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Volume IV, Issue 7, July 2008 THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE ON POSITIONING, NAVIGATION AND BEYOND

– Sichuan earthquake – Synchronet – HRSI vs. Aerial Photography

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In this issue Coordinates Volume 4, issue 7, July 2008

Articles

Synchronet - an innovative system Fr a n c o Go t t i f r e d i , Mo n i c a Go t t a , En r i c o Va r r i a l e , Da n i e l e Cr e t o n i 6 Can

High Resolution Satellite Imagery (HRSI) replace Aerial Photography? Sh u n j i Mu r a i 12 Role of

Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing in Wenchuan Earthquake De r e n Li 14 3D mapping from space? Pr o f Dr Ar m i n Gr u e n , Dr Ki r s t e n Wo l ff 18 My experience with GPS licensing Ma n v e n d r a 27

Columns

My coordinates editorial 5 His coordinates s r i d h a r a m u r t h i 26 News i n d u s t r y 28 g a l i l e o u p d a t e 30 g i s 32 r s 33 gps 34 l b s

36 Mark your calendar a u g u s t t o d e c e m b e r 38

This issue has been made possible by the support and good wishes of the following individuals and companies Prof Dr Armin Gruen, Daniele Cretoni, Deren Li, Enrico Varriale, Franco Gottifredi, Dr Kirsten Wolff, Manvendra, Monica Gotta, Shridhara Murthi and Shunji Murai; and AAMHatch, Antrix, Bentley, Deimos, HemisphereGPS, HP, Magellan, Navcom, Novatel, Sanding, South, Spirent, uBlox; and many others

Mailing Address Coordinates is an initiative of cGIT that aims to broaden the Editor Bal Krishna cGIT, 11C Pocket A scope of positioning, navigation and related technologies. SFS Mayur Vihar Phase III cGIT does not neccesarily subscribe to the views expressed Owner Centre for Geoinformation Technologies Delhi 110 096, India. by the authors and advertisers in this magazine and may not Phones +91 11 22632607, 98102 33422, 98107 24567 be held liable for any losses caused directly or indirectly due Designer TSA Effects, www.tsa.in Fax +91 11 22632607 to the information provided herein. © cGIT, 2008. Reprinting with permission is encouraged; contact the editor for details. Printer Sonu Printer, B 82, Okhla Phase I, New Delhi, Email India. [information] [email protected] Annual subscription (12 issues) [India] Rs.1,200 [editorial] [email protected] [Overseas] US$80 This issue of Coordinates is of 40 pages, including [advertising] [email protected] cover. [subscriptions] [email protected] Printed and published by Sanjay Malaviya on behalf of Centre for Geoinformation Technologies at A221 Mangal Web www.mycoordinates.org Apartments, Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi 110096, India. mycoordinates

And life has moved on...

A cyclone hit Myanmar and earth quaked in China

Thousands of fellow living-beings were dead

Millions injured. Many orphaned. Many more became homeless.

While, government machinery is engaged in managing the crisis,

Human intelligence reinforces its struggle to find ways to handle such disasters.

And experts once again dwell on nitty-gritty of disaster management.

What about those for whom life ended that very moment.

Also, with them for whom life has changed forever, thereafter.

With their sorrow,agony and grief.

Life moves on.

Bal Krishna, Editor [email protected]

c h i e f a d v i s o r Muneendra Kumar PhD, Chief Geodesist (Retired), US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, USA a d v i s o r s Naser El-Sheimy PEng, CRC Professor, Department of Geomatics Engineering, The University of Calgary Canada, George Cho Professor in GIS and the Law, University of Canberra, Australia, Dr Abbas Rajabifard 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

Coordinates July 2008 | 5 Time Synchronet - an innovative system SynchroNet is a GNSS based time and frequency transfer system that allows to exploit high accuracy synchronization of accurate clocks

Franco Gottifredi central issue in designing complex aims to be the sole solution for every Head of the Navigation A networked systems for critical application type which needs an high- Systems, Augmentations applicative domains is the possibility accurate synchronization covering all & Interoperability Unit of keeping each node of the network levels of performance and coverage in Thales Alenia Space. synchronized with respect to a given requirements with the added value franco.gottifredi@ system time scale. The problem is even of the ease of integration also in pre- thalesaleniaspace.com more critical when the synchronization existent infrastructures and systems. accuracy determines directly the performances of the whole system. In Therefore, SynchroNet is able to this paper a distributed synchronization cover, with a complete, flexible Monica Gotta infrastructure is proposed providing: and high-performance product, the Responsible for Thales • high accuracy synchronization synchronization needs of a wide range Alenia Space Italia, of performances (nano and pico seconds) market for any application domain. the System Engineering • flexible and scalable service activities as part of System Integration and topology (up to global scale) Verification Contract of Galileo Phase C/D/E1. • ease of integration in pre- Gnss Based Synchronization existent infrastructures • ease of customization, both at user In metrology, the synchronization of two level and at system level, in terms clocks is the process required to determine Enrico Varriale of performances and security the relative behavior of one clock with System Simulation Engineer respect to the other. In particular clock for the Navigation and synchronization can be defined as the Integrated Communication Introduction process required to compute at least two Business Unit. parameters: time offset and time drift. High performance synchronization is a fundamental feature in many Time offset is the relative, instantaneous, applicative domains, in particular difference between the two time scales Daniele Cretoni it may be directly bounded to: (i.e. the phase offset) divergence trend of System Engineer in the • Positioning, localization and the two clocks (i.e. the frequency offset). Department of Navigation range based applications and Integrated Comms B.U. • Complex monitoring and It should be noted that, if the relative of Thales Alenia Space Italia. control systems spanning behavior of the two clocks is known, they wide inter-node baselines can be considered synchronized even if • Financial transactions no physical adjustment is carried out. • Distributed production lines • Power distribution lines • Environmental monitoring systems for SoL and civil protection applications and, in general, to every, heavily loaded, time-tagging based distributed system.

SynchroNet is an innovative system, patented by Thales Alenia Space Italia, that Figure 1: CommonView Process and CommonView method

6 | Coordinates July 2008 “common view” from the Synchronet Overview observation points of the two sites to synchronize. SynchroNet is a distributed approach to synchronization with A schematic centralised monitoring and control representation of facilities (see Figure 2). this method and the related process is To provide a synchronization system given in Figure 1. that deals with all issues described in the previous paragraph, SynchroNet The CommonView implements a networked infrastructure method is very simple in around the core time transfer algorithms its theoretical formulation and distributes the synchronization but requires that a number process over a hierarchic network of issues are carefully with hierarchic network nodes roles. assessed and resolved. This approach allows to distribute and Figure 2: SynchroNet High Level Architecture keep balanced the processing load and From the sketch above, limits the propagation of failures. While synchronizing two co-located can be identified at least two such issues: clocks could be as easy as measuring • Delays compensation In the SynchroNet system three 1PPS offsets over time by mean of an • Data exchange kinds of nodes are present: accurate Time Interval Counter (TIC), • The Control Centre synchronizing several kilometers Delays to be compensated are mainly • The MRT’s away clocks with nanosecond due to the propagation in the atmosphere • The SyN’s accuracy and precision performances (i.e. Ionosphere and Troposphere). For could be much more difficult. each segment a delay factor is computed Figure 3 provide an overview of using mathematical models. The residuals the SynchroNet network topology To solve this problem GNSS based of delay corrections are among the involving each kind of node. techniques have been preferred over other limiting factors for the CommonView methods for many reasons, among which: synchronization performances. The Control Centre provides centralised • availability of the GNSS monitoring of each node of the network navigation signals While Delays affect only the in terms of equipment health status, • performances synchronization computation, Data connection link and security and • diagnostic information about Exchange affects, also, other aspects that synchronization performances. The GNSS system health system designers have to take into account: CC is also responsible for network • Data acquisition process methodology management allowing the supervisor to GNSS based synchronization could be • Data types and formats change the network topology (add a new carried out by mean of the CommonView • Data and Identity Spoofing node, remove a node, assign a node to a technique which exploits navigation • Data preprocessing and different MRT) and reconfigure per node signals broadcasted by GNSS SVs (Space quality assessment or network-wide parameters (acquisition Vehicles) which are in a condition of • HW equipment status monitoring periods, performances thresholds, etc)

Figure 3: SynchroNet network topology Figure 4: Preliminary analysis tool for optimal baseline determination

Coordinates July 2008 | 7 and protocols; this level service providing black box, means that a single entirely defined by its interfaces. This node deployment may design allows the easiest integration of span many physical/ SynchroNet in pre-existent infrastructures virtual machines. and permits effective maintenance cycles.

Each sub module is well defined in Synchronet Distributed terms of pre and Synchronization post conditions and follows the principle The choice to design a distributed of OOD (Object commonview based synchronization oriented Design) system has been driven by the providing information following considerations: hiding and interface • Algorithmic efficiency based asynchronous • Synchronization performances Figure 5: Number of satellites in common view for different baselines and concurrent • System and service scalability access to the • System and service robustness MRTs are the distributed time references implemented service. • Nodes hardware costs and and form the hierarchic synchronization upgrades scheduling backbone of the system. Each MRT Inter-nodes data exchange is guarded computes synchronization of the allocated by Networking Module which applies In particular one of the main design SyNs and receives the synchronization a second, packet level, encryption goals was to have a system that could parameters from higher level MRTs. and crypto signature to the outbound be able to scale to an arbitrary service data before routing information coverage area without requiring recurrent SyNs are the leaves of the graph through the SynchroNet VPN. upgrades due to the increased load of representing the SynchroNet network; servers and network equipment and that they collect GNSS observables and Additionally, each node provides could cope with some limitations of the send them to the controlling MRT synchronization interfaces by exporting CommonView and Linked CommonView which, in turn, computes and returns synchronization products in many synchronization techniques. the synchronization parameters and the different ways, for example: performance status information. The SyNs • Exporting files describing computed By running both short term and long are, computationally, passive elements clock models and integrity statistics term performance analysis of Common for what concerns synchronization. • Outputting corrected PPS and 10MHz View algorithms exploiting the IGS signals by mean of a pico-stepper (International GNSS Service) network SynchroNet is characterized, at each was found that a minimum optimal level, by a strong modularity of its These products are exposed through number of satellites in common view components also at node level. standard interfaces (i.e. standard analog is five. Again processing GPS almanac frequency and PPS signals, filesystem data and cross correlating with IGS Each SynchroNet node can be seen as objects or TCP/IP based connections); stations network was found that a direct a functional logical entity composed by this approach is consistent with the Common View synchronization is many sub modules interacting with each modular nature of the system and allows possible along maximum baselines of other by mean of well defined interfaces SynchroNet to be regarded as an higher 6000Km (given the requirement of at least five satellites in CommonView).

