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Home 2023 June

Monthly Archives: June 2023

Exodigo Enhances Underground Utility Mapping for Global Construction Firm & French Gas Distributor

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Exodigo Enhances Underground Utility Mapping for Global Construction Firm & French Gas Distributor

Exodigo, a non-intrusive subsurface imaging platform, announced the results of its first project in France and its official entry into the market. Exodigo successfully provided more accurate underground utility maps to reduce utility strike risks for VINCI Construction, a global company in construction, infrastructure, and urban development, and GRDF, the largest gas distributor in France that distributes natural gas to over 11 million customers daily.

“Exodigo proved its potential for improving ground markings and preventing damage to structures on buried networks,” said Cecile Raynal, Innovations Expert, Technical and Industrial Department at GRDF. 

Through VINCI’s innovation platform, Leonard, the two companies partnered to demonstrate the accuracy and potential of Exodigo’s AI-based solution for identifying and mapping underground utilities, Exodigo identified 57% more utility lines than shown on existing records.

“We are excited to collaborate with industry leaders like VINCI Construction and GRDF to drive positive change, ensure more efficient capital projects, and reduce the 13,000 lines that are hit each year in France,” said Jeremy Suard, Exodigo CEO and Co-Founder.

At a test site in Aubervilliers, France, Exodigo’s multi-sensing technology located 30 lines in the area where existing records had identified only 19. Exodigo also located 35 lines in an area with no existing records. Exodigo tapped AVUS, an AR/VR company specializing in underground services, for mobile visualization onsite. Based on the strong results, VINCI and GRDF are exploring applications of the technology across their organizations.

“Dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that contribute to the sustainable transformation of cities and regions, the VINCI team was thrilled with the results of our initial project with Exodigo. Precision and accuracy are critical for safe, efficient, and timely project delivery. Exodigo proved its ability to offer exactly that for capital projects teams in France and beyond,” said Louis Cottin, Catalyst Program Manager, Leonard.

Ridecell Introduces Fleet Transformation Cloud

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Ridecell Introduces Fleet Transformation Cloud

Ridecell Introduces Fleet Transformation Cloud

Ridecell, the company powering digital transformation for fleet-driven businesses, announced the Ridecell Fleet Transformation Cloud™, the cloud that simplifies fleet operations, maximizes fleet utilization, and unlocks big data insights to digitally transform fleets and fleet businesses. The Ridecell Fleet Transformation Cloud uses intelligent automation, keyless vehicle control, and flexible systems integration to provide workflow and sustainability automation and mobility offerings for vehicle fleets.

“After many years working with our customers, we know that fleet-driven businesses have put optimizing their operations and vehicle utilization as a top priority in their digital transformation roadmap,” said Aarjav Trivedi, Ridecell President and CEO.

Solutions to Digitally Transform Fleet Operations

Ridecell Operations 360: Revolutionizing Fleet Operations and Lifecycle Management
Ridecell Operations 360 enables businesses to easily automate fleet operations and lifecycle management for every phase of the vehicle’s lifecycle including sourcing, upfitting, operating and remarketing. Intelligent API integrations help fleets integrate their current existing IT and vendor systems, unifying real-time data for all vehicles within the fleet.

Ridecell Sustainability: Advancing Emission Reduction and Cost Efficiency
Ridecell Sustainability allows fleets to achieve significant reductions in emissions and fuel costs while prioritizing driver safety. For example, engine idle control minimizes unnecessary idling while meeting compliance and sustainability goals by intelligently locking and shutting off idling vehicles when required.

Ridecell Mobility Solutions: Embrace the Future of Mobility
With built-in support for keyless access and automation for monetized fleets, Ridecell Mobility offers a modern user experience for all shared and rental vehicles. Integrated management processes allow vehicles to easily be exchanged from one service to another or participate in multiple service offerings simultaneously.

Achieving Digital Transformation Through Fleet Automation

The Ridecell Fleet Transformation Cloud is based upon four core platform pillars: intelligent automation, keyless vehicle control, flexible systems integration and AI/ML insights.

Intelligent workflow automations are triggered by multiple fleet data sources, including vehicle data, internal IT systems, driver-reported conditions and vendor data allowing fleet teams to deploy automations as “digital workers” to manage routine and predictable operational tasks.

Keyless vehicle control adds the ability to switch from physical keys associated with vehicles to digital keys that are associated with drivers. A digital key can be issued in the Ridecell Fleet Transformation Cloud to provide access rights to the right driver in the right vehicle at the right time, including maintenance technicians to ensure timely vehicle repairs.

Flexible systems integration provides insights and recommended actions for automation. The cloud comes with a set of packaged components and developer tools to connect vehicles, suppliers and IT systems, providing the ability to see and act upon insights from the collective data captured by all fleet management systems used in the oversight of fleet operations.

AI/ML and intelligent automation are now becoming a part of the popular lexicon. The Ridecell Fleet Transformation Cloud brings big data insight capabilities which are unaddressed with installed solutions as the next step in the digital transformation of fleet-based businesses.

Tata Elxsi to bring autonomous vehicle technology to India’s Infrastructure

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Tata Elxsi to bring autonomous vehicle technology to India’s Infrastructure

Tata Elxsi to bring autonomous vehicle technology to India's Infrastructure

Tata Elxsi, the design and technology services provider, is bringing its global intelligence operator assistance system to India. The system, which is used in passenger and commercial vehicles, will be deployed in geo-fenced sectors including mining, ports, agriculture, and airports. The company is already in discussions with a number of infrastructure-related companies to deploy or modify their existing vehicles to make them more autonomous and operationally secure.

Dr. Gopinath Selvaraj, Practice Head of Autonomous Driving, ADAS, and Active Safety Group, Transportation Business Unit at Tata Elxsi said that the intelligence operator assistance system (IOAS), particularly in the context of the 3D surround view is “gaining traction in India.” He added that this system provides a 360-degree vision of the terrain and obstacles, allowing vehicles to move around more easily and safely with the help of sensors attached to the bottom of vehicles that provide alerts about obstacles beneath them. This means that drivers do not have to get out of the vehicle to see what is in their way, improving safety and efficiency.

