Position 113 June-July 2021

June/July 2021 – No. 113

The Australasian magazine of surveying, mapping & geo-information

THE RISE OF AI Geospatial’s brave new frontier

Official publication of

inside 2030 space roadmap Getting serious about getting into orbit

Cross River Rail Combining GIS, BIM and mapping

The view from above Q&A with drone pilot Amy Steiger

Vibration Monitoring Solutions You can install and set up in minutes.

Now available from Position Partners.

info@positionpartners.com.au www.positionpartners.com.au

contents

June/July 2021 No.113

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features 13 Virtual tourism How spatial data is helping the tourism industry recover from COVID-19.

14 Q&A with Amy Steiger An early interest in maps has led Amy Steiger into a career as a GIS professional and drone pilot.

16 The rise of AI – geospatial’s new frontier The use of AI in the geospatial sector is already paying dividends, but there’s still a long way to go.

20 Best of both worlds VTOL drone delivers superior imagery, long range and flexibility to take off and land anywhere.

22 Fifty years of the AHD in NSW

34 The crossover of mapping, BIM and GIS

The Australian Height Datum celebrates its half-century in 2021.

We look back at how it all came about.

Brisbane’s new underground Cross River Rail is setting new benchmarks for the federation of BIM, GIS and 3D visualisation.

25 Connecting communities and building the nation The Locate21 conference saw local and international experts outline the sector’s role in modern society.

28 A roadmap for where space meets spatial Australia gets down-to-earth about shifting into orbit, with input invited into a new 2030 industry plan.

30 The Gawler Craton Airborne Survey

regulars 4 4 7 8 37 38

Upfront Upcoming events From the editor News New products SSSI updates

How to produce 1.66 million line kilometres of new data over an area covering 294,000 square kilometres.

www.spatialsource.com.au 3

upfront Upcoming Events 12–15 July: Esri User Conference https://www.esri.com/en-us/about/ events/uc/overview

The project was awarded the 2020 Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science.

Citizen scientists of the coast S ince 2017, citizen scientists have been working with researchers to monitor changes on open coast beaches along the coastline of Victoria, with the work expanding into Port Phillip Bay in 2020. Under the Victorian Coastal Monitoring Program (VCMP, https://www.marineandcoasts.vic.gov. au/coastal-programs/victorian-coastalmonitoring-program), more than 120 community members and 30 council and state government employees at 20 sites have used lightweight drones to cover the full extent of the state, from Portland to Port Phillip Bay to Seaspray, with surveys repeated every six weeks.

So far, more than 350 surveys, totalling over 1,000 hours of flight-time, have covered more than 1,000 kilometres of coastline.

The work is a partnership that includes scientists from Victoria’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), the University of Melbourne, Deakin University, Monash University, the University of Wollongong, Macquarie University and Propeller Aerobotics.

“The scientific value of coastal monitoring data grows exponentially over time,” said Jak McCarroll, a coastal processes scientist in the Environment and Climate Change group, within DELWP. McCarroll has worked on coastal monitoring programs in NSW and the UK,

and joined the VCMP team in Oct 2020.

“The longer we monitor a coastline, the greater our ability to understand and predict how wave climate, human interventions and changing sea levels will modify beaches in the future,” he said.

A number of research outputs from the VCMP have featured in international peerreviewed scientific journals, including ‘Citizen science for monitoring seasonalscale beach erosion and behaviour with aerial drones,’ by PhD student Nick Pucino and the VCMP team, published earlier this year in Scientific Reports.

As well as being highly regarded within academic circles, in November 2020 the project was awarded the Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science. Lawrance Ferns, coordinator of the VCMP and the Marine Knowledge Manager in DELWP’s Environment and Climate Change group, used to watch the Eureka Prizes on television in their early years. “It’s quite coincidental that 25 years later we’ve ended up getting an award. I wasn’t expecting that,” he said.

The drone program will continue until at least the end of 2021, and potentially further into the future at some sites.

“It is critical, now that the hard work of initiating this ground-breaking citizen science project has been completed, that the project be continued into the future,” said McCarroll. n

More than 150 people have used the drones along Victoria’s coastline, such as shown here at Seaspray.

4–5 August: SSNZ Annual Conference 2021 https://www.surveyspatialnz.org/

18–19 August: World of Drones & Robotics Congress 2021 https://www.worldofdrones.com.au/

25 August: Advancing Earth Observation Forum https://www.spaceindustry.com.au/ event/advancing-earth-observationforum-2020-brisbane/

3 September: 2021 SSSI Tasmania Surveying & Spatial Conference https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/2021-tas-conference

17 September: Spatial Information Day & APSEA-SA 2021 https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/sid21

11–15 October: 27th ITS World Congress 2021 https://its-australia.com.au/events/27thits-world-congress-2021-hamburg/

15 October: SSSI NSW & ACT 2021 Regional Conference https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/sssi-nsw-act-2021-regionalconference

19–21 October: 12d Technical Forum https://events.12dsynergy.com/

22–23 October: 2021 NSW CSA October Conference https://www.acsnsw.com.au/ eventdetails/9118/2021-nsw-csa-octoberconference

27–29 October: HydroSpatial2021 Conference http://ahs.wildapricot.org/event-4262936

4 position June/July 2021

partner feature

Bob Chell is Chief Product Officer with 1Spatial

Q&A with 1Spatial’s Bob Chell: Predicting Leakages with Machine Learning and 1Integrate

M

achine Learning is one part of the wide spectrum of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques that have been discussed for decades, since Alan Turing spoke of a “machine that can learn from experience”. Machine Learning is based on techniques as neural networks where the system learns from, or detects patterns from, examples and sample data.

In practice, this is usually implemented alongside other approaches where you have specifically defined logic and rules.

For example, with self-driving cars you could use Machine Learning to help inform image recognition (improving recognition of paths and hazards), however you wouldn’t use Machine Learning to teach driving regulations – you would dictate these in advance.

Q: Where might AI be applied to gain geospatial insight?

Bob Chell: Geospatial analytics are vital

for infrastructure management across various modalities of cities’ assets.

For example, efficient water resource management is of paramount priority to water utility companies around the world. While leakages in a water supply network amount to the loss of water as a precious resource, the leakages in water distribution systems can also lead to health and safety issues.

The ability to identify high risk locations within the network, which are susceptible to a variety of damages, not only helps avoid interruptions to water

supply but also allows agencies to plan for handling emergency events in an efficient way. Any disruption in the water supply network leads to an equal magnitude of disruption in other facilities of a city or town’s infrastructure such as the damage caused to roads, power supply lines, drainages, and traffic. Being able to predict any such possible disruption to water supply lines in advance, allows agencies to coordinate well while repair works are taken up.

Q: But how can we predict a likely breakage when there are so many seemingly random factors?

Bob: The key is to be able to develop

a system that learns and understands the unobservable and hidden relations between various structural properties of the network, such as the material of the pipeline, along with the other parameters that render a pipe vulnerable to breakage.

Such additional parameters include age of the pipe, previous history of leakage (either for a similar material of the pipe or at a given location), the length, diameter, or elevation of the pipe installation.

Q: How do we then collate data in a meaningful way from which to draw predictions?

Bob: The answer lies in the approach

taken by us at 1Spatial, and our global Location Master Data Management (LMDM) software and solutions. 1Spatial have developed a hybrid Neurosymbolic

The 1Spatial Platform

AI system, which leverages Machine Learning in combination with 1Integrate - a rules-based Symbolic AI engine.

Machine learning is closely coupled to 1Integrate to provide a complementary capability. Together the ML and rulesbased AI capabilities enable both scalability and generalisation capabilities that any application can leverage.

By using the 1Spatial Leakage solution, it becomes possible to perform geospatial predictive analytics based on machine learning. This allows us to consider other supporting data such as the type of soil, or proportion of intersections with roads and railways which make pipe breakages highly likely.

While 1Integrate as an efficient rulebased engine is capable of geospatial analytics, the trained machine learning model uses the data and identifies correlations and patterns across various attributes of the pipeline by means of probabilistic learning and deep learning neural networks.

As a result, 1Spatial’s Leakage solution can be used in a dynamic manner by water utility companies to chart out a leakage probability map and preventive maintenance plans. Tests against past data show very promising results using this approach of ‘Predictive Geoanalytics’, where it is effectively used to address and solve the problem of predicting possible leakages in water pipelines in advance. n Information provided by 1Spatial Australia

FIND OUT MORE: Visit 1spatial.com to learn more about 1Spatial’s Leakage solution and other products and solutions.

Email us at Sales.australia@1spatial.com and reference code Leakage15 to receive 15% off.

For more details on 1Spatial’s approach to AI and Machine Learning, tune in to episode 3 of the podcast 1Spatial: Unlock the Value of Data, available on Spotify and other podcast platforms. www.spatialsource.com.au 5

sales@survey.crkennedy.com.au

www.survey.crkennedy.com.au

from the editor The Australasian magazine of surveying, mapping & geo-information

Publisher Simon Cooper Editor Jonathan Nally jnally@intermedia.com.au National Advertising Manager Jon Tkach jon@intermedia.com.au Prepress Tony Willson Production Manager Jacqui Cooper Subscribe Position is available via subscription only.

A 12 month subscription (6 issues) is AUD$76.00. To subscribe visit www.intermedia.com.au, phone: 1800 651 422 or email: subscriptions@intermedia.com.au website: www.spatialsource.com.au Position is published six times a year, in February, April, June, August, October and December by Interpoint Events Pty Ltd. ABN: 9810 451 2469 Address: 41 Bridge Road, Glebe NSW 2037 Ph: +61 2 9660 2113 Fax: +61 2 9660 4419 Reprints from Position are permitted only with the permission of the publisher. In all cases, reprints must be acknowledged as follows: ‘Reprinted with permission from Position Magazine’, and must include the author’s byline.

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher.

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A vital Australian industry H

ello, I am your new editor for Position and Spatial Source, and I have to say that I am delighted to have been appointed to the role. I well remember when the publication began almost 30 years ago under its then title, GIS User, and it’s great to see it flourishing so many years later. That’s a testament not only to all of the people who have produced and contributed to it over the years, but also to the ongoing and ever-increasing importance of the space and spatial sectors to all of Australian society. We’re all privileged to work in an industry that is vital for our nation’s health, wealth and security.

