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Monthly Archives: July 2023

What are the Top 5 Applications of GeoAI?

By
Richa Tyagi
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What are the Top 5 Applications of GeoAI?

As new technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented reality, and so on are emerging day by day, the field of geospatial is not left untouched. GeoAI or Geospatial Artificial Intelligence has recently gotten a lot of interest. GeoAI is the merger of artificial intelligence and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It is an evolving field that uses AI methods such as machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) to produce information through the analysis of spatial data and imagery.

Applications of GeoAI

Geospatial data are vast spreading in many domains such as transportation, smart cities, public health, natural disasters, public safety and climate change, etc. To deal with this data in each domain geospatial experts are using AI to make data processing easier. Here we are going to discuss some applications of GeoAI in different areas:

Transportation

One of the very dynamic areas is transportation where the movement of vehicles can be changed within seconds. With GeoAI, it would help to identify traffic on roads, shipment tracking, avoid obstacles, do heavy vehicle routing, and map supply chain movement too. Moreover, we are moving towards the future of autonomous vehicles where GeoAI will be a big help to monitor and analyse the data such as collision-risk prediction and traffic monitoring from video analytics.

Smart Cities

GeoAI has a great role to play in the planning of smart cities. Smart cities are built by the integration of physical and digital layers of infrastructure. The digital layer of infrastructure is supported by information and communication technologies. These technologies rely on structured and unstructured data generated from earth observation (EO), wireless sensors and internet and communication technologies and so on. GeoAI, with the help of ML and DL, will contribute to making the production of spatial data and information on human-urban dynamics easier. It will be going to help in making a better living for all urban citizens, enhance the efficiency of urban services and functions and to address the pressing societal, ecological and economic challenges.

Defence

In the defence sector, GIS data is used on the ground to receive orders and to provide a map of the battlefield. GeoAI will analyse the map data and will help to provide the safest route to avoid enemy exposure. AI will analyse the variables and provide automatic geographic results that can ultimately help to save lives.

Healthcare

GeoAI plays a significant role in the healthcare sector as the location is part of both population and individual health. Health is affected by natural environment, built environments, social determinants and climate. GeoAI has two major applications in healthcare; one is public health and second is precision medicine. Public health deals with large scale, concerning groups of people, environmental factors, and genetics that influence them. Precision medicine deals with prevention and treatment strategies by considering individual variability in genetics, environment, and lifestyle. By monitoring human behaviour and spatial distribution GeoAI will help in forecasting the effects of diseases.

Business Marketing

In marketing, with the help of GeoAI, businesses can track consumer behaviours and analyse their demands to get the highest profits. Important insights can also be taken by linking businesses with geospatial data. GeoAI will also assist in inventory management by tracking the warehouses like which store is out of product on which location. By analysing consumers’ behaviour, businesses can identify where they need to pull the product.

Geospatial Technology Strengthening India’s Infrastructure

By
Anu Agnihotri
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0
Geospatial Technology Strengthening India’s Infrastructure
Green energy for clean and sustainable environment. Wind energy used in the industry of factories, machines and technologies. Reducing Co2 emissions and limiting global warming and climate change.
Geospatial Technology
Green energy for clean and sustainable environment. Wind energy used in the industry of factories, machines and technologies. Reducing Co2 emissions and limiting global warming and climate change.

Geospatial technology has emerged as a powerful tool in advancing disaster management practices in India. With its ability to capture, analyse, and visualize spatial data, geospatial technology provides valuable insights that help understand vulnerabilities, assess risks, and allocate resources in a timely, time-bound manner. For a country that is prone to various natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, cyclones, and landslides, the use of geospatial technology has become critical for effective disaster preparedness and response efforts. This article explores the importance of disaster management in India, the role of geospatial technology in enhancing preparedness, and the government initiatives and agencies involved in leveraging this technology.

Importance of Disaster Management in India

Disasters such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones, and droughts can cause significant loss of life, damage to infrastructure, and disruption of key economic services. The impact is further compounded by the large population, demanding excellent disaster management in safeguarding the safety and well-being of affected individuals.