The company noted that in mines, where people and equipment need to be moved quickly and safely, a remote operation is a valuable tool. This is especially true in remote locations, where access to certain areas can be time-consuming. Additionally, remote operation can be used to bring in autonomous equipment to quickly clear an area after an explosion, for example, before the fumes have dissipated. Also, the benefits of remote operation are similar in the construction industry. Both mines and construction sites require heavy machinery such as excavators, wheel loaders, compactors, and haulers, which can all be operated remotely. However, construction machinery is more mobile than mining machinery, so a more adaptable system is required that can operate without established on-site infrastructure.

The top executive added that the autonomous level for off-road vehicles in India is currently at around zero, or L1. However, there has been a recent increase in the use of sensors such as cameras and LIDARS (laser-based sensors) to create high-definition maps that allow vehicles to move around obstacles and difficult terrain. While human-led operations are still necessary at this stage, he expects to see a lot of L2+ systems in the next couple of years, particularly in precise mining operations and at ports and airports.

Selvaraj highlighted that Tata Elxsi is getting a lot of inquiries for usages at ports such as containers or payloads from one point to another for loading and unloading of goods, among others. Customers also want to know if their existing vehicles can be modified and turned into more autonomous vehicles. In a similar vein, the business is seeing demand from airports and airlines for a variety of tasks, including the handling of luggage or packages, in addition to providing last-mile connectivity for travellers inside the airport terminal. Many of these tasks can be completed without the need for a driver to direct the vehicles, he continued.

Tata Elxsi, like some of its competitors, has developed an entire software stack from scratch for passenger vehicles (PVs) and commercial vehicles (CVs). The software has been licensed to some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in Germany, where it is being tested for autonomous driving on public roads and on tracks. “We’ve found this autonomy software is not only applicable for the passenger vehicle segment,” added Selvaraj, “We thought this solution should be applicable even for the off-road segment.”

As per an internal estimation by the company, until 2026, autonomous off-highway equipment is expected to expand at a 28.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). As a result, OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers are developing robust solutions with a mix of capabilities and functionality for operator assistance. Electric off-highway vehicles needs have increased due to lower maintenance costs, more reliable operation, and zero tailpipe emissions. However, as architectural complexity and computational demands grow, solutions that balance performance and cost-effectiveness will be required.

Precision remains key

Further pointing out the use of LIDAR and other technologies in the area of precise mining, Selvaraj explains that it involves the use of data and analytics to identify and extract minerals more efficiently and with less environmental impact. For example, LIDAR can be used to map the subsurface of a mine site, which can help miners identify the location of rare earth metals without harming them. This is becoming increasingly important as the demand for these metals grows, due to the rapid adoption of electric vehicles. A similar application of technology is also being adopted in precision farming equipment. This involves using data and analytics to optimise crop yields and reduce the use of pesticides and fertilisers.

To conclude, as India’s infrastructure companies increasingly use data and analytics, it transforms the way the industry operates, taking it closer to the US$ 5 trillion economy by the end of this decade.

Maxar and Esri Expand Partnership to Visualize Precision3D in ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World

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Maxar and Esri Expand Partnership to Visualize Precision3D in ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World
The San Diego Convention Center is shown in the above Maxar Vivid image. Satellite image © 2022 Maxar Technologies.

Maxar Technologies, a provider of comprehensive space solutions and secure, precise, geospatial intelligence, announced that it will make its Precision3D data available for viewing in Esri’s ArcGIS Online Living Atlas of the World.

Esri, a global company in location intelligence, will integrate Maxar’s Precision3D Digital Surface Model, Digital Terrain Model, Buildings and Vegetation vector data for ArcGIS users to view.

Maxar’s Precision3D products offer 50 cm resolution and maintain an absolute accuracy of 3 m SE90 (Spherical Error 90%). Using a big data approach, Maxar combines our patented 3D algorithms with the world’s largest archive of high-quality commercial satellite imagery to produce a geospecific 3D representation of the planet.

Precision3D will enable ArcGIS users to immerse themselves in a digital twin that unifies the physical and virtual worlds for better decision-making. Precision3D is the highest resolution and most accurate 3D map of the world, which is crucial for use cases such as aligning datasets to our geospatial foundation, running digital simulations in urban environments, and preparing natural disaster response plans.

These additional Maxar products are also available in ArcGIS Living Atlas:

  • Vivid Standard is a high-resolution, high-accuracy and visually-consistent global imagery basemaps built with Maxar satellite imagery.
  • Vivid Advanced upgrades Vivid Standard’s quality over select metropolitan areas with nearly cloud-free imagery basemaps.
  • NaturalVue® 2.0 is an image mosaic that combines more than 60,000 Landsat 8 images to create a seamless, virtually cloud-free, 15-meter base map that reflects the Earth’s true colours.
  • National Urban Change Indicator (NUCI) is a commercial urban change detection product that highlights areas of new construction activity by isolating changes that persist over time, derived from more than 13,000 Landsat images.

XTEND DEFENSE achieves full NDAA compliance across its range of Autonomous Drones

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XTEND DEFENSE achieves full NDAA compliance across its range of Autonomous Drones

XTEND, a developer of a human-guided autonomous operating system (XOS), which is revolutionizing the way humans interact with drones, has today announced that its range of XTENDER, Wolverine and Griffon drones have achieved full NDAA compliance.

The company will be increasing US-based production in response to a growing demand for its revolutionary, robust, affordable solutions from the US Department of Defense and the wider US Government technology community.

“Our compliance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) further strengthens XTEND’s ongoing collaboration with the US Department of Defense and supercharges our US expansion,” says Robert Peters, XTEND Defense’s General Manager. “In the last four years, we have secured over 30 new contracts with the US Department of Defense, its allies and partners, which will see over 1000 of our revolutionary US-made drones produced over the next 24 months.”