The federal government has certainly recognised the sector’s importance. In its recent annual budget it announced a raft of funding measures that will be of direct or indirect benefit to the space and spatial industries. This includes $40.2 million for the Digital Atlas of Australia, an extra $13.3 million for the Australian Space Agency and more than $100 million on various AI initiatives, including a National Artificial Intelligence Centre. There’s also $10.7 million for a Digital Skills Cadetship Trial and $22.6 million over six years for a Next Generation Emerging Technology Graduates Program. All of this should help to boost the sector and increase the overall pool of skilled and talented individuals available across the nation.

And the wide expanse of talent and professional accomplishments in the industry was definitely on show during the Locate21 conference in March. It was great to be able to watch it remotely, as most participants did, and take in all the information presented. A big shout out must go to the members of the organising committee, who — following Brisbane’s snap COVID-19 lockdown — did a superb job at short notice in pivoting the event from a hybrid in-person/online conference to an almost-entirely online affair. I think all will agree that their efforts made Locate21 a huge success.

There were many topics covered during the conference, some of which we go into in this issue of Position. And leading that is our cover story about the role of AI in geospatial — what it can and should do, what it can’t or shouldn’t do, and who gets to decide. The article canvasses a wide range of opinions on this important topic, and we’d be happy to hear yours — feel free to email me at jnally@intermedia.com.au.

Jonathan Nally Editor

August/September 2021 – Issue 114

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Digital Twins – the new dimension in infrastructure Hydrography and bathymetry – surveying and sounding the distant depths Optimising the plot – the technology reshaping agriculture Advertising booking date: 9 July 2021 Advertising material date: 14 July 2021 Publication date: 2 August 2021

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news LatConnect 60, SSTL form ‘Space Bridge’ partnership Australian firm LatConnect 60 and UK-based Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) have announced the first partnership under the UK-Australia ‘Space Bridge’.

The ‘Space Bridge’ program was launched in February by the Australian Space Agency and UK Space Agency with the aim of increasing investment and knowledgesharing between both countries’ space sectors.

SSTL, which will retain ownership and overall in-orbit satellite operation, will lease imaging payload capacity on its S1-4 satellite as well as enable operational access to LatConnect 60 to submit tasking requests for its capacity share.

The 450kg S1-4 is capable of acquiring multiple targets in one pass, utilising spot, strip and mosaic imaging modes and 45 degree off-pointing agility for a range of applications including urban planning, agricultural monitoring, land classification, natural resource management and disaster monitoring.

The spacecraft’s imager acquires sub-1m resolution images in panchromatic mode and sub-4m resolution images in multispectral mode, with a swath width of about 20.8 km.

“We are very excited to have signed this agreement with SSTL and to be working together at the forefront of space innovation. Our satellite service will boost Australia’s, and the region’s, strategic observation capabilities,” said Venkat Pillay, CEO of LatConnect 60.

“Utilising satellite capacity exclusively in Australia, LatConnect 60 will be able to fill key data gaps for customers, while developing local capability which will create jobs and help grow the rapidly emerging Australian space sector.”

Sub-1m GSD pan-sharpened image of Capital Hill, Canberra, acquired by the SSTL S1-4 satellite in May 2021. Courtesy SSTL.

Karl Rodrigues, General Manager (acting) at the Australian Space Agency (ASA) hailed the partnership as an important development in the ‘Space Bridge’.

“Australian businesses and researchers have even more opportunities to showcase their capabilities to the world,” he said.

“It is an important step in helping to grow Australia’s space industry through international partnerships.”

Multi-feed antenna system to boost satcoms Australian-developed multiple-feed antenna technology will enable ground stations to communicate simultaneously with hundreds of satellites.

Developed for the CSIRO’s Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope system in Western Australia, the tech is being commercialised by a new start-up, Quasar Satellite Technologies.

The company hopes to capitalise on the communication needs of upcoming large fleets of communications satellites.

Around 57,000 comsats are due for launch over the next decade.

“Space is the highway of the stars, but current ground station technology is the equivalent of one-lane on-ramps,” said Quasar CEO, Phil Ridley.

“By making it possible to communicate with hundreds of satellites simultaneously, we’ll be able to ensure the thousands of satellites launching over the next decade have a way to call home efficiently.”

“CSIRO’s phased array technology revolutionised radio astronomy by enabling ASKAP to see enormous portions of the sky at once — about 30 times the area that conventional telescopes could see,” added CSIRO commercialisation specialist and a founding Director of Quasar, Dr Ilana Feain.

Quasar will offer the tech on an ‘as a service’ basis, in much the same way as cloud computing services are currently consumed.

The satellite ground segment market is forecast to be worth $130 billion over the next ten years.

8 position June/July 2021

“Fleet Space has been heavily investing in beamforming advancements for our nanosatellite, and strongly believe Quasar’s cutting-edge technology will change the dynamics of the space industry,” said Flavia Tata Nardini, Co-Founder and CEO of Fleet Space Technologies.

“Having one beam-forming ground station simultaneously service multiple satellites will eliminate congestion in LEO, where there is a need to compete for a limited number of available ground stations globally.”

Quasar is being supported by $12 million in funding, technology and industry expertise from CSIRO, Main Sequence, the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer, and Australian firms Vocus, Saber Astronautics, Fleet Space Technologies and Clearbox Systems.

CSIRO

news Dragonflies could be the future of drones

NASA Visible Earth

$13.3m boost for the Australian Space Agency The federal government has announced an additional $13.3 million for the Australian Space Agency to boost its capacity to deliver regulatory services and support the growth of the industry.

“Space is the new frontier for modern manufacturing and is one of the Government’s six National Manufacturing Priorities,” said the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Christian Porter.

“Roadmaps developed with industry have recently been released by the Morrison Government to inform the longterm strategy in each of these priority industries, including space, and to help capture exciting new opportunities to grow these sectors and create jobs.

“Innovation in the space sector also supports advancement in other essential industries, including agriculture and transport.”

Last month, the federal government announced that it will invest $387.2 million in the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope over the next decade.

The project’s 10-year construction phase should see the creation of more than 350 jobs, with a further 230 ongoing positions to come over its 50-year life.

Others science and technology initiatives announced in the latest Federal Budget include: • $66.4 million over six years to boost workforce skills in cyber security and emerging technologies.

• $22.6 million over six years for 234 scholarships to support emerging technologies areas, identified through the Modern Manufacturing Strategy.

• $42.4 million over seven years to boost women in STEM through industry-focused university scholarships.

• $2.6 million to help Australian manufacturers and smalland medium-sized businesses access Commonwealth procurement.

In research that could lead to more efficient flapping-wing drones, University of South Australia PhD students are investigating the aerodynamic properties of dragonfly wings.

The students spent part of last year’s COVID-19 lockdown scanning 75 different dragonfly species kept in museum collections.

They had to develop a novel technique for photographing the specimens (which are kept in glass display cases), before using the data to construct 3D models of the bodies and wings and drawing comparisons between them.

According to the students’ supervisor, UniSA Professor of Sensor Systems, Javaan Chahl, even after 300 million years of evolution dragonflies are the ultimate flying machine and an “apex insect flyer”.

“Dragonflies are supremely efficient in all areas of flying. They need to be. After emerging from under water until their death (up to six months), male dragonflies are involved in perpetual, dangerous combat against male rivals,” said Professor Chahl.

“Mating requires an aerial pursuit of females and they are constantly avoiding predators. Their flying abilities have evolved over millions of years to ensure they survive.

“They can turn quickly at high speeds and take off while carrying more than three times their own body weight. They are also one of nature’s most effective predators, targeting, chasing and capturing their prey with a 95% success rate.”

According to the researchers, drones with dragonfly-like high lift-to-drag ratio wings could be ideally suited to many tasks, such as lifting and delivering unbalanced loads, operating near people (without the danger of spinning rotors), investigating sensitive environments and conducting long-duration missions that call for excellent power economy.

The research has been published in the journal Drones.

University of South Australia

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news Honeywell offers non-GPS navigation for military aircraft Honeywell says it is now able to offer military grade aircraft navigation systems that do not rely upon GPS signals.

The company says its new “robust line-up of alternative navigation solutions” take inputs from a variety of non-jammable sources.

The products are intended for situations where “GPS signals are blocked, interrupted or unavailable”… something that is becoming increasingly likely in some of the world’s geopolitical hotspots.

GPS denial is “a minor inconvenience” for the public, “but for military operations, not having access to critical positioning and timing information can make or break a mission,” said Matt Picchetti, vice president and general manager, Navigation & Sensors, Honeywell Aerospace.

The alternative technologies on offer include: Vision-Aided Navigation, which compares a live optical or infra-red camera feed to reference maps to provide what the company claims is GPS-like accuracy; Celestial-Aided Navigation technology that takes the measured positions of stars and “reference objects” such as satellites and compares them to reference stars; and Magnetic Anomaly-Aided Navigation technology that compares magnetic field measurements to magnetic data maps.

The company says prototype systems will be ready in 2022 with initial deliveries of production models expected in 2023.

Non-GPS navigation is making something of a comeback for use as a backup in case of GPS signal denial. For instance, the US Navy is once again training navigators in celestial navigation techniques.

Honeywell

US Air Force

Mapping buildings after the Beirut blast Within days of the August 4, 2020, explosion that shattered the city of Beirut and its port, experts were on the ground mapping the damage.

The awful calamity provided an opportunity for scientists to compare ground and satellite data in assessing the aftereffects of the disaster.

According to Jonathan Stewart, a civil and environmental engineer at the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues at the American University of Beirut, satellite-based damage proxy maps were good at differentiating between severely damaged buildings and undamaged buildings.

However they were less effective for evaluating moderate levels of damage to structures or façades.

“The main take away is that the damage proxy maps can definitely distinguish severe damage from lack of damage” for both structural and façade assessments, Stewart said, “but they are not as good at finer tuning.”

“If what you’re interested in is a fairly detailed picture of what has happened, it’s not able to replace a person who actually knows what they’re doing looking at the structure, particularly from the inside,” he added.

The research was arranged through the US National Science Foundation-sponsored Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association.

The team also included members from the University of Illinois and the University of Calabria in Italy.

“We felt that it was important to gather perishable data that we anticipate will be useful to people who study blast effects in an urban setting, and to learn something from this disaster to improve our resilience to future such disasters,” Stewart said.

It is hoped that the information gathered will help engineers learn more about how to build structures that can withstand comparable events, such as earthquakes.

The ammonium nitrate and fuel-fed explosion was the equivalent of a magnitude 3.3 earthquake.