The government’s steps emanate an approach that has been translated into a National Disaster Framework (a roadmap) covering institutional mechanisms, disaster prevention strategy, early warning systems, disaster mitigation, preparedness and response, and human resource development. The Disaster Management Act of 2005 defines Disaster Management as an integrated process of planning, organizing, coordinating, and implementing measures

Geospatial Technology and Disaster Preparedness

By accurately mapping and monitoring areas prone to natural hazards, geospatial technology helps in developing early warning systems, implementing evacuation plans, and minimizing the impact of disasters. It enables effective coordination and communication among different stakeholders involved in disaster response, facilitating a comprehensive view of the situation on the ground. Geospatial technology also plays a significant role in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction efforts by accurately assessing the extent of damage and allocating resources effectively.

During the 2013 Uttarakhand flash floods and the 2019 Cyclone Fani in Odisha showcases its effectiveness in disaster management.

Early Warning Systems

Through its integration with real-time data from satellites, weather stations, and ground sensors, geospatial technology helps in developing early warning systems. By detecting and predicting natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and cyclones, these systems enable authorities to initiate evacuation procedures, saving lives and minimizing damage. Timely alerts, supported by geospatial technology, empower decision-makers to take proactive measures and allocate resources more effectively.

During Cyclone Fani, in Odisha, geospatial technology aided in early warning systems, damage assessment, resource allocation, and infrastructure restoration.

Risk Assessment and Vulnerability Mapping

Geospatial technology allows for the assessment of infrastructure vulnerabilities and the analysis of risks. By combining data on hazards, land use patterns, population density, and critical infrastructure, decision-makers can identify high-risk areas and prioritize mitigation efforts.

Emergency Response and Resource Management

Geospatial technology enables efficient emergency response and resource management during disasters. By mapping and monitoring the situation in real time, responders can identify affected areas, track relief operations, and coordinate the deployment of resources such as medical supplies, food, and personnel. This technology ensures a well-coordinated and targeted response, maximizing the impact of relief efforts.

The application of geospatial technology in the Uttarakhand flash floods, geospatial technology played a crucial role in providing critical information for rescue and relief operations. Satellite imagery and remote sensing data were used to assess the extent of damage, identify affected areas, and support relief efforts.

Damage Assessment and Recovery Planning

After a disaster strikes, geospatial technology facilitates rapid damage assessment and recovery planning. High-resolution aerial imagery and satellite data help authorities evaluate the extent of infrastructure damage and estimate the financial and human resources required for rebuilding.

Government Initiatives and Agencies

Recognizing the potential of geospatial technology in enhancing disaster preparedness and response capabilities, the establishment of dedicated agencies such as the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reflects this commitment. These agencies work closely with other stakeholders such as state governments, research institutions, and non-governmental organizations to leverage geospatial technology for disaster management. These agencies work closely with state governments, research institutions, and non-governmental organizations to harness the full potential of geospatial technology in building a disaster-resilient India.

The Potential of Geospatial Technology

Proactive planning involves using geospatial data to identify safer locations, optimize transport routes, and design robust infrastructure. Data-driven decision-making empowers policymakers with comprehensive, up-to-date information for infrastructure investments and resource allocation.

Collaboration among various stakeholders involved in disaster management is fostered through the sharing of geospatial data and information. Through interactive maps, visualizations, and outreach campaigns, public awareness and engagement are enhanced, empowering communities to understand potential hazards and actively participate in building disaster-resilient infrastructure.

Join the GeoSmart Infrastructure Conference 2023

As we embark on the journey towards Construction 4.0 and resilient infrastructure, geospatial technology emerges as a game-changer in disaster management join us at the Geosmart Infrastructure Conference 2023 on August 22–23, 2023, at Vivanta Dwarka Delhi. The conference will delve into the transformative potential of geospatial technology and its role in shaping India’s future. Through thought-provoking discussions and expert insights, the conference aims to inspire innovation, foster collaboration, and drive the adoption of emerging technologies in the pursuit of resilient and sustainable infrastructure.

Of a Fire on the Moon

By
Aditya Chaturvedi
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Of a Fire on the Moon

In the febrile counter-cultural days of 1969, marked by rage, alienation, and protests, Apollo 11 reinforced optimism in inevitable progress and indomitable human will. It was a decisive moment that signaled the end of the Space Race, establishing America’s cutting-edge in space tech.

More than half a century later, the world has changed tremendously. But mission moon still holds many significant lessons.

Tom Wolfe’s ‘The Right Stuff’, which has assumed the status of an opus on the first lunar mission, mentions the grit, fortitude, as well as the overall heady climate of that era when astronauts became the uncrowned knights.