XTEND’s drone systems allow any operator to perform extremely accurate maneuvers and actions in any environment with minimal training. Powered by the company’s patented XOS operating system, XTEND’s drones fuse the best of human intelligence and machine autonomy to enhance an operator’s abilities, and simultaneously reduce the need for physical confrontation to minimize casualties and injuries. Hundreds of XTEND’s drone systems are already operationally deployed worldwide and the company is continuously developing its operating system and drones to deliver the future of man-machine teaming in defense, homeland security, industrial inspection, and public safety.

Ido Bar-On, XTEND’s Vice President of Business Development and Sales, adds: “We cherish our partnership with the US Government and remain fully committed to aligning our operations with its well-justified standards for facing near-peer threats. We are growing our Florida facility threefold, and we will continue to support our defense partners and customers with our highly experienced, veteran team.”

As part of XTEND’s continued expansion in the US market, it has recently appointed Robert Peters as General Manager of XTEND Defense. Peters brings over 40 years of experience in the defense market and has held senior business executive positions with Textron Systems, General Dynamics, GE, and Lockheed Martin.

Additional information on XTEND’s range of human-guided autonomous drones:

XTEND’s drone systems are designed to be wearable, mobile, and lightweight, with a single, natural hand gesture-based controller. XTEND’s range of fully NDAA-compliant, human-guided autonomous drones includes:

  • XTENDER – a new micro tactical indoor ISR system that enables any operator to perform accurate remote multi-mission tasks in complex environments. XTENDER can enter a remote target site, perform reconnaissance and data collection tasks with extreme precision, and then exit seamlessly, unaffected by any indoor-outdoor transition limitations and regardless of any GPS-denied locations. Additionally, it enables control of drone teams and remote control of payloads deployed to actively engage in the operational mission.
  • Wolverine C-IED – a small, lightweight, and rugged drone, Wolverine is affordable, versatile, and has low power consumption. Easy to use, it enables operators – even those with no flight experience – to perform extremely precise remote tasks, maneuvers, and actions in complex environments (indoor or outdoor), with minimal training and maintenance. Wolverine extends a team’s operational reach in critical situations where precision and versatility are paramount, giving them battlefield dominance in terms of operator experience, mission performance, and after-action assessment.
  • Griffon C-UAS – a portable counter UAS system for the interception of aerial threats. Griffon can intercept and counter drones at up to 80 mph with no prior experience. Griffon allows operators to perform vision-assisted, semi-automated interceptions and to control a drone team that automatically launches when detecting aerial threats.

 

Intermap Announces Subscription with Outdoor Recreation Platform

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Intermap Announces Subscription with Outdoor Recreation Platform

Intermap, a 3D geospatial products and intelligence solutions company, announced a two-year data subscription agreement with a leading outdoor recreation and fitness platform.

Intermap’s NEXTMap elevation data is seamlessly integrated into the platform, providing users with access to precise terrain information for planning routes, collecting performance metrics and exploring trails and points of interest.

The Company’s datasets provide a comprehensive solution for global elevation data, ensuring continuous, consistent data quality worldwide.

The platform has tens of millions of active users who will benefit from NEXTMap’s detailed terrain data. Whether it’s for exploring new trails with 3D visualization, tracking performance metrics with accurate distance and gradient statistics or sharing adventures with friends, Intermap’s data enriches the user experience and provides the confidence for safe planning, navigation and enjoyment of outdoor activities.

“We are excited to provide the outdoor community with access to our elevation data through this platform,” said Patrick A. Blott, Intermap Chairman and CEO. “By combining our high-resolution, globally available elevation data with the platform’s innovative offerings, we empower users around the world with key information and insights for engaging in a diverse range of outdoor activities.”

Hydrographic survey data uncovers Glacial Landscape on Irish Sea floor

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Hydrographic survey data uncovers Glacial Landscape on Irish Sea floor

Hydrographic survey data uncovers glacial landscape on Irish Sea floor

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has supported an understanding of the Irish Sea’s geological history, after analysing seabed mapping data collected under the Civil Hydrography Programme (CHP) to support safe navigation in waters between Ireland and North Wales.

Global cooling during the last glaciation, around 27,000 years ago, led to the formation of a vast ice sheet measuring 840,000km² which contained enough ice to raise global sea levels by 1.8 metres. The British-Irish Ice Sheet stretched from the Isles of Scilly to the Shetland Islands.

Analysis of the hydrographic data by the Scientific Analysis Group at the UKHO also revealed a series of remarkable well-preserved glacial landforms. These landforms on the seabed show thick, fast glacial ice – comparable in size to the glaciers found today in Antarctica – that once flowed through the centre of the Irish Sea basin more than 20,000 years ago.

“The ice sheet inundated Great Britain and Ireland with glacial ice several kilometres thick and was characterised by dendritic, or tree-like, ice flow,” said Laurence Dyke, Geospatial Information Specialist – Scientific Analysis Group, at the UKHO.

“A number of very large glaciers, known as ice streams, drained ice from the mountainous areas down to the ocean, calving icebergs into the Atlantic. These huge marine-terminating outlet glaciers flowed at speeds of several kilometres a year, analogous to the largest glaciers in present-day Greenland and Antarctica.”

Insight into the Irish Sea’s glacial past was discovered during analysis of information gathered through a long-running data-collection initiative operated under the CHP and administered by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

Under the CHP, the MCA contracts hydrographic survey companies to collect accurate information. Experts at the UKHO provide technical oversight and data validation, which is used to update the nation’s nautical charts and publications to ensure they remain current, safe and fit for purpose. The data from the Irish Sea was collected as part of Hydrographic Instruction 1706.