For longer baselines the LCVTT (Linked Common View Time Transfer) approach should be applied. A generalization of the LCVTT technique is represented in Figure 6 Synchronization between station A and C is carried out by computing

∆T(A,C) = ∆T(A,B) - ∆T(B,C)

Where each ∆T is computed by mean Figure 6: LCVTT technique of the direct common view method

8 | Coordinates July 2008 Coordinates July 2008 | 9 time frame (common (implemented at the Data server module) view gaps tolerance which allows information being routed in observations is a to multiple destination, may have, for parameter that should example, multiple Control Centers (a be assessed taking Control hierarchy could be implemented into account the to face network growth just as paging interval length, the and indirect indexing methods works sampling interval, for computers operating systems). the gap length, etc). This flexibility allows a different approach The first improvement to Multi path Linked CommonView that given by wrapping can be realized by sending observables synchronization into a data to different, higher level MRTs. The dedicated homogenous CC defines, when nodes join the network, network is the ability the path set for MPLCVTT by knowing to distribute the the detailed status of each node already in Figure 7: SynchroNet distributed synchronization process computational process. the network and their performances; paths Each node (which is can be recomputed when events happen: described earlier. This technique can be, guaranteed to be, at nominal conditions, nodes moved, added, removed, status in theory, iterated for chains of arbitrary not farther than 6000Km from its direct change (synchronization performances, length; in practice error propagation reference station) sends collected GNSS link, observables quality, …). due to satellite pseudorange correction data to its reference node (MRT) and algorithms residuals (iono and tropo receives back synchronization products SynchroNet, not only provides factors), equipment noise, multipath, EMI (clock model, synchronization noise, a configurable and customizable (electromagnetic interference) and other synchronization propagation errors, synchronization network but allows a sources of errors that cannot be fully stability statistics and a summarizing runtime automated or semi-automated compensated by heuristics and models, synchronization integrity indicator). network reconfiguration capability. limit the length of synchronization chains In particular SynchroNet can take to which the LCVTT method can be The synchronization loop is depicted in automatic actions in case an MRT applied. The next step strategy in order to Figure 7 for a three level depth network. goes down by reallocating the whole extend GNSS based synchronization range, branch under the failing node. An is the MPLCVTT (Multi Path Linked Each MRT is in charge of computing example is given in Figure 8. Common View Time Transfer) technique. the synchronization and the detailed By mapping the stations taking part in monitoring parameters only of lower All the configuration steps are carried the synchronization process as nodes of a level SyNs and MRTs; furthermore out by the main Control Centre which dynamic graph G(V, E,T) where V is the a status report is sent to the Control is, in general, the only authority able set of nodes (i.e. the observing stations), Centre. This architecture allows a to modify the network topology (add, E is set of tuples (r,s) where r, s belong higher level of customization both move, remove and fully configure to V and T is a time interval ( T=(t1, t2) of the network topology and of a node). In particular each node is ). For each observation interval T, (r, s) the synchronization process. connected to the Control Center by a belongs to E iff between a and b there are dedicated VPN which is separated by satellites in common view during the given Network, by mean of data meta-routing the network used for data exchange between other network nodes.

Implementation and Test Results

The main issue is the validation of SynchroNet core synchronization algorithms in their many components: ionospheric and tropospheric models implementation, code (i.e. pseudorange: Code and Phase) based CommonView, phase based CommonView (L1 and L2), clock stability Figure 8: SynchroNet runtime fault recovery characterization by mean of CV and

10 | Coordinates July 2008 synchronization of accurate clocks over large baselines by wrapping the synchronization service in a robust and flexible infrastructure providing security and scalability features.

Through separated and successful validation campaigns using IGS network and in a full deployed system (the GALILEO Test Range), SynchroNet has proven its customizability and performances.

Currently SynchroNet is going through a further design and research phase in order to consolidate and expands its features at infrastructure level to match critical systems requirements in order to become a high performance synchronization solution for every applicative domain.

Bibliography 1) D. W. Allan, M. A. Weiss, “Accurate Time and Frequency Transfer During Common-View of a GPS Satellite”, 34th Annual Frequency Control Symposium, pp. 334-346, May 1980. 2) V. S. Zhang, T. E. Parker, M. A. Weiss, F. M. Vannicola, “Multi-Channel GPS/GLONASS Common-View between NIST and USNO”, IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium, pp. 598-606, June 2000. 3) M. A. Lombardi, L. M. Nelson, A. comparison to direct synchronization support services for the development N. Novick, V. S. Zhang, “Time and in lab (PPS biases analysis). of application services. In the frame Frequency Measurements Using of this project, SynchroNet is used for the Global Positioning System”, IGS was selected as a test bench for synchronization of pseudo satellites Cal. Lab. Int. J. Metrology, pp. algorithms validation thanks to the OCXO driven Rubidium clocks used for 26-33, (July-September 2001). wide set of products available allowing ranging measurements with a requirement 4) D.B. Sullivan, D.W. Allan, D.A. a significant statistical analysis. of 5ns ( ~1.5m) 1σ accuracy. In this Howe, F.L. Walls, “Characterization context the main reference time (MRT0) of Clocks and Oscillators”, NIST Hereafter are presented some is a free running Active Hydrogen Technical Note 1337, Mar. 1990 results of both validation test results Maser atomic clock while Control center 5) K.M.Larson J.Levine, “Carrier-Phase and of performance assessment features are customized and integrated in Time Transfer”, IEEE Transactions of SynchroNet algorithms. the Control centre facility of the GTR. on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control vol. SynchroNet is at its v1.0 verification 46, pp.1001-1012, Jul. 1999 phase but its kernel is already running Conclusions 6) E.Varriale, M. Gotta, F.Gottifredi, F. as core service for the Galileo Test Lo Zito, “Common-View Technique Range (GTR), an advanced research SynchroNet is a GNSS based time Application: an Italian use case”, facility for the experimentation and and frequency transfer System that Tyrrhenian International Workshop analysis of the Galileo Signal, for testing allows to exploit high accuracy on Digital Communication 2006, and certification of user terminals and (nanoseconds and picosends level) Island of Ponza (Italy)

Coordinates July 2008 | 11 Perspective

two times higher than aerial photography according to the survey in Europe. The Can High Resolution advantage of mapping with HRSI is much simpler than aerial photogrammetry and efficient in terms of mathematical Satellite Imagery modeling and the coverage area. A trend of high frequent orbit such as FORMOSAT with several repetitions in a day would overcome the weakness of replace Aerial optical sensors against cloud coverage. In addition, high resolution SAR with 1m or less such as TERRASAR X may bring a breakthrough for real time mapping in the Photography? environment and disaster management.

Why yes?

In Japan, aerial survey with airborne digital cameras and airborene laser scanners is drastically increasing to produce larger scale maps with 1:2,500 and larger. DEM (digital elevation model) with 0.5 or 1 meter grid is being made from high resolution airborne digital cameras and/or laser scanners, while majority of grid size is 5m practically.

In those countries which are controlled by military, aerial photography will be operated only governmental survey/ mapping agency with conventional analog aerial photogrammery with less budget limiting about five year interval of updating national maps. However non-military countries such as Japan, can apply any high technologies of airborne digital cameras, laser scanners, unmanned airborne vehicle Shunji Murai The answer is yes and no (UAV) etc. for private and commercial Emeritus Professor, at this moment. purpose. Aerial photography with high University of Tokyo, and resolution digital cameras is now operated President, Japan Society with more than 80 % overlap for along and of Photogrammetry Why no? cross tracks, which can produce so called and Remote Sensing “true ortho-image”. “Pictometry” with a [email protected] Small and medium scale maps 1:50,000 set of a vertical looking camera and four up to 1:10,000 (possibly 1:5,000 in near oblique looking cameras is being operated future) at most can be replaced by High daily for a new market based on easily Resolution Satellite Imagery (HRSI), understandable geospatial objects. UAV though we need ground survey of many will become a new tool to produce “bird’s objects which cannot interpreted from the eye view” for a local area mapping or HRSI. I agree that the cost performance monitoring. Particularly disaster monitoring to produce the smaller scale maps with will be a good application in Japan as Japan HRSI would be much higher as compared is a disaster prone country. In meeting with aerial photogrammetry if the cost such demands, aerial photography with of HRSI is not much high. However, the various cameras and sensors is a “must” current commercial price of HRSI is about as HRSI cannot solve those problems.

12 | Coordinates July 2008 Coordinates July 2008 | 13 Disaster Management Role of photogrammetry and Remote Sensing in Wenchuan earthquake

Deren Li n earthquake, measured 8.0 on the people injured, 17,428 people missing, Laboratory for ARichter scale, struck Wenchuan and a population of 48,270,000 severely Information Engineering County, Sichuan Province at 14:28 on affected by this huge disaster. Figure 2 in Surveying, Mapping May 12, 2008. The epicenter was at shows the beauty of Beichuan before and Remote Sensing Yingxiu, a town in Wenchuan, as shown the earthquake against the destruction Wuhan University in Figure 1. As indicated in Figure 1, the and devastation after the earthquake. Wuhan, China [email protected] middle segment of the Longmen Mountain earthquake zone encloses the epicenter, Under the leadership and organization Yingxiu, with the Longmen Mountain zone of the Chinese government and Premier being part of the north-south earthquake Wen Jiabao, and with the support of many zone in China. According to records, there countries and people around the world, have been 9 earthquakes larger than a the Chinese people braved against the grade of 8 occurring in the north-south devastating earthquake, and carried out earthquake zone from 1739, and 7 of timely and active disaster relief work. them were after 1897, when the greatest Photogrammetry and remote sensing, as one was at Haiyun in 1920 and at Chayu high-tech, has played an important role in 1950, both of them measured 8.5. in the fight against this natural disaster.

In Wenchuan earthquake, the worst hit In Phase I, rescue of people buried under areas include Beichuan and Qingchuan, the rubbles was the main goal. High- with the earthquake intensity measured resolution aerial and satellite imagery at 11, with the maximum being 12 by the were used to locate buildings collapsed in Chinese seismic survey standards. By the worst hit areas so that rescuers were 12:00 pm on June 14, 2008, the death dispatched. In Phase II, prevention of and toll read 69,170, with 374,159 Before the earthquake After the earthquake

A street in ruins Beichuan Meddle School after the quake

Figure 1. The Wenchuan earthquake in context Figure 2. Pictures showing Beichuan before and after the earthquake.

14 | Coordinates July 2008 Figure 5. The change of river water ways due to the forming of quake lakes in Tangjiashan, as indicated by white regions generated by comparing SPOT5 (10 m resolution) images taken before (November 10, 2006) and after (May 16, 2008) the earthquake.