Scope of Artemis

NASA-led Artemis Accords, a non-binding agreement on peaceful space cooperation, and lunar and Mars exploration, has 26 signatories. Most recently, India and Ecuador signed it. The accords would focus on space interoperability, transparency, space preservation, emergency response, as well orbital debris.

India joining the Accord is a significant stride for New Delhi’s space program. It indicates deepening cooperation with the US, overcoming decades of mistrust, cynicism, and arm-twisting. The world has changed a lot over the years. In 1993, Washington imposed sanctions on the technology transfer of cryogenic engines to India. Today, ISRO and NASA are actively collaborating on NISAR satellites.

India today is a formidable spacing power. It holds the record for the highest number of launches in a single mission and aspires to go to the moon, mars, as well conduct a human spaceflight by 2024.

ISRO, the nation’s space agency, is known for its humble beginnings and merging cost-effectiveness with uncompromised quality. India is also the fourth country in the world with ASAT( anti-satellite) capability.

As a follow-up to the Outer Space Treaty ( OST), Artemis Accords will boost the consensus on safeguarding the ‘common frontier’ and fostering orbital sustainability. It can lead to a new framework for preventing space weaponization. Normative rules for space cooperation can also be developed once like-minded spacing nations coming together

Turning a New Leaf

India and the US should forge mutually beneficial collaboration in key tech sectors such as space, geospatial and AI. As a fast digitalizing economy, the potential of space-based applications and services in India is immense.

The impetus given by the space policy, the liberalization thrust, and the mentorship and hand-holding by ISRO and InSpace, can lead to the foundation of a domestic space ecosystem. With Indian NewSpace startups getting noticed by global investors and venture capitalists, the burgeoning sector here can rival the success story of IT.

From agtech to disaster mitigation, the space sector posits enormous opportunities. As per market estimates, India’s space sector would hit USD 13 billion by 2025. In this scenario, it holds the key to the 4IR transition and the new age of hyper-connectivity.

In Greek mythology, Artemis, or the moon goddess is the twin sister of Apollo. A propitious start to a new chapter in Indo-US space collaboration, with renewed vigor, and a sense of purpose.

Economist Mariana Mazzucato calls the Apollo space program the epitome of mission-oriented policy and innovation that should serve as a template for policymakers to deal with complex challenges.

Time to re-look at the Apollo and extend its spirit of collaboration, targeted outcome-focused work, and solidarity beyond national frontiers.

Gather AI acquires an Autonomous Inventory Management Solution Provider

By
News Desk
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Gather AI acquires an Autonomous Inventory Management Solution Provider

Gather AI acquires Ware, an Autonomous Inventory Management Solution Provider

Gather AI, a provider of AI-powered autonomous inventory management solutions for warehouses using commodity hardware, has announced that it is acquiring the business of Ware, another large player in the market. With this acquisition, Gather AI is now the market leader in the space with 25 customers, more than any other autonomous inventory management company, and the technical platform best able to meet accelerating customer demand.

The global warehouse market is expected to grow at 7.7% CAGR and reach USD 1.26 trillion by 2030. Driving this growth are the global restructuring of manufacturing and logistics and a transition to online commerce. This strategic shift is causing a rapid overhaul of the supply chain with 71% percent of warehouses reporting that this is driving a change in the way they manage their inventory. To keep up with this restructuring, operators are accelerating their digital transformation.

“Understanding inventory levels is critical for creating accurate forecasts and managing in this environment. We offer real-time inventory visibility to our customers through our AI software which turns commodity drones into autonomous data-gathering machines,” said Gather AI CEO Sankalp Arora. “Acquiring Ware’s business accelerates our growth further, bringing our proven solution to more warehouses, and enabling our customers to leverage data insights from across our growing network.”

Gather AI is transforming warehouse operations. With its solution, AI software enables drones to fly autonomously through warehouses to photograph inventory stored in pallet locations. AI reads bar codes, text, and other information in the images and automatically compares it with what’s in the warehouse management system (WMS). The warehouse manager can view inventory data in real time from a web dashboard and easily view their warehouse.

Gather AI has seen an 8x revenue growth in the last year. Customers have seen a tremendous benefit from the solution including a reduction in inventory counting staff from six to one, finding $1 million in lost inventory, reducing full facility scans from 90 days to 2.5 days, and boosting revenue with innovation and differentiation. Results like these helped Gather AI raise a $10 million Series A last year.

