Although people outside of the industry generally have little understanding of the intricacies within the geospatial sector and all of the sub-industries contained within that, the work done here underpins so much of our day-to-day lives. Everything from large-scale mapping projects to more contained inspections of critical infrastructure using geospatial technology is made possible by this sector. This week in our look around the industry, we highlight some of the important work done by the geospatial industry, as well as how some of the technology creeps into the broader population’s life, including in ways that we wouldn’t immediately expect.
Find links to the full stories below.
3D Elevation Data Crucial to Supporting the Nation’s Infrastructure and Maintaining Economic Security
United States Geological Survey
To start off, we’ll take a U.S.-centric look at how a specific program from the United States Geological Survey supports critical industries and sectors for the entire nation. USGS’s 3DEP program is a massive project for collecting 3D elevation data throughout the entire country, and it has evolved some since it initially began in 2016. This article highlights the work that has gone into this project, and why it’s so valuable for the entire country. It looks at, among other things, the importance of 3DEP for things like flood management, agriculture, and infrastructure.
Ensuring Precision for Top Athletes
Hexagon
This past weekend marked the start of the 2024 Olympics Games, taking place in Paris, France. Although we wouldn’t immediately think to create a link between geospatial technologies and the foremost global athletic competition, it turns out that the precision offered by these tools can be a tremendous help to the Games. This article highlights the ways solutions from Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, are used in athletic competitions like the Olympics.
Drone Processing Services: The Importance of Keeping the Human in the Loop
Gavin Schrock | xyHt
As UAVs have become both more powerful and more accessible, a growing number of industries are taking advantage of the tools. Surveyors, however, were one of the earliest adopters of drones, and they continue to rely heavily on the technologies. The space has evolved significantly in the years since they first started being used, and the recent boom around artificial intelligence has once again changed the sector. In this article, Schrock discusses these advancements, but also the importance of keeping humans in the process as AI adoption grows.