Figure 3. Aerial photography flown with ADS40 (GSD: 0.3 m) showing what was left of Yingxiu Town in Wenchuan after the earthquake on May 15, 2008. preparedness for secondary disasters, i.e., landslides and mudslides, especially, those in and around the quake lakes or barrier lakes that are formed when a landslide plugs a river, top the agenda. Air-borne and space-borne optical imagery and radar data are required for identifying, assessing, and decision-making regarding locations prone to such secondary disasters. Phase III is concerned with disaster assessment Figure 6. The DEM of the quake lake in Tangjiashan, Mianyang city, Sichuan Province, and reconstruction. It is then necessary one of the area worst affected by Wenchuan earthquake, which was generated based to undertake topographic mapping at on ALS50 II air-borne LiDAR data with a sampling interval of 2 m, flight date, May 1:10,000 scale in the region with an 31, 2008, by the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, Wuhan University, and areal extent of 120,000 km2 based on Wuda Geo Information Company (the barrier dam is shown with a inset picture) the technique of aerial photogrammetric survey without ground control points, DEMs, DOQs, and DLGs. Topographic I, rapid surveys and assessment of the generating information products, such as mapping in urban areas is performed at a disasters are important, as shown by larger scale of 1:2,000. Figures 3 and 4, with the former being These will better serve aerial photography flown with ADS40 the people in the disaster (GSD: 0.3 m) showing what was left of areas so that they can Yingxiu Town in Wenchuan after the outline reconstruction earthquake on May 15, 2008, the latter of their homes. being an image acquired by Cosmo (at a resolution of 1 m) indicating the locations In the struggle against (white segments) where buildings are the destructive quake likely collapsed after the earthquake; up in Sichuan, Chinese to 14.8% of the areas were suspected photogrammetry to be results of collapsed buildings. and remote sensing professionals have, with Phase II was marked by the prevention of Figure 4. The image acquired by Cosmo (at a resolution of 1 supports from colleagues and preparedness for secondary disasters, m) indicating the locations (white segments) where buildings around the world, made i.e., landslides and mudslides, especially, are likely collapsed after the earthquake; up to 14.8% of the various contributions those in and around the quake lakes or areas were suspected to be results of collapsed buildings. as follows. For Phase barrier lakes. Figure 5 clearly highlights

Coordinates July 2008 | 15 Dr Linlin Ge. Dr Ge used predicted orbit data in order to produce and deliver the result in NEAR REAL-TIME: 17 hours and 46 minutes, from image capture to results posting on web. The Japanese ALOS PALSAR sensor acquired the Path 477 image on 11 June 2008 1:37 Sydney Time AEST (10/06/2008 15:37:07 UTC; 10/06/2008 23:37 Bejing Time). Image data were available to download from ERSDAC at 11:24AM. Image data (using predicted orbit) were downloaded to UNSW on 11/06/2008 at 16:55. D-InSAR results were generated on 11/06/2008 at 19:05. Post-processed D-InSAR results were uploaded on 11/06/2008 at 19:23.

Some concluding remarks are as follows. It has been demonstrated that photogrammetry and remote sensing has played a crucial role in the aftermath Figure 7. The boundaries of rivers in the quake lakes, Tangjiashan, Mianyang of the earthquake in Wenchuan, city, Sichuan Province, as indicated by the green lines against the background Sichuan. The rapid data acquisition and Radarsat imagery at a resolution of 7 m, acquired on May 17, 2008. information services, especially, those featured with fully automatic, near real- the change of river water ways due to the 2008, by the State Bureau of Surveying time remote sensing systems without forming of quake lakes in Tangjiashan, and Mapping and Wuhan University ground control, have contributed greatly as indicated by white regions generated (the barrier dam is shown with an inset to the rescue work and disaster relief by comparing SPOT5 (10 m resolution) picture) in collaboration. The boundaries efforts. The specialty of photogrammetry images taken before (November 10, of rivers in the quake lakes, Tangjiashan, and remote sensing is becoming 2006) and after (May 16, 2008) the Mianyang city, Sichuan Province, are increasingly visible and its roles are earthquake. Figure 6 shows the DEM of shown in Figure 7, as indicated by the growingly recognized. It is important to the quake lake in Tangjiashan, Mianyang green lines against the background develop a national disaster rapid response city, Sichuan Province, one of the area Radarsat imagery at a resolution of system that corroborates the work by worst affected by Wenchuan earthquake, 7 m, acquired on May 17, 2008. different agencies and facilitates data which was generated based on ALS50 II and resources sharing. It is necessary to air-borne LiDAR data with a sampling In addition to disaster relief efforts, further develop China’s National Spatial interval of 2 m, flight date, May 31, D-inSAR can also be used for scientific Data Infrastructure. Moreover, it should research on be on the agenda to enhance the capability earthquake. of high-resolution earth observation Preliminary systems. Last but not the least, it is results derived necessary to strengthen international from ALOS cooperation in spatial information PALSAR science and technology, like International satellite Charter and CEOSS from GEO. acquisition on June 11, 2008 are released Acknowledgements at www.gmat. unsw.edu. Many institutions and people have helped au/LinlinGe/ with data acquisition and provision of Earthquake, as materials during the project concerning shown in Figure rapid response to Wenchuan earthquake. Figure 8. The image showing the aftershocks, generated by 8, thanks to the The diligent work by and kind helps D-inSAR technology based on ALOS PALSAR sensor acquisition, efforts of the from colleagues home and abroad Path 477 image on 11 June 2008 1:37 Sydney Time AEST. team led by are gratefully acknowledged.

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Coordinates July 2008 | 17 Mapping 3D mapping from space? Neither the goals nor the procedures of 3D mapping are clearly defined yet

Prof Dr Armin Gruen a t e l y we observe an amazing increase mapping however gives us many more is since 1984 Professor Lin earth-observation platforms equipped options, but also raises more questions. and Head of the Chair with ultra high-resolution imagers. With of Photogrammetry and the recent deployment of WorldView-1 With such new technology of digital Remote Sensing, ETH we have reached the 0.5 m footprint level. mapping we have to address a number Zurich, Switzerland. This raises the issue of 3D topo-mapping of problems, which are not necessarily He is Member of Editorial Boards of several from space, in a more pressing way than all new, but so far only sparsely scientific journals. He has published more than ever before. Topo-maps of medium and treated in R&D. Among those are: 350 articles and papers, is Editor and Co-editor larger scales (1:50,000 and better) are still + 3D mapping – how does this differ of 20 books and Conference Proceedings and missing in some parts of the world, in from traditional 2D and 2.5D mapping? has organized and co-organized/-chaired others they are hopelessly outdated. Up- + Which objects have to be mapped and over thirty international conferences. to-date aerial images, as a traditional data at which resolution and accuracy? He is currently Chairman of the ISPRS source for mapping, are not always and + How should truly 3D objects be International Sientific Advisory Committee everywhere available. In contrast, high- modelled in terms of geometry, (ISAC). [email protected] resolution satellite images with stereo topology and possibly also texture? capabilities constitute an interesting tool + How should these objects be for mapping and the image providers represented in the database? advertise their use quite extensively. + Digital mapping - how much Dr Kirsten Wolff is since automation is currently possible? 2002 a scientific member of Topo-mapping is worldwide controlled + Image interpretation – which the Chair of Photogrammetry by specifications, which may differ pixel size do we need in order to at the Institute of Geodesy from country to country. Therefore it is bee able to extract features and and Photogrammetry, Federal difficult to give general recommendations objects that are required for topo- Institute of Technology with respect to the question which mapping at a certain scale? (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland. She obtained her sensor would be feasible for which + Image quality – what are the doctorate degree 2007 in Photogrammetry map scale. In addition, digital mapping differences in image quality (and from the Institute of Photogrammetry and is largely scale-free, which makes thus interpretability) between aerial Remote Sensing, Rheinische-Friedrich- the issue even more controversial. and satellite images of the same Wilhelms University Bonn, Germany. Ground Sampling Distance (GSD)? [email protected] In the literature we find many predictions + Orientation/geo-referencing – how and recommendations on 3D mapping accurately can we georeference the from space, but mostly without substantial new satellite images (with and without empirical evidence. 3D mapping is very GCPs) in planimetry and height? often reduced either to the generation + DSM generation – what are the of ortho-images or/and to the geo- expected accuracies in automated referencing accuracy and DTM generation DSM generation, which parameters accuracy. But mapping is much more, determine the accuracies of the as we all know. 3D mapping from DSMs and what is the reliability of satellite imagery is still a topic which the estimated surface models? causes many misconceptions. We hope + DSM-DTM reduction - what are we can contribute with this paper to a the most successful approaches for clarification of some of the issues. DSM to DTM reduction and what are the main problems to be solved?

What is 3D mapping? 3D mapping requires totally new approaches to modelling. Most of the A consistent definition of 3D mapping is traditional procedures and commercial missing. We are well used to conventional software packages, which have been 2D and 2.5D mapping, resulting in developed under 2.5D assumptions will an analogue map as final product. 3D inevitably fail under strict 3D requirements.

18 | Coordinates July 2008 From 2d maps to 3d a traditional landscape models topographic map? Worldwide databases like Google Earth have given a wider audience access to geo- This all requires us referenced data. This data is useful for all to reconsider radically our mapping kind of planning and inspection purposes, goals, tasks, procedures and products. (partially) but usually does not satisfy the demands of dropping prices a professional map user. However, it has First steps in this direction have this becomes a burning question. sharpened the mind for what can be done been taken. The Swiss Department Both data sources do have distinct with geo-data, in terms of visualization of Lands (“swisstopo”) has defined a advantages and disadvantages, and interactivity. And it has set a certain countrywide map system on the basis which are briefly listed here: standard in perception of terrain and of a Topographical Landscape Model other geo-related data. Has Google Earth (TLM). This Landscape Model includes Pro satellite images: even changed irreversibly our perception all objects that are currently represented • The satellite platform is operational of a map? If yes, then what do we, as in topo-maps, but in truly 3D form. This 365 days of the year experts or occasional users, expect form includes terrain, buildings, water objects, • Frequent re-visit times (e.g. modern maps after Google Earth? public transportation, public spaces and every 4 days or even more) facilities, landcover, administrative borders • Imagery is post-processed Mapping has grown way beyond the and “points of interest”. Compared to relatively quickly traditional domain of topo-mapping the situation before this model features • There are no Air Traffic and thematic mapping. Markets for some novelties, as for instance Control restrictions geospatial technologies include nowadays - It serves as the basemodel for the • Large area footprints decrease applications in insurance and risk whole country. Subsequent level the need for block adjustment management, natural and man-made models for cartography and for and creation of image mosaics hazards, real estate, Location-based representation (at varying scales) • The satellite can easily access Services, environmental monitoring, car are defined, which are derived from remote or restricted areas navigation, oil and gas, homeland security this unique dataset of the basemodel. • No aircraft, cameras or otherwise and many more. However, the data Therefore all the objects of the expensive equipments are contained in topo-maps (or “landscape basemodel are geometrically correctly required (by the end user) models”) can in the future serve as the modelled. There are no displacements backbone of these diverse applications. of elements and no generalizations. Contra satellite images: - The data is always actual. It is • The image acquisition The flexibility in handling of and in continuously updated, and not geometry is not flexible modifying digital data has brought up only at certain fixed intervals. • The image resolution is fixed the issues of “real-time mapping” (see - The accuracy is very high. The for a particular sensor and low recent disasters in Myanmar and China), object accuracy is specified to 1 m. compared to most aerial imagery “mapping on demand” (individualized - The data is truly 3D. Therefore all • The radiometric resolution is data collection), “personal mapping” objects can be correctly modelled and often too low (problems in (representations for a particular purpose no information has to be suppressed shadows and saturation areas) or person). Mobile Mapping platforms because of lack of modelling tools. • The image quality is often impaired on cars, trains and UAVs allow for - The data model is set up such by different factors and artifacts real-time raw data collection at an that it is ready for extensions. • The typical off-nadir viewing unprecedented speed and flexibility. New angle of up to 25˚ is problematic devices like mobile phones and PDAs At this point the data is still acquired from in image matching in LBS-related applications bring up aerial images, as of January 2008 only • The reliability of capture and delivery the notion of “ubiquitous mapping”. from digital cameras like the Leica ADS40. of imagery can be poor at times • Strong possibility of cloud This Landscape Model is interesting from cover and thus occlusions how does this all relate to a conceptional point of view. It remains • The cost of the imagery may be too the task of topo-mapping? to be seen how it performs in practice. high (when compared to aerials)

