#yearroundup — Our 10 best magazine articles

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Electromagnetic Location (EML) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) are being extensively used to geolocate below the surface utility networks and hidden construction, reduce engineering risks and build a 3D map to aid surface and subsurface construction. By Ananya Narain.

The world around us is undergoing a digital transformation, altering the way we go about our daily lives. This wave of change, however, poses a serious threat to the developing and underdeveloped world, as the gap between hyper-digitized and under-connected countries widens. With data assuming unprecedented significance, the key to sustainable development for all lies in better connectivity and collaboration. By Avneep Dhingra.

Improvements in launch systems and innovations such as the use of commercial-off-the-shelf technology for space applications are driving down costs, while a diverse range of sensors are bringing in greater spatial resolution, higher temporal cadence and richer spectral coverage. This combination of decreased cost and increased capabilities is unleashing a whole new NewSpace ecosystem. By Anusuya Datta.

UNHCR was racing against time to build a settlement camp for refugees in Bangladesh when the Rohingya crisis blew up. The team had to settle 600,000 people in six months in a flood-prone, unstable area. That’s where Autodesk’s site planning software came in handy. By Mahashreveta Choudhary.

As the world gets smarter and more connected, 5G and geospatial will together be powering cities of the future. By Anusuya Datta.

While technology adds comfort to our life, it is the state of one’s being that defines the quality of life. It is worthwhile to pay attention to how one can improve the state of one’s being, and spirituality is the technology for that. By Sri Sri Ravishanker.

Satellite earth observation is a global enterprise right from the days of Landsat. However, with rapid privatization of the industry, there are conflicts between the data policy dictated by commercial requirements and national laws. Initiatives at national, sub-national and regional levels and their due alignment with each other is imperative to understand the impact on the industry. By Prof. Arup Dasgupta.

Syria, or the Syrian Arab Republic, has witnessed unspeakable devastation in the last decade. Its refugee crisis, next only to World War II, has left over five million people displaced. In the absence of monitoring organizations on the ground, satellite imagery has played a significant role in assessing the extent of damage caused by a long-standing conflict. By Aditya Chaturvedi.

The availability of location and positioning can actually be a matter of life and death in certain situations. What we take for granted today was once a defense-purpose technology, with limited civilian applications. The mainstreaming of location and positioning not only ushered a technological revolution but also paved the way for an interconnected world driven by digitalization and a confluence of technologies. By Aditya Chaturvedi.

Donkey Sanctuary, a UK-based charity, is using location and other technologies to assess and improve the living and working conditions of donkeys in South Asia. By Avneep Dhingra.