Posted on Wed, Jan 19, 2011
With approximately 60 million enthusiasts worldwide, golf is one of the most popular and fastest growing sports industries. There are more than 25 million golfers in the U.S. alone and over 15,000 golf courses. Despite the global recession, new golf courses and golf course remodeling projects are going forward. As in any other industry, golf course construction and management companies are under increasing pressure to reduce cost and increase efficiency in their projects. Mobile GIS devices help golf course architects and managers complete their courses on time and on budget by providing the following advantages.
Pre-Construction
- Create detailed maps of the overall course layout and positions of holes
- Identify obstacles to be removed and scenic features to be preserved
- Create site maps for buildings, bridges, parking lots and other structures
- Record the positions of environmentally sensitive areas
During Construction
- Verify progress for historical records and quality control
- Planning and review of construction project milestones
- Damage assessment and remediation in sensitive areas
Post-Construction
- Planning for moving tee boxes, greens, traps and water hazards
- Planning for tournaments, amenities and hospitality tents
- Future planning for expansion and new construction
With ikeGPS, golf course construction managers can quickly and safely create GIS maps and record the positions of key features during all phases of course development. This device combines GPS, laser range finder, 3D compass and high resolution camera and onboard GIS mapping software providing a unique “point, shoot , download” way to plan and verify golf course layout and features. Its rugged construction and easy portability enables mobile GIS data collection anywhere either in a vehicle or on foot. Its ability to capture data and create maps rapidly and safely from a standoff distance reduces time for planning and assessment and helps to complete golf courses more cost effectively.
If you have an interest in ikeGPS mobile GIS solutions for golf course construction, please contact us for a free consultation.
Photo credit: The-Lane-Team
Posted on Thu, Jan 06, 2011
Once upon a time I was an oil and gas explorationist. Before that, I was a minerals exploration geologist. Back in "the day" we had some exciting new technology helping us find oil and gas such as 3-D seismic surveys, 3-D modeling and a whole slew of borehole tools to let us directly image rock formations. All of that technology has advanced considerably in the past 10-15 years, but one challenge has remained daunting, exploring for oil and gas in rough, remote terrains. In particular, mapping and documenting prospects in mountains, deserts and urban environments is difficult without some additional technologies. Enter mobile GIS. Here are some of the major advantages of mobile GIS in field exploration.
Direct observation combined with digital mapping
It's true that satellite mapping and GPS have enabled us to easily locate ourselves anywhere in the world. We can find and geotarget interesting geologic features without even being there. But the geologist or geophysicist on the ground is still essential for investigation in detail. Armed with a mobile GIS device, such as Surveylab's ikeGPS, an explorationist can observe both gross structures and fine details, while documenting observations on a digital GIS map complete with high resolution photos. With the standoff capability of ikeGPS, the scientist doesn't necessarily need to physically occupy every location or feature, enabling safe, rapid acquisition of important data.
Verifiable data capture and analysis
In the old days, we used to make qualitative geologic maps based on a compass and a "guestimate" of our walking pace. We were always measuring distances relative to some prominent observation point. Not anymore. Now with ikeGPS we can point the device at a geologic feature and immediately record its position, thanks to the powerful combination of GPS, 3-D compass and laser range finder. No more guessing and fumbling around with hand-drawn maps. The other major advantage is being able to record and document observations with photos that are directly associated with digital map locations.
Portability is King in the bush
If you've ever been exploring in tough terrain on foot, you know how difficult it can be to transport equipment, tools and samples. Any device we carry in the field had better be small, rugged and reliable. The newest mobile GIS technologies are just that, built with the field geologist in mind.
To read more about mobile GIS technology and its application in oil and gas exploration, please visit www.mobilegisoilandgas.com. To read about how a Geology Department is implementing the ikeGPS mobile GIS solution, click here.
Photo credit: HotShot
Posted on Wed, May 19, 2010
By Steven J. Whitmeyer, Jeremy Nicoletti, James Madison University, Dept. of Geology & Environmental Science, MSC 6903, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807, USA; and Declan G. De Paor, Old Dominion University, Dept. of Physics, Norfolk, Virginia 23529, USA.
Geologic field data collection, analysis, and map compilation are undergoing a revolution in methods, largely precipitated by global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) equipped mobile computers paired with virtual globe visualizations. Modern, ruggedized personal digital assistants (PDAs) and tablet PCs can record a wide spectrum of geologic data and facilitate iterative geologic map construction and evaluation on location in the field.
http://bit.ly/9QvMWu
Posted on Fri, Nov 27, 2009
Wellington, New Zealand, November 27, 2009 – Surveylab today announced that its ikeGPS range now supports data collection software for mine action created by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). Utilizing the remote capture capability of ikeGPS, field staff working in many areas of the world now affected with mines and other ERW (explosive remnants of war) can complete data collection tasks whilst remaining safely outside suspected hazardous areas. Combining a GPS with rangefinder and compass, and with a completely integrated workflow, ikeGPS lets a user quickly and simply capture remote points from a safe and discreet location.