“We recognized the need for an autonomous inventory management solution to optimize inventory accuracy and minimize labor expenditure,” expressed Jeff Keene, DPI Specialty Foods COO, and former Ware client.

GDIT’s Intelligence Business Awarded $580 Million in Contract Wins

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News Desk
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GDIT’s Intelligence Business Awarded $580 Million in Contract Wins
General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), announced today that its Intelligence & Homeland Security Division was awarded two contracts valued at $580 million.

General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a business unit of General Dynamics announced today that its Intelligence & Homeland Security Division was awarded two contracts valued at $580 million.

Through these multi-year contracts, awarded in April, GDIT will provide full-spectrum cybersecurity and software development services. The capabilities enable analysts, policymakers and other decision-makers to securely analyze and synthesize complex data to support a variety of critical missions.

“As the intelligence landscape has become more complex, we have invested in advanced cyber and software development solutions to bring greater agility and speed to our customers’ missions,” said Kelly Ferrell, senior vice president, Intelligence and Homeland Security. “We are looking forward to leveraging these advanced solutions and continuing our more than three decades of support to our government customers.”

The contracts expand the company’s intelligence and homeland security portfolio in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud and high-performance computing. This includes the $4.5 billion User Facing and Data Center Services (UDS) contract awarded in March 2022 to support the geospatial intelligence mission.

Mapbox Launches a Snowflake Native App in the Data Cloud

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News Desk
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Mapbox Launches a Snowflake Native App in the Data Cloud
Precise address and places search that processes billions of queries at blazing speed. Access hundreds of millions of addresses and take advantage of advanced features, including batch processing and permanent geocoding – the ability to store the results of your query indefinitely.

Mapbox, a location data platform for mobile and web applications, announced at Snowflake Summit 2023, the availability of its new Snowflake Native App on Snowflake Marketplace.

Snowflake customers can install and run the app within their Snowflake account, enabling data analysts and decision-makers to use a variety of Mapbox geospatial services directly within the Snowflake Data Cloud.

Data analysis that would have previously required direct interaction with APIs can now be completed with simple SQL statements. Snowflake customers can use Mapbox to match addresses to geographic coordinates, translate raw coordinates to addresses, and aggregate data by geographic boundaries.

Snowflake Native App Framework (public preview on AWS) is now available for developers to build and test apps natively in the Data Cloud with additional distribution and monetization capabilities in public preview soon.

Snowflake Native Apps usher in a new era of data collaboration, enabling developers with the tools needed to create robust apps quickly with Snowflake’s always-on availability and auto-scalability, all the while reducing security and privacy hurdles for customers because the apps run directly within the customers’ Snowflake accounts.

Snowflake Marketplace already has over 25 new Snowflake Native Apps available today, and over one hundred providers are currently developing apps that span multiple industries and use cases. “The Mapbox Snowflake Native App expands the availability of location services for thousands of customers on Snowflake Marketplace,” said Chris Child, Senior Director of Product Management, Snowflake.

“We are excited to join Snowflake in enabling easy access to location intelligence for the Snowflake community,” said Sean Graber, Head of Search, Mapbox. “The Mapbox Snowflake Native App gives more customers, especially non-developers, easy ways to harness the business value of geospatial data, and all within the Snowflake Data Cloud environment where they are already building.”

Clean up and convert location data

Users of the new Mapbox Snowflake Native App can tap into the Mapbox Geocoding API in order to validate and correct messy location data (such as long lists of non-standard addresses), convert text addresses and place names to geospatial coordinates, and translate raw location coordinates into text addresses. The Mapbox Geocoding API uses advanced batch processing to achieve lightning-fast processing time, even while processing hundreds of billions of queries daily. The Snowflake Native App also offers the ability to retain query results for future use.

Geocoding is valuable for companies in virtually every industry. In sectors like retail, telecommunications, healthcare, or insurance, providers can use geocoding to validate and analyze customer addresses to understand where clients are located to optimize service and  direct marketing campaigns. Trucking, shipping and logistics companies can use ‘reverse geocoding’ to convert geographic coordinates generated from automated tracking devices into addresses to better understand where assets or shipments are located and support compliance with regulations, such as the International Fuel Tax Agreement, which requires companies to pay fuel taxes based on travel time in various jurisdictions.