POSITION’S NEWS ORIGINATES FROM Australia and New Zealand’s only site for surveying and spatial news.

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news Canberra outlines its vision for drones Drones, advanced air mobility (AAM) and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles are at the heart of the federal government’s new National Emerging Aviation Technologies (NEAT) Policy Statement.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack, said the government wants to help Australia remain at the forefront of development and adoption of emerging aviation technologies.

“Growth in the use of drones and eVTOL in Australia is estimated to support more than 5,000 jobs and a $14.5 billion increase in GDP over the next 20 years – of which $4.4 billion would be in regional areas across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

“As part of the NEAT Policy Statement, the Government is investing $35.7 million to establish the Emerging Aviation Technology Partnerships program, including a Drone Rule Management System and Drone Detection Network.”

Alex Butterfield/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

The Deputy Prime Minister said the program “will establish strategic partnerships with industry to support aviation manufacturing jobs and encourage adoption of emerging aviation technologies to address community needs, particularly in regional Australia”.

“These partnerships will trial new service delivery models, such as using AAM to create regional passenger and

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cargo links, providing benefit for regional communities and their economies while also increasing business efficiency, and reducing carbon emissions through new technology.”

“We are in a unique position as a nation to grasp the benefits of drones with both hands, to further bolster our economy, create jobs, support service delivery and back stronger communities.”

partner feature The Adelaide Convention Centre reproduced in 3D as a virtual tourism asset to draw lucrative events

How spatial data is driving virtual tourism

T

he Covid-19 pandemic saw an unexpected convergence of the spatial and the tourism industries.

The restricted movement pushed the tourism industry to find new ways to overcome distances and transport people to the faraway lands they could not reach.

Virtual tourism is an ideal proxy for travel during this period of restricted movement. Ongoing, virtual tourism will play a marketing role to draw tourists into real-world locations. In future, virtual tourism assets remain valuable for their historical archiving.

Spatial experts and world leaders in 3D modelling Aerometrex have years of experience in recreating spaces for virtual tourism.

3D mesh models are a compelling asset because their size and detail let them work from any elevation or proximity.

Viewers can experience elevated flyovers before dropping to the ground for photorealistic vistas. Improving camera and sensor hardware matched with software and processing techniques mean future 3D assets will only get better.

VIRTUAL TOURISM PROJECTS Below are some examples of Aerometrex’s tourism-oriented 3D modelling from recent years.

3D MODELS – THE ULTIMATE VIRTUAL TOURISM ASSET

PAU France’s “City of Art and History”, Pau in the Pyrenees, commissioned Aerometrex to build a 3D model of their old city in 2019. The final Pau model used over 100,000 2D images with resolution between 3mm and 20mm per pixel to build the mesh.

Project Manager Jean-Michel Lopez said “In tourism, the model can be a real ambassador for the city. People can walk like a pedestrian in a virtual space. This tool can be enriched with references from merchants, companies or services, so that the viewer can click on a front door or storefront and switch either to their website or to the digital model of the interior of the building.”

Tourism was only a single use for Pau’s model. The city uses it for town planning, transportation and traffic management, heritage documentation of the old city, risk management, and urban logistics.

Aerometrex’s massive multiscale 3D models are ideal for virtual tourism. They photograph real-world locations from aerial platforms, including aeroplanes and helicopters. Aerometrex’s additional street-level photography fills in fine features. From thousands of 2D images, a life-like and life-size 3D model gets built using photogrammetry techniques.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2020 saw Aerometrex’s first model commissioned entirely for virtual tourism.

Aerometrex recreated the City of Adelaide’s North Terrace and Seppeltsfield Winery in the neighbouring Barossa Valley.

The model showcases the Adelaide Convention Centre and Seppeltsfield

DEFINING VIRTUAL TOURISM In its simplest form, virtual tourism is the recreation of a location or experience intended to either substitute for an actual visit or inspire one in future. Virtual tourism has existed in a basic form for decades: magazine spreads full of beautiful photos or television shows presenting aspirational experiences have created emotive situations to draw travellers.

Modern virtual tourism uses the apex of content production and delivery.

Similarly, Aerometrex’s 3D modelling production capabilities improve alongside the digital delivery platforms to make ever-more accurate renditions.

Winery to draw lucrative corporate events, conventions, and the thousands of associated attendees to the city.

Tying professional events and boutique tourism experiences primes the end user to spend more money in the local economy. Seppeltsfield Winery’s digital twin historically archives the site and has uses for advanced 3D visualisationbased marketing.

GREAT OCEAN ROAD Aerometrex captured 80 km2 of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road for the Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning as part of the ongoing Great Ocean Road Action Plan.

The model shows how modern technology assists in creating a permanent record of natural heritage areas and supporting the care, maintenance, and development of an iconic stretch of land.

Coastal erosion makes the data capture more important because the landscape is forever changing. The model enables more people than ever to experience the incredible views during a time of restricted travel.

TIME TRAVEL The digital twins of today’s cities will be base assets for virtual tourism in the future.

Future visualisation platforms with AI-based systems to increase resolution, enhance textures, and fill in any gaps in current models will ensure the longevity of current 3D data. That will make immersive, time-based virtual tourism, educational experiences, and city-wide spatial data archiving completely viable.

Aerometrex’s 3D models of regions such as Pau, Bendigo, the Great Ocean Road, and Denver will be usable far into the future for anyone wanting to experience specific snapshots in time. The core data of Aerometrex’s 3D modelling will act as useful assets for virtual tourism and many other spatial industries long into the future. n Information provided by Aerometrex.

The National Wine Centre is a popular location for tourists visiting Adelaide

LEARN MORE Go to www.aerometrex.com.au to learn more about 3D modelling. www.spatialsource.com.au 13

q&a

Q&A with Amy Steiger An early interest in maps and geography has led Amy Steiger into an award-winning career as a GIS professional and drone pilot.

“We should not be afraid to be a little innovative or challenge the way we have always done something.”

Amy Steiger is a GIS Manager and Data Acquisition Lead with Cardno, an international infrastructure, environmental and social development company that operates in more than 100 countries. She has been recognised for her work with a Special Achievement Award from the SSSI in 2019, and an Industry Champion Award from the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems in 2020.

Steiger, who is based in Wollongong in NSW, spoke to us about her career and the challenges and opportunities for professionals in this field.

POSITION: Please tell us what your job involves.

AS: I’ve been with Cardno since I was a graduate and now lead a team of GIS professionals from our Wollongong office.

I’m also one of our qualified drone pilots.

For the last year I’ve been the APAC lead for our Data Acquisition Centre of Excellence, which means assisting our surveyors and field staff, plus looking for new ways to apply drones, ROVs, laser scanners and satellite imagery in our business.

A drone was used to conduct hazard assessments at the impressive Sea Cliff Bridge near Wollongong.

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POSITION: How did you get into this line of work?

AS: I’ve always had an interest in maps and geography. It was that and a passion for the outdoors got me into the spatial science world. I studied at university, but so much of the spatial skills I have learned to apply are those that you learn being on the tools day in and day out. My career has been a steady progression of being open to try new things, saying yes and putting my hand up for presentations and conferences. I happened to have some training budget to spend when our surveyors got into drones back in 2013–14, so I jumped on board with what they were doing and got my remote pilot license with the hope that I could get out of the office a little bit more.

POSITION: Tell us about the post-fires wildlife work you were involved in. How were you able to contribute?

AS: I’m a volunteer with the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), and I was able to spend a few days on deployment on the map desk in the Nowra Fire Control

Hazard mapping for Snowy Hydro along a road near Cabramurra, NSW.

Coastal cliff hazard mapping at Ben Boyd National Park at Eden, NSW.

Centre towards the end of the Currowan Fire. And, through Cardno, we were able to mobilise a team of ecologists, spatial professionals and drone pilots to assist a wildlife sanctuary near Bendalong. We used a thermal camera to try to identify refuges where wildlife might be hiding.

One thing we didn’t consider was that there would still be hot logs and rocks one month on from when the fires had come past! Despite this we were able to help the property owners get a handle of the scale of impact on their property, hear their experiences and drop off some food for the wildlife.

POSITION: You do a lot of coastal work, including cliffs. Is this particularly challenging?

AS: Yes! I always seem to end up flying on the coast. I’ve done some beach surveys around Port Phillip Bay, cliff stability inspections in coastal national parks and most recently some work near Sea Cliff Bridge in NSW. I don’t know if people realise quite how heart-racing flying a drone can be, when you’re avoiding sea eagles, flying over bodies of water, judging the height of a cliff and managing battery levels. It can be nice to have the drone back on the ground sometimes!

ROVs and space-based data acquisition as it makes a comeback. Every day is different with a new discipline or challenge where GIS can be applied.

POSITION: What sort of technological change have you seen in remotely piloted aircraft?

AS: Better sensors and longer flight time are the big ones for me. An RPA is really only as good as the sensor it carries; being able to swap different sensors in and out or fly with multiple sensors is really exciting and saves time by flying once.

Surveyors might say parts of their job have become easier (flying stockpiles instead of climbing up them), but for me I think it’s become more diverse — we’re doing things that we wouldn’t have done before, such as being able to capture our own orthophotos on demand, or changing our approach for something that could have been cost prohibitive or dangerous, like cliff inspections on-rope.

POSITION: What’s coming next in RPAs that you can’t wait to see?

AS: It can be a difficult industry to keep on top of — legislation is always being tweaked and new technology means that equipment doesn’t stay the latest model for long. It’s hard to know what will be next. But the things I’m trying to keeping tabs on for now are airborne/shallow water LiDAR, EVLOS (extended visual line of sight) and BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight).

Don’t forget that in Australia, CASA drone registration and RePL /operator accreditation is now mandatory for everyone if you’re flying for work.

POSITION: What advice do you have for others in the geospatial industry?

AS: My daughter is nearly four and the job she may have in the future might not even exist yet, so it’s a pretty exciting time to be in the geospatial industry. But we need to try to be flexible, adaptable and open to new technology. We should not be afraid to be a little innovative or challenge the way we have always done something. n

Drones were employed to conduct bushfire thermal mapping at Bendalong, NSW, in February 2020.

POSITION: What’s another interesting or fulfilling project you’ve worked on recently?

AS: It’s been exciting to work with our drone teams in New Zealand over the last 18 months. They’re using thermal cameras to identify potential leaks in water networks, helping to save inspection time, money and water.

POSITION: Is there a lot of variety in your work?