Once gathered, all hydrographic information such as data density, interline consistency, geodetic parameters and tidal observations goes through the UKHO’s rigorous quality assurance process before being validated. It is then archived in the UKHO’s bathymetric database, ready for inclusion on nautical charting products.

The UKHO reviews the latest charts, updating them where necessary with the latest collection of high-quality bathymetry information. The collected data from the CHP is distributed across the UK government to uphold the ‘collect once, use many times’ approach to gathering and sharing information.

Astral Aviation sign MoU with disaster response nonprofit Airlink

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Astral Aviation sign MoU with disaster response nonprofit Airlink

Astral Aviation sign MoU with disaster response nonprofit Airlink

Astral Aviation has signed its first formal partnership agreement (MOU) with disaster response nonprofit Airlink. In the agreement, Astral Aviation promises to transport 50 tons of humanitarian aid over the next year.

Airlink will utilize the cargo space to support the movement of humanitarian aid across Astral Aviation’s network, already leveraging this partnership in order to support a shipment of medicines and medical supplies to South Sudan. The supplies were donated by Airlink’s NGO partner, Partners for World Health, to an additional member of Airlink’s network, IMA World Health, and will be distributed in flood-affected regions in the Great Upper Nile region, as well as in health facilities along South Sudan’s border with Uganda.

Astral Aviation operates a network that connects East Africa to the Middle East, Asia, and Europe via hubs in Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Dubai. The agreement will enable nonprofit Airlink to support humanitarian relief efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“As Astral Aviation we see the partnership with Airlink as an important opportunity to support some of the humanitarian efforts in the sub-Saharan region so as to help alleviate the suffering of some of the war-ravaged and disaster-stricken population,” said Sanjeev Gadhia, the CEO of Astral Aviation Limited.

“The humanitarian nonprofit community is under huge resource pressures stemming from COVID responses, the war in Ukraine, inflation, and economic downturns. Airline commitments like the one Astral Aviation is making allow Airlink and our nonprofit partners to react to immediate needs. It also enables us to support communities with long-term recovery and systemic issues, such as in healthcare,” said Steven J. Smith, President, and CEO of Airlink.

MBRSC and OQ Technology Partner to Launch Space Technologies

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MBRSC and OQ Technology Partner to Launch Space Technologies

MBRSC and OQ Technology Partner to Launch Space Technologies

OQ Technology and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) have announced their partnership for the launch of the PHI-Demo satellite, part of the Payload Hosting Initiative (PHI). The satellite is carrying technologies to be tested in space for the very first time. The PHI-Demo satellite will use OQ Technology’s state-of-the-art IoT communication payload.

This payload aims to revolutionize the industry by providing enhanced communication capabilities to support the rapidly growing IoT market. Simultaneously, it will expedite innovation and broaden access to space technology for numerous industries worldwide. In addition, the satellite will host a propulsion subsystem by SteamJet, a solution aimed at further advancing space travel technology. By carrying these two technologies on the PHI-Demo satellite, MBRSC and OQ Technology are significantly contributing to the advancement of the global satellite and space technology sectors.

OQ Technology started its collaboration with MBRSC in 2020 to enhance space exploration and satellite technology. Through the current and upcoming PHI missions, OQ Technology aims to test its systems under authentic space conditions.

Catch-22 of AI Regulations

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Aditya Chaturvedi
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Catch-22 of AI Regulations

The power of generative AI has raised many concerns, from the familiar ones about dispiriting job losses to unpredictability regarding wholesale academic duplicity, scholarly debasement, and institutionalized plagiarism, putting a question mark on the future of modernity itself.

Yet what Gen AI portends is just the tip of the iceberg — a quick sneak peek into the vastly unimaginable potential of AI to engineer a ‘Brave New (Simulative) World’, capable of wringing Huxley as well as Orwell in their graves.

This has temporarily shifted trepidation, from the concerns about AI bias and other ethical imperatives to the clamor for sweeping AI regulations. On this front, EU is leading the way, just like with data privacy norms a few years back, to come up with a landmark regulation.

Tech intrusion, manipulation, and mimetically-induced socio-behavioral influence via troves of data is not something new. AI, however, promises to take it up to the next level. DeepFakes, hoaxes, and voice impersonations are increasingly blurring the line between real and fake, authentic and counterfeit, and ultimately between human and humanoid.

The scenario is quite unnerving. What would have been nonchalantly shrugged off as a form of new-fangled Luddite trend, or daubed as being anti-tech, has become the credo of the day — with scientists signing petitions to put a moratorium on AI research, and tech tycoons from Bill Gates to Elon Musk ringing alarm bells.

However, the Rubicon has been crossed. Any amount of regulations will be too little, too late now, because of the freewheeling, decentralized, self-amplifying nature of information technology innovation, and its exponential pace.

It is presumed that the regulations will keep up with drastic advancements, but there aren’t any precedents for this. And no reason to be highly optimistic, especially in the case of a rapidly multiplying, boosting, enhancing, and proliferating technology such as AI.

Limits of Oversight

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, has supported a global AI Watchdog on the lines of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Association). The intent is laudable, and certainly, rules-based supervision and coordination of peaceful nuclear energy have worked out well.

However, what differentiates information technology and AI from the looming threat of nuclear planetary devastation, is that those who covet the latter are either rogue nations or terrorist organizations, not anonymous aliases or any geek with a powerful laptop.

To take an example, multiply Abdul Qadir Khan, the nuclear proliferator and ‘Father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb’ who carried centrifuge design and other critical blueprints in a polythene bag to Tripoli, by a factor of minimum thousand to get the staggering asymmetry and risk at work. This is why such analogies, howsoever well-intentioned, often turn out to be misleading.

Open-source AI applications, which will be at the vanguard of innovation, will become increasingly hard to control, without wide-ranging monitoring, which will eventually entail turning back on the original principle of limiting surveillance and ensuring individual privacy.

In light of these complexities, any hope that a regulatory body will set things all right is myopically misplaced. Another predicament is that the juggernaut of innovation can’t be put to a halt without risking adverse unintended consequences.

