hsse.nie.edu.sg/staff/ 10 -12 October, Munich, Germany Dr N Vijayaditya, Director General, changch/seaga/seaga2006.htm National Informatics Centre, [email protected] http://www.intergeo.de Government of India receives December 2006 Distinguished Service in GIS XXIII International FIG Congress award at 26th Annual ESRI User 8-13 October 2006, Munich Germany GEO-INFORMATICS Conference held at San Diego, http://www.fi g2006.de/ 8-9, December USA during 7-11 August 2006. LBS World Forum V.P.M's Polytechnic,Thane(Maharashtra) [email protected] 16-17, October On the occasion, while speaking San Francisco, CA, USA [email protected] January 2007 to Coordinates, Dr N Vijayaditya, highlighted the importance of geo- The 12th IAIN World Congress 2006 Second Asia Pacifi c Conference information technology for the 18-20 October, Jeju, Korea for ESRI Users developmental purposes. He told that http:// 203.230.240.83/ 18-19 January 2007 The Taj Palace Hotel Geoinformatics 2006 there are 23 layers of information New Delhi on various aspects that can play 28-29 October, Wuhan, China www.esriindia.com/apuc2007 an important role in micro-level [email protected] February 2007 planning, water management, land November 2006 resources, disaster management, urban Geomatica 2007: Geomatics planning, establishing in network GSDI-9 - Geospatial Information: for Development for mobile communication, etc. tool for reducing poverty 12-16 February Havana, Cuba 03-11 November, Santiago de Chile, Chile www.informaticahabana.com/ [email protected] Although the present information http://www.igm.cl/gsdi9 June 2007 system is accessible to the government departments only, such Trimble Dimensions 27th ESRI International User Conference information systems are already 05 - 08 November, Las Vegas NV 18-22 June San Diego, California USA making a difference. Now the http://www.trimble.com www.esri.com government department recognizes AFITA-2006 July 2007 the importance and applicability 9-11 November, 2006 of this technology tool. The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore Cambridge Conference 2007 http://www.afi ta2006.org 15-20 July Cambridge, UK www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/

Northeast India’s fi rst conference and exhibition on Geo-information Technologies

21 – 22 September, 2006

Assam Administrative Staff College, Guwahati, Assam

38 www.mycoordinates.org/negeoSeptember 2006

4 March 2006