Digital Aerial Survey – New Horizons of 3D Mapping

Vladimir Gulin
Marketing Director, Geokosmos, Russia
“Unique feature of the technology is the ability to determine true relief under canopy in forest-covered areas…”

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The humane face of Geospatial in monitoring, combating, control, rescue and emergency response along with the synergistic use of high-tech tools developed by the University of California, San Diego for communications and modelling the California fires have helped the first responders save lives. The combined usage of satellite imagery, UAV data feeds and live feeds from the High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN) cameras also aided remedial actions such as fuel and supply deliveries to rescue sites. The San Diego Supercomputer Centre (SDSC) helped a quarter million people evacuate – Geospatial has justified its status as a 'force multiplier' and it is during peace time... When disaster strikes, data about the location of the affected person or persons is of paramount importance. A cellular or a satellite phone can at the most communicate the status of the person – if he or she is in a state to communicate. The new GPS enabled cellular phones will go a step further where the location will be transmitted to a 911 emergency call centre. But what happens when you are beyond the cellular network coverage? It does make one uncomfortable. The very fact that I was connected to the outside world during the last two weeks - on a rather pristine coastal village, north of Goa and receiving SMS alerts from the 'Tsunami Institute' (two warnings in a span of 10 days!!! – and an all clear message after about an hour in each case) helped our field mapping camp. For those who wish to take no risk, and 'Come Home in a Coach rather than in Cargo' as the makers of SPOT – the world's first satellite messenger, rather morbidly claim, the next generation in personalised remote monitoring of your foot steps is available and the few places you will not be monitored, are some of the loftiest peaks above 21k ft.

  Dr. Hrishikesh Samant
hrishikesh@gisdevelopment.net