Hi MidAmerica GIS Consortium,
Be sure to register for the Democratization of Mapping Event taking place January 14th, 2021. https://www.assetmapping.events/democratization-mapping
Traditionally, the art and science of making maps based on aerial photography, or photogrammetry, has been the realm of large companies capable of affording the costs of owning an operating a manned aircraft, the huge payroll weight of pilots, camera operators and navigators and the burdensome operational costs of analog stereo-plotting devices, which required controlled environments and strict building codes to be set up and used.
All of that changed a few years ago with the advent of small aerial unmanned vehicles (sUAV’s) and the digitalization and automation of the cartographic process. Aerial cameras that weighed hundreds of pounds and cost in excess of a million Dollars, now fit in the palm of your hand and weigh just a few grams. Airplanes that cost thousands of Dollars an hour to operate have been replaced, for certain applications, by inexpensive unmanned aerial platforms that require minimum training to operate.
In the office, stereoplotting equipment that weighed two and three tons and required special building characteristics have been replaced by software applications that process digital images, integrate ground control points and create digital terrain models and contour line maps that are equal, or sometimes better, in quality and precision as the old analog products.
This democratization of the mapping industry has also brought an excess of data collection and the creation of products that are difficult to manipulate and perhaps require a higher level of understanding of the technology, such as integration into GIS platforms.
The virtual event brings together experts from all aspects of the mapping industry such as UAV manufacturers, software developers and end users in a unique combination of expertise to analyze the state of the art of mapping in the time of the unmanned platform.
The Democratization of Mapping virtual event will address these issues:
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Hardware – Selection and usage
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Software – Selection according to deliverables
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Testimonials – Companies who have successfully done the migration from land surveying to photogrammetry entities.
Presenters will include hardware manufacturers, software developers and surveying experts who have seen the progression first hand and who can recommend best practices and provide professional advice on what to do and what to avoid when making the progression from pure land surveying company to a full blown photogrammetry firm.
Best,
Chris Greenfield
If your organization is interested in a sponsorship role, which includes significant access to attendees, please reach out to me at cgreenfield@connectmii.events
