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Home 2022 November 2

Daily Archives: 11/02/2022

Ember Infrastructure invests in Low Impact Development Technologies, LLC

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Ember Infrastructure invests in Low Impact Development Technologies, LLC
Low Impact Development Technologies, LLC subsidiary Porous Technologies LLC is a green infrastructure company specializing in modular precast concrete stormwater management products, including the modular Stormcrete® precast porous concrete panel (“PPCP”) system as well as the Urban Raingarden™.
Water management infrastructure
Low Impact Development Technologies, LLC subsidiary Porous Technologies LLC is a green infrastructure company specializing in modular precast concrete stormwater management products, including the modular Stormcrete® precast porous concrete panel (“PPCP”) system as well as the Urban Raingarden™.

Stormwater solutions provider Low Impact Development Technologies, LLC, has received an investment from Ember Infrastructure to meet growing demand for its suite of green infrastructure products and services that enhance storm water management in ways that reduce runoff and flooding while improving water quality, safety, and quality of life in urban and ultra-urban areas.

LID Tech owns Porous Technologies LLC, a green infrastructure company specializing in modular precast concrete stormwater management products, including the modular Stormcrete precast porous concrete panel system as well as the Urban Raingarden.

LID Tech also owns Stormwater Compliance, LLC (“SWC”), a full-service post-construction stormwater infrastructure inspection and maintenance business servicing a variety of commercial & industrial customers across the full spectrum of traditional stormwater systems and green infrastructure.

As more green infrastructure is built around the country and regulations increasingly target stormwater-driven water pollution, long-term maintenance solutions will be increasingly required, creating a symbiotic relationship across both PT and SWC. Ember’s investment will support the growth of both businesses.

“Ember is proud to be partnering with the deeply experienced and innovative team at Low Impact Development Technologies,” said Caleb Powers, Principal at Ember, who will join the company’s Board of Directors.

“Many of our most basic water problems start with outdated and overwhelmed stormwater infrastructure. The company’s solutions are critical enablers for communities to affordably and reliably transition towards green infrastructure, and we see tremendous opportunities for continued growth across the business going forward.”

“This investment from Ember will allow us to grow all facets of our business, including expanding Stormcrete PPCP production both regionally and nationally to meet increasing demand for our high quality, easily maintained stormwater management solutions,” said President and Founder Gregg Novick.

“In Ember, we have found a knowledgeable and like-minded partner, and I could not be more excited to embark on this next phase of our expansion.”

Stormcrete PPCPs are manufactured and cured under controlled conditions, allowing for reproducible strength and flow. Because they arrive on site fully cured, they can be placed and used immediately across a variety of applications including right-of-way gutters, parking lots, sidewalks, alleyways, street corners, and pedestrian plazas. Permanent lifting points are set into the surface of the panels which makes them removable and replaceable, reducing life cycle costs and providing an extra factor of safety during maintenance activities.

Bowman acquires Spatial Acuity, adds reality capture services

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Bowman acquires Spatial Acuity, adds reality capture services

Bowman Consulting Group Ltd., today announced a definitive agreement under which Bowman will acquire substantially all of the assets of Spatial Acuity, LLC, a 3D modeling and reality capture firm headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Serving both domestic and international clients, Spatial Acuity focuses on reality capture technology including high-definition scanning and 3D building information modeling (BIM) creating a geospatial ecosystem and bringing digital twins to reality.

Spatial Acuity’s founder and CTO, Garett Owens, will lead Bowman’s specialty geomatics and reality capture services group.

“The ever-changing and highly technical realm of geospatial data collection and digital measurement has resulted in a crowded field of solution providers,” said Gary Bowman, CEO of Bowman.

“The Spatial Acuity team has set themselves apart by capturing facility data with unmatched precision and delivering project results with a level of sophistication that is rare in the field. Garett and his team will both complement and extend our platform, resulting in enhanced efficiencies and substantial cross-selling opportunities.

We are pleased to welcome the Spatial Acuity team to Bowman, and I especially look forward to Garett’s leadership of our continuing adoption and growth of advanced digital services.”