AS: Absolutely! The spatial industry is always full of variety and more so with my data acquisition role, learning more about www.spatialsource.com.au 15

feature

The rise of AI:

Geospatial’s brave new frontier The use of AI in the geospatial sector is already paying dividends, but there’s still a long way to go.

I

n a 1966 science fiction novel by D.F. Jones, a gigantic supercomputer called Colossus is built by the United States to take complete control of the nation’s defences… removing emotional and unreliable human beings from the process of making decisions about war and peace. The computer is meant to strictly follow the rules programmed into it and act only defensively.

But within hours of being switched on, Colossus becomes sentient and decides that it is far superior to humans. When the Soviets unexpectedly switch on their own, similar, supercomputer at almost the same time, the two machines put their heads

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together and decide to take over the world… with the threat of nuclear annihilation if anyone tries to stop them.

(Indeed, a few cities do get blown up.)

It’s an extreme imagining of what could happen if too much control is put into the hands of computers. But artificial intelligence and machine learning systems promise to provide enormous benefits to us all. And of course they’re already doing so, in medical research and climate analysis and numerous other fields.

So how about the geospatial industry? How big a role does AI play in this sector at present, and where will it take us in the next five to ten

years? That’s the very subject of a recently released report, Geospatial AI/ML (GeoAI) Applications and Policies – A Global Perspective (bit.ly/ 3xzkc0v), prepared by the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC).

Catching the wave The report synthesises input from companies, government bodies, academics and research agencies across the globe, while assessing the state of AI/ML in the geospatial sector across 12 specific countries or regions — Australia, Brazil, China, the EU, India, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the USA.

JONATHAN NALLY Australia’s inclusion is an acknowledgement that the country is generally recognised as being among the leaders in AI/ML research, development and application… something that appears to be increasingly appreciated by those who hold the national purse strings. In its most recent annual budget the federal government announced a major digital drive, including $124.1 million for AI initiatives such as a National Artificial Intelligence Centre led by Data 61 and supported by AI and Digital Capability Centres.

This is in addition to current widespread AI development within government bodies (such as the Australian Defence Force), universities and research centres, plus

Data and security breeds success

Australia, AI and expectations Australia was one of the countries chosen for a deeper look by the WGIC report’s authors. They assessed the nation’s regulatory framework, and noted in particular the research done by the Human Rights Commission on the challenge AI poses to “people, society and the economy”. The Commission found that regulation must seek to protect human rights, be “clear and enforceable” and foster “ethical decision making”.

The report also noted a 2019 federal government discussion paper on an ethics framework for AI, which proposed several core principles, including that “companies using such systems are held accountable for any harm inflicted on people”.

Ross Lewin, CEO of Australian geospatial and location-based AI specialist firm Outline Global, says that the industry is “evolving very fast as the tools to support rapid model development and execution evolve,” but adds that the sector, “especially that [part of it] applied to location, is in its early stages of development.”

“The challenge usually lies with the end users not having a realistic view of AI and its practical application. The sensationalism and the ever-popular use of the term ‘AI’ mean that setting the record straight with the user/customer is often a vital first step in the process,” he said.

Outline Global applies its location-based AI skills to wide range of use cases, from mining to identifying invasive species. Indeed the company won a 2020 regional APSEA award for using AI to spot fire ant mounds in Queensland. And Lewin says AI models are getting smarter all the time.

“These platforms are being promoted and supported by cloud services such as Azure and AWS, which also serves to broaden the user base — what I call the ‘democratisation of AI,’ he said.

“Outline has plans afoot to serve model interaction between the end user and model through cloud-based platforms — a sort of ‘drag, drop and review the results’ type of interface. We are working with Microsoft Azure on proof of concepts — it’s a very exciting time to be in AI!” Australia’s world-leading work in quantum computing.

The report outlines efforts many countries are making “to ensure they are well prepared for taking advantage of the AI revolution,” noting that nation states “understand that riding this AI wave underprepared will potentially hurt their prospects and cause upheavals in the lives of their citizens”.

“At the same time, multiple incidents have occurred to caution governments about AI being a double-edged sword,” the report says, adding that many nations have declared their intent “to regulate AI and its applications by capping potential harms”.

It all depends on what AI/ ML is used for, and to what extent such systems can be trusted to produce the right results. The authors note that for the next couple of years AI will be mainly focused on analysing data and performing statistical analysis. From three to five years from now we will see it being able to make predictions or forecasts; and from then onwards, AI will be able to autonomously recommend specific solutions and actions.

The good, the bad and the possible To get some more insight into how AI is currently being used by the geospatial industry and where it’s heading next, we decided to do our own research by canvassing the views of a number of leading specialists and companies involved in the field.

As far as AI being able to make predictions or recommend solutions is concerned, we’re sort of there right now — but challenges remain, says 1Spatial’s head of product management, Seb Lessware. “We already have AI making predictions and recommending specific solutions — whether that’s a self-driving car or playing a game of Go,” he says. “The commonality with these is that they are only possible for relatively narrow scenarios such as driving or playing a game, both of which have defined rules and fairly limited scope (admittedly driving is at the extreme end of this spectrum).”

“What we will see is those usage scenarios (analysis, predictions, recommendations) be applied to more and more generalised problems. For example, we can create an AI to detect

the presence and location of buildings in a photo, but what about detecting the age, condition, materials and style of a building? Or estimate its value or weight?” he adds.

What about help versus harm? Can we achieve the former while avoiding the latter? Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse is a member of the WGIC Policy Development and Advocacy Committee and served on the steering committee for the report. “Without strong policy, governance and clear objectives, we face a series of challenges in which AI could do harm,” he says, adding however that “trust in the field and adaptability will come.”

“AI in geospatial is often understood superficially, but it has much deeper, significant applications and effects on not only the profession but the industries to which geospatial contributes,” he adds. That’s why, he says, the report “suggests a need for further skills development, capacity building and knowledge transfer to achieve maturity of AI in geospatial, and to build a comprehensive understanding of the concepts, implications and limitations of the technology across industry.”

“There are several potential directions for AI in geospatial,” says James Brown, ICT manager with Geospatial Intelligence. “The first is moving the AI closer to the sensor (airplane, drone, satellite) so that instead of transmitting raw data from the sensor to the user, only the final analysis is transferred.

There are already companies experimenting with this concept, and for time-critical applications it could prove highly effective.”

“The second is more to address a problem with AI; that is, the rare or difficult domain problem,” he adds. “AI requires examples to train on. This is a problem for rare events such as new types of planes, rare weather conditions etc. To address this, there is currently a lot of work being done on synthetic data creation, where examples of rare events can be simulated to generate training data. It’s a very exciting area of development but does pose some potential problems in terms of data verification and authenticity.”

Houtan Emad, senior AI consultant with Esri Australia, agrees. “The training of models in all verticals of AI and machine learning requires unfettered access to highquality, labelled data samples,” he says. “We’re lucky to work in a field that is such a big proponent of open data, and I’ve found myself time and again reaching for open sources of information to train my machine learning models with.”

“Geographically speaking, having a strong open data network in Australia is also critical to the success of AI here, since most spatial imagery models developed in North America and Europe are not always directly transferrable to the Australian context,” he adds.

Having an open data ecosystem is vital, agrees Hong Tran, chief technology officer with ScanX. “The more data the ecosystem has access to, the greater the chances www.spatialsource.com.au 17

feature

“Without strong policy, governance and clear objectives, we face a series of challenges in which AI could do harm.”

Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse Courtesy Esri Australia

Delivering on the data promise The WGIC AI report sought the views of a range of experts to identify the most effective ways for employing AI for the good of the geospatial industry and society as a whole. These are the prime observations and recommendations: 1. Increased access to government data. Everyone involved in the study agreed that government-owned data should be accessible to all in order for the benefits of GeoAI to be realised.

2. Metadata standards and labelling. Universally accepted, clear and comprehensive metadata standards are vital, as is proper metadata labelling.

3. Test datasets and benchmarks. There was majority agreement for creating a body of labelled geospatial data for training, testing and benchmarking models.

4. Incentivising private data access. A lot of data is hidden in proprietary silos, which stymies innovation. Governments should consider incentivising private organisations to share such data, perhaps through data trusts/exchanges, with rules that mean companies can still obtain their rightful benefits.

5. Shared AI models. Some study participants felt strongly that sharing algorithms/models is important for everyone’s benefit, and indeed a number of AI-driven firms have released models and algorithms under open source. The idea is to “crowdsource the best ideas from everywhere”.

6. Traceability and veracity of data. It is important to ensure data is trustworthy and unmodified, which means being able to track data along the value chain. This could be done via technology or agreements (eg. embedding digital signatures at each stage).

7. Right to self-determination for privacy. Geospatial data is often considered ‘sensitive,’ as it can be used to derive personally identifiable information. Many governments and citizens agree that data privacy is important, with proponents saying that individuals should be the owners of their data.

8. Multilateral data exchanges and standards. Universal standards should be encouraged on data exchanges between countries.

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of deep innovations. Large corporations are limited by bureaucracy and red tape; we need rich open datasets, so developers and innovators have the necessary datasets to test and set benchmarks for the industry,” he says.

And that data isn’t restricted to 2D. “While AI is widely applied on 2D geospatial data, the next improvements will come from applying AI to 3D data such as LiDAR and 3D mesh models,” says Fabrice Marre, geospatial innovation manager with Aerometrex. “AI will be used to enhance 3D data by detecting and replacing specific objects in a 3D model. We are already seeing those developments applied to geospatial data used in game-engines.”

And we mustn’t forget security. The geospatial industry has the same responsibilities as all other industries when implementing AI, says Tran. “When it comes to advancing technology, built-in security and privacy settings must progress along with it. Growing security must be set as a priority in the ideation and execution of new technology.”

“I also think it’s part of our responsibility as companies in tech to ensure that our technologies are secure, and that our data — especially those entrusted to us by our stakeholders — adhere to strict security guidelines,” he adds.

The human factor So given all of the foregoing discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of AI, now and into the future, will the geospatial sector ever be in danger of reaching the Colossus stage of handing over too much control to the AIs? “It is crucially important to remember that any successful AI project demands human expert supervision on multiple levels, beginning from data collection and preparation all the way to model development and deployment,” says Alireza Abedin, computer vision engineer with Aerometrex.

“Furthermore, once the AI system goes into production, the model needs to be frequently monitored and improved within a feedback loop; this constitutes a crucial step in the AI model lifecycle.”

