Category Archives: Spatial IT/GIS

The Citation photogrammetry jet approaches Pico de Orizaba, the third highest peak in North America at 18,491 feet above sea level, on a photogrammetry mission.

Citation (Jet) Needed: A Start-Up Takes Off

A wealthy investor on the other end of the line said, “Juan, I understand you are photogrammetrist and a pilot. Are you ready for a challenge? I bought six Citation jets in a government auction, and I want you to help me turn them into a modern aerial photography platform.” For those of us who...

Highlights of the Esri UC 2020 – Day One

This is the 40th annual Esri UC (user conference), the first being held in Redlands California, the home of Esri’s HQ, with only 15 users. But it rapidly expanded in subsequent years, moving to the San Diego Convention Center where it has been held for many years. Now in 2020, the UC has gone virtual—with...

Mark Contino, vice president of North American retail distribution at Topcon Positioning Systems (left) and Ken Shersty, director of hardware sales for TSS, in a small museum of survey gear in The Solutions Store Kent, Washington, location.

Topcon Solutions Store Leads the Way in Gearing Up

Moves to modernize surveying, engineering, and construction were already well under way—recent events have simply accelerated the process. Many, such as Topcon’s Solutions Store, have used the recent slowdown to adopt new models for workflows, collaboration, distributorships, training, and support to be ready to meet future demand. As the pause button is being released, and...

The Early Days of 3D Scanning, Part 2: Cyra Technologies

In the 1990s I was very fortunate to get in on the ground floor of 3D laser scanning technology with a startup often credited with pioneering the technology: Cyra Technologies. Featured image: Prior to co-founding Cyra Technologies to develop 3D laser scanning, Ben Kacyra’s AEC company, Cygna, provided seismic retrofit engineering services for California’s nuclear...

Plan Ahead: GeoIgnite (Virtual), July 2020

The inaugural GeoIgnite in 2019 was great success, and we are happy to help announce that GeoIgnite 2020 will be held as a virtual event, July 22nd-24th, 2020. This new series of geospatial events is an opportunity for geomatics and geospatial professionals and practitioners to expand their horizons, showcase their geo-wares and services, hear from...

Global Shipping Needs Geospatial Technology

Response to Covid-19 and its ripple effects on trade may be accelerating maritime industries’ adoption of geospatial technology Where global shipping is concerned, the Covid-19 pandemic is changing everything from navigation pathways, to crew and ship safety, to demand for commodities, and forcing the shipping industry to adapt, in part through new uses of geospatial...