There is a large amount of data already The selection of any one of the data now available which would qualify for 3d landscape Models from sources depends on many factors. The “3D maps”: 3D city models, forestry aerials or satellite images? decision can only be made efficiently models, Cultural Heritage models, etc. when all the project parameters are Should this data form a joint database With the increased availability of ultra available. We have reported about an with the more conventional content of high-resolution satellite images and extreme case in Bhutan (Fraser et al.,

Coordinates July 2008 | 19 2008), where access to aerial images is an advanced matching module, we obtain with limited accuracy, depending on impaired and where pilot projects are height accuracies between 1 and 5 pixels the quality of the underlying DTM. underway to use satellite imagery for the from high-resolution satellite images, generation of a new topo-map 1:25,000. depending on the type of terrain, land In the following test the measurements cover, image texture and image quality. of the topographic features (buildings, In our following pilot test for topo- While RMS errors in such tests show good forests, streets, lakes, single trees mapping we compared map objects results we must note that in all these cases and contour lines) for the map scale derived from IKONOS 1m GSD stereo substantial blunders (10 times the RMSE 1:25,000 were done by an experienced images with map data from the Swiss and more) still exist in the data. This is stereo operator of our group. For the topo-map 1:25,000, which is usually not acceptable. This can only be solved other special topographic features derived form aerial images at scale by substantial and time-consuming post- we got support from an experienced 1:30,000 (which in turn corresponds to editing of the DSM or by efforts to better topographer from swisstopo. an image pixel size of about 0.5 m). understand the reasons for such blunders in image matching, with the aim to get rid of them. Therefore the avoidance and/or Pilot mapping project Thun Geo-referencing detection of blunders in the automatically generated DSM is a critical point for A key issue in mapping is the Today geo-referencing from satellite future research and development. interpretability of images of a particular images is well understood and controlled. resolution. Currently this topic is in the It is the least problem we encounter in The next problem we are faced with is the center of our interest, because we believe 3D topo-mapping. In previous projects reduction of the DSM, produced by the there are misconceptions on this issue. we have collected a lot of experiences in image matcher, to the DTM, as represented We are conducting investigations to find geo-referencing. We have used SPOT-5, in the landscape model. Although out which objects can be extracted under ALOS/PRISM, Cartosat-1, IKONOS and there are some attempts available to which geometrical resolutions. Here we Quickbird images over different testfields automatically perform the reduction, the present some preliminary results. For more worldwide (Germany, Italy, Japan, South results are not convincing, because these details please see Gruen and Wolff, 2008. Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Vietnam). algorithms are purely based on geometrical We have developed the software SAT-PP considerations. What is needed however For a first test we selected the test area (Satellite Image Precision Processing), is an image or point cloud interpretation of Thun, Switzerland. This is a fairly flat which includes several strict models for approach which lets us understand what urban zone which is composed of areas the most important sensors and also the kind of object we are dealing with in the with single family and apartment houses related Rational Polynomial Function (RPF) reduction process at a particular location. with parks, an industrial area, a military approaches. With this software we have airport and forest areas. This area contains obtained consistent results in the subpixel many of the important features of a domain, both for planimetry and height and Object extraction topographic map. For the manual drawing for all sensors, using few (2-5) GCPs only. of contour lines we extended the area to We could show that RPCs usually provide We have experience with automated a hilly region, including forest and open good relative orientation, while the absolute and semi-automated feature and areas without any substantial buildings. orientation has substantial systematic object extraction, primarily in 3D city errors. These kinds of errors depend on modelling and 3D road extraction. In The aim of this investigation was to the satellite/sensor. In the best case they 3D city modelling we use our semi- analyze the possibilities to identify and represent just a bias (shift in coordinates), automated procedure CyberCity map buildings, roads and other individual in other cases we diagnosed higher order Modeler (CC-Modeler) for building features for a 1:25,000 topographic map by terms. In any case the distortions can extraction. With some examples derived using high resolution satellite images data. be removed with the concept of bias- from IKONOS and Quickbird images For such a mapping scale we assumed that corrected RPCs and the use of 1-3 GCPs. we could show to what extent and at a GSD of 1m or even higher is required. In which resolution these objects can be conventional mapping and map updating modelled from satellite imagery. aerial images of scale 1:30,000 are used DTM generation (which corresponds to a GSD of about 0.5 In road extraction we have developed m). For our test area Thun two IKONOS DTM generation is a key issue in topo- “LSB-Snakes” (Least Squares B-Spline panchromatic stereo images (December mapping. If produced in manual mode Snakes), a semi-automated technique 2003, GSD 1m) were available. this does not constitute a problem, it only which allows us to model roads in 3D. needs time – a lot of time. Therefore we (a) Reference data for mapping turn towards automated DSM generation In addition, the well-known technique by image matching. Image matching - in of monoplotting can be used for object As reference data we used a digital version its essence - is still an unsolved problem. extraction (Fraser et al., 2008). This of the national topographic map 1:25,000 With our software SAT-PP, which includes procedure works usually well, but (Pixelmap) and the vectorized map

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Test Drive our 3D Solutions www.aamhatch.com/36Coordinates July 02008 | 21 Figure 1. Comparison of the 10 m reference contour lines (black lines) and the manually drawn contour lines (dashed lines).Left: open area; middle: steep forest area with two small creeks; right: mixed area

(VECTOR 25) of this area, both products area of 4 x 5.5 sqkm by an experienced derived contours resulted in a distinctive of the Swiss Federal Office of Topography. stereo operator of our group using Stereo smoothing effect of the smaller geo- The planimetric accuracy is given as 3-8 m Analyst, a 3D feature extraction tool morphological features. Therefore the (corresponding to the map accuracy), which of the ERDAS IMAGING system. problem is not so much the limited is by far worse than the geo-referencing metric accuracy of the IKONOS-derived and object measurement accuracy in For the visual quality evaluation we contours (the reference contours also IKONOS imagery. For quality control defined three sub-areas with special had only an accuracy of 3-4 m), but of manually measured contour lines we land use patterns (Figure 1: open area the loss of geo-morphological detail. digitized the 10 m contour lines of the map. (left), forest (middle) and mixed flat This of course is also caused by the fact area (right)). As expected, we got the that trees and bushes are restricting an (b) Manual drawing of contour lines best results for an open area with only accurate interpretation of the scene. a few houses and less good results in 10 m contour lines were measured in an the steeper woodland. The IKONOS- (c) Object extraction

We used the Stereo Analyst also for the extraction of all map features. The identification and mapping of buildings and roads/streets was done by our own stereo operator. But for the classification of roads/streets and for the identification of several individual features special knowledge of an experienced topographer is required. Here we received the support from our Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo) in form of one professional operator, familiar with the map legend of the Swiss topo-maps.

Both operators did not have any pre- information about the test area and did not use the reference data as pre- information for the measurements.

Figure 2 gives an overview of the measured buildings, roads/streets, railway, small airport, forests and single trees of the test area.

(c1) Identification and mapping of buildings

Figure 2: Overview of the measured buildings, roads/streets, railway, In the map buildings are presented by small airport, forests and single trees of the test area Thun. their footprints. Our operator measured

22 | Coordinates July 2008 (c2) Identification and mapping of roads

The approximate mapping of the centerline of the roads was done by our operator without cartographic experience. In urban areas it was more difficult to measure the centerline than outside the town. Without an in-depth background in national mapping it was not possible for her to classify the streets in relation to the official classes of the national map. Some parts of smaller streets were covered by high buildings and trees. In such areas the interpreter tried to guess the run of the streets by analyzing the surrounding structure of the houses and trees. Altogether 163 street segments were analyzed. 11 (7%) of them could not be detected by our operator.

The classification of the streets and roads was investigated by two cartographic specialists. The main criterion for the Figure 3: Overview of a sub-area of the urban test area. Filled colour: classification was the width of the streets. VECTOR 25, contours: IKONOS - extracted houses. We have 6 classes of roads: R1: >6m, R2: 4.2 – 6m, R3: 3 – 4.2m, R4: <4m, R5: the buildings in 3D, but for comparison Total loss: the house could dirt roads and R6: trails. Because of the only the 2D footprint of the roofs could not be extracted limiting 1m resolution of the used images, be used. For a more detailed analysis we Forest: the house is covered by trees it is very often not possible to distinguish sub-divided the whole area in two kinds Different position: same between two neighboring classes. The of sub-areas: industrial (160 buildings) shape, different position images were taken in December, a period and residential areas (165 buildings). For Improvement: the extracted when dirty roads and trails are not used quality control we compared the extracted shape or position is better. regularly and therefore it was difficult shapes of the houses with the VECTOR to identify them in several cases. The 25 data set visually. The main focus was In case of differences in position of an highway, railway rails and traffic circles on the identification of houses and their individual building it can be assumed could be easily identified and measured. shape and less on the metric analysis of that the IKONOS mapping gives better their correct position. The results are planimetric accuracy than the given, In future, additional features like classified into the following 6 categories: cartographically modified (generalized pavements will be taken into and shifted) building data (see Figure 3). account by swisstopo for a detailed Equal: shape and position of the classification. Such small details houses considered as equal Table 1 gives an overview of the results cannot be extracted from 1m resolution Partial loss: parts of the houses of the visual quality control of the satellite images any more. are missing, same position extracted buildings. For a fully detailed analysis of the (c3) Identification and mapping Table 1: Summary of the results of the visual differences, of individual map features quality control of the extracted buildings. an inspection trip into the For the evaluation of individual map Classes Industrial area Residential area field would features like forests, bridges, airports, absolute % absolute % be necessary. power lines, churches etc. the two Equal 113 70.6 % 108 65.5 % The results cartographic operators used the whole Partial loss 11 6.8 % 12 7.3 % clearly show imaged area of Thun. Some features like Total loss 16 10.0 % 6 3.6 % that the object forests, rivers > 2-3 m, fruit orchards, Forest 7 4.0 % - - identification soccer grounds, a golf course, a camping Diff. position 7 4.0 % 24 14.5 % from IKONOS ground and a harbor could be identified. Improvement 6 3.8 % 15 9.1 % imagery is not Other features like churches where only Total 160 100 % 165 100 % reliable enough. observable in less dense areas or when they