The data collection software is a component of the larger Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) suite of software tools developed by GICHD for mine action. Based on ESRI’s ArcEngine™ and utilizing a MySQL™ database engine, IMSMA is a powerful information management tool. Following a collaborative development program, IMSMA Mobile, based on ESRI’s ArcPad™, now runs on Surveylab’s versatile ikeGPS data collection device. IMSMA Mobile allows users to take maps and data to the field and complete a variety of mine action field reports. With ikeGPS running IMSMA Mobile, the user can now reliably collect coordinate data from a safe distance to accurately map minefields and other hazards.
Surveylab is pleased to participate in mine action, and to provide technology and expertise to those organizations active in dealing with the threat of landmines, unexploded ordnance and other explosive remnants of war. ikeGPS presents a unique advantage to the men and women working in the field of mine action, whether they be military, civilian contractors or NGOs: in providing a rugged and reliable tool for users to capture geospatial data from a distance, ikeGPS keeps them safer and away from the suspected hazardous areas.
“Using ikeGPS for humanitarian demining operations is a logical choice – users perform data collection tasks for land release safely and quickly,” commented Leon Toorenburg Surveylab CEO. “Now we have introduced an ikeGPS software solution that adds IMSMA Mobile meaning ikeGPS is integrated into the complete IMSMA system to plan, manage, report and map the results of survey and field data collection.”
About Surveylab: Based in Wellington, New Zealand and McLean, Virginia, Surveylab develops and manufactures ikeGPS, the world's first integrated GPS/laser/camera device for GIS data capture. ikeGPS enables faster, safer, and more efficient data acquisition through remote photo positioning. Multiple targets up to 1,000 meters distant, especially in inaccessible or unsafe locations, can be accurately positioned from a single location. Users such as international NGOs, oil & gas industry, utilities, forestry, military engineers, and public works agencies have been using ikeGPS for years in situations where targets are difficult to reach or safety is a concern. More at www.ikeGPS.com
About IMSMA: IMSMA software, which supports data collection, storage, reporting, and mapping, provides an off-the-shelf GIS, database, and analysis toolset designed specifically for humanitarian mine action projects. The software was developed by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD, www.gichd.org), which provides it at no charge to the national authority set up by a country to manage demining operations. More at www.imsma.org. For more information on the global initiatives for humanitarian demining, please look at the United Nations Mine Action Service website, www.mineaction.org.
Copyright information: ike, “ike knows everything”, the Surveylab satellite logo, Surveylab, and ikeGPS are trademarks of Surveylab Ltd, and are the property of Surveylab Ltd. New Zealand and International Patents Pending. ESRI, ArcEngine, and ArcPad are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners. MySQL is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
Surveylab contact:
Terry Ross
VP Sales, Surveylab
Tel: +64 4 382 8064
terry.ross@ikegps.com
www.ikegps.com
GICHD contact:
Daniel Eriksson
Section Head, Information Management, GICHD
Tel: +41 22 906 16 84
d.eriksson@gichd.org
www.gichd.org and www.imsma.org
Posted on Wed, Nov 05, 2008
The ike504 from SAIC continues to prove it's versatility, outstanding field friendliness and why it is considered to be a fantastic mapping grade GIS data collection device. The ike is the perfect tool for asset inventory/management in utilities, oil and gas, military and emergency response organizations.
Recently reviewed by Cadalyst Magazine: "The (US Army) Corps' Engineering Infrastructure and Intelligence Reachback Center (EI2RC), based in Mobile, Alabama, has used the ike in collecting assessment data for various branches of the military worldwide and in hurricane relief efforts in the United States. The Corps has found the device's "standoff" capability, or the ability to collect geographic coordinates at a distance, a key feature while collecting data in potentially hazardous areas and areas ravaged by hurricanes.
"The standoff capability of the handheld ike device is the reason why the ike unit was chosen over other GPS products," said Lynn Hardegree, the Corps' program manager of the Geospatial Assessment Tool for Engineering Reachback (GATER) program, a combination of software applications and business processes that support the EI2RC in geospatial data collection efforts.” see full article.
Posted on Wed, Jun 25, 2008
Canadian Defense Forces can now quickly accomplish Mapping, Charting, and Reconnaissance of Afghanistan’s dangerous and rugged terrain because ikeGPS's capability to verify the remote GPS positions with a JPEG image.