“Reality capture is an exciting field with unlimited growth potential,” said Garett Owens.

“By partnering with Bowman, we can expand at a pace we otherwise would not have been able to achieve. Their culture and commitment to growth matches precisely what we have been pursuing in a partner.

Bowman embraces advanced technologies and together we will be an industry leading player in the digital transformation of design, construction, and asset management within the built environment.”

The Company expects the Spatial Acuity acquisition to initially contribute approximately $2.5 million of annualized net service billing and be immediately accretive.

The acquisition price falls within the Company’s target multiple range and conforms with operating metric objectives. The acquisition will be financed with a combination of cash, seller notes and equity, and is expected to close in early November.

The Company will provide more detailed information on M&A activities, pipeline, and guidance in connection with scheduled quarterly communications.

Sierra Space Inks MoU with IBM for Futuristic Applications

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Sachin Awana
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Sierra Space Inks MoU with IBM for Futuristic Applications

Sierra Space, the Colorado-based commercial space company, and the tech giant IBM have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop next-generation space technologies that will help astronauts efficiently manage and coordinate tasks through the integration of IBM’s data analysis and collection technology.

IBM’s platform would enable a digital transformation for Sierra Space, which is seeking to automate its business operations for better performance and deliver actionable insights. It will also help automate application and data flows to improve client experiences and generate insights into threats, orchestrate actions and automate responses.

Both companies are envisioning a first-of-its-kind technology platform in space that will provide cloud services and drive mission operations, while also supporting the development of new applications for commerce, research, tourism and more.

“Sierra Space is leading the design, development and operations for the future of commercial space and infrastructure,” said the company’s CEO Tom Vice.

“Through this planned agreement with IBM, we will leverage the full depth of its industry expertise and innovative technology portfolio to evaluate and support unique in-space challenges we will face as we build the future of commercial space.”

“IBM is committed to re-invigorating approaches to science and innovation to meet today’s biggest challenges. Collaborating with a leader like Sierra Space will support the growth of a more robust space economy in low-Earth orbit and beyond,” added Naeem Altaf, CTO, IBM Space.

“There is unlimited potential for humanity’s future in space. We see Sierra Space as a core leader and collaborator in advancing that vision. In this envisioned – but secured – environment, collaborators and partners will be able to innovate, co-create, and co-operate together at scale in a way that drives mutual benefit for the space industry.”

RUDN University Make 5G/6G Communication More Reliable for Drones

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RUDN University Make 5G/6G Communication More Reliable for Drones

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were originally used only for military purposes, but over time, their scope has become wider. Now they are used, for example, for rescue operations or emergency management.

In addition, they can perform the functions of repeaters. In any case, UAVs must quickly and efficiently transmit a large amount of information. The next-generation networks – 5G and 6G can satisfy such a request.

They work on New Radio technology with a wavelength of a millimetre range. However, such waves have a drawback – any object (for example, a building) is an obstacle for them, and this can break the connection. RUDN mathematicians proposed how to calculate the probability of a connection break and how to improve the reliability of the connection.

“UAVs are expected to use 5G/6G networks. To support advanced services such as video surveillance, you can use the new NR technology operating in the millimeter frequency range. However, buildings can get in the way of a direct connection between base stations and UAVs, which leads to connection failures,” said Vyacheslav Begishev, PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Computer Science and Probability Theory at RUDN University.

The main goal of mathematicians was to calculate the probability of blockage by an obstacle. It was possible to express it through the parameters of the deployed system – the width of the streets, the height of the stations, the height of the UAV flight, etc.

RUDN University mathematicians conducted numerical experiments and found out which parameter affects the reliability of the connection more than others and how it can be improved.

One possible way to reduce the probability of a break is to place base stations on the roofs of buildings. RUDN University mathematicians have shown that the station located on the roof is approximately equal in efficiency to 6-12 ground stations.

The exact estimate will be different for each system depending on the given parameters. Most of all, the probability of a drop, as it turned out, is affected by the width of the street. For example, a width of 20 meters reduces the likelihood of blockage by 50% compared to a width of 10 meters, all other things being equal.

