Exploring the InternetE-government and private industry create new geo-

spatial informationapplications91.113-021

Instructor: Michael Krolak91.113-031

Instructor: Patrick KrolakSee also http://www.cs.uml.edu/~pkrolak/

Authors: P. D. & M. S. Krolak Copyright 2005

Tonight

• E-government and private industry move into the geo-spatial search and display applications

Source: http://www.arteffectsni.co.uk/web_design/cartoon_web_design.gif

Class Announcements

• Class Notes Have been posted.

E-government and digital maps

The US government has invested $Billions in research that originally intended for Defense, e.g. the Internet, GPS, and imagery both aerial and satellite. As the Cold War faded these projects became dual use and create whole new industries and private sector applications. The creation of digital maps, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and related developments will be the focus of this talk.

E-government

• E-government is the delivery of government products and services over the Internet.

• Designed to reduce the printed document and the need to travel to government offices to carry out business.

• The advent of census tiger files and geo-positioning satellites (GPS) has lead to the creation vast amounts of spatial information and the ability to track vehicles, planes, and vessels. Much of the data on the web and is presented as electronic maps that the user can interact with to drill down for further details and clarification

Entrepreneurial Applications of Electronic Maps

Geo Reference Search Engine

MetaCarta.com

• Funded by DARPA to create geographic search engines for military intelligence and other government applications.

The Internet and Weather

The US government using a wide range of data sources from sophisticate radars, weather balloons, and other sensor arrays creates many weather products. These are enhanced with other data and distributed by value added resellers over the Internet and other channels.

Weather maps

• Weather (Wx) maps are probably the most commonly used maps on the web.

• Weather news commonly use a variety of satellite & radar imagery, and weather charts

Hurricane Forecasting

• Hurricanes are some of the most deadly and costly natural disasters,

• The US government weather bureau and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency have tracked and researched hurricanes for years.

Google’s new earth site

• Google’s new earth product allows users to add satellite and other imagery on a real time basis.

• Here we see NASA infrared satellite data superimposed on the earth.google.com globe tracking the same hurricane (Emily on July 19, 2005) Image is updated every 3 hours.

Commercial Wx sites

• Much of today’s weather information is the result of the National Weather Service, (NWS).

• NWS provides a directory of commercial weather providers http://www.nws.noaa.gov/im/more.htm

Adding Weather to Google Earth

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

What is GIS?

Geography is information about the earth's surface and the objects found on it, as well as a framework for organizing knowledge. GIS is a technology that manages, analyzes, and disseminates geographic knowledge.

 

Source: http://www.gis.com/whatisgis/index.html

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

GIS software and databases have been rapidly growing in sophistication and complexity. The geospacial data allows for planning, training, and operations of all level of governments.

The data is often freely available to the public.

GIS Viewers

Freeware GIS Viewers -- Arc Explorer (Java):

Figure 1 Running Arc Explorer in a window with the TIGR street files for the Middlesex and

Norfolk Ma. Counties

Online Statistics

• Crime

• Schools

• City and Town Data:– http://www.city-data.com/

NationalAtlas.gov

• The National Atlas is the online Atlas of the US for the best source of maps.

Online Satellite and Aerial Imagery

Satellites and aerial imagery is now in commonplace use by governmental and private users over the web. The applications can be as diverse as real estate sales to homeland security and transportation productivity and safety.

Flood and other natural disaster maps

Natural Hazard maps

• Example data ESRI/FEMA maps –– http://www.esri.com/

hazards/makemap.html

• Earthquake maps and data– http://

earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/seismicity/us_seismicity.php

Satellite imagery and aerial data are now

merged with maps and GIS data

• Satellite imagery originally had its roots in government intelligence gathering, weather forecasting, and NASA environmental research.

• After the cold war ended, cheap Russian and French Spot data became available during the 90’s, and with the creation of digital maps, access to government developed GIS, GPS, and the Internet created new industries and markets.

Iranian Nuclear Installation – Source: unknown web site

GlobalXplorer

Owned by Mapquest and markets itself as the largest supplier of satellite and aerial imaging.

• GlobeXplorer’s Image Atlas can be addressed by address, lat/long, etc.

• Note the annoying copyright unless you are a paid subscriber.

• Shown is the application’s interface (dashboard)

• Company has like its competitors gone into real estate applications.

• A zoom image of the previous scene.

