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GIS, GPS, surveying and spatial applications in Southern Africa

 Issue 18, Nov/Dec 2009 

Hey there! EE Publishers is using Twitter...

EE Publishers on TwitterTwitter is a free service that lets you keep in touch all the latest news and receive "The best from EE Publishers" through the exchange and sharing of quick, frequent short messages and links. Join today to start receiving our tweets on your dektop PC, notebook PC or mobile... (more)

The road ahead for South Africa's homegrown address standard
by Serena Coetzee, University of Pretoria
 
Serena CoetzeeSANS 1883, Geographic Information - Addresses, SA's address standard was officially launched on 15 Oct 2009. The aim of the address standard is not to devise a new system of addressing nor to build a national address database, but rather to enable interoperability in address data, which will facilitate the allocation of addresses and the use of address data... (more)
Mapping the world-class African city 
by Heather Ford, social entrepreneur
 
Heather FordThe City of Johannesburg is closing off its GIS data in a "cost recovery" move that other South African municipalities are set to follow. This, say some industry players, is not in keeping with Joburg's plans to become "a world-class African city". The closed data approach is being questioned in countries around the world, where closed data policies... (more)
Is geospatial data free?
by Marcelle Hattingh, Corporate GIS
 
Marcelle HattinghThere is no such thing as "free" data. Someone in the data value chain pays for it. Data has to be sourced or collected, stored, maintained and packaged appropriately for its use to be maximised and this carries a cost.  It is expensive to capture and maintain high quality geospatial data that is accurate, current and fit for use... (more)
Archaeology: Combining mapping techniques with digital technology
by Laura Scheiber and Maureen Boyle, Indiana University, and Judson Finley, Northwest College
 
By combining traditional mapping techniques with digital technology, archaeological researchers aim to provide a comprehensive package for understanding domestic space and everyday lives. Data from individual Tipi rings reveal information about past economic and social organisation, domestic and ritual use of space, and worldview... (more)
Monitoring surface displacement in three dimensions
Information from Tilt-Tech

After several unseasonably heavy rainstorms, a 105 hectare landslide occurred at Trapper Coal Mine in northwest Colorado.  In some areas, the slide displaced ground more than 122 m. Several mineable coal seams are located beneath the slide zone. If the slide were to reactivate, by natural catalysts and/or mining activity, loss of life and equipment would be devastating... (more)

GIS in contaminated site investigations and remediation planning
by Vierah Hulley, Sasol Technology

The use of environmental geographical/geospatial information systems (GIS) is fast gaining momentum in South Africa. One of the useful applications of this tool is in combining multiple lines of evidence in the decision-making process on the outcome of site investigations. As legislation becomes increasingly stringent regarding responsibilities for contaminated site assessments and remediation... (more)

Using GIS in biodiversity conservation across South Africa
by BGIS Project Team 

Unlike traditional geospatial information systems that rely only on an orthogonal, or top-down view of an area, Pictometry captures images obliquely, i.e. from an angle, and creates a more natural three-dimensional view so that users can see land features and structures clearly and in their entirety. With only minutes of training, a new user can access detailed imagery of a region and learn to navigate quickly and easily... (more)

Spatial optimisation of the SA Social Security Agency service offices 
by Larry Zietsman, Geographical Systems Research Bureau, and Cobus van Doorn, SITA
 
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) strives to provide an optimal service of social benefits and welfare grants to the population of South Africa. One of the areas identified by SASSA for improvement relates to public accessibility to its service office locations and the services rendered at these points... (more)
A new way to 3D scan
by Alan Walford, Eos Systems 

Do you need to create dense 3D point clouds and detailed surface models of physical objects, and do you want to do it in a cost-effective and efficient manner? A new class of 3D scanning technologies, called photo-based scanning, may be the solution you are looking for... (more)  

The best GNSS application innovations of 2009
Information from Application Centre for Satellite Navigation Oberpfaffenhofen
 
This year's European satellite Navigation Competition saw eight special topic prizes and 17 regional honours awarded along with a €20 000 grand prize. The grand prize winner of the 2009 European Satellite Navigation Competition, Osm�grafo, combines satellite positioning with wind measurement and rescue dogs' sense of smell in order to better determine which areas have already been covered by search teams... (more)
GNSS and InSAR technology applied to the hydrological cycle
by CJH Hartnady and A Mlisa, Umvoto Africa

Modern space-geodetic methods of high precision and accuracy were developed because of the benefits that they could bring to geophysics, and now have broad application to almost all branches of geophysics. Geodetic measurement systems involving GNSS and/or InSAR methods are particularly valuable to scientific investigations of the water resources... (more)

Rally monitoring equipment for timing, route and safety tracking
Information from Instrotech
 
Most of you have seen rally cars racing at high speed on country roads with clouds of dust, through forests, rivers and across deserts.  Ever wonder how the timing, route monitoring and safety tracking are done?... (more
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In this issue...
- Hey there! EE Publishers is using Twitter
- The road ahead for South Africa's homegrown address standard
- Mapping the world-class African city
- Is geospatial data free?
- Archaeology: Combining mapping techniques with digital technology
- Monitoring surface displacement in three dimensions
- GIS in contaminated site investigations and remediation planning
- Using GIS in biodiversity conservation across South Africa
- Spatial optimisation of the SA Social Security Agency service offices
- A new way to 3D scan
- The best GNSS application innovations of 2009
- GNSS and InSAR technology applied to the hydrological cycle
- Rally monitoring equipment for timing, route and safety tracking
- Views, comment and opinion
- Industry and institute news
- Training news
- Company and product news
 
 
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