Coordinates July 2008 | 23 had a special, traditional architecture. could be interpreted compared to aerial landscape model or map generation. This images, and definitely not with the same remains a key topic for further research. reliability. However, the experienced Conclusions topographer, using empirical knowledge, including also the special characteristics of References We have pointed out that neither the country, found many more features than • Fraser, C., Dorji, T., Gruen, A., 2008: the goals nor the procedures of 3D we expected. All in all the IKONOS images High resolution satellite mapping mapping are clearly defined yet. The were not sufficient for the production of for spatial information generation in available new technologies require a 1:25,000 map data. But even if we consider Bhutan. Paper accepted for presentation totally fresh approach to mapping. that satellite images are already now at the XXIth ISPRS Congress, Beijing, available at the same spatial resolution as 3-11 July, Commission VI, WG 6. Satellite images are an interesting source aerial images (WorldView-1 with 0.5 m • Gruen, A., Wolff, K, 2008. 3D mapping for 3D mapping. However, they still do GSD) we still have to take into account the from highresolution satellite images. have a number of substantial disadvantages lower radiometric quality of satellite data. Paper accepted for presentation at when compared to aerial images. As Especially digital aerial images provide us the XXIth ISPRS Congress, Beijing, spatial and hopefully also radiometric with a hitherto unsurpassed image quality, 3-11 July, Commission IV, WG 9. resolutions improve in the future their which is very crucial when it comes to • Wolff, K, Gruen, A., 2008: Up- suitability for landscape model generation the interpretation of map features. to-date DSM generation using and for medium scale topo-mapping highresolution satellite image data. has to be continuously evaluated. However, these statements refer to the Paper accepted for presentation at map specifications of Switzerland. In the XXIth ISPRS Congress, Beijing, In our tests with manual mapping from other countries these specifications may 3-11 July, Theme Session 3. IKONOS stereo images we found problems not be as stringent.All the previous results • Zhang, L., Gruen, A., 2006. Multi- in reproducing small geo-morphological were obtained by manual measurements. image matching for DSM generation details in contours, especially in cases of We should clearly understand that we from IKONOS imagery. ISPRS Journal vegetation covering the bare earth. From are currently still very far away from of Photogrammetry and Remote these satellite images less map features any reliable procedure of automated Sensing, Vol. 60, pp. 195-211.

24 | Coordinates July 2008

“IRS is better positioned to meet the user demands”

K R Sridhara Murthi, How much more evolved is Resourcesat Multispectral data will Managing Director, Antrix Cartosat 2A from previous be the advantage of Cartosat when Corporation Limited satellites of Cartosat family? it comes to colorizing the data.

Cratosato-1 provides along-track stereo data of 2.5m resolution, whereas How do you see the demand for Indian Remote Sensing Cartosat-2 offers 1m resolution Satellite Data Products data. Cartosat-2A is similar to internationally? Is the Cartosat-2, substantially increasing competition growing? the data availability. Having multi-temporal, multi-spectral and multi-resolution satellites in the What impact you foresee constellation, IRS is better positioned of Cartosat 2A on high to meet the user demands. Currently, resolution imagery market. IRS data is being received directly by 22 International Ground Stations (IRS IRS Cartosat series of satellites are important members of the high resolution IGS) and more than 20 resellers satellite family. Worldwide, there is a globally. While the completion is great demand for High-Resolution data growing, it is good to see that the and more number of satellites increase the demand is also growing apace. choice to users besides improving timely availability of data. I am sure that Cartosat satellites will enhance the user satisfaction. Ten satellites into orbit together for the first time? What does it signify for There are many other players Indian Space Program? in the high-res imagery market. What edge Cartosat This signifies our proven technology imageries have vis-à-vis them? and growing satisfaction among the international customers. It also boots our Cratosat-1 is a unique mission in the confidence to take up more challenging civilian domain where comparable projects. Till today we have launched systems are rare to be found. In addition 16 international satellites aboard PSLV to cost leadership, the opportunity to and more customers are eager to opt for merge with other IRS members like Indian launches on PSLV and GSLV.

26 | Coordinates July 2008 yoUR cooRdInates

Exim Code 8526 91 90. I also went My experience with to the DGFT website, got the relevant email addresses and wrote an email to GPS licensing DGFT and WPC asking for help and clarification in this regard. I also faxed hotograPhy happens to be my current regulations and appropriate action will be a letter to P.K. Garg - Wireless Adviser Pfavourite hobby. Recently I developed taken. Being a law abiding citizen, with to the Government of India, Ministry interest in geocoding my photographs. By extreme worry on my face, I replied the of Communications & IT, New Delhi. geocoding photographs you can associate a same day with the commercial invoice and Somehow, it seems that all my emails went geographical location with the photograph. a letter telling the customs that the GPS into some kind of black hole. Never got This involves putting the latitude, longitude receiver will be used for my photography any reply to any of my emails or fax. and altitude in the photographs EXIF tags. hobby. I even tried calling the customs Exchangeable image file format (Exif) is office. But somehow I was never able Some of my friends suggested giving a specification for the image file format to get through to the officer. Either the bribe. But I was sure that I didn't want used by digital cameras. This is trivial if officer didn't happen to be in his seat or to do that. So almost giving up, I drafted you use a GPS receiver. Last year, I had my lack of Tamil hampered my ability to my reply to Chennai Customs, with copy succeeded in making necessary interface communicate. After a wait of another eight of the notifications, and Chapter 85 of to my Nikon D200 camera with a GPS days, I again received another intimation the new ITC(HS) classification which receiver. You can read about it in detail on 02 Apr (letter was dated 28/03/2008). To deals with the exim code 8526 91 90. In at http://my-equipments.blogspot.com/ my shock and utter disbelief, the customs my letter I also mentioned that I have department was asking me for a WPC asked DGFT and WPC for clarification As a school kid, when Rohini was launched, licence. The WIRELESS PLANNING & in this regard. Also stated that there is I was fascinated by satellite communication, COORDINATION (WPC) Wing of the no WPC licence required and the parcel It was with great interest, I looked forward Ministry of Communications, created in should be released after studying the to getting a GPS receiver. After doing 1952, is the National Radio Regulatory material which I have provided. some reading on the net, I narrowed on Authority responsible for Frequency a GPS receiver being manufactured by Spectrum Management, including licensing I had given up all hopes and on Apr 11th a Taiwan firm named Holux. The model and caters for the needs of all wireless users 2008, I have the postman knocking on my was Holux M-241 GPS receiver. The good (Government and Private) in the country. door with the parcel. They collected the thing about this receiver is that it runs on It exercises the statutory functions of the duty @32.011%. Absolutely no visit to the one AA battery. It also as a LCD screen Central Government and issues licenses customs office. But the thing which made which displays the geographical position. to establish, maintain and operate wireless me happy the most was the fact that there It also has enough memory to record stations. After finding this information was no bribe paid. It looks like that the 130,000 positions. I also managed to locate about WPC on the net, you can imagine custom officials were not aware of the latest a ebay merchant called plumbargains, the worry I had. I felt as I have done notifications. I have now been using my who had the best price I could find on the some major goof up in India's wireless GPS receiver and hope that this experience internet. So on 13th Mar, using my paypal spectrum by ordering this tiny receiver. will help other law abiding Indian Citizens account, I placed the order. The merchant to import these GPS receivers legally promptly shipped the item on 14th Mar via At this stage I decided that this was not without any hassles. Other than the fact that EMS. With excitement I started tracking right. Mobile phones with built-in-gps it took almost a month to get the parcel and the package. It reached Mumbai on 14th are being allowed without any problem. none of the officials responded to any of my Mar and got dispatched to Chennai. After There are plenty of sites in India itself emails, I am very satisfied that at least there that all I could see that the package has who are selling these GPS receivers at was no corruption involved in this exercise. reached Chennai customs on Mar 17th. double the cost. So I couldn't figure out After that it seemed a long wait for the how I could disturb the wireless spectrum So my suggestion is, if your GPS receiver package to arrive. Finally 12 days later, of India by using this receiver. But to be gets held up in Customs for WPC license, on 25th Mar, I receive a letter dated 19th on the right side of the law, I decided to you need to provide all the notifications/ Mar 2008 from Office of Commisioner find out if WPC licence is required or not. circular mentioned in the article by Bal of Customs, Postal Appraising Dept - If it was required, I decided that I would Krishna in the article "GPS Receivers - Air, Chennai asking for the following write to WPC and pay the necessary Derestricted". Also send the relevant pages 1) Commercial Invoice license fees to operate the receiver. mentioning the exim code 8526 91 90 in 2) Purpose of import Chap 85 of the new ITC(HS) code. You can I came across two articles in Coordinates download that at http://www.infodriveindia. The letter did manage to stress me a (www.mycoordinates.org) - GPS imports com/content/Exim/DGFT/ITC-HS-Codes- bit as it stated that if documents are not - Derestricted From this article I came to Import-Schedule-1/ch%2085.doc submitted within 15 days, the parcel will know that GPS imports was derestricted be treated as unauthorized as per Export- in Jan 2004. The article also provided Manvendra Import policy, custom act and postal relevant notifications and the ITC(HS) [email protected] Coordinates July 2008 | 27 Newsbriefs – INdustry