• Copyright images of the scene are available for a nominal price.

Digitalglobe

A major supplier of satellite and aerial imagery to application builders (eg. Google Earth). Developer of remote sensor satellites. See Quick Bird a commercial non-DOD satellite. Next generation satellite is Worldview a commercial satellite with 50 cm resolution http://www.geointelmag.com/geointelligence/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=97840.

E-Government and Private Industry use of GIS and Imagery for Productivity and Efficiency

The rise of e-gov and partnerships with private industry leads to new services and efficiency but leads to privacy and security issues.

Real Estate Tools

The internet offers the buyer and seller a larger, more informed, and competitive marketplace. It comes at the lose of a great of privacy. It also decreases cost by doing services on line. One no longer has to go to the county Office of Deeds to determine ownership, taxes, etc. Real estate fees are under pressure from sale by owner sites, mini service and sales assistance, etc. Real estate offices like travel agents, book stores, and other retail sites will be forced to adapt or go out of business.

http://www.zillow.com/

• Example of new Internet application --using the electronic tax assessor data to form a sophisticated application to estimate the sales value of real estate. Over 60 million US homes online.

• Data in similar sites and/or the local government online tax records can include property values, sales history, land plots and home layout.

http://www.globexplorer.com/

• GlobeXplorer features real estate information primarily about the western states and Florida.

• Fee based

http://www.isoldmyhouse.com/

• Homes for sale by owner

Using Google to find real estate

• Type “real estate” or “home for sale” in the search.

• Google will present form Add zip code or city,state in area of interest. Google will provide a dialog box to allow your to select home features and will give you google map etc.

http://www.propsmart.com/

• Uses Google map for major cities. Harder to use interface but offers GE data to allow you to select a metro area and will then send you to GE.

• Once in GE you can bore down in the regions of interest or select houses off the places window.

http://www.propsmart.com/ (more)

• Uses Google map for major cities. Click on icon for information, satellite, and hybrid views. Note you can filter the search to homes in your price range.

Electronic Maps (emaps)

Digital maps (emaps) are the basic tools of the geographer, urban planner, and military mission operations.

Historic e-maps

• The overlay of historic e-maps allows one to understand the growth of an area.

• The Sanborn digital maps prepared for insurance companies are tools for planners.

• Sanborn data is used in the 3d maps of google’s earth site.

See for instance: http://sanborn.umi.com/

Historic Boston Maps

For a good list of geographic and historic data –

http://www.boston-online.com/Maps/

For historic maps:

http://www.mapsovertime.com/t1.htm

Google’s new earth producthttp://earth.google.com/

• Google is now offering a new product that will allow the user to display satellite and government and private GIS data source.

• The basic system is free but to create a useful application requires a license fee of several hundred dollars per seat.

• Their Enterprise server for private application develop is in the hundred thousand dollar range not including data.

Google’s new earth producthttp://earth.google.com/

• Here we see one of the more interesting 3-D applications showing a basic 3-D architecture of 33 US and major international cities (Sanborn Corp data).

• Earth has a global digital elevation model (DEM) that allows the viewer to explore the terrain in 3-D.

• The application features an easy to use dashboard of controls and easy to use GIS databases including the 3-d buildings.

Finding information and data for GE

• The site http://www.googleearthhacks.com/ offers files of various applications, tours, blogs to answer questions and videos for training.

• You need to register to get to be able to download files, etc.

• Example add weather to GE

MSN Virtual Earthhttp://local.live.com/

• The site is currently in beta.

MicroSoft Approach

• MS is working with Pictometry.com who take aerial photos from 4 directions that allow the user to view the geographic view from any of four directions in their “bird eye view”

• Boston was one of the first cities to create such a geometric database.

• With Pictometry’s tools (not available in MS Live) the viewer can measure and resolve 6” images. This allows tax assessor to inspect the house for new un-permitted additions, etc. Can be used by Police and Fire departments in a variety of emergency situations. Click Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) for more information http://www.mapc.org/data_gis/pictometry_intro.html

MS Live (Fenway Park, Boston,Ma)Looking North

MS Live (Fenway Park, Boston, Ma)Looking South

Looking West

Amazon.com’s A9.com maps

Amazon.com has created an interesting entry in the geographic information search & display

The map is used to locate city blocks of interest and which then allows the viewer to see accurate street level photos to locate the traveler.