“I think we’re a long way from being able to entirely remove a human from the analysis of geospatial data,” agrees Brown. “AI is an incredibly useful tool that can make the processing of data faster and easier, but it isn’t yet able to think creatively.”

“In most cases, the objective of using geospatial data is to solve a problem. AI can turn data into information, but at least for the foreseeable future, a human needs to choose what information they need and how they want to use it to solve that problem.” n

partner feature

First Public Offering of an S-5B Hydrographic Surveyors Course in Australasia

H

ydrography plays a vital role in the economic and social development of nations. The accurate charting of the coastlines and waters of a nation are key to its management of natural resources, preservation of marine species and habitats, marine trade, defence and safety of navigation.

Professional-level training IIC Academy’s S-5 Category B Hydrographic Surveying Program has been recognised by the FIG/IHO/ICA International Board on Standards of Competence for Hydrographic Surveyors and Nautical Cartographers (IBSC). This program will be jointly delivered in Australasia by IIC and Deakin University, and will prepare candidates with the theoretical and practical competencies necessary to effectively conduct the planning and implementation of hydrographic surveys.

Maximised Online Learning This program will be delivered in a flexible and engaging manner utilising a learning framework that blends relevant theory and practice; and importantly maximises the online learning. The program will guide students through the

topics, from basic to advanced degrees of difficulty, both in the theoretical and practical knowledge areas. Students on this programme will benefit from having a team of instructors leading and monitoring them throughout the program. This will be continued and strengthened when students co-locate with their instructors for the practical and assessment portion of the programme.

The Programme will deliver 13 weeks of theory via distance learning, followed by 7 weeks residential intensive practical learning and assessment at Deakin University’s Warrnambool Campus in Victoria, Australia.

Is this Programme for me?

This S-5B Hydrographic Surveying Program is designed for both surveyors in the early phase of their career and new candidates with some related education, who want professional-level training at the Category B level. The program’s remote learning delivery allows employees and employers the flexibility to customize the timing of the learning process so that it best fits within their work schedules, potentially enhancing the training through practical synergies.

Instructor and students prepare for survey operations on Deakin University’s survey vessel MV Yolla.

How do I Enrol?

Those interested in enrolling in the program or wanting further information can visit: • https://www.iictechnologies.com/sites/ default/files/iicacademy/IICS5Program. html • or contact hydrographicsurveyor@ iicacademy.com. n Information provided by IIC Technologies.

Are you interested in Nautical Cartography?

You heard it here first! IIC are also running an IBSC recognised IHO S-8B Nautical Cartographers Course starting in September 2021!

This program will be delivered through a blended learning approach and online, combining theory and practical training, giving you the required skills in nautical chart production. If you want to know more, please email nauticalcartographer@iicacademy.com

www.spatialsource.com.au 19

partner feature

Best of both worlds The surveyor-tested WingtraOne VTOL mapping drone delivers superior imagery over a long range and the flexibility to take off and land anywhere.

P

erth-based RM Surveys have spent the past 25 years thriving by landing and delivering on the region’s biggest jobs.

But a few years back they found that their fleet of multirotor drones was holding them back from quoting on large aerial photogrammetry projects.

But that all changed when they added the WingtraOne VTOL mapping solution to their fleet.

“We were getting a lot of requests to do some large areas in regional WA, but the multi-rotor drones just didn’t have the range or the ability to cover them,” says Bennett Tunbridge, RM Surveys, Director - Mine Tenement & Exploration.

“With a multi-rotor we were able to get maybe 40 hectares at the very most from a set of batteries, whereas with the Wingtra now we’re looking at 200+ hectares,” he says. Plus, the Wingtra comes equipped with PPK, so there is no need to go through the time-consuming process of laying down ground control points to achieve survey-accurate orthomosaics and point cloud data.

“On a recent job that meant it took just one day of flight time versus five days with

With the addition of the WingtraOne PPK drone, the team at RM Surveys have been able to take on larger aerial mapping projects

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a multi-rotor drone,” Tunbridge says.

Also, because the WingtraOne can take off and land vertically from a tiny 2m by 2m spot, RM Surveys no longer need to worry about sacrificing image quality and coverage just because the terrain near the survey site is too unforgiving for the often awkward belly landing of a traditional fixed-wing drone.

“The WingtraOne really is the best of both worlds,” says Graeme Carleton with Australian distributor CR Kennedy, which has been working with RM Surveys for more than two decades. “It has the benefits of a fixed-wing drone, which is where it gets its endurance from, but it also can operate from a small footprint.”

Carleton says clients regularly complained about the hassle of finding the space to land traditional fixedwing drones on site, or of the damage traditional fixed-wing drones would often sustain skidding along on their bellies in unforgiving terrain.

“Even after one flight, you can start damaging your drone during a landing,” CR Kennedy’s Carleton says. “But with the vertical take-off and landing capability of the WingtraOne, you can avoid risking

“We were getting a lot of requests to do some large areas in regional WA, but the multi-rotor drones just didn’t have the range or the ability to cover.”

Bennett Tunbridge, RM Surveys, Director - Mine Tenement & Exploration.

The WingtraOne PPK drone mapping solution is available in Australia through CR Kennedy

damage to the drone and your camera, but still cover a really large area.”

The combination of sophisticated software and innovative design allow the WingtraOne to autonomously take off and land vertically, meaning that the equipment is also protected from another common hazard – operator error.

For RM Surveys’ Bennett Tunbridge, the WingtraOne’s many benefits really stood out on a recent aerial survey of a potential mine site in the Forrestania region of WA. At 1265 hectares, the job would have been prohibitively tough going with a multi-rotor drone, and the rough terrain meant little access for laying ground control points or landing a traditional fixed-wing aircraft.

“The output of the images was phenomenal,” he says, noting that the 42-megapixel Sony RX1R II camera onboard allows the Wingtra to fly at higher altitudes and cover much more terrain, while still delivering superior imagery and data.

“That high resolution just cannot be matched by anything else that we’ve had before with the multi-rotors, yet the WingtraOne still provides that flexibility to land and take off vertically,” Tunbridge adds.

“We were able to move and set up in different locations quite easily even

though it was quite hard to get to some places, and then with the Wingtra having that extra ability to cover additional terrain was really helpful,” he says.

The WingtraOne flew smoothly above the Forrestania site even through some really stiff winds. Tunbridge says the navigational software compensated so well that the only real excitement came when an eagle started stalking the craft for a bit, swooping in once or twice before thinking better of going after the 1.2m wide drone.

Tunbridge says another anxiety that the WingtraOne helped eliminate was over battery life – a common worry for operators of conventional drones especially in remote areas where a reliable power supply can be tough to come by.

“There just wasn’t an issue with the Wingtra because we were able to do the job with so few flights,” he says.

The WingtraOne PPK achieves up to 1cm accuracy with most base station modules and brands, but the team at RM Surveys have run their flights exclusively with their tried and tested Leica GS15 base station, and Tunbridge says the results have been stellar.

“Also, because we’re running a base station we can run an RTK radio with that and a rover as well, so we can actually put some ground control out just for

verification double checks, because being surveyors we like to double check and triple check and have some redundancy,” he says.

“We’ve been really happy with the Leica setup that we’ve got – it has just been really impressive how it has all worked together with the Wingtra,” he says.

The RM Surveys team also appreciate the interchangeable payload capability of the WingtraOne. Tunbridge says they have plans to soon mount a new multispectral sensor they bought specifically for the Wingtra, opening them up to agricultural work that would not have been possible before.

“So basically, the Wingtra isn’t just for normal mapping,” says CR Kennedy’s Graeme Carleton. “But through a simple payload change, they can put the Wingtra to other uses and applications, which in turn then opens up additional capabilities and the services that they can offer their clients.”

The WingtraOne PPK drone mapping solution is available in Australia through CR Kennedy. For more information on Wingtra or Leica’s line of complementary smart antennas call the team at CR Kennedy at +61 3 9823 1533. n Information provided by CR Kennedy. www.spatialsource.com.au 21

1 2 feature 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 The Australian Height Datum celebrates its 15 half-century in 2021. We take a look back at 16 how it all came about.

17 18 19 VOLKER JANSSEN AND SIMON MCELROY 20 21 22 n an increasingly digitised world, 97,320 km of primary two-way spirit levelling applications for the Australian Height 23 across the country. MSL observations spanned The ANLN, showing first-order Datum (AHD) are growing rapidly and 24 three years for all but one tide gauge, with levelling sections (yellow), 25 reaching a wider audience with an insatiable earlier data over four years used at Karumba second-order sections (light appetite for three-dimensional digital twins in the Gulf of Carpentaria. A subsequent green), third-order (fine grey), 26 Fig. 1 The Australian National Levelling Network (ANLN). First order sections ar fourth-order (dark green), of the real world. Vertical datums define a 27 adjustment also included about 80,000 km of one-way third-order (red) and reference for elevation and are essential for supplementary one-way and two-way spirit third order second order sections in light green, in thinlevelling grey, fourth order in dark two-way of undefined 28 many applications relying on the flow of fluids. levelling, in addition to and dependent upon the quality (blue).

29 Courtesy of Mick Filmer, As the AHD marks its 50th anniversary this primary levelling. way (third order) in red and two-way (order undefined; Steed 2006, pers. comm Curtin University.

30 year, it remains Australia’s first and only legal For the first time, this provided a nationwide 31the network vertical datum. For most spatial professionals, of physical heights ANLN known as thecourtesy of Geoscience Australia.

Lambert projection. data AHD has been ubiquitous for the entire duration Australian National Levelling Network (ANLN) 32 of their careers, being the vertical datum of 33 — a stunning and quickly implemented choice because it was the only one. This article that required enormous effort.

34is achievement full national adjustment was conducted. Approximately 80,000 km of ‘suppl the first in a series that will celebrate the AHD’s Prior to the AHD, many disconnected local 35 golden jubilee, with a focus on NSW. height datums had been used in each Australian levelling were subsequently least-squares adjusted to the basic junction p Surveyors typically work with two types36 state and territory.

37 of heights: ellipsoidal heights referred to the The question is naturally asked as to why Geocentric Datum of Australia (GDA2020)38 and third-order levelling used which for the primary heights (heldwas fixed), were defined in the full national adjustment (Ro physical heights referred to the AHD. Both39 are survey. The short answer is that this practice available through the NSW Survey Control40 was followed to produce the most useful 1971). The ANLN in Tasmania was adjusted in 1983 (NMC 1986), with M Information Management System (SCIMS), outcome within the framework of funds and 41 the state’s database containing approximately time available.