Aggregate and analyze data according to geographic boundaries

The second major feature of the Mapbox Snowflake Native App is the ability to aggregate and analyze geospatial data using Mapbox Boundaries, an industry-leading dataset of 5 million polygons of administrative, political, statistical, postal, national, state, city, and locality borders across every country and at multiple levels of jurisdiction. Mapbox Boundaries polygons are edge-matched and topologically accurate – ensuring that there are no gaps or overlaps that introduce errors into the analysis.

Using Mapbox Boundaries data, Snowflake users can use point-in-polygon analysis to aggregate geocoded data by jurisdiction, including multiple types of boundaries not included in typical geocoding products. Data analysts can identify and report on insights by aggregating data to various administrative or statistical levels. Sales teams can assess territories or the distribution of customers. Political organizations can aggregate address data by federal or state legislative districts to inform fundraising and other analytics.

Telstra partners with Starlink to Connect People in remote Australia

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News Desk
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Telstra partners with Starlink to Connect People in remote Australia

Telstra partners with Starlink to Connect People in remote Australia

Telstra, Australia’s telecommunication company, announced that it is partnering with Starlink to deliver Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity to provide voice and fixed broadband services in remote and rural locations.

Telstra will be able to provide home phone service and Starlink broadband services to Aussies as a bundle offer, as well as local tech support and the option of professional installation.

This agreement also provides connectivity options for business customers, with a higher bandwidth business option available in areas without fixed and mobile connectivity. The business offer will be available to purchase from Telstra both locally and in select countries overseas.

“It will be available for customers and businesses towards the end of 2023, when the company will also be able to share unique pricing and plan details as well as how basic voice calls will work with a modem which will be offered with the service,” company said in a blog post.

The addition of Starlink will provide an additional connectivity option for people and businesses in rural and remote locations where distance and terrain make it difficult to provide quality connectivity with existing terrestrial networks.

One of the benefits of LEO satellites is that they are much closer than geostationary satellites to Earth with multiple satellites that are part of a “constellation”, allowing them to send and receive signals much faster. As well as offering great data throughput, the proximity of these satellites reduces latency making them a great and more consistent option for services that need low latency, like voice and video calls.

The latency, download speeds and general experience in most circumstances will be far superior to copper-based ADSL and be better suited for most modern connectivity needs.

India Initiates Negotiations for Acquisition of MQ-9B Drones from the US

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News Desk
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India Initiates Negotiations for Acquisition of MQ-9B Drones from the US
Indian armed drone (Reuters File Photo)

Indian officials announced that this week, India will commence the process of acquiring 31 MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) from the United States.

The Indian government will issue a letter of request (LoR) to initiate the purchase under the foreign military sales (FMS) program. The FMS program, managed by the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) of the US Department of Defense (DoD), facilitates the government-to-government sale of US-built military platforms, along with services and training.

The Indian LoR will outline the specific requirements of the three services, equipment details, and proposed procurement terms. The estimated value of the deal is approximately $3.07 billion. Previously, India had sought price and availability information from the US to proceed with the acquisition.

The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), India’s apex weapons procurement body, granted its acceptance of necessity (AoN) on June 15 to purchase the 31 MQ-9B General Atomics high-altitude long endurance (HALE) drones. The AoN is the initial step in India’s defence procurement process.

Upon receiving the LoR, the US government will respond with a letter of offer and acceptance (LoA), following formal congressional notification. This will enable India to initiate negotiations with the US, considering the price and terms offered to other countries. The contract negotiation committee will finalize the deal, which will then be presented to the cabinet committee on security, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for final approval.

The proposed drone acquisition was mentioned in a joint statement issued by the US and India during Prime Minister Modi’s state visit to the US on June 22. The statement highlighted that General Atomics would establish a comprehensive global maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in India to support the country’s long-term goal of enhancing indigenous defence capabilities.

Out of the 31 drones, fifteen will be allocated to the navy, while eight each will be assigned to the army and the Indian Air Force. Ten drones are expected to be procured off the shelf, while the remaining 21 will be assembled in India. The estimated cost includes weapons, sensors, ground control stations, ground data terminals, ground handling equipment, spares, and logistics support.

Artel, Rivada Space Networks partner for Mission Critical Connectivity

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News Desk
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Artel, Rivada Space Networks partner for Mission Critical Connectivity
Rivada's OuterNET constellation will offer customers high-speed, highly secure global communications
Artel, Rivada Space Networks partner for Mission Critical Connectivity
Rivada’s OuterNET constellation will offer customers high-speed, highly secure global communications

Rivada Space Networks (RSN) and Artel LLC have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Master Services Agreement (MSA) to bring a new level of high security and low latency satellite communications to the government market through low earth orbit (LEO) constellations.