A9 DisplayLeft side lets viewer move along st. and right shows street level view

A9 Street level view of street Note both sides of the street

NASA’s Project WorldWind

• WorldWind is an open government source program written in C## and Active X for the PC.

• Allows for the display of satellite data and GIS information.

U Mass Lowell, (Terrafly 2m)

A photo tour of Paris onlinehttp://photos.pagesjaunes.fr

• Use the cursor on the map to locate the address and the photo window offers views from front, rear, etc.

• Many people are trying to find a cheap means of creating photo realist 3-d buildings.

The bread and butter 2-d electronic commercial maps

Location and directions

Locating the closest cheap gasoline

• A network of local sites that track gasoline prices.

• Novel feature is the so called “Nation Gasoline Price Temperature Map”

• As an exercise – compare high price states and a map of Blue vs. Red states in 2004 Election.

• Note the Taxes for state and federal price exceeds the Oil company profits by a factor of 2-5 times.

http://www.gasbuddy.com/

Map & Satellite Data Sources Links

• TerraFly for aerial and satellite photos.http://www.terrafly.com/

• Microsoft TerraServer for aerial and satellite photos:http://terraserver.microsoft.com/

• Google Maps and Satellite images:http://maps.google.com/

• Mapquest for maps and directions.http://www.mapquest.com/

Tracking vehicles, ships, & planes

Tracking is made possible thru radar, GPS, E911, and other technologies.

Tracking Land Based Vehicles

For enhanced fleet productivity, response time, service, and safety.

Increasing tracking is being done for safety and security.

Yahoo Traffic Reporthttp://maps.yahoo.com/traffic

Yahoo (detail Portland ME)

Yahoo Traffic (Chicago, Il)

Google’s Ridefinderhttp://labs.google.com/ridefinder

ER Mapper – Track GPS over satellite and map datahttp://www.earthetc.com/example_view.aspx?ETC_EXAMPLE_ID=9

Weather and Highwayshttp://www.weather.com/outlook/driving/interstate/regional?reg=us

Next Generation – Beat the Traffic

• Site Shows current traffic situations based on speed sensors, traffic reports, and repair and construction delay reports.

• What is novel is it attempts to forecast next 7 day traffic load.

• Produces a 3-d overview for television similar to long range weather forecasts.

• Site is fee based for cell phone and email updates.

• It is not available in all major cities.

Beat the Traffichttp://www.beatthetraffic.com/traffic/map.aspx?regionid=3&viewname=Chicago-Evanston

Moving the cursor along the route

will cause Information

popups to appear

Beat the Traffic

• Note – the current status of various commuter routes.

• Current travel time against ideal.

• Maps allow user to change scale.

Beat the Traffic (more)

• Note – one of the more interesting features of the site is its 7 day forecast of travel times on major commuter routes.

• This based on simulation models, historic data, and road sensors.

Great Britain (England & Wales) Vehicle Tracking

England and Vehicle Tracking

In England a number of innovative projects but highly controversial, are under development. If successful some form them will likely be tried in the US. At issue is tax, insurance, and registered vehicle and driver’s license compliance against creating a national database for tracking motorists.

Automate Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) – How it works

Camera Specifications

Effectiveness

Avoidance techniques

Applications:

• The London Congestion Zone– A daily fee ( £8 about $12 US) was created in 2003 to drive in central London.

• The fee is enforced by 230 CCTV cameras(180 on the roads entering and 50 in the interior).

• It is estimated that the use of ANPR catches 98% of violators.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Congestion_Charge#Technology_and_enforcement

ANPR Applications (more):

• Traffic management of flow and congestion.

• Monitor traffic for expired plates, license, warrents outstanding, etc.

• Collecting tolls• Speeding

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Congestion_Charge#Technology_and_enforcement

Air Traffic and Air Travel

Traffic Flow Management

• The airspace is approaching saturation and requires cooperation between those who fly in the airspace, air traffic control, and traffic flow management, to provide safety, productivity, and to minimize delays.

• Requires that all aircraft in the North American space and all of the aircraft from Europe, Pacific, and some of South America (~ 7500 airplanes at max and 150,000 aircraft a day)

Traffic Flow Management – Showing the flow of planes into OHare

FAA Online Airport Statushttp://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp

Live Air Traffic Control Voice Traffichttp://jfktower.com/jfktwr/viewtopic.php?t=1246

• Listen to various air traffic voice communications at a variety of airports.