42 tide-gauges held at zerolevelling in the adjustment. An offset between AHD( 250,000 survey marks on public record.

From that point of view,fixed third-order 43 certainly provided an adequate basis for 44 Where it all began the topographic mappingthus program, and AHD(Tas) existsgeneral which is estimated to be between 10 cm and 20 In NSW, the AHD replaced the Standard 45 engineering purposes and the coordination of Datum, which had been in use for some 8046 levelling surveys undertaken during gravity et al. 1991; Featherstone 2000). years and defined by the value of mean sea47 level observations. Anything more was reportedly (MSL) at the Fort Denison tide gauge, located considered as “striving against the forces of 48 A number of an issues have dream”. arisen with regards to the AHD, with numero on an island in Sydney Harbour and accessible nature in order to achieve impossible 49 via a survey plug that was installed in 1882 (and An important time consideration was that 50 Despite the best 2001). T still exists) on the external wall of the former third-order levelling could be accomplished investigating different deficiencies in the datum (e.g., Featherstone Department of Lands building in Sydney. 51 with readily available equipment and by efforts of surveyors, The AHD (sometimes referred to as available professional staff found in both the 52 areas of concern in the AHD include the fixing of the levelling network (no AHD71) was partly funded through a special government and private sector. Of course, third53 gross, random and 1961 federal government program to support order levelling was also much cheaper than 54 systematic errors to asand the Australianlevelling.

National Levelling Network; ANLN, see Fig. 1) to 30 t the search for oil in Australia, via levelling first-order second-order 55 within and connections between the various Considering the cost factor, as a rough rule crept into the level 56 sedimentary basins. In May 1971, it was of thumb, it was determined that an increase adopted by the National Mapping Council57 in a survey operation by a factor n involves an sections and were 58 as the datum to which all vertical control for increase in time and funds of n2. Furthermore, distributed across the mapping was to be referred. even if better levelling standards had been 59 The AHD was realised by setting MSL to adopted, this accuracy would have been 60 network within the zero at 30 tide gauges distributed along the swamped in the warping of the level surface to 61 coast of mainland Australia and adjusting hold MSL equal to zero at the 30 tide gauges. adjustment.

62 63 22 position June/July 2021 64

Fifty years of the AHD in NSW !!! ! !!!!

!!! ! !! !

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Practical realisation of AHD in NSW On the ground, the AHD was realised by networks of approved survey marks.

Some states organised their own ground marking and benefited as a result; others left it to contract surveyors.

Typically, AHD marks were placed at intervals of one mile in regional areas and two miles in remote areas, usually following major roads.

The network was far denser in towns and cities.

The separation was also varied to enable marks to be placed at easily identifiable locations (crossroads, property entrances, hill crests and bridges) in an era predating handheld GNSS positioning or even full mapping of the state.

In many instances, ANLN marks were located close to existing road mile posts for easier retrieval.

Marking typically consisted of five State Survey Marks (SSMs, brass plaque in concrete) followed by a Permanent Mark (PM, usually employing a stainless-steel rod with concrete collar), with this pattern being repeated for the entire level run. Sometimes, pairs of PMs on opposite sides of the road were placed to provide extra redundancy.

Different level runs met and joined at junction points.

Later, marking became more non-standard with entire runs sometimes consisting of only PMs or only SSMs and inter-station distances opting between miles or kilometres. Marks also varied

Levelling near Dorrigo, NSW in 1968–69.

Courtesy of DCS Spatial Services.

with soil condition and where existing surveys were adopted or recycled.

Later, in the 1970s, NSW installed a series of Fundamental Bench Marks (FBMs) and Geodetic Bench Marks (GBMs). These were high-stability marks designed to physically hold and preserve AHD. Based on a European design, they were modified for Australian conditions, akin to trigonometrical (trig) stations for height.

FBMs and GBMs consisted of two to three marks installed in clusters, with the primary mark being located under a standard cover box. Marks consisted of stainless-steel rods driven to refusal in auger holes that were backfilled with sand to decouple the mark from any local soil movement.

An extensive network of FBMs and GBMs was envisaged when construction began in 1973, but the program was abruptly terminated due to budget constraints.

While the AHD was designed as a third-order levelling network, NSW set a far higher standard. It supplemented, strengthened and improved the AHD by observing the nation’s most extensive and ambitious network of first-order levelling (Figure 1), which extended throughout the eastern part of the state.

While third-order levelling was performed by private sector contractors (whose participation was vital to the timely completion of the AHD), first-order levelling

was conducted by the Central Mapping Authority (CMA), now DCS Spatial Services, a business unit of the NSW Department of Customer Service (DCS).

Over the years, further level runs of various quality including one-way levelling were added to extend the network and investigate anomalies. An extensive capillary network of levelling to mountain-top trig stations was also established, typically one-way only, connecting to the nearest ANLN mark. To this day, discussions continue about the existence and nature of any systematic errors that may lie dormant in this then fit-for-purpose survey methodology.

For DCS Spatial Services, the era of optically (or digitally) observing extensive levelling networks ended well before the start of the 21st century, and in-house geodetic levelling subject matter experts have since retired. Today, the AHD is primarily derived from GNSS baseline networks, while digital levelling is only conducted for special projects, ad-hoc surveys or in some urban instances.

Above and below: Camp Cove tide gauge in Sydney, showing the recorder hut housing a Harrison tide recorder.

Courtesy of DCS Spatial Services.

Adjustment of the ANLN Prior to the adjustment, observed levelling data was corrected for the effect of nonparallelism of equipotential surfaces by applying the orthometric correction based on normal (modelled) gravity, which approximates true gravity.

Orthometric corrections can be as large as several centimetres in mountainous regions where the level surfaces exhibit steeper slopes than in lowlands, for example 309mm www.spatialsource.com.au 23

feature correction for the 146km level run from Adaminaby into the Snowy Mountains versus 33mm correction for the 155km level run between Dubbo and Forbes.

The AHD is considered a normalorthometric height datum because existing gravity observations were insufficient.

Instead, a truncated normal-orthometric correction was applied to the spirit levelling observations, which only utilised normal gravity (referenced to the GRS67 ellipsoid approximating the Earth).

The network of level sections and junction points was constrained at 30 tide gauges, which were assigned an AHD height of zero. In NSW, this included the tide gauges at Coffs Harbour, Sydney’s Camp Cove and Port Kembla, while Eden was excluded at the request of the Victorian and NSW Surveyors-General due to poor data.

The selection of Camp Cove (established in 1916) over Fort Denison — the second continuously recording tide gauge established in Australia in 1886 with records dating back even further and a long association with levelling datums — was attributed to the difficulty in making the cross-water connection (about 600 m between the island and Mrs Macquarie’s Point) and the existence of a tidal gradient between the entrance to Sydney Harbour and Fort Denison. While there were many interruptions to the national tide gauge network recordings due to theft, vandalism and faulty gauges, acceptable results were obtained from the 30 gauges eventually chosen.

The least squares adjustment propagated MSL heights, or AHD heights, across the levelling network. This adjustment occurred in two phases due to the computational limits of the impressive CDC 3600 computer used at the time. In phase 1, five regional adjustments were made within boundaries approximating state limits (WA, SA and NT, QLD, NSW, VIC).

In phase 2, these were combined to produce two solutions: a minimally constrained solution with one station held fixed to assess the quality of the levelling, and the final adjustment constrained to the 30 tide gauges (run on 5 May 1971).

The minimally constrained solution indicated a standard deviation of about

0.3 m in the centre of Australia. Despite the best efforts of surveyors, gross, random and systematic errors crept into the level sections and were distributed across the network within the adjustment.

The average loop closure was ±6 mm/√km but the loop closures did not conform to a normal distribution.

The average correction applied to the regional adjustments was ±3 mm/√km. An assessment of the standard weight of the minimally constrained adjustment was ±7 mm/√km for all states but NSW. Detailed analysis indicated that the data for the south-eastern corner of NSW was statistically inferior despite the existence of mostly first-order levelling.

Reportedly, this indicated that, after several years, first-order surveys tend to deteriorate to much the same order of accuracy as third-order levelling.

Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island are not covered by the AHD and continue to use local historical height datums, the origins of which require more detailed investigation, documentation and public communication.

As an aside, the Tasmanian AHD (often referred to as AHD-TAS83 or AHD83) was realised separately by setting MSL observations for only one whole year (1972) to zero at the tide gauges in Hobart and Burnie. It was propagated using mostly third-order levelling over 72 sections between 57 junction points and adjusted on 17 October 1983.

Shortcomings of AHD Over time, significant and welldocumented shortcomings in the AHD realisation became apparent. In short, due to dynamic ocean effects (including winds, currents, atmospheric pressure, temperature and salinity), tide gauge observations spanning only a period of three years and the omission of observed gravity, MSL was not coincident with the geoid at the tide gauge locations.

The primary bias is due to the AHD realisation ignoring the effect of the ocean’s time-mean dynamic topography, resulting in the AHD being about 0.5 m above the geoid in north-east Australia and about 0.5 m below the geoid in south-

west Australia. Together with uncorrected levelling errors, this introduced considerable distortions of up to about 1.5m into AHD across Australia.

Observational blunders included those caused by observing in imperial units, where a whole foot was easily dropped or picked up. Random errors included those caused by metrification in Australia, having to use metres in calculations although the data was observed in feet.

However, there were also downright fraudulent level runs, including the fable of the contractor who supposedly adjusted out a misclose of more than seven feet while enjoying a cold beer at a pub in Tibooburra. The independent approach of a few surveyors who did not fully conform to the prescribed specifications also caused issues.

Despite all this, the AHD has, overall, continued to be a practical height datum that is fit for purpose, providing a sufficient robustness for many surveying and engineering applications, particularly over smaller areas (less than 10 km).

A new age is dawning The AHD remains Australia’s first and only legal vertical datum. It has been a stalwart of Australian surveying, replacing a collection of various local vertical datums and the then 80-year old Standard Datum, and successfully satisfied users ranging from mums and dads to engineers and geodesists for 50 years.

The establishment and survey of the ANLN has been a stunning and quickly implemented achievement that required enormous effort. However, the AHD is beginning to show its age, particularly over larger areas and for users of modern positioning technology.