Carlson Software to give National Instruments Unveils offering a web based fleet management users CAD platform choice GPS Simulation, Test System system to the construction market. It facilitates monitoring of vehicles and Bruce Carlson, president and founder National Instruments took the wraps work activities, and can be used to of Carlson Software Inc., announced off its GPS Toolkit for LabVIEW, an notify individual consumers about work the addition of the ability to run on extension of the company's graphical carried out. http://investors.hexagon.se IntelliCAD (ICAD) to the 2009 releases system design environment that expands of Carlson Software. These include its module hardware RF PXI platform SatNav, India secures $7 Carlson Civil 2009, Carlson Survey to include multi-satellite GPS signal million from Sequoia Capital 2009, Carlson Hydrology 2009, Carlson simulation. Using NI LabVIEW software Mining 2009, Carlson Takeoff 2009 and to create waveforms that simulate up to SatNav Technologies has recently Carlson GIS 2009. www.carlsonsw.com 12 satellites (C/A codes in the L1 band), attracted investment of $7 million engineers can test receiver characteristics from Sequoia Capital. The investment Cypress unveils Multi-Touch such as sensitivity, time to first fix, and will be used to enhance the product all point touchscreen position accuracy with the NI PXIe-5672 portfolio of SatNav besides boost RF vector signal generator, according the depth of the company’s map Cypress has recently unveiled its to the company. http://digital.ni.com content. www.financialexpress.com TrueTouch touchscreen system based on its programmable system-on-chip Electronic navigation for Wal-Mart expands PND selection, architecture. It includes a single-chip future soldier program adds Magellan to line up touchscreen that can interpret up to 10 inputs from all areas of the screen Honeywell shall provide EADS a US mass merchant Wal-Mart’s simultaneously. This will enable creation miniature electronic navigation aid electronics departments now offer “an of new usage models for mobile handsets, - a Dead-Reckoning Module - that expanded selection of GPS, including portable media players, GPS systems, and ensures accurate personnel location touch screen displays in some stores other products. http://app.cypress.com data in environments where GPS and in all stores the addition of signals are unavailable. In urban Magellan to the current GPS offerings New u-blox GPS Module warfare environments it is essential of Garmin and TomTom”, said the for soldiers to know where colleagues company. www.gpsbusinessnews.com u-blox AG has released NEO-5Q, are so missions remain coordinated miniature GPS module. It is a stand- and cohesive. www.gpsdaily.com Navigon and Navteq ink 3-year deal alone GPS module in a 12 x 16 x 2.4–millimeter package. Its ROM-based NavCom Software updated Navteq has reached a 3 year agreement architecture does not require an external for RTK, StarFire Network to provide Germany's Navigon with its Flash EPROM. It features an engine with maps. The agreement covers onboard 50 channels and more than one million NavCom Technology has released navigation across all Navigon's PNDs, correlators capable of simultaneously updated software for its RTK and StarFire plus software products for other PND tracking GPS and GALILEO signals. products. StarFire is a satellite-based brands and mobile phone customers It also includes u-blox’s new KickStart augmentation system that provides worldwide. This is in addition to a rapid, weak-signal acquisition decimeter positioning accuracy on a recent contract to supply mapping technology. www.u-blox.com worldwide basis. By increasing the products for Navigon's off-board StarFire constellation from three to business. www.gpsbusinessnews.com SiGe Semi debuts small dual- six satellites, users are now provided antenna GPS receiver with fully redundant global coverage, Toshiba’s laptop with GPS as well as increased performance SiGe Semiconductor introduced its assurance, as the GPS receiver now Toshiba has unveiled several new SE4150L GPS radio receiver featuring automatically selects the highest elevation laptops in its Qosmio range, including dual-antenna input capability, and satellite out of the six available http:// the Qosmio F55, the first Toshiba housed in a low profile 4 mm x 4 ipcommunications.tmcnet.com laptop with built-in GPS and Garmin's mm package. It features a multi-bit navigation software. Positioned as a output, which improves sensitivity Hexagon acquires company in Fleet “gaming machine that also takes mobility and interference resistance for GPS Management Machine Control seriously”, the Qosmio F55 has a applications. The device achieves a 15.4" screen and a gamin grade Nvidia system noise figure of 1.0 dB and input Hexagon has acquired the Swedish graphics card. This laptop is expected third-order intercept performance (IIP3) software company Viewserve AB. It to debut this summer at a starting price of better than 0 dBm. www.sige.com is a service and software company of $1,150. www.gpsbusinessnews.com

28 | Coordinates July 2008 StarFire™ and RTK just got better. How could we possibly improve StarFire™ and RTK? First, we doubled the number of StarFire™ satellites from three to six, providing signal redundancy and coverage all the way down to the user equipment. Then, we created Ultra RTK,™ which combined with our industry-exclusive RTK Extend,™ lets you work further from base stations and maintain RTK-level accuracy even during radio outages. Want to double your competitive edge? Put NavCom’s StarFire™ and RTK advantages to work for you. To learn more, call us at +1 310 381 2000.

Coordinates July 2008 | 29 www.navcomtech.com Newsbriefs – INdustry

Spectra Precision introduces rugged data collector Galileo update Spectra Precision has released Spectra Precision® Nomad™ data collector Boeing considering submitting and head of the Directorate-General running its new Field Surveyor 2.0 bid for EU’s Galileo project for Industry and Enterprise European field software for its FOCUS® 10 Commission H. Zurek, examined the Total Stations and EPOCH® 25 Boeing Co is considering submitting a bid results of the Dialogue established seven GPS Systems. It provides increased in the forthcoming tender for EU’s Galileo working groups for the period since functionality for various surveying satellite navigation project, Handelsblatt the previous meeting (Moscow, March applications. The Nomad comes standard said, citing a Boeing spokeswoman. 21 2007), and plans for their work for with an 806 MHz processor, 128 MB Handelsblatt said Boeing is interested in the period until 2009 and beyond. of memory and integrated Bluetooth participating in the tender for 26 position technology. www.spectraprecision.com satellites, which make up one-third of All three sides gave a positive assessment the overall budget for the estimated of the work on all seven areas of Leica DX10 Field Controller 3.4 billion euros Galileo project. The interaction and stressed that the dialogue PDA and Leica mojoRTK auto- Galileo project would be divided into format allows more effectively seek steer system for agriculture six segments -- satellites, launchers, new areas of cooperation and improve computer programmes, ground stations, mechanisms for their implementation. Leica Geosystems has released Leica control stations and system operation. DX10 Field Controller. It delivers EU officials have previously said the In doing so, with particular satisfaction maximum performance and reliability European Commission and the European the Co-Chairs noted the results achieved and meets the military's rigorous MIL- Space Agency would launch public tenders within the framework of joint programmes STD-810F standards for vibration, shock by the middle of this year, with a view such priority as the Alliance Guiana and temperature extremes. It comes with to first contracts being signed before Space Centre “and” The long-term an IP67 rating against water, humidity, 2009.http://www.hemscott.com/news/ manned transport system “(PCA). sand and dust. It has an ergonomically shaped case and the hand-strap at the Also plans were approved works to ensure back. www.leica-geosystems.com Third meeting of the Steering compatibility and complementarity of Board of Russia-EU Global Navigation Satellite Systems Leica mojoRTK revolutionises the (GNSS) GLONASS and Galileo, agricultural industry with a new auto- Dialogue on space activities established work on the integration of GNSS steer system that provides repeatable in accordance with the “Road Map” augmentations: SDKM Russian and 5cm RTK accuracy with 99% reliability. on the Common Economic Space. C European EGNOS, respectively. It provides an affordable solution for reading was signed on May 10, 2005 farmers who need to see repeatability in Moscow, President of the Russian In the field of remote sensing principles pass to pass and year to year. Plus, Federation Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister were agreed to exchange data and results with Leica Virtual Wrench™, the of Luxembourg Jean-K.Yunkerom, of satellite observations for various tasks, agriculture industry’s first remote service Chairperson of the Commission of including meteorology, environmental and diagnostic tool, Soilessentials European Communities Zh.M.Durau- and agricultural monitoring, control technicians can view the same console Barroso and EU High Representative precursors of natural disasters. http:// screens and settings the farmer sees in for Foreign Policy and Security H. rescommunis.wordpress.com/2008/06/26 the cab. www.leica-geosystems.com Solana. During the meeting, co-chaired by were: the Russian side - the head of CARIS Releases Target Tracking Roscosmos N. A. Perminov; the European in Web-Mapping Software side - Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA) F-Zh.Dorden CARIS has released version 4.3 of its web mapping software, Spatial Fusion Enterprise, featuring real-time target tracking. It is a web mapping engine for the integration of existing data from many sources, formats and locations and introduces geospatial visualisation and analysis tools to support strategic short and long-term decision.

30 | Coordinates July 2008 INDIAN REMOTE SENSING SATELLITE (IRS) Roving Eye in the Sky

Offering High Resolution Imageries with multiple choices

Ernst Happel stadium, Vienna, 0.8m Color image from IRS Cartosat and Resourcesat satellites

Coordinates July 2008 | 31 Newsbriefs – GIS

Credent aids in Myanmar's appointed to compile and publish the island are helping to better visualize cyclone relief work resulting CO2 Geological Storage and analyze how development plans Atlas. http://196.33.85.14/cgs_inter/ will impact residents and resources, and promote sustainable decision-making. NAVTEQ expands APAC coverage to Indonesia China Earthquake Geospatial Research Portal NAVTEQ has announced release of navigable map coverage in Indonesia, The Harvard Centre for Geographic which includes over 250,000 km of road Analysis and Harvard Fairbank network. The greater Jakarta includes Centre for East Asian Research have areas of highest coverage level, inclusion established a China Earthquake After NARGIS cyclone hit Myanmar and verification of up to 260 road Geospatial Research Portal. It contains and took the lives of about 100,000, an attributes. www.gpsbusinessnews.com maps, GIS data and GIS analysis estimated 1.5 million victims are trying aimed at assist ongoing research on to survive in midst of chaos. Credent Tele Atlas to map the world in 3D the recent earthquakes in China. plans to extend assistance in the cyclone affected regions by providing the related According to MD of APAC South for The site hosts a map server for the map data from available resources Tele Atlas, the company has deployed a sharing and visualisation of datasets including local organizations and the fleet of camera-mounted vans canvassing relevant to the earthquake and its web. The development of the maps and the streets of major cities such as aftereffects. Two GIS vector layers are GIS data is currently under Credent Singapore capturing 3-D information available for download - the earthquake expense. To strengthen the provision for its upcoming 3-D world maps. epicentres and aftershocks and the of this vital information, any funding Each vehicle is equipped with up to six illustration of the impact zones. received will greatly improve the speed cameras capturing detailed information of the work. www.credent-asia.com/ of its surroundings, including texture of Free GIS Services for earthquake building facades. It will be a couple of relief in Sichuan Province The Hong Kong Lands years before such capabilities come to the Department chooses ESRI mass market. http://web20.telecomtv.com/ China TransInfo Technology has joined the Wenchuan Earthquake Enterprise Hong Kong Lands Department has 3-D modeling by Autodesk Rescue Alliance headed by the ESRI, awarded ESRI a US$4.9 million contract for better decision making by providing free GIS services and to replace its Computerized Land products to the Sichuan earthquake Information System (CLIS) containing relief effort. This Alliance has been digital map data by 450 users. ESRI providing real time information related will replace the CLIS with an enterprise to weather forecasting, transportation, GIS, allowing users throughout the electrical grids, and other areas in the department to work with one central disaster zone. www.earthtimes.org/ geodatabase instead of disparate silos of data. It will better support the Coalition of Geospatial business processes and workflows Organizations Formed in USA of the department. www.esri.com Easter Island is the most remote Several national geospatial organizations Compilation of a Carbon dioxide inhabited place in the world, more than have recently come together to create the geological storage atlas 2200 km from the coast of Chile. As Coalition of Geospatial Organizations natural resources are being depleted at an (COGO). It was developed to provide Carbon capture and storage (CCS) alarming rate and tourism overwhelms a forum for organizations concerned is one of the recognised mitigation the island’s fragile infrastructure, the with national geospatial issues that measures for the lowering of greenhouse- island is at a turning point – trying to will 1) improve communications gas emissions. Assessment of the limit further damage to their historical among the member organizations potential for CCS in South Africa sites. Autodesk offers 2D and 3D (and others), 2) provide educational requires a detailed investigation into design technology – began work with information on relevant issues for locating and characterising potential the government in Oct 2007, they’ve their respective memberships, 3) carbon geological-storage sites. been able to help digitally document align and strengthen their respective The CGS, along with the Petroleum historical artefacts, natural resources policy agendas, and 4) facilitate Agency of South Africa, has been and infrastructure. 3D models of the development of strategies to address