• The voice traffic is from various stages of arrival and departures, i.e. tower-pilot, arrival sector traffic control-pilot, etc.

Commercial Application of Traffic Management Data

Data of a non-sensitive nature is made available to industry from the FAA. Value added resellers add data from private sources and create new applications and uses.

Commercial Applications

• Airlines track the progress of their airplanes on their websites for customer conveyance (passenger pickup)

• Airline operations (management of gates)

• Limos and taxis use information to time arrivals

• Environment monitor noise around airports

Passur Airport Monitoringhttp://www.passur.com/sites.htm

• Passur provides a replay of air traffic over airports.

• Current data is delayed 15 min. for security purposes.

• Provides a replay at a variety of distances and rates of replay.

Logan Airport Monitor

Figure 1 Commercial site displaying filtered air traffic data from ETMS. Note that data is delayed for security. Here we show a replay of the air traffic near the airport air space (TRACON). Note the platoon of landing aircraft (blue) approaching over the harbor.

Flight Tracking Sites

Flight Tracking sites use feeds from the FAA and ARINC to locate and track aircraft.

Flightview athttp://www.flightview.com/

Flightview is typical of the value added resellers that repackage and add proprietary data to create applications for the airlines and their travelers

Flight TrackingAir France AF 337 Boston/ParisShown approaching Paris

Flightview Live product

• Live tracking of an aircraft for 99¢/day

• At most 3 aircraft in one day and only one at a time.

• Note the weather is on and flight path is shown. Current speed and heading are also shown.

Other FlightView products

• Air Traffic over North America.

• No flight information can be accessed.

• Air traffic filtered for Boston (BOS) arrivals.

Google Earth’s tracking

Google Earth allows viewers to add data to its 3-d world including air traffic, marine, and land based vehicles.

Google Earth as a geographic information rich infrastructure

• Google makes easy to display GIS and other data that allows the creation of situational displays.

• Users can add custom static data, web cam locations, weather, and dynamic data with Earth’s supplied tools and KML scripts (XML).

• The 3-D buildings and terrain provide a tactical and strategic planning and operational tool.

Fboweb.com

• Fboweb has integrated real aircraft tracking data into the Google Earth (GE) and has created high useful displays of air traffic.

• This first application will surely lead to a next generation of multi modal supply chain tools.

• In order to use Floweb data with GE it is necessary to download KML scripts for each regional airport (click http://www.fboweb.com/antest/ge/intro.aspx )

• Fboweb supplies for a fee other useful applications for the pilot and aviation industry.

Google Earth with live 3-d air traffic

In the Google Earth merging Traffic Management Data

• The current model allows for aircraft arrivals for five pacing airports in the US (Boston, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angles, Miami, Seattle).

• Click on the gray airplanes to get flight id and other data.

• The white poles (allow estimate height), purple lines are the aircraft’s recent track in 3-d space.

Aircraft approaching O’Hare March 26, 2006 at 7 CST

Different view same time note 3-d downtown Chicago, Il

Tools for the air traveler

http://www.flightarrivals.com/

• Arrivals• Departures• Delays• Schedule Changes• Airport Status

– Includes the airport weather radar

• Can be used with GE– Once a flight has be found

a track can be viewed on google.

Vessel Tracking

Since 9-11 vessel tracking has received more emphasis, for both security and marine safety. However, supply chain efficiency and port operation also greatly benefit from near real time tracking.

Vessel tracking

• Automatic Identification System (AIS) uses GPS to track vessels at sea.

• It is used for safety as it allows ships to see all of the vessels within a 30 mile radius.

• It is a security device and all ships within 2000 miles of the US are required to use it.

Cruise Ship Locations in the Gulf of MexicoMarch 29, 2005 4PM Est

Current MA Bay http://www.sealinks.net/MABay.htm

Mar 29, 2005 5PMBoston Berge is an LNG tanker

AISLive.com

• Site is worldwide is available on real time basis for a fee. Non fee user’s are delayed one hour.

• Site is tied to ship imagery data and other data bases for detailed imformation about the vessels.

AISlive.comShip Information (Hein)

AISlive.comVessel image (Hein)

Useful Maritime Data

• USCG search tool to find ship information http://cgmix.uscg.mil/PSIX/PSIX2/VesselSearch.asp