Artel LLC provides secure network communication services to U.S. government agencies. Based in the U.S, Artel is a carrier-agnostic network integrator – allowing it to develop customized solutions for its customers, providing cost-effective, on-time delivery of global terrestrial and satellite network communication services, cyber security, risk management, and information technology solutions.

Rivada’s LEO constellation will offer access to a secure satellite network with pole-to-pole reach, offering end-to-end latencies similar to or better than terrestrial fiber. The RSN satellite architecture combines inter-satellite laser links with advanced onboard data routers to create an optical mesh network in space. This approach to “orbital networking” delivers a highly secure data network by routing traffic on a physically separated network, providing a layer of defense for any organization that needs to securely share data over long distances. It is a unique capability for operations in the government services, enterprise, telecom, maritime and energy markets.

Artel is already using first-generation LEO constellations to deliver secure communications for government communications. In anticipation of the USG’s requirements to make use of advanced LEO systems, Artel will now work with Rivada to ensure the latest innovation in secure space architecture is available for mission critical connectivity.

Bentley announces Capabilities for Carbon Assessment

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News Desk
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Bentley announces Capabilities for Carbon Assessment

Bentley Systems, Incorporated, the infrastructure engineering software company, is announcing at the Environment Analyst Global Business Summit, the availability of new carbon assessment capabilities in iTwin Experience to enable infrastructure professionals to seamlessly quantify carbon reduction opportunities in their projects.

With the new capabilities, infrastructure professionals can fully automate embodied carbon calculation reports and impact analyses by taking advantage of iTwin Experience, enabling them to explore multiple design choices faster and eliminate manual data exports and normalization.

In 2022, Bentley developed an integration service in the iTwin Platform to automate the process of generating embodied carbon reports for infrastructure projects via One Click LCA and EC3. Reports are initiated using the iTwin Platform and then viewed in One Click LCA or EC3. Now, iTwin Experience provides a ready-to-go, bi-directional integration with EC3, enabling carbon assessments to be visualized in a digital twin without the need to write code. iTwin Experience exports a data model to EC3, a free tool for which users need to be separately registered, which performs the embodied carbon calculations and returns results that iTwin Experience seamlessly reads and visualizes.

Organizations that want to include carbon assessment workflows in their infrastructure projects without developing proprietary iTwin-powered apps will benefit from the newly available carbon calculation capabilities in iTwin Experience. The capabilities also unlock the integration of carbon assessment workflows with other Bentley products and solutions for designing and managing infrastructure projects.

The capabilities are being released in Preview and will be available for a restricted number of partners and early adopters.

Kaustubh Page, Director of Product Management with Bentley Systems, said, “Lifecycle assessments, environmental footprint analyses, and reports are becoming standard requirements for infrastructure projects worldwide. Designers and environmental engineers spend critical time generating environmental assessments or reports. Because the required data needed to be manually exported from multiple design authoring tools and then aggregated and verified, generating these environmental assessments has been a time-consuming and potentially error-prone process.”

Embodied carbon impact calculation from EC3 visualized in iTwin Experience. Design elements are color coded based on the severity of realized embodied carbon. Image courtesy of Bentley Systems.

Rodrigo Fernandes, Director of ES(D)G with Bentley Systems, said, “The sooner the carbon assessment is integrated into an infrastructure project, the bigger the carbon reduction opportunities will be. We are genuinely unlocking environmental footprint assessments powered by infrastructure digital twins.”

Design elements in logical groups for embodied carbon impact calculation. Image courtesy of Bentley Systems.

LexisNexis launches Geospatial Products to Address Weather Challenges 

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News Desk
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LexisNexis launches Geospatial Products to Address Weather Challenges 

LexisNexis launches Geospatial Products to Address Weather Challenges 

LexisNexis Risk Solutions has launched a new suite of geospatial products in a bid to address weather-related challenges faced by the UK and Ireland insurance market. Bluesky International’s National Tree Map (NTM) is one of three of new products being applied by the data analytics and technology provider.

NTM is a unique dataset that can provide highly valuable information to the insurance sector, and LexisNexis Risk Solutions have added the dataset to their portfolio, providing a holistic view of property risk for pricing and underwriting.