Soviet Union’s first education minister, Anatoly Lunacharasky, bore the title ‘Commissar of Enlightenment’. Ironically, faithful zeal for regulations to set things straight without digging into the interconnectivity of systems is suggestive of a quest for neo ‘Commissar of Innovation’.

To avoid the pitfalls of scientism, as well as doomsday thinking, there is a need to walk the fine balance between human needs, social aspirations, and untapped technological prowess, acknowledging the ontological constraints, and resisting the temptations of overriding master plans and meta frameworks.

Will the regulations work out well, staving off the dystopian nightmares and ‘Apocalypse Now’ redux voiced by leading AI pioneers and scientists? Or with generative AI, the genie is finally out of the bottle? Or a few years down the line, AI would program its regulator. The dénouement is yet to unravel.

Hexagon Acquires CADS Additive

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Hexagon Acquires CADS Additive

Hexagon AB has acquired CADS Additive GmbH, a fast-growing provider of specialized software that helps companies prepare designs for metal additive manufacturing (AM).

3D printing complements incumbent technologies by offering manufacturers greater design freedom and the potential to reduce waste and increase flexibility. CADS Additive simplifies 3D printing on powder bed fusion (PBF) machines.

The software guides users through the build preparation, helping companies turn design files into printer instructions and improve their manufacturing productivity.

CADS Additive has been a partner of Hexagon since 2021, integrating its build preparation and support structure creation capabilities with Hexagon’s market-leading Simufact Additive process simulation software.

Shared development roadmaps will further improve workflows, allowing users to adjust the orientation and support structure of their 3D prints. This will help shorten the additive manufacturing (AM) workflow and provide easy-to-follow steps to mitigate quality implications caused by orientation or support structure changes.

The AM Studio software from CADS Additive is already connected to Hexagon’s Nexus digital reality platform. The software will complete Hexagon’s Nexus-enabled AM workflow, applying its extensive technology portfolio to computer-aided design (CAD) model preparation, build preparation, simulation-based optimizations, quality and production intelligence, and the automation of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to finish parts.

“Our investments reflect the growing importance of additive manufacturing, which has huge potential but has been held back by a fragmented ecosystem that means manufacturers are not getting the results they need fast enough. The acquisition of CADS Additive enables us to provide our customers with integrated tools that empower manufacturing teams to reduce waste and increase efficiency as they move from prototyping to production,” said Hexagon President and CEO Paolo Guglielmini.

“Opening up the Nexus platform to our ecosystem partners and providing building blocks like CADS Additive helps customers improve their processes throughout the manufacturing value chain and realise the potential of industrial additive manufacturing.”

Stories that Inspire Action: GWF 2023 Testimonials

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Geospatial World
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Stories that Inspire Action: GWF 2023 Testimonials
Stories that Inspire Action: GWF 2023 Testimonials

Check out the impact of the Geospatial World Forum (GWF) 2023 through inspiring testimonials! This global event brought together visionaries, experts, and thought leaders worldwide to discuss and showcase the latest advancements in geospatial technology. GWF 2023 was a hub of knowledge exchange and collaboration, from immersive keynote presentations to engaging panel discussions.

After the overwhelming success of the 2023 edition, the Forum is returning to Rotterdam from May 13-16, 2024. Don’t miss the opportunity to join this extraordinary journey again!

With the theme ‘Geospatial Transition: Powering the World Economy,’ GWF 2024 would showcase various facets of the ongoing transition of the geospatial industry and its existing and potential value in the world economy.

Safran & Terran Orbital Sign MoU to Produce Satellite Propulsion Systems

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Safran & Terran Orbital Sign MoU to Produce Satellite Propulsion Systems
Benoit Vallet / Safran

A rendering of the PPSX00 plasma thruster, which Safran Spacecraft Propulsion, debuted in September 2022 at the International Astronautical Congress in France. (Photo: Business Wire)

Safran Electronics & Defense and Terran Orbital announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to study and validate the prerequisites for the production of a new generation of electric propulsion systems for satellites in the United States, based on Safran’s PPSX00 plasma thruster.

Safran Electronics & Defense, via Safran Spacecraft Propulsion, and Terran Orbital will undertake an in-depth analysis to determine the technical, industrial and economic prerequisites for a new U.S.-based production line for electric propulsion systems.

The location under consideration is a Terran Orbital facility in Irvine, California, which produces microsatellites. In addition to providing the American space industry with a local source of satellite thrusters, contributing to the economy and employment, this new line will match Safran’s production facilities in France, eventually doubling the company’s international production capacity.

Developing effective and sustainable propulsion systems for satellites is a critical challenge worldwide, as increasingly stringent international regulations stipulate greater sustainability and resilience in spacecraft.

A higher degree of spacecraft manoeuvrability is needed to avoid collisions, along with a system to deorbit low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites at the end of their service life. Safran’s PPSX00 plasma thrusters, rated at about one kilowatt of power, will be used to meet the burgeoning mobility requirements of LEO satellites.

Jean-Marie Bétermier, Senior Vice President Space at Safran Electronics & Defense, said, “Our alliance with Terran Orbital will contribute to the emergence of a complementary source of supply for electric propulsion systems to meet the growing needs of the space industry.”

“This deal reflects Safran Electronics & Defense’s faith in the value of Terran Orbital’s industry-leading products and innovative personnel while adding to our strategic investments to create more scalable, automated, vertically integrated production systems,” said Marc Bell, Terran Orbital’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. “Terran Orbital looks forward to working with Safran Electronics & Defense to create top-of-the-line propulsion systems that make spacecraft more resilient and manoeuvrable at faster delivery rates and lower costs for our national security and commercial customers.”

Render and VETRO announce integration that accelerates customer connectivity

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Render and VETRO announce integration that accelerates customer connectivity

Render Networks, a geospatial network construction technology announced an integration partnership with VETRO, the provider of open, cloud-native fiber management system of record. This collaboration unifies market-leading geospatial construction management and fiber management capabilities to accelerate customer connectivity and efficiently maintain quality fiber infrastructure.

