PositionIT e-News
 
GIS, GPS, surveying and spatial applications in Southern Africa

     Issue 67, July 2015   


Gavin Lloyd
The Rio+20 Conference in 2012 recognised that the advent of the Anthropocene Era requires a unified global approach to data collection in order to manage our human impact more sustainably. Since then the United Nations has worked... (more)
Professionalism in Geomatics
by Siyabonga Khanyeza, Mangosuthu University of Technology

 

Siyabonga Khanyeza This article examines the understanding of professionalism and professional conduct within the broader spectrum of South Africa, with a particular focus on the engineering and geomatics disciplines. At the mention of the term "professional"... (more

Augmented reality - the key to a new digital future
by Saurabh Kumar, In2IT Technologies South Africa

 

Saurabh Kumar The concept of augmented reality (AR) has existed for many years now - and commentators have remained rigidly sceptical about whether it will truly materialise in our everyday lives. However, exponential advances in the processing... (more


SA's geospatial industry holds national indaba
by Clare van Zwieten, EE Publishers

 

Kees de Zeeuw Geomatics Indaba 2015 is all set to be the highlight of the geospatial industry's year. Over 70 papers have been submitted for the conference which features both academic and general paper tracks, training workshops and over 80 exhibition stands. Almost five hundred delegates have... (more

What's hot @ UAV Airshow 2015

 

Quadcopter UAV The Geomatics Indaba 2015 UAV Airshow will be taking place on the public holiday before the Geomatics Indaba 2015 conference, exhibition and training event to be held on 11, 12 and 13 August 2015. Find out more about what can be expected at the airshow and who will be flying... (more

Early surveyors in Southern Africa: their life and achievements
by Daniel van Zyl, Professional Land Surveyor

 

The technological age of electronic distance measurement, satellite positioning, 4x4s and aeroplanes often numbs one's appreciation of what our surveying predecessors accomplished. Much is taken for granted and time should be taken to stand still to honour these men and reflect on our roots. The surveyors of the past are truly... (more)

5 things GIS professionals need to know about web mapping
Information from MangoMap 

 

Web map applications are becoming an ever more common requirement in GIS projects and as GIS professionals we are often being taken out of our comfort zone when it comes to developing and deploying these online systems. Tools like MangoMap are removing most of the pain from web mapping by allowing applications... (more)
3D printing - not quite the revolution you think
Information from Deloitte 

 

Deloitte predicts, in line with the industry consensus, that in 2015 nearly 220 000 3D printers will be sold worldwide, with a dollar value of $1,6-billion, representing 100% unit growth. But there won't be a "factory in every home". Although 3D printing can be seen as the next Industrial Revolution, the real revolution is for the enterprise... (more)
Myths about the new regulations for drones
by John Gore, Drone Crew
 

 

On 17 May 2015 new regulations for operating RPAS (drones) in South Africa were announced. These new regulations take effect from 1 July 2015. There has been some confusion about the regulations, giving rise to myths that are now going viral. This article addresses some of the common myths going around about the new... (more)

Rural village gets water infrastructure upgrade
Information from Trimble

 

Bbanda is a small rural village of about 1100 people in southern central Uganda, located 45 minutes from the closest town of Mityana. There is no electricity or reliable source of drinking water. But thanks to the work of some engineering students, that is about to change. Since 2009, volunteer members of the Northeastern... (more)

by Zaid Gangraker, University of Cape Town


This article details how a gaming engine can be used for indoor modelling for web and mobile platforms, and discusses the suitability of a gaming engine for creating interactive and feature rich indoor models. Indoor modelling is a subject that has been gaining greater interest over the last decade. The emergence of mobile... (more)


One of the areas that I find confuses people is map scales, resolution, and minimum mapping units (MMU). This article aims to provide a better understanding of these terms. I often find myself explaining aspects of map scales to people trying to use maps. They are interested in questions about how big something shown... (more)


by Nicolaas Klopper, 1Map


This article details how GIS and spatial intelligence can establish a competitive advantage for retailers in the digital age. By adapting to changing user trends and utilising GIS, retailers can set themselves up to have a substantial advantage over their competitors in an increasingly competitive environment. The local retail space... (more)

Views, comment and opinion

Industry and institute news

Training news
Company and product news
 
Geospatial company expands into India
RTK aerial surveying systemAerial camera system with processing capabilitiesWearable 3D scanner
Network rover with WiFi
Acquisition to advance offshore oilfield life cycleKenya acquires total stations for national project
Autonomous vehicles for hydrographic surveys
Flexible mobile mapping systemGovernance for big data analytics
API standard for internet of things
Projector manufacturer recognised
Panoramic image capture
New network camera rangeAutomated material trackingEnterprise content management solution
High-spec rugged smartphone
Shallow water bathymetry for the South China SeaMine modelling and simulation
Large format printers for GIS
Conformance analysis software awarded
Geodesign tools for cities
3D visualisation softwareCape Town urban land cover
Providing access to data in smart applications
UAV ground control specific GNSS system
Plant information management
Scanning systems for disaster management
Asset performance management and automated data interchangeActionable intelligence capabilities
Enhanced GIS solution for utilities
In this issue...
- Sustainable development goals - an imminent geo-data revolution
- Professionalism in Geomatics
- Augmented reality - the key to a new digital future
- SA's geospatial industry holds national indaba
- What's hot @ UAV Airshow 2015
- Early surveyors in Southern Africa: their life and achievements
- Five things GIS professionals need to know about web mapping
- 3D printing - not quite the revolution you think
- Myths about the new regulations for drones
- Rural village get water infrastructure upgrade
- 3D indoor modelling using a gaming-engine
- A question of scale, resolution, and minimum mapping units
- Spatial intelligence in retail
- Views, comment and opinion
- Industry and institute news
- Training news
- Company and product news

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