Category Archives: Energy/Utilities
Big Data, Public Data
Above: A lidar-derived elevation raster DSM (of Dinkytown, MN) draped by an aerial photo. Free Aerial Lidar, Renewable Energy, an Infectious Mentality At the intersection of renewable energy, big data analysis, geospatial technology, and public data availability stands the Minnesota Solar Suitability Analysis project. Primarily manned by students in the University of Minnesota Master’s of Geographic...
What is xyHt?
Stand in the place where you live Now face North Think about direction Wonder why you haven’t before “Stand” – R.E.M. Why an obscure geodetic expression? It’s not all that obscure—it represents a foundational element requisite to nearly all human endeavor. It touches your life explicitly and in the abstract. All of the ways that...
Mobile System Alerts Dubai Drivers of Approaching Sandstorms
Periodically, large sandstorms and low-visibility conditions wreak havoc in the Middle East, with potentially deadly consequences for drivers. In 2007, a sandstorm in Saudi Arabia caused a pileup involving about 80 cars. In 2008, low-visibility conditions caused a 200-car pileup on the border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, killing about 25 people. In April 2012, a...
High Accuracy for Sanitation Lines
This proved true for Manchac Consulting Group, Inc. when they recently teamed with Louisiana’s Bossier City to solve an infrastructure issue. The project provided the chance for Manchac to expand their GNSS capabilities, an expansion from which the company is continuing to harvest fiscal rewards. Having hired Manchac in the past for design and engineering...
Autodesk and Measurement
“After all of these years, I’m really happy to be able to say that Autodesk is now truly in the measurement business,” says Pete Kelsey, Autodesk’s strategic projects executive. Though he was quick to add qualifiers to that statement: “We are not in the measurement hardware business, but we are now more closely aligned with...
The UAS Scene
The Association for Unmanned Systems International is a 10-year old association dedicated to tracking products, research, and applications for unmanned vehicles. This year’s conference in May in Orlando brought over 6,500 conference-goers to see products and information at the booths of over 500 exhibitors. The primary focus of the conference was airborne vehicles, but marine...