In this article, we have helped celebrate the AHD’s the golden jubilee by outlining its history, achievements and longevity, while also noting its shortcomings. In upcoming articles we will look ahead to a new era of vertical datum determination and describe the datum maintenance efforts undertaken in NSW. n Dr Volker Janssen and Simon McElroy work at DCS Spatial Services, a unit of the NSW Department of Customer Service.

Left and right: Levelling at the Port Stephens, NSW, tide gauge.

Courtesy of DCS Spatial Services.

24 position June/July 2021

feature

Connecting communities and building the nation The Locate21 conference saw local and international experts outline the sector’s role in modern society.

T

he long-awaited Locate 21 conference was held at the end of March, and I’m sure all will agree that, despite some initial technical issues, it was a great success. The main action was originally set to take place in-person in Brisbane, with satellite events in other capital cities and all presentations available for remote viewing. Unfortunately, Brisbane went into COVID-19 lockdown just as the conference was due to begin, forcing organisers to put in place the back-up plan to run the event in an almost-purely online format.

In his opening remarks, SSSI President Paul Digney praised the organisers’ efforts not only for the rapid online pivot, but also for handling the previous 12 months’ disruption that had forced the postponement of Locate20.

Commenting on all of that dislocation, Digney noted the important role that “Locate21 provides [for] further opportunities for connection” within the spatial and surveying community… especially in such difficult times.

Indeed the concept of connection was built into the theme for this year’s conference — ‘Convergence, Collaboration and Community – towards a stronger economy’ — reflecting the ways in which geospatial and surveying are playing an essential role in empowering the digital economy and society in general.

The importance of the sector to the community was reflected in the wideranging conference program, which brought together experts from industry, academia and government to discuss everything from big data to AI, digital twins to hyperspectral analysis, remote sensing to surveying, sustainable development to Australia’s future space requirements, and many more.

Amongst many other things, we learned of the value of geospatial for solving crime, defending Australia, discovering and capitalising on our mineral wealth, protecting the environment, building better cities, and the importance of location services as a backbone for much of modern society.

There was also a lot of emphasis on boosting the geospatial workforce and making it more diverse and inclusive… not just to tick a box, but to genuinely open the industry up to new perspectives and new ways of thinking. On a similar vein, there was a good deal of discussion about ongoing workforce, education and training challenges — micro-credentialing was one interesting concept raised.

In addition to technical presentations, governance updates, case studies and so on, there was ample opportunity for dialogue through panel sessions and other forms of meet-ups. Listening in as a newcomer to the field, I found it interesting that there was so much formal and informal conversation centred on one particular overarching theme — namely, who are we as an industry, what’s our purpose and how can we collaborate, share and articulate our visions and solutions with society as a whole?

This is not a concern that is unique to the geospatial industry, of course — many other sectors are facing the very same challenge. And perhaps there’s a clue in that — is there anything that we can learn from the journeys other sectors are currently undertaking or have successfully navigated?

One of the (good) difficulties I had while tuning in to Locate21, was being unable to be in two places at once.

Concurrent sessions, a necessary element of any modern conference, meant it was

JONATHAN NALLY impossible to watch every presentation that I had been hoping to catch — there were just so many great sessions that it just wasn’t humanly possible to see all of them at the same time. You might have experienced this embarrassment of riches too.

But don’t despair, all is not lost! All the presentations were recorded, and registered delegates can replay them via the Locate21 website. But you’ll have to be quick, as they will disappear three months after the conference concluded, which will be only two or three weeks after you have received this issue of Position. Check out https:// locateconference.com.

Sponsorship and exhibits are essential for any successful conference, and Locate21 was fortunate to have sponsors and exhibitors who stuck by the organisers as they negotiated first the postponement of Locate20, and then the last-minute COVID-19 lockdown. A full list of sponsors, exhibitors and partners can be found on the Locate website.

At the very end of the final wrap-up session, Alison Rose announced that Geoscience Australia will be the host organisation for Locate22 in Canberra in May next year. Rose pointed out that Geoscience Australia “has expertise in spatial mapping, positioning, community safety, marine and earth observations, and so we’re extremely excited to be host for Australia’s premiere spatial and surveying conference”.

“We will provide attendees with an immersive and dedicated opportunity to come together to learn about the latest trends and applications in geospatial technologies… and, importantly, an opportunity to network and build business partnerships,” she added. www.spatialsource.com.au 25

feature SSSI fellowships announced Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse has been conferred as an Honorary Fellow of the SSSI, the Institute’s most prestigious acknowledgement of service to the industry.

Zaffar is a passionate member, volunteer and valued friend of SSSI, and has been involved in all facets of the Institute. He joined as a PhD student member almost 11 years ago, having previously worked at the Indian Space Research Organisation. He has held numerous SSSI roles including Regional Chair, Commission Vice Chair, National Board member and President from 2018 to 2020. He is currently SSSI’s Company Secretary.

Zaffar has built an extensive professional network and is a member of numerous boards, technical committees and other professional bodies, such as the International Society for Digital Earth, World Geospatial Industry Council and the UNGGIM. Zaffar has developed a network of relationships, fostering a cohesive and cooperative environment with key stakeholders that has resulted in a number of significant MOUs with notable groups such as the Open Geospatial Consortium, Australasian Hydrographic Society, Association for Geographic Information (UK) and Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council.

He has also been instrumental in driving new SSSI initiatives (such as the establishment of new Special Interest Groups) and activities to continue providing value and benefit to members and maintaining

Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards

W. Boone Law

Melissa Harris

Alexei Tiong

26 position June/July 2021

A highlight of Locate21 was the online presentation ceremony for the prestigious Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards (APSEA). It has to be said that the APSEA organisers did an amazing job, given that award recipients and other participants were scattered all over Australasia.

Unfortunately we don’t have enough space on these pages to outline the full citations for every awardee, nor enough room for photos of them all, but we hope the following summary will do them justice.

(You can find more expansive citations online at www.apsea. org.au/winners-finalists.)

Starting with the SSSI individual awards, the winner of Professional of the Year Award is Alistair Byrom.

Principal Surveyor at Veris in Brisbane, Alistair has served for more than 20 years on various industry committees, while his knowledge of land law has resulted in him being called upon to prepare numerous expert reports for various courts. The award judges noted his contributions to the industry through advocacy, presentations and

Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse (left) and Professor Mark Shortis

the Institute’s focus on being the national peak professional body.

Professor Mark Shortis has been made a Fellow of the SSSI. Mark is a world-leading researcher in high-precision, multi-station and close-range photogrammetry. He has conducted collaborative research with NASA and with universities in Australia, Pakistan and Germany, and has taught spatial and surveying degrees across the world.

Mark is an innovative and passionate teacher, and is well respected by students and peers alike. He has also been a strong supporter of the profession — he was a founding member of SSI, is a past ISP president and has chaired the APRSS and commissions in ISPRS and FIG. He has helped shape the current generation of photogrammetric, spatial and surveying experts, making an outstanding contribution to research and teaching and to the profession.

senior representative roles.

The winner of the Young Professional of the Year Award is Michael Topp.

Michael is the Principal Surveyor for Veris where he uses his depth of experience to guide projects from construction to delivery.

He also invests in the development of his peers through mentoring, training and development programs.

The Women’s Leadership Award was awarded to Melissa Harris. In 2019, Melissa became the first woman to hold office for ANZLIC where, as part of the leadership team, she developed its strategy to include a diversity of views from industry and academia.

She is currently Acting Chief Executive of Land Use Victoria and Victorian Registrar of Titles.

The Educational Development Award was awarded to Ivana Ivanova.

Ivana studied at the Slovak University of Technology and has lectured and conducted research at several universities across three continents. She is currently a senior lecturer at Curtin University.

This year there were two winners of the Postgraduate

Student Award, Dr W. Boone Law and Antara Dasgupta.

Boone studied spatial science and environmental remote sensing at the University of Adelaide. His PhD is among the first in Australia to use advanced aerial and satellite remote sensing technologies to better understand the indigenous archaeological record.

Antara has developed a new method for interpreting remotely sensed data in the flood prediction sector, resulting in three publications in top journals.

The integration of remotely sensed synthetic aperture radar observations with model predictions has the potential to improve flood forecasts.

The Undergraduate Student Award went to Alexei Tiong, with the judges also giving a highly commended award to Daniel Fowler.

Alexei’s final year project for his Bachelor of Applied GIS at Flinders University combined his skills in spatial science with those of virtual reality to produce Virtual Flinders, demonstrating the abilities of gaming engines to manage and render 3D data.

Daniel’s undergraduate project with UNSW

Special SSSI awards Two special awards were presented by the SSSI, with the first being the SSSI President’s Award, the recipient of which was Paul Reed.

Paul is a respected licenced surveyor in Queensland, the owner of East Coast Surveys and a member of SSSI since 2014, actively contributing on a number of levels, most recently as Chair of the Queensland Region. In 2019, he became Locate20 Convenor, a role that should have only lasted 12 months until the pandemic changed everyone’s plans. Paul was willing to accept the extension of his term to include Locate21 and was instrumental in shaping the event.

The second award was the SSSI Eminence Award, which was given to Professor Allison Kealy. Allison is a Professor in Geospatial Science at RMIT University and Research Program Director, Advanced Satellite Systems, Sensors and Intelligence at SmartSat CRC. She is currently President of the International Association of Geodesy, Commission 4

investigated the prevalence of admissions into Liverpool Hospital using a patient’s residential address. Census data and socio-economic data was used to determine the relationship between the number of patients and socioeconomic status in an area.

The final individual award was the Vocational Education Training Student Award, the winner of which is Russell Commins. Russell personally built and supervised the construction of CORSnetNSW, the largest single-owner GNSS reference station network in Australia and one of the largest in the world.

There were also two special SSSI awards this year and the announcement of two new SSSI fellows (see the boxes on these pages).

Moving to the SIBA|GITA industry awards, and the Award for Technical Excellence Award, as well as the J.K Barrie Award, were awarded to 360 Surveying. The company was contracted to undertake high-precision surveying at the Osborne South Naval Precinct for the structural steel wall and roof modules of the largest single span ‘shed’ in the Southern Hemisphere, and only the second building in the world to have been constructed using rotating walls.

The Award for Spatial Enablement was given to Brisbane Airport Corporation and Land Solution Australia, for the Brisbane Airport Digital Twin Project. This

project enables data-based decisions and promises to transform the way that Brisbane Airport operates, using state-of-the-art planning and visualisation with actual 3D spatial data.