“We foresee two areas of application of the proposed model. The first concerns cases where it is necessary to use simple models to determine the probability of blocking. In addition, the model can be used to estimate the required base station density for a given blocking probability. Moreover, the accuracy of the model increases with an increase in the deployment area. That is, it can be applied to large urban areas, ” said Konstantin Samuilov, Doctor of Science in Technical Sciences, Director of the Institute of Applied Mathematics and Telecommunications at RUDN University.

SkySafe Partners with Robotics Centre for Cloud Based Counter-Drone Technology

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SkySafe Partners with Robotics Centre for Cloud Based Counter-Drone Technology
Qualcomm Flight™ RB5 5G Reference Drone; Photo Courtesy of Qualcomm Technologies.

SkySafe, an airspace security and management technology company, announced that its Cloud-based counter-drone technology is now detecting drone flights in Canada, thanks to its partnership with Robotics Centre.

SkySafe Cloud is unique in that it offers customers a way to detect, track, and analyze the drones in their airspace, without having to buy and maintain expensive hardware. As the only company in the world to build, own, and operate city-wide sensor networks, SkySafe offers airspace awareness via a subscription to their Cloud-based application.

“As more and more drones enter the airspace, there are more incidents occurring from the work of careless or criminal drone operators,” said Grant Jordan, SkySafe’s CEO.

“Drones are dropping contraband into prisons, smuggling drugs across borders, and disrupting open-air events, just to name a few examples. We’re excited to bring airspace awareness to Canada, so unauthorized or dangerous drones can be identified, and threats can be mitigated.”

SkySafe has been testing and deploying counter-drone capabilities to military and public safety customers, both domestic and abroad, since 2015.

They offer a comprehensive defence against the threat of drones by applying advanced radio frequency (RF) technology, reverse engineering, and deep threat analysis.

Charles Barlow, Co-Founder and CEO at Robotics Centre said, “SkySafe is a great partner for Robotics Centre. It’s been exciting to see the technology go live in Ottawa, and we’ll be focusing on expanding its reach throughout Canada.”

Robotics Centre was established in 2009 and is an Ottawa-based company with offices in Sapporo, Japan, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They work with Government, SAR, and Industrial clients to create integrated unmanned systems solutions to address a wide range of challenges.

“We’re really pleased to be partnering with Robotics Centre on the Cloud product expansion,” continued Jordan. “They’ve been a great partner for many years and our expansion of the Cloud product in Canada is the perfect next step.”

Baron Weather Joins the Esri Partner Network

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Baron Weather Joins the Esri Partner Network
The Baron Damaging Wind Path data clearly shows the area of risk during the Mayfield, Kentucky tornado. Viewing in the Esri product makes it easy to layer data for analysis with other assets. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Baron Weather joins the Esri Partner Network (EPN) with packages that provide location-specific past, present, and forecast weather data with unparalleled accuracy.

As an EPN silver partner, Baron’s solutions will empower businesses, government agencies, and other Esri users by enabling the effortless implementation of Baron’s weather intelligence within the Esri suite of products.

This offering couples the advantages of Esri’s easy-to-use GIS solutions, visualization and location intelligence with Baron’s current weather conditions, major perils detection and historical datasets within the various ArcGIS products.

“We’re pleased to become a part of the Esri network,” said Baron’s CEO and President, Bob Dreisewerd. “Worldwide users of the product will be able to take advantage of existing resources and assets alongside the powerful weather and climate intelligence provided by Baron’s data helping them mitigate climate and weather risks.”

Baron uniquely brings their expertise in weather radar development and operations, weather and water modelling, and operational meteorology to provide powerful insights that enable confident data-driven decisions.

Users across a myriad of industries including public safety and insurance claims professionals will have access to Baron’s exclusive forecast and historical data, as well as impact weather detection so users can analyze the relationship between weather and other valuable datasets.

Baron’s data is highly detailed and includes the underlying values that can be queried along with visualization for quick analysis.

As a participant in the Esri Partner Network, Baron supports customers with dynamic content by leveraging ArcGIS technology, such as ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and more.