With data capturing the height, location and canopy cover of all trees in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, the dataset is sure to be a significant resource to help insurance firms identify customers most at risk from tree and wind related storm damage or subsidence.

Ralph Coleman, Chief Commercial Officer at Bluesky, commented, “Sadly we are already seeing the effects of climate change on our weather patterns, both here in the UK and Globally. While we need to do all we can to reverse or halt the progress of this, in the meantime we must prepare ourselves for what these changes mean. Increased risk from subsidence and storm damage is already having a significant impact on insurance claims. I’m really excited to see how these new services from LexisNexis Risk Solutions will bring further clarity to the market and result in more accurate pricing.”

Caroline Elliott-Grey, product manager, U.K. and Ireland, for LexisNexis Risk Solutions said, “Property insurance providers need to plan how they will map the long-term impact of climate change on their books of business. NTM, together with our new LexisNexis Basement Indicator and LexisNexis Windstorm Model join our offering of more than 40 additional data sets, including perils data down to an individual address. We are making it as easy as possible for insurance providers to access this data at point of quote via LexisNexis Informed Quotes and for more detailed risk visualisation through LexisNexis® Map View – our cloud-based geospatial data visualisation tool.

“More data means more granularity and spatial accuracy in the predictions, allowing for more accurate pricing, as well as the crucial ability to better manage risk as events unfold.”

SmartSat CRC & partners to develop AI enabled spacecraft with $7 million

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News Desk
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SmartSat CRC & partners to develop AI enabled spacecraft with $7 million

SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre, Australia’s space research centre, launched a $7 million project to develop new autonomous spacecraft using artificial intelligence (AI).

The three-year project, Spacecraft Autonomy and Onboard AI for Next Generation Space Systems, known as SCARLET-α, will bring together eight SmartSat partners: Airbus, Asension, Deakin University, Defence Science and Technology Group, Leonardo Australia, Saab Australia, Swinburne University of Technology, and University of South Australia (UniSA) in a collaborative research effort.

SCARLET-α aims to create a set of autonomous algorithms that will enable small and distributed spacecraft to make decisions independently, optimise the use of available resources and capabilities, adapt to changing conditions, and handle critical situations, without intervention from Earth.

The project will focus on high-impact areas of spacecraft autonomy and onboard AI as identified and prioritised with the industry and defence partners, including:

  • Onboard processing and actionable intelligence
  • Small spacecraft and constellation resilience
  • Dynamic optimisation of constellation resources
  • Real-time tasking and resource allocation

SmartSat CEO Professor Andy Koronios, says that, to date, onboard processing has been limited to data collection, but researchers hope the algorithms they develop will allow spacecraft to perform many tasks with less intervention from human operators.

“As autonomous technologies advance and are embraced, their place in space will expand and present new opportunities for applications here on Earth. The next generation of satellite communications and earth observation will be achieved using integrated systems of satellite constellations operating autonomously and performing multiple tasks in real-time. Such AI-enabled technologies promise to transform the major sectors of our economy, such as agriculture, farming, and mining, and better serve our defence and national security objectives.

This investment is possible through the great support of the Federal Government CRC Program Australia and will help develop cutting-edge technologies in space autonomy.”

“With next-generation space systems on the horizon, the possibilities for science, discovery and innovation are endless. SmartSat is well placed to progress Australia’s spacecraft autonomy capabilities to help our nation remain innovative and at the forefront of technology.”

SmartSat CRC Chair of Artificial Intelligence, UniSA STEM Professor Ryszard Kowalczyk, who is leading the project, says spacecraft autonomy will be a crucial feature of the next generation space systems.

“Spacecraft that can operate independently of ground contact will be able to respond to unexpected events in real-time without needing to wait for commands from Earth. This autonomy will improve Australia’s remote sensing capabilities and other vital services undertaken in space, allowing us to push the boundaries even further in orbit.”

“It will help increase the responsiveness and continuity of space-based observations, minimise communication and data access delays, and reduce space and ground operations costs.”

SCARLET-α is the flagship of a suite of projects SmartSat will deliver under its SCARLET lab (laboratory), a SmartSat initiative to develop innovative technologies across spacecraft autonomy, onboard Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics. The lab provides a collaborative platform to bring together researchers and industry to advance independence and produce tangible outcomes for Defence and Civil pursuits, enabling Australia’s next space missions.

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