32 | Coordinates July 2008 newsbriefs – Remote Sensing national issues. The participants are Satellite technology to aid What is the quantity of greenhouse • American Congress on fishermen in India gases in our atmosphere? How are they Surveying and Mapping distributed around the world? Some • American Society for The Indian Remote Sensing Applications answers might be brought back by Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Centre at Hyderabad has been giving I-STAG (Indian Satellite for Aerosol and • Association of American Geographers readings of the remote sensing satellite Gases), a small satellite to be launched • Cartography and Geographic to all the fishing harbors to help the by ISRO in 2012. It will collect data Information Society fishermen to track the fish shoals. on the quantity and distribution of • Geospatial Information The system works on the basis of the green house gases and other content Technology Association GPS technology and satellite mapping to estimate an impact on climate. • GIS Certification Institute of the seas. The government shall • Management Association for Private set up an earth station not bigger The satellite will have a special focus on Photogrammetric Surveyors than a computer room with modern the tropics and will monitor the spatial • National States Geographic gadgets. http://mangalorean.com and temporal variation in the amount Information Council of these gases to assess their long-term • University Consortium for Satellite pictures tell of effect on the climate and ecosystem. Geographic Information Science human rights violation The experiments would also attempt • Urban and Regional Information to estimate the impact of biomass Systems Association A project launched by the American burning and forest fires on climate. Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) aims to use satellite I-STAG will be developed jointly Cadcorp announces new imagery to provide evidence of human by the Indian Institute of Science, release of mSIS – mobile rights atrocities. The AAAS worked the Space Physics Laboratory in Spatial Information System. with Human Rights Watch to produce a Thiruvananthapuram, the Physical 130-page report on attacks on 8 villages Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, Digital mapping and GIS software across the remote Ogaden region of and the National Atmospheric developer Cadcorp has announced a eastern Ethiopia, where "before" and Research Laboratory in Tirupati. new release of its mSIS - mobile Spatial "after" satellite images of villages were Information System (‘mSIS’) product. analysed. It shows blackened fields and I-STAG is part of the space organisation’s It is an easy-to-use field data capture destroyed homes where before there “small satellites programme” for application for the Pocket PC platform. were whole villages. www.sbs.com.au scientific experiments, said ISRO It is supplied in two parts: a desktop Chairman G. Madhavan Nair. “The based project management package - Indian Space Research first of the series of small satellite mSIS Office; plus the Pocket PC-based Organisation to launch satellite was the Indian Mini Satellite, which data capture software - mSIS Mobile. to study climate change flew with CARTOSAT-2A.

Cadcorp is also looking for distributors Few issues have taken the global centre Jason-2 successfully launched in all territories. Those who are a stage as did climate change recently, systems integrator GIS developer, and images of melting polar ice caps CNES and NASA have launched the or an IT solutions company, can join and rising sea levels are now all too Ocean Surface Topography Mission/ the growing network of business ubiquitous to ignore. But how much do Jason 2 satellite on 20th June to continue partners from around the world. we really know about global warming? charting sea level, a vital indicator of global climate change. The mission will return a vast amount of new data that will improve weather, climate and ocean forecasts.Measurements of sea-surface height, or ocean surface topography, reveal the speed and direction of ocean currents and tell scientists how much of Mi s s e d t h e l a s t i s s u e ? the sun’s energy is stored by the ocean. Combining ocean current and heat storage Do w n l o a d Co o r d i n a t e s a t data is key to understanding global climate variations. NOAA will use the w w w m ycoordinates o r g improved data to better predict hurricane . . intensity, which is directly affected by the amount of heat stored in the upper ocean.

Coordinates July 2008 | 33 Newsbriefs – GPS

GPS system used to slow Lockheed Martin, Oz proceed with speeding cars modernized train management GPS failing? Blame it on Aurora Borealis Cars will be fitted with test systems Australia is looking to GPS and inertial which tell drivers of speed limits and sensor technologies as the basis for a reduce vehicle speeds if they fail to modernized train management system, slow down, as part of a new road safety using Lockheed Martin to help develop trial in NSW, Australia. It will be a it. The company has received a US$74.8 $1 million, 18-month trial involving million contract from the Australian Rail 100 cars. The cars will be fitted with Track Corporation Ltd. for the proof- GPS devices. It will also warn drivers of-concept phase of the Advanced Train if they are speeding. In addition, 40 Management System (ATMS). It will use of the cars will be fitted with separate inertial guidance technology and GPS technology limiting fuel to the tracking to feed train data such as location, Scientists have discovered that the natural engine if a driver fails to slow down, speed, and weight to a central management light shows of the Northern Lights – or automatically forcing a reduction in the system, which will in turn monitor Aurora Borealis – interfere with the car's speed. http://news.theage.com.au train separations on the same sections signals from global positioning satellites, of track. www.lockheedmartin.com which are used by sat-navs to pinpoint the GPS based Fleet Management locations of vehicles, boats and aircraft. by Oilfield construction firm IGNSS Society announces A study by the University of Bath’s new President department of electrical engineering is the Pipeline construction firm Arnett and first to find that the aurora borealis, which Burgess has selected the SmartFleet® GPS Matt Higgins was appointed the President can be seen from most parts of Britain, fleet management system for their fleet of the International Global Navigation directly affects sat-navs. The research, of light and heavy duty vehicles. It will Satellite Systems (IGNSS) Society earlier published in the American Geophysical provide online tools to help manage the this year. The IGNSS Society is a not- Union’s International Journal of Space safety of employees and the productivity for-profit organisation supporting the Weather, used three closely positioned of equipment. www.pr-usa.net Global Navigation Satellite Systems sat-nav systems in Norway to measure (GNSS) industry in Australia. Matt is the signal strength from satellites before, NYC makes buses hijack proof an internationally recognised specialist during and after an aurora borealis event. with remote controlled device in his field and was recently nominated as one of the 50 leaders to watch in the They found the signal faded dramatically NYC has installed a new GPS device in international global navigation industry during the activity and the devices thousands of local commuter and tourist by top industry publication GPS World. struggled to get a lock on the satellites. buses. The device is attached to the bus He also holds the prestigious position Under normal circumstances, the computer system and it relays information of vice president of the International ionosphere, behave like a smooth plate about its speed and direction to a Federation of Surveyors (FIG) from of glass, allowing the signals from the dispatcher. In the event of a hijacking, the 2007 to 2010. In this position, Matt satellites to pass straight through. But dispatcher can remotely slow the bus down will represent FIG on the United during the aurora, the ionosphere becomes and prevent it from being restarted. Nations International Committee on “lumpy”, which disrupts the signals. Prof Slowing the bus down is intended to give Global Navigation Satellite Systems. Cathryn Mitchell, who led the research, terrorists extra time to rethink their said sat-nav errors were likely to become position before doing something drastic. Twenty-First Century Plant Hunter more frequent over the next four years due http://gizmodo.com Survey UK National Trust Gardens to increasing aurora activity. “Anywhere that the aurora is visible, it will cause GPS clocks to maintain The UK’s biggest ever plant hunt began disruption,” she said. “Although most train punctuality recently when gardeners and volunteers people in the UK can’t see the aurora at Killerton in Devon kicked off a survey when it is happening, because of cloud As many as 32 railway stations in that will cover tens of thousands of or ambient light, it can still affect the between Tirupattur and Pothanur in plants at more than eighty significant GPS signal. We have just passed a the newly formed Salem division, National Trust gardens. A photo will minimum in activity but we are due to India will soon have clocks that run be taken of each plant, a GPS grid hit a maximum in 2012, which is when on the GPS technology to maintain reference will be recorded using the we would expect to see most disruption.” uniform train timing and punctuality. An Magellan MobileMapper CX running The last peak in aurora activity came in estimated Rs 16 lakhs would be spent DigiTerra Explorer 5 software and each 2000, when few GPS devices were in use. on the clocks. www.newindpress.com plant will be identified by experts.

34 | Coordinates July 2008 Coordinates July 2008 | 35 Newsbriefs – LBS

Compass added to GPS for inside next to the QWERTY keyboard. into the Indian market soon. Initially Ricoh 500SE Camera It includes functions like GPS, HSDPA, the company is looking at launching its WiFi, 2 MP camera with auto-focus, X610 model for Glofiish in the Indian GeoSpatial Experts have introduced Bluetooth etc. www.khabrein.info region. It comes with windows mobile an integrated magnetic compass/GPS 6.1 professional, GSM/EDGE quad receiver module for the Ricoh 500SE Tele Atlas unveils MultiNav band and built in GPS & bluetooth digital camera It had a sole built-in GPS development platform capabilities. http://news.ciol.com receiver, which enabled the camera to acquire the location coordinates of Tele Atlas has unveiled Tele Atlas Garmin to debut in GPS each photo and embed them with the MultiNav, which provides digital map phone market, teams up with photo as an attribute without an external database delivered with a smaller data Taiwanese handset makers GPS device. http://sc.gpsworld.com footprint. It will decrease developers’ time- to-market by speeding the development Garmin Ltd., shall soon debut a Microsoft unveils OS for process and allow a smaller run-time GPS phone codenamed Nuvifone in portable navigation devices format for their applications. It also shall cooperation with Taiwanese handheld- have map data enriched with qualified device specialists formerly hired by Microsoft has introduced its first community content. www.teleatlas.com HTC Corp. The company shall make operating system designed for its phones available at telecom carriers manufacturers of PND’s. Windows Samsung launches iPhone rival like AT&T. http://news.cens.com Embedded NavReady 2009, which is based on Windows Embedded CE, Samsung has launched a new touch- Google Signs Five Year Map includes technologies for connecting screen smartphone only three hours before Agreement with Tele Atlas PNDs to online services, mobile phones Apple was unveiling its new version using Bluetooth, and Windows-based of the iPhone. Its called Omnia, looks Tele Atlas, announced that Google™, has PCs. www.informationweek.com similar to the iPhone, has a wide screen for signed a long term license agreement with viewing video and browsing the internet. the company that gives Google access to Toshiba announces laptop It also comes with a 5 megapixel camera Tele Atlas maps and dynamic content in with GPS, Garmin software and runs Microsoft Windows Mobile more than 200 countries around the world. software. www.smarthouse.com.au Toshiba has unveiled Qosmio F55, the The agreement spans Google’s current first Toshiba laptop with built-in GPS and Apple unveils new 3G and future map-based services and Garmin’s navigation software. The built-in iPhone - with GPS navigation offerings across mobile, online GPS system empowers users to determine and desktop environments. These include their exact location in relation to their Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, the Google Maps™ and Google Earth™ destination within moments. www.i4u.com announced details of new 8GB iPhone. services and mobile applications such as The new phone also has GPS, which Google Maps for Mobile™. The agreement MWg enters Indian market means it will be able to locate itself more also gives Tele Atlas access to edits for accurately via satellite, and will offer its maps from Google’s community of Mobile and Wireless Group (MWg) more services tailored to the owner’s users, whose suggested changes can has rolled out their entrance into the location, such as the ability to find nearby help the company further increase the Indian market and unveiled their latest restaurants and businesses www.apple.com quality and richness of Tele Atlas maps. Windows Mobile handsets, the MWg Atom V and MWg Zinc II. The MWg Nokia launches N78 Space weather zaps GPS Atom V is a full-featured, touch-screen with GPS features units, cell towers operated device with in-built GPS while the MWg Zinc II features a sliding Nokia has launched N78 model with Space weather specifically electrical keyboard and happens to be one of GPS features. A feature incorporated distubances in Earth’s ionosphere -- the first Windows Mobile 6.1 devices in N78 is it automatically tags location can disrupt the accuracy of GPS units available in India. www.varindia.com data to the picture, allowing users to appreciably, a problem scientists are save picture by date and by geographical addressing. The ionosphere is the layer Asus brings its M930 mobile to India coordinates. www.telecomtiger.com of the atmosphere extending upward from a height of about 60 miles. Its Asus is launching its smartphone Glofiish from Taiwan all set tenuous gas is electrically charged M930 in the Indian market. It features to enter Indian market enough to affect radio signals. 2 screens, one is external for phone functionality and the larger one on the E-Ten shall introduce smartphone Glofiish GPS units calculate their locations by