Location Tech for Optimum EV Charge Point Infra in UK

By
Aditya Chaturvedi
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Location Tech for Optimum EV Charge Point Infra in UK

The UK is among the few countries in the world with an EV strategy in line with its ambitious zero emissions target by 2050. The country’s Geospatial Commission has a dedicated EV charge point data program that focuses on utilizing location data for planning EV charge point networks and enabling collaboration across the public and private sectors.

“Location data is critical to the design of charge-point networks, but we can do much more, including making recharging an electric vehicle a seamless experience for driver”, says Dr. Steve Unger, UK Geospatial Commisioner

“We can even use location data to improve the range of electric vehicles, by maximizing the use of recuperative braking. This can be achieved by using information on road geometry and traffic conditions to slow down early enough that the vehicle can recover as much energy as possible”, he adds.

The cross-sectoral nature of EVs has opened collaborative endeavors. Carter Jonas, one of the UK’s oldest property consultancy, founded in 1855, is working along with ESRI UK to create spatial awareness in the country’s property sector about the opportunities presented by EVs.

Due to its multi-disciplinary focus and the maze of topic that fall under the ambit of property, Carter Jonas provides advisory on all aspects on EVs – from energy project viability, renewable transition, to battery storage, and charge point networks.

Power of location

Carter Jonas uses the location intelligence to identify the need for EV charge point infrastructure within communities. The Esri GIS system is used to create web maps to present the data and enable the fast assessment of all variables on the same map. This allows clients to test multiple different scenarios in the real world.

The property consultancy applies its geospatial expertise to consider multiple types of data simultaneously and speed up the complex process of defining where best to locate EV charging points and what type. Addition of a power grid to EVs further increases the complexity.

“For every new EV charging station opened, around 100 possible sites need to be examined, due to a high attrition rate,” says Simon Nigh, Head of Geospatial, Carter Jonas.

“Understanding where people live, where they work and how they transition the strategic road network is fundamental. However, the biggest challenge is understanding the spatial relationship between the power network and the capacity needed to support new connections”, he adds.

Making EV Transition Accessible

Another important challenge in the path of EV adoption is affordability and range. Till the time they reach a particular threshold, EVs may not become a popular mobility option.

“Price and range are still the main restrictions on uptake of EVs. Range is especially important commercially, given the increased loads that these vehicles need to carry. This should improve over time as we are seeing with consumer electric vehicles”.

While multi-national companies such as Amazon can afford the use of EV vans and bikes for last-mile delivery, unless the price point falls below a particular threshold small business owners may remain reluctant to adopt it. Same goes with wide range and connectivity of charge points.

“For large-scale migration to EVs, drivers will have to overcome ‘range anxiety’ so we need to have a network of more rural charging locations. Currently, Esri technology is being used by any number of car manufacturers to help answer this question: where do people travel between cities, in what volumes and where should (and can) I install an EV charging station”, says Terry C. Bills, Global Transportation Industry Director, Esri.

Underscoring the necessity of a well-distributed and properly spaced charge point network, he adds, “most experts feel that most city and suburban dwellers will either charge their car at home in the garage (for suburban dwellers) or at work, when they work at a regular large facility or campus like location. It is everywhere else that convenient (fast) charging stations will need to be located”.

A robust and widespread charge point network is crucial to ensure the viability of EVs, which are essential in advancing smart mobility transition and curtailing emissions.

For travel across long distances, commuters would require adequately spaced charging points. This is where the role of location and spatial technologies assumes salience – for site selection and proper distribution and optimization of EV charge point network.

Ubiquitous Digitalization for Everyone

By
Arup Dasgupta
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Ubiquitous Digitalization for Everyone

For long, the term digital, in all its connotations, has been a recurring keyword in the field of geospatial. Digital versions of analogue technologies have led to robust data acquisition, storage and analysis systems.

Digital data is ubiquitous, persistent, and immutable over generations, thus enabling sharing and multiple use-cases. The evolution of common data standards, within and across the systems, has led to widespread use of data for a range of purposes.