Render and VETRO both offer solutions with deep capabilities in their respective domains. Render’s automated scope creation, work management, and real-time performance insights enable field and project teams to be hyper-productive, by streamlining the construction and maintenance of high-quality networks.

VETRO serves as the network’s design source and ultimate system of record, bridging the gap between GIS mapping and fiber operations, offering seamless data sharing and integrated workflows, and enabling operators to efficiently plan, design, build, and manage fiber networks.

This latest integration automates and simplifies the process from sign-up to ‘ready for connection’, removing all swivel chair processes between construction and operations. With two-way information flows and real-time geospatial data, Render and VETRO eliminate construction handover efforts, maintain 100% network data integrity, and significantly reduce time-to-connect.

“Network operators must streamline everything as they rush to build the highest quality long-term fiber infrastructure in a new wave of integrated digital efficiency. We’re taking this concept to the next level by turning our designs outward for pick up and actioning by construction management solutions and round tripping changes and as-builts back into VETRO as the system of record,” said Will Mitchell, CEO at VETRO. “This partnership between VETRO and Render is exciting because it means network operators now have end-to-end visibility across the lifecycle to create their best network and continue to operate at optimized levels.”

“Our and VETRO’s ideology and approach is open and best-of-breed. By bringing our respective network construction and fiber management solutions together and utilizing class-leading API infrastructure, operators now have a superior and proven alternative to ‘jack of all trade, master of some’ and custom-developed solutions,” said Sam Pratt, CEO at Render Networks. “Our collaboration and active partnership with VETRO dates back to 2018, and both companies are incredibly proud of the customer outcomes that have since become benchmarks for the industry. With this latest integration, we can confidently and efficiently enable the next generation of networks, significantly reduce the cost to build and operate, and most importantly – connect communities in record time.”

The platforms’ integration and partnership has already enabled construction to connection timelines of just ten weeks, doubled monthly customer drop targets, and in empower, delivered by Craighead Electric’s recently completed cooperative build, installed over 14,000 service locations in under three years.

Just out of Stealth Startup To Build World’s First EO Data Search Engine

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Just out of Stealth Startup To Build World’s First EO Data Search Engine

Danti, pioneers in helping users find relevant information about physical places on our planet, today announced the closing of its $2.75 million Pre-seed funding round. The round was led by Tech Square Ventures with participation from Radius Capital. Also included Philip Krim and Raven One Ventures, Space.VC, Overline, Tareyton Ventures, Jordan Noone, Keith Masback, and Jeff Crusey. Funding will be used to accelerate development of Danti’s search engine technology for deployment with U.S. intelligence and defense customers, along with commercial partners in the property, insurance, and large scale infrastructure space.

Founded in 2023 by experts in the aerospace, space, and geospatial data markets, Danti is on a mission to make Earth’s data accessible to anyone looking for it. Powered by the latest AI and natural language processing (NLP) technologies, Danti allows expert and non-expert users alike to pose simple questions and get highly relevant results. For example, a query of “How old is the roof at 123 Main Street?” will return results that include county permit records, high resolution airborne images confirming roof changes, and analytics from firms who provide that information.

“Today’s market for Earth data is a lot like the early days of the internet—there’s a staggering amount of data out there, but it’s all siloed and distributed. As a result, this valuable data is only available to experts who know exactly where to look for it and how to piece it together,” said Jesse Kallman, CEO and Founder of Danti. “Danti is on a mission to open access to data on physical locations by building the market’s first search engine—one that’s as easy to use as the popular search engines we all use to surf the web.”

Along with the funding round, Danti also announced that it has won an open challenge put out by the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) and sponsored by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) titled geoSpatial Environment for Access, Retrieval & Content Hosting (“gSEARCH”). The gSEARCH program is focused on the search and discovery of multi-formatted geospatial content within government-managed and commercial data repositories. Danti’s cutting-edge technology was awarded the top prize for its ability to enable non-expert users with no geospatial background to quickly prioritize, analyze, and organize information into action. This program is now underway, and Danti is working alongside NGA and various DoD partners to provide a critical search tool to those protecting our nation.

“Every day, there are terabytes of data produced on physical places by satellites, drones, manned aircraft, analytics firms, social media, news, and other sources. The disorganization of this data is a compounding problem,” said Martice Nicks, CTO and co-founder of Danti. “We are building a search engine that brings order to the chaos. By leveraging the latest advancements in AI and NLP, Danti will empower our defense, intelligence and commercial customers to make searching their own data, and all publicly available data, as simple as searching the web.”

North Carolina is expanding use of the Opendatasoft platform

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North Carolina is expanding use of the Opendatasoft platform

Morrisville, North Carolina, has signed a contract to extend the use of the software-as-a-service (SaaS) Opendatasoft platform to power its open data portal and smart city programmes.

The US town of Morrisville is committed to using technology and data to enhance the lives of its 30,000 residents. It embarked on the Smart Morrisville smart city programme on the Opendatasoft platform in 2019.

Currently, the open data portal has 16 datasets and gets 82,000 annual API calls from 2,900 users.

“Morrisville’s award-winning success demonstrates that every community can become a smart city, whatever its size,” said Franck Carassus, chief sales officer, and co-founder of Opendatasoft. “By listening to residents, businesses and other stakeholders, it has developed a continuous, effective, and efficient smart city programme, and we are delighted to continue our partnership to support its innovation moving forward.”

Bolt, Starship Partner to Roll Out Global Food Delivery Robots

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Bolt, Starship Partner to Roll Out Global Food Delivery Robots

Food delivery startup Bolt has partnered with robotics firm Starship Technologies, to roll out thousands of delivery robots across multiple countries. from this year.