36 | Coordinates July 2008 analyzing signals from a dedicated navigation. Uconnect GPS combines utilized DVB-H mobile TV broadcasts group of satellites, but those signals can features from both Uconnect Phone to precisely locate prototype receivers be delayed or distorted while passing and Uconnect Tunes with navigation in a variety of environments, including through the ionosphere, explained and real-time traffic data. It includes multi-storey car parks where GPS signals Anthea Coster, an atmospheric scientist an integrated voice recognition system are unavailable. http://www.rosum.com at MIT. If there’s no sunspot activity, the and touch screen operation. The voice average inaccuracy is about 16 feet (5 recognition system also recognizes Uttar Pradesh, India buses to meters) for civilian handheld or car GPS more than 100,000 words and can be have global positioning system units that only use one radio frequency. used for address input, according to the During sunspot activity, the inaccuracy car maker. http://www.detnews.com Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport can exceed 32 yards (30 meters). Corporation (UPSRTC) plans to install TV positioning trial in UK GPS in its buses, an official said. “We Space storms, sometimes caused by proves successful would be able to keep complete track sunspot activity, are also known to of all the buses (through GPS),” said disrupt cell towers, causing dropped Rosum Corp. announced that it has A.K. Srivastava, UPSRTC chief general calls. Strong solar flares can disrupt successfully completed a DVB-H manager (technical). The GPS will be all types of communications on Earth, positioning trial in collaboration with useful in finding the exact spot in case of including GPS, and even disable National Grid Wireless, provider of large- an accident, he said. UPSRTC officials said satellites. http://news.xinhuanet.com scale transmission infrastructure in U.K. that they are preparing a detailed project Rosum’s technology uses terrestrial report on installation of the GPS in the Chrysler debuts Uconnect television signals — whether analog, buses. It has also undertaken an exercise with in-vehicle navigation digital, or mobile — to provide accurate to install speed-control devices in all its in-home location information, where buses. “Speed-control device will help in Chrysler, the auto maker has unveiled an GPS signals may be hindered. Rosum checking over-speeding of buses that lead in-vehicle consumer electronics platform and National Grid Wireless conducted the to road mishaps. We will ensure fitting of it has dubbed Uconnect, an umbrella for trial at National Grid Wireless’ DVB-H speed-control devices in about 7,000 buses various options including GPS-based trial network in Warwick, U.K., and owned by the UPSRTC,” Srivastava said.

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I would like to subscribe for (tick one) Geo-Information technology exhibition the european navigation event, 6-9 August 2008 October 7-8 2008, ¨ 1 year ¨ 2 years ¨ 3 years Jakarta, Indonesia High Tech Campus, Eindhoven, [email protected] The Netherlands 12 issues 24 issues 36 issues www.geospatial-exh.com [email protected] Rs.1200/US$80 Rs.2100/US$145 Rs.2700/US$180 www.jakajima.eu GIta 2008 25-27 August Sydney, Australia november 2008 http://gita.org.au/08sydney.php XXVIII Inca International congress on First name ...... septemeber 2008 collaborative Mapping and space technology symposium on high Mountain Nov. 4-6, 2008 Remote sensing cartography Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India Last name...... [email protected] 8-11 September Kathmandu, Nepal [email protected] www.cmap.org.in Designation ...... acRs 2008 VIIIth International scientific and technical 10 - 14 November Organization ...... conference “From imagery to map: Galadari Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka digital photogrammetric technologies” [email protected] 15-18 September 2008, Porec, Croatia Address...... www.racurs.ru/croatia2008/?lng=en International symposium on Gps/Gnss 2008 11 - 14 November, Tokyo, Japan [email protected] ...... Institute of navigation’s satellite division Ion Gnss 2008 http;//www.gnss2008.jp September 16-19, 2008 City...... Pincode...... International symposium on Global Savannah, Georgia, USA navigation satellite systems www.ion.org State ...... Country...... Berlin, Germany, 11 - 14 November 2008 [email protected] european surveyors congress strasbourg 2008 www.eupos.org Phone ...... 17-19 September, Strasbourg, France [email protected] 3d Geo-Information Workshop www.geometre-strasbourg2008.eu/?lang=en Fax...... 13-14 November caRIs 2008 Seoul, South Korea [email protected] Email...... September 22 - 26, Bath, United Kingdom BENTLEY. ADVANCING GIS FOR www.caris.com/caris2008 http://3dgeoinfo.uos.ac.kr I enclose cheque no...... asia GIs conference 2008 WATER UTILITY NETWORKS. 26 - 27 September, Busan, Korea december 2008 drawn on ...... [email protected] With Bentley’s integrated GIS and infrastructure engineering solutions http://www.asiagis2008.com Geoexpo 2008 china water utilities build and operate better networks – faster. dated ...... towards subscription InteRGeo 2 - 4 December 2008, Bentley supports the full plan, design, build and operate lifecycle for Shanghai, China 30 Sept- 2 October water and wastewater networks delivering comprehensive GIS-based Bentley® Water™ charges for Coordinates magazine Bremen, Germany [email protected] solutions like Bentley Water and Bentley Wastewater. Bentley® Wastewater™ www.intergeo.de http://www.chinaGeo-expo.com in favour of cGIT. ® ™ And, Bentley’s Haestad Methods solutions offer unparalleled, platform-neutral Bentley Geospatial Server ® ™ hydraulic modeling and analysis functionality to ensure that the infrastructure is Bentley Geo Web Publisher Sign...... Date...... engineered and operated optimally at all times. WaterGEMS® WaterCAD® Mail this form with payment to: Major water network operators like United Utilities, Aqua America, ® canalys navigation Suburban Water, American Water, Brisbane Water, Bogota Water, SewerGEMS SewerCAD® Coordinates – cGIT Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, Davos Water, Manila Water, Forum 2008 ® 11C Pocket A, SFS and Mott McDonald all rely on Bentley solutions every day. StormCAD HAMMER® Mayur Vihar Phase III 8-10, Sep, Budapest, Hungary Create water utility infrastructure faster with Bentley’s real world GIS solutions. GIS/GEO ® H SP C A Delhi 110 096, India 14-15 Oct, San Fransico , USA CivilStorm E T T I A BENTLEY A R RECOGNIZED L

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BENTLEY. ADVANCING GIS FOR WATER UTILITY NETWORKS.

With Bentley’s integrated GIS and infrastructure engineering solutions water utilities build and operate better networks – faster. Bentley supports the full plan, design, build and operate lifecycle for water and wastewater networks delivering comprehensive GIS-based Bentley® Water™ solutions like Bentley Water and Bentley Wastewater. Bentley® Wastewater™ ® ™ And, Bentley’s Haestad Methods solutions offer unparalleled, platform-neutral Bentley Geospatial Server ® ™ hydraulic modeling and analysis functionality to ensure that the infrastructure is Bentley Geo Web Publisher engineered and operated optimally at all times. WaterGEMS® WaterCAD® Major water network operators like United Utilities, Aqua America, ® Suburban Water, American Water, Brisbane Water, Bogota Water, SewerGEMS ® Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, Davos Water, Manila Water, SewerCAD and Mott McDonald all rely on Bentley solutions every day. StormCAD® HAMMER® Create water utility infrastructure faster with Bentley’s real world GIS solutions. GIS/GEO ® H SP C A CivilStorm E T T I A BENTLEY A R RECOGNIZED L

For Purchase and Training: Bentley Systems India Pvt Ltd S ® A

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ADVANCING GIS FOR INFRASTRUCTURESM

© 2008 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the B logo, Advancing GIS for Infrastructure, Bentley Water, Bentley Wastewater, WaterGEMS, WaterCAD, SewerGEMS, SewerCAD, StormCAD, HAMMER, CivilStorm, SCADAConnect, Bentley Geospatial Server, and Bentley Geo Web Publisher are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Coordinates July 2008 | 39 The Reference Galileo Simulation Toolkit for GNSS Receiver Research and Development

ENVIRONMENT AND NAVIGATION SIMULATOR Multisystem navigation analysis (Galileo/GPS) Graphical user interface for constellation, environment and receiver configuration Raw data and range errors generation

FACTORED CORRELATOR MODEL MATLAB / Simulink blockset for multichannel BIT-TRUE GNSS RECEIVER SIMULATOR receiver simulation Open MATLAB/Simulink environment for Intermediate tool for acquisition, tracking educational, R&D, and testing and raw data generation IF sample based signal generation and processing Swift, flexible and realistic solution based on Fully configurable receiver architecture analytical model of correlators Up-to-date GPS/Galileo signals including MBOC European GNSS Supervisory Authority, 2008. All Rights Reserved. GRANADA has been developed within GARDA project by DEIMOS Space, S.L. in cooperation with Thales Alenia Space in the context of 6th FP managed and funded by GJU. Thales in cooperation with S.L. GRANADA has been developed within GARDA project by DEIMOS Space, All Rights Reserved. 2008. Authority, European GNSS Supervisory c Information and orders: [email protected]

40 | Coordinates July 2008