Urban planning and management is one of the areas where this is most visible. Architecture, Engineering and Construction ( AEC) started with simple maps, then moved towards digitization and CAD, and from 2D to 3D, onto GIS integration.

Today, Digital Twins has become the trending buzzword. It constitutes an entire virtual representation of a real world environment that can be created using CAD, BIM and GIS.

By adding data from IoT enabled devices, the changes in the real world can be replicated in the virtual world enabling better and efficient management of the urban environment.

Digital Cities represents another aspect of Industrial Revolution 4.0 where people, data, processes and objects form a virtual continuum in a digital representation of the world.

While Digital Twins replicate the inanimate world, the Metaverse has the capability to populate such an environment with avatars of real persons. Just like in movies, these avatars can virtually visit locations which would be difficult to access physically.

While the urban landscape does provide the most visible example of such an integration, it leaves no doubt that this concept can be extended to other areas.

As an example, the European Commission is promoting a concept of Destination Earth where Digital Twins will be used to model the global weather and be able to predict weather extremes and climate scenarios.

Geospatial systems are used in many fields, urban planning being one of them. However, all individual systems like urban, agriculture, forestry, to name a few, are also intimately interrelated and each has its influence on the other in complex ways. The future therefore is not only Digital Cities, but Digital Everything.

The task of Digital Cities itself is humongous. The evolution of the technology itself, particularly from the points of interoperability, scalability and openness is yet to be achieved in full measure.

The human dimension has to be addressed by internalizing the requirements of sustainability and resilience, not only by the administration and industry but also by mainstreaming social inclusion in all types of projects and throughout all project phases.

If we can achieve this in all other spheres, then we can begin to work towards Digital Everything.

In the future, issues of security, safety and privacy will get more complicated. Social and human factors may be impacted as well as we move into a Digital Universe. The road ahead is difficult but challenging nevertheless.

Asian MoDs select ST Engineering iDirect’s Evolution platform

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News Desk
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Asian MoDs select ST Engineering iDirect’s Evolution platform

satellite communication

Global satellite communications leader, ST Engineering iDirect’s Evolution platform is a key technology for Asian defense forces. Utilized for the provision of both fixed and mobile satcom solutions across a variety of mission-critical applications, Evolution is a resilient and secure multi-service platform that encompasses a breadth of versatile modems and solutions.

An Asian Ministry of Defence (MoD) deployed multiple Evolution hubs to increase resiliency and assure high availability of bandwidth for its army, naval forces and paramilitary units.

The army also replaced their legacy SCPC/MCPC solution with a DVB-S2X Evolution Multi-Carrier Mesh solution to provide reliable critical communications between their mobile units. This enables them to maintain connectivity whilst tackling challenging terrain including steep mountains, valleys, and primitive roads along the country’s borders.

The mesh overlay reduces latency, allowing for instantaneous on-demand communications that are essential for effective remote operations. Troops have access to real-time situational awareness and can respond quickly to threats.

In a separate deployment for another longstanding MoD customer, their armed forces significantly upgraded and expanded their network by adding two Agilis high power amplifiers (HPAs), several new Evolution hubs and 100 iQ terminals to better equip them for extreme environmental conditions.

The region where the hubs have been deployed is known for its tough terrain and stringent requirements for border control and coastline monitoring. This MoD relies upon their Evolution network for effective two-way communications with their ground forces to maintain security and stability in these areas.

Its naval vessels are also equipped with ST Engineering iDirect’s advanced mobility modems which enable their maritime forces to carry out their C4ISR (Command Control Communications Computers Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) missions successfully.

A third MoD also counts on Evolution for connectivity for its army, navy, air force, special ground forces, and public sector organizations. Evolution’s reliability and stability mean different defense branches can communicate with one another in real-time and deal more effectively with border challenges.

In the pipeline is the deployment of ST Engineering iDirect’s 9800AR aero modem, specifically designed for defense aircraft in an ultra high-speed COTM environment, for airborne ISR purposes, designed to integrate directly into an ARINC 600 enclosure.