The announcement coincides with Starship reaching 5 million commercial deliveries worldwide, the first startup to reach this milestone, it says. Under the new partnership, Starship will gain access to Bolt’s 100 million customers across 45 countries and provide a wider range of delivery services across different distances and order sizes.

Bolt and Starship said they intend to pursue sustainable operations through the partnership, using Bolt’s electric, zero-emission robots as a viable and widespread alternative to traditional delivery methods.

“Both Bolt and Starship have created innovative products which have revolutionized the way people move around and buy and receive goods in cities,” said Jevgeni Kabanov, Bolt’s President.

“Bolt and Starship share very similar goals of promoting sustainability in local transport,” Alastair Westgarth, Starship Technologies’ CEO. “In our case, we offer a convenient and on-demand autonomous delivery service, perfectly aligning with the mission of making cities more eco-friendly.”

The new rollout is set to begin in Tallinn, Estonia as a pilot program, with the possibility of expansion if the project is successful.

GeoAI Algorithms for Spatial Data Optimization

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Richa Tyagi
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GeoAI Algorithms for Spatial Data Optimization

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has found its usage in almost all various fields such as autonomous cars, predictive maintenance, facial recognition, text translation, satellite intelligence, and many more. GeoAI or Geospatial Artificial Intelligence is the combination of geographic information systems (GIS) and emerging technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, and AI. Geospatial experts deal with a lot of spatial data from Earth Observation satellites, SAR satellites, drones, aircraft, LiDAR data, location data, and so on. They are applying artificial intelligence algorithms to this spatial data to make data processing easier.

The Association of Geospatial Industries (AGI) co-hosted a webinar on the theme “Geospatial Technologies and Artificial Intelligence: Current Trends & Future” with the IIT Tirupati Navavishkar I-Hub Foundation.

IIT Tirupati Navavishkar I-Hub Foundation (IITTNiF) has hosted the Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) in Positioning and Precision Technology (PPT). The project is funded by the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), Department of Science and Technology (DST), India. The project has funding of INR 100 crores over five years.

The Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) on PPT will provide a unique platform for researchers, industries, stakeholders, and end-users across multiple disciplines. The aim of TIH India is to align with the country’s broad objective of using GIS as an essential component for empowering Indian citizens and to become a top contributor to Government of India initiatives such as Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, and Start-up Ecosystem making India a self-reliant in PPT.

Existing Challenges

The webinar also addressed the problems in some areas where AI can be very useful to analyze data and help to make timely decisions. On positioning technologies, there are some areas where AI technology can be used for:

  • Atomic clocks with improved time localization
  • Navigation sensors for satellites
  • Navigation sensors for Indoor mapping
  • Quantum technologies for navigation
  • Embedded hardware and IoT developments for various geospatial data applications

On precision technologies, geospatial data processing and applications are very complex, AI holds the power to simplify it.

Georg Hammerer, Chief Technology Officer, Hexagon Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial covered the various aspects of using GeoAI to automate location intelligence. “From capturing the data by using GeoAI to produce results and put it into a solution, or dashboard including mobile or browser to make a better decision, GeoAI is very useful,” he adds.

Sanjiv Kumar Jha, Principal Smart Infra – SA, Amazon Web Services (AWS) talked about deep learning-based solution architectures for remote sensing image analysis.

He gave an example of urban analytics; “There are hundreds of use cases, 15+ domains, 50+ GIS layers, 50+ multiple integrations points to deal with such as mobility, transport, smart parking, citizen monitoring and many more. Location intelligence is only the keyword to generalize model,” he said.

Unique aspects of GeoAI

GeoAI has improved traditional geospatial analysis and mapping. It helps to understand and manage complex hyper-spectral data. Geospatial data is different and more complex from the data we used in AI:

  • Data Type
  • Data Volume
  • Imagery Analytics
  • Higher Dimensional Data
  • Real-time applications
  • Hyper-spectral
  • Need for greater pre-processing

“Geospatial data cover hyperspectral data sets, to make decisions based on this data, we need high domain expertise,” said Saranya M, Assistant Manager – Presales, Esri India.

What can AI and ML do in geospatial data analysis?

  • Extract images from imagery at scale, with high speed and accuracy
  • Unstructured data can be converted into the structured format by using AI and ML
  • Globally people are using AI and ML algorithms to update their base map and keep up to date
  • In utilities; it helps in vegetation encroachment 2D, vegetation encroachment 3D, asset identification, and inspection.
  • For security CCTV integration, traffic detection, crime protection, etc.
  • In forestry tree count, assess tree health, detecting deforestation, catfish detection, etc.

Saranya M also discussed how AI/ML can be used to improve workflows. She talked about various applications of AI & ML models in geospatial, like pixel classification, object detection, instance segmentation, and image classification of floods or forest fires before and after.

Stellantis, Foxconn form a Semiconductor Joint Venture

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Stellantis, Foxconn form a Semiconductor Joint Venture

Stellantis & Foxconn form a Semiconductor Joint Venture

Stellantis N.V. and Hon Hai Technology Group announced the creation of SiliconAuto, a 50/50 joint venture dedicated to designing and selling a family of semiconductors to supply the automotive industry, including Stellantis, starting in 2026.

The joint venture combines Foxconn’s development capabilities and domain expertise in the ICT industry with Stellantis’ deep understanding of diverse mobility needs around the world. SiliconAuto will provide customers an auto industry-centric source of semiconductors for the growing number of computer-controlled features and modules, particularly those needed for electric vehicles.

Products from SiliconAuto will support the future semiconductor needs of Stellantis, Foxconn and other customers. This includes STLA Brain, Stellantis’ new electrical/electronic and software architecture with full over-the-air updating capabilities.

“Stellantis will benefit from a robust supply of essential components, which is critical to fueling the rapid, software-defined transformation of our products,” said Stellantis Chief Technology Officer Ned Curic.