“The Evolution platform is the technology of choice for MoDs across the Asia Pacific region. Its repeated selection is testimony that this platform provides a field-proven, highly reliable and versatile solution that supports mission critical applications across Asia, no matter how tough the environment,” said John Arnold, ST Engineering iDirect’s Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific.

“We continue to deliver the functionality that meets the extreme needs of our government and defense customers across all their operations whether on land, sea or air, giving them the strategic advantage that they need.”

What is LiDAR technology and how does it work?

By
Bhupendra Sharma
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What is LiDAR technology and how does it work?
Image Courtesy: Wired.co.uk
Image Courtesy: Wired.co.uk

LiDAR, or light detection and ranging, is a popular remote sensing method used for measuring the exact distance of an object on the earth’s surface. Even though it was first used in the 1960s when laser scanners were mounted to aeroplanes, LiDAR didn’t get the popularity it deserved until twenty years later.

It was only during the 1980s after the introduction of GPS that it became a popular method for calculating accurate geospatial measurements. Now that its scope has spread across numerous fields, we should know more about LiDAR mapping technology and how it works.

What is LiDAR technology and how does it work? Here are a few insights about it that are good to know.

LiDAR Technology

According to the American Geoscience Institute, LiDAR uses a pulsed laser to calculate an object’s variable distances from the earth surface. These light pulses — put together with the information collected by the airborne system — generate accurate 3D information about the earth surface and the target object.

There are three primary components of a LiDAR instrument — the scanner, laser and GPS receiver. Other elements that play a vital role in the data collection and analysis are the photodetector and optics. Most government and private organizations use helicopters, drones and airplanes for acquiring LiDAR data.

Types of LiDAR Systems

LiDAR systems are divided into two types based on its functionality — Airborne LiDAR & Terrestrial LiDAR.

Airborne LiDAR

Airborne LiDAR is installed on a helicopter or drone for collecting data. As soon as it’s activated, Airborne LiDAR emits light towards the ground surface, which returns to the sensor immediately after hitting the object, giving an exact measurement of its distance. Airborne LiDAR is further divided into two types — Topological LiDAR and Bathymetric LiDAR.

Terrestrial LiDAR

Unlike Airborne, Terrestrial LiDAR systems are installed on moving vehicles or tripods on the earth surface for collecting accurate data points. These are quite common for observing highways, analysing infrastructure or even collecting point clouds from the inside and outside of buildings. Terrestrial LiDAR systems have two types — Mobile LiDAR and Static LiDAR.

Also Read: Do you know the fascinating origin of the term LiDAR?

How Does LiDAR Work?

LiDAR follows a simple principle — throw laser light at an object on the earth surface and calculate the time it takes to return to the LiDAR source.

Given the speed at which the light travels (approximately 186,000 miles per second), the process of measuring the exact distance through LiDAR appears to be incredibly fast. However, it’s very technical. The formula that analysts use to arrive at the precise distance of the object is as follows:

The distance of the object=(Speed of Light x Time of Flight)/ 2

LiDAR can be used to accomplish many developmental objectives, some of which are:

Oceanography

When the authorities want to know the exact depth of the ocean’s surface to locate any object in the case of a maritime accident or for research purposes, they use LiDAR technology to accomplish their mission.

Other than locating objects, LiDAR is also used for calculating phytoplankton fluorescence and biomass in the ocean surface, which otherwise is very challenging.

Digital Elevation or Terrain Model

Terrain elevations play a crucial role during the construction of roads, large buildings and bridges.

LiDAR technology has x, y and z coordinates, which makes it incredibly easy to produce the 3D representation of elevations to ensure that concerned parties can draw necessary conclusions more easily.

Agriculture & Archaeology

Typical applications of LiDAR technology in the agriculture sector include analysis of yield rates, crop scouting and seed dispersions. Besides this, it is also used for campaign planning, mapping under the forest canopy, and more.

Also Read: 5 ways LiDAR is transforming the world before our eyes

Apart from the applications mentioned above, LiDAR is used by geoscientists for unearthing geomorphology related secrets, as well as by military for carrying out various security operations near the national borders.