SiliconAuto will be headquartered in the Netherlands. The management team includes executives from both founding partners. Stellantis will provide input to SiliconAuto to enable and deliver capabilities needed by future battery-electric vehicles and multi-energy vehicle platforms.

The joint venture is the product of a December 2021 agreement between Stellantis and Foxconn to develop a family of semiconductors for automotive applications. In addition to SiliconAuto, Stellantis and Foxconn have the Mobile Drive joint venture focused on developing smart cockpits enabled by consumer electronics, human-machine interfaces, and services.

Improving Water Resources Planning using Spatial Data

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GW Prime
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Improving Water Resources Planning using Spatial Data

The National Hydrology Project (NHP) was taken up by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, RD & GR, Govt. of India to improve the extent and accessibility of water resources information and strengthen institutional capacity to enable improved water resources planning and management across India. The focus was on establishing a sound hydrological database and information system and scientific tools for effective planning and management of water resources within each implementing agency.

Stakeholders involved

Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, RD & GR, Government of India, and State Water Resources Departments.

Solution and Implementation Plan

The project implementation plan was prepared as per the ISO guidelines practiced within the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), including information on project management structure, internal and external QC teams, detailed project schedule with milestones, manpower deployment schedule, funds and other infrastructure requirements, necessary software tools, a mechanism for obtaining and handling customer feedback, and so on.

All geospatial products generated under the project are disseminated through the customized Bhuvan-NHP web geoportal for their use & feedback by various stakeholders.

All activities taken up by NRSC use satellite data-based inputs and derived inputs like Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for generating water resources information and products. High-resolution and coarse-resolution satellite datasets are used as inputs for activities like an estimation of ET, snowmelt runoff, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk assessment, irrigation, and hydrological drought

GE Aerospace signs MOU with HAL to produce Fighter Jet Engines

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GE Aerospace signs MOU with HAL to produce Fighter Jet Engines

GE Aerospace signs MOU with HAL to produce Fighter Jet Engines

GE Aerospace announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force, a major milestone amidst Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official state visit to the United States and a key element in strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace’s F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the U.S. government to receive the necessary export authorization for this. The effort is part of the Indian Air Force’s Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 program.

H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace said, “We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modi’s vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet.”

GE Aerospace has operated in India for more than four decades with wide engagement in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. In addition to potential new work in India, a number of U.S. facilities that currently support work on the F414 engine will see additional volume as a result of today’s announcement.

The agreement will advance GE Aerospace’s earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force as part of the LCA Mk2 program. It puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India, including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospace’s selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA program with our F414-INS6 engine. In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program.

EU Takes Lead in Regulating AI with Landmark Legislation

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Jeffy Jacob
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EU Takes Lead in Regulating AI with Landmark Legislation

In a groundbreaking move, the European Union (EU) has edged closer to passing one of the world’s first comprehensive laws governing artificial intelligence (AI).

What is the AI Act?

The European Parliament, the main legislative branch of the EU, has approved the text of draft legislation known as the AI Act, aiming to establish a global standard for the regulation of AI technology. Notably, the act includes a sweeping ban on the use of live facial recognition technology by police in public places.

The AI Act is a proposed European law on artificial intelligence (AI) – the first law on AI by a major regulator anywhere. The law assigns applications of AI to three risk categories.

  • First, applications and systems that create an unacceptable risk, such as government-run social scoring of the type used in China, are banned.
  • Second, high-risk applications, such as a CV-scanning tool that ranks job applicants, are subject to specific legal requirements.
  • Lastly, applications not explicitly banned or listed as high-risk are largely left unregulated.

The AI Act encompasses a wide range of AI applications, from automated medical diagnoses and Deepfake videos to AI Chatbots like ChatGPT and certain types of drones. By taking this decisive step, the EU hopes to assume a leadership role in shaping the future of AI, while also addressing the ethical and societal implications associated with its use.

Why the need for an AI Act now?

AI can be used constructively. For example, it can help diagnose cancer you don’t have yet or help cure autism in children. But without properly framed AI regulations, AI can give you biased answers and spread misinformation leading to destabilization. Some of the inherent problems that the world has started seeing include generative AI causing a disruption in the employment market. Deepfake AI can be used in the political context, one of the recent examples being the Dutch Parliamentarians having a conversation via Zoom with a deep fake version of Alexis Navalny, the Russian Opposition Leader. This can lead to MPs being discouraged from speaking with foreign opposition parties.

AI can be used to create ‘slaughterbots’ or robots that kill targets autonomously without human intervention. Unregulated AI Warfare can be catastrophic in the near future.

Thierry Breton, the European commissioner for the internal market, emphasized the need for swift action and responsible governance in the face of AI’s societal, ethical, and economic challenges.

With a final vote of 499 in favour, 28 against, and 93 abstentions, the European parliament demonstrated a clear majority in support of the legislation. EU leaders may push back on the ban on biometrics, as law enforcement agencies across the continent perceive the potential of facial recognition technology in recognizing criminals and enhancing counter-terrorism efforts. Under the proposed law, emotional recognition, which is currently employed in parts of China to identify tired truck drivers, will also be banned in workplaces and schools as reported by The Guardian.

European parliament president Roberta Metsola hailed the legislation as setting a global standard for years to come and declared that a new era of scrutiny had begun.

Stringent Rules on AI Development Aim to Safeguard Society

The Guardian in a recent article addressed concerns about copyright infringement as the AI Act will require developers of AI Chatbots to publish all the works used to train them, including those of scientists, musicians, illustrators, photographers, and journalists. Developers must also demonstrate that their training methods comply with the law. Failure to comply could result in immediate application deletions or fines of up to 7% of revenue, potentially amounting to hundreds of millions of euros for major tech companies, as stated by the Guardian.

Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s antitrust chief, emphasized the need to strike a balance between privacy concerns and security considerations while shaping the legislation.

The AI Act’s provisions on facial recognition technology and stringent rules on AI development and deployment aim to protect individuals’ rights and ensure responsible AI usage in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

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