The Award for People & Community went to Geoscience Australia, Land Information New Zealand and FrontierSI, for the SBAS Test Bed. This project aimed to improve the technological, social and environmental benefits of reliable positioning information, culminating in the first ever joint procurement of shared satellite infrastructure by Australia and New Zealand.

The Award for Innovation & Commercialisation went to Veris Australia for its Rail Runner system. Rail Runner is a trolley system that enables the surveying of overhead, suspended and hard-to-access rails. The project successfully eliminates working-at-height risks and minimises the need to shut down production assets.

The Award for Environment & Sustainability went to CSIRO’s Data61 and DELWP’s Forest Fire and Regions and Local Infrastructure Groups, for the Port Phillip Bay Coastal Hazard Assessment. The team co-designed a web-based 4D visualisation and analytics tool to support modelling and communication of coastal hazards, integrating 60 layers across a range of sea-level rise scenarios alongside

Paul Reed and Allison Kealy

and co-chair of FIG Working Group 5.5 on Multi-Sensor Systems. She has made sustained contributions to advancing the art and science of navigation and promoting and expanding the use of PNT, providing international, interdisciplinary and inter-organisational leadership amongst worldwide science and engineering communities.

showcasing DELWP’s historical aerial imagery from as early as the 1930s.

Finally, the SIBA | GITA Chair’s Award was awarded to Lee Hellen. Lee commenced studying surveying in the early 1990s, joining the team at Qasco and travelling to many destinations in Australia and overseas. Lee eventually opened his own business, Land Solution Australia, and afterwards joined the then Spatial Queensland Board and played an active role for several years, culminating as chair. He then joined the SSSI national board, his term finishing last year.

Nominations for the 2021 Regional APSEAs are now open. You can nominate an individual for an SSSI individual award or nominate an innovative surveying and spatial industry collaboration or project for a SIBA|GITA industry award. Nominations must be received by 2 July 2021. Full details are available at www.apsea.org.au. n

Michael Topp

Ivana Ivanova Members of the 360 Surveying team

www.spatialsource.com.au 27

feature

A roadmap for where space meets spatial Australia gets down-to-earth about shifting into orbit, with input invited into a new 2030 industry plan.

A

national coalition of leading organisations have come together to explore the industry opportunities for Australia at the intersection of ‘space’ and ‘spatial’. Convened by Peter Woodgate — former CEO of CRCSI and now founding Chair of SmartSat CRC — this influential group drawn from industry, research and government is coordinating an ambitious initiative to create the ‘Space+Spatial Industry Roadmap 2030’.

The space and spatial industries have never been more important for the future of Australia. They both have a fundamental role to play in helping navigate the response to catastrophic bushfires, the impacts of climate change and the development of recovery plans for the economy following the global pandemic.

The growth of these two industries will have a profound effect on the well-being of Australia over the next decade and beyond.

“Together these sectors face a once in a century opportunity,” said Woodgate. “This is an industry driven movement to focus on the immediate

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and medium-term wins that are achievable for Australian businesses, scientists and professionals if only we take smarter, informed action.”

The combination of space and spatial working together adds enormous value. In many ways these two industries are co-dependent and synergistic.

The space industry sets up critical elements of the communications supply chain — through satellite communications together with vital content from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and earth observation sensors. The spatial industry provides the vast bulk of the subsequent data infrastructure, value-added content and analytics, and the ‘last yard’ delivery channels to customers and end users for most industries.

FrontierSI’s CEO Graeme Kernich sees this roadmap as the natural progression of the 2026 Agenda, which delivered a roadmap to drive growth, coordinate effort, and transform the spatial sector.

“We are seeing technological change present the opportunity for space and spatial businesses to work together to integrate

information workflows faster and cheaper,” he said. “This will improve the service offerings and operational efficiencies.”

Over the past year peak industry bodies including the Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute (SSSI), the Spatial Industries Business Association/ Geospatial Information & Technology Association ANZ (SIBA|GITA), the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) and Earth Observation Australia have been working toward developing the Space+Spatial Industry Roadmap 2030 under the leadership of SmartSat CRC and Frontier SI. The steering committee also includes a number of government organisations — ANZLIC, Geoscience Australia, CSIRO and the Department of Defence.

The industry driven Roadmap will draw attention to the interlinkages between space and spatial, and the steps required to more closely integrate and generate growth within these sectors. Not only will a more strategic and integrated approach lead to increased productivity in key

ALISON BOWMAN Australian economic sectors, but the benefits are also expected to accrue through: • increased participation in the global space and spatial industries • improved access to surety for Australia’s information supply chains • increased efficiency in the delivery of state and government services, and • improved planning to ensure skills gaps are filled to meet required growth.

Stronger integration will also accelerate innovation and productivity gains in key Australian sectors including agriculture, mining, aviation and intelligent transport, through improved coordination between end users and technology and data providers.

“Many people in society hear ‘space’ and think deep space missions to the Moon and Mars,” said Chair of the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA), Dr Tim Parsons. “Actually, the rapid development and innovation we’re seeing today around near-Earth orbit systems and technologies is the real-world opportunity for advancing

Australia’s future sustainable economic prosperity. So I welcome this chance to explore how ‘space+spatial’ can work together.”

Industry input invited A Roadmap consultation paper has been released that highlights key priorities for feedback. It focuses on issues that have not yet been factored into the many existing strategies and plans of the agencies, organisations and companies that have contributed to the draft paper.

“What’s new and different with this exploratory outreach and consultative paper is that it’s uniquely driven by industry, for industry, but we also have some of the most influential government agencies talking with us as well,” said Glenn Cockerton, a national director of SIBA | GITA. “This program isn’t about policy but mobilising the industry for the coming years.”

“We’re now looking to enable geospatial professionals

right across Australia to have their say on these opportunities via direct online feedback, video roundtables and live local discussion.”

“This is about building new and expanding existing capability within individual businesses,” added Tony Wheeler, CEO of SSSI. “It’s also an important opportunity to have your say through a timely national consultation and to connect into a diverse circle of large and small organisations and thought leaders.”

The Roadmap aims to drive the conversation about what Australia needs, and industry participation is vital. This includes discussion on sovereignty, Australia’s growing security dependence on space and the increasing vulnerability of space capabilities. The delivery of space-enabled services depends on reliable and continued access to satellite data. Australia does not have a history of national ownership of space-based

remote sensing and navigation systems. Instead, our approach has been to exploit other nations’ space capabilities through international partnerships, taking a ‘multisource’ approach by which Australia integrates data from different suppliers.

“Some think that Australia is too small to play in this arena,” said Peter Kerr, Space+ Spatial Roadmap coordinator and Defence advisor to SmartSat CRC. “Bigger countries with well-established space sectors tend to be caught in entrenched interests and approaches. But in the 21st century the space industry is very different, more affordable and with many niche specialist options.

“As a relatively recent entrant to this marketplace, we think Australia can be more agile in how our industries take advantage of the new opportunities.”

“There is a huge homegrown multi-billion market just in defence, but we urgently need to build both capabilities and capacity,” added Kerr. “In addition, this effort may prove to be valuable in meeting the rapidly growing needs of earth observation and space-based programs in India, Asia and the Middle East as well as the US and Europe.”

It is also timely to examine the many significant spatial data stores within Australia’s government agencies and research organisations and the risks to these national data stores, their infrastructure, systems and analytics. Indeed, the augmentation of GNSS constellations with regional systems such as satellitebased augmentation systems (SBAS) will lead to greater reliance on positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities, enabled by federal investment in the Positioning Australia program.

In order to capitalise on expected demand for a PNT system which is accessible, accurate and available for all Australian sectors, a major challenge will be developing indigenous capabilities that

assure PNT services across the nation by improving its resilience, robustness and trustworthiness over the longterm.

The national consultation program is being co-designed

by Cofluence — the Canberra team that facilitated the 2026 Agenda and produced the ‘Space Meets Spatial’ event at Locate 2018. “In 2021 we hope to be hosting all kinds of meeting spaces between these two industries,” said Allison Hornery. “Since working with NASA on a global hackathon in 2012 we’ve always seen the potential for stronger alignment between space and geospatial.”

“This comprehensive interaction program started with influential leadership circles and current feedback coming in from government, public sector and defence arenas,” added Cofluence partner, John Wells. “But now it’s time for the ‘Industry Professional Focus’ phase where national peak bodies, member networks and associations are co-convening dialogue and feedback opportunities. Everyone can have a say and shape their ‘space+spatial’ future.”

“SSSI looks forward to our members joining with other geospatial colleagues as well as space sector innovators in more location-based video meetups,” said Wheeler. “We’ll certainly be encouraging the ‘coffee break conversations’ among members and partners.

Other organisations might also wish to convene their own.”

Input from the consultative dialogue sessions will help finalise the Space+Spatial Industry Growth White Paper as well as the Space+Spatial Industry Roadmap 2030 before the end of this year. To register interest, read the draft paper and provide feedback, or find how your organisation can host a session or be involved, visit the website at https://2030spaceandspatial. com. n Alison Bowman is Media and Communications Officer at the SmartSat CRC. www.spatialsource.com.au 29

feature The Gawler Craton, which covers about 40% of South Australia, is an important zone rich in minerals.

NASA Earth Observatory image created by J. Allen using data obtained from Goddard LAADS.

The Gawler Craton Airborne Survey The aerial survey has resulted in 1.66 million line kilometres of new data over an area covering 294,000 square kilometres.

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he 2017–19 Gawler Craton Airborne Survey (GCAS) was a $10m South Australian Government-funded magnetics, radiometrics and elevation survey over the highly prospective Gawler Craton area in South Australia.

The Gawler Craton, which comprises over 40% of the total area of South Australia, hosts a number of world class copper-gold deposits, including the polymetallic Olympic Dam — the world’s fourth largest copper deposit and the world’s largest uranium deposit. It also produces significant quantities of gold and silver.

The GCAS was a key component of the South Australian Copper Strategy, which aims to triple South Australia’s copper production by 2030. To meet this goal requires a combination of new copper discoveries and further development of existing deposits. With its world-class mineral endowment, the Gawler Craton

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was selected as the prime location for a new aeromagnetic survey that would help inform minerals exploration and become an example of best practice for government-funded airborne surveys in Australia.

The survey was managed by the South Australian Department for Energy and Mining (DEM) and Geoscience Australia (GA).

When the GCAS was planned it was clear that this was an opportunity to redefine best-practice across the range of activities that combine to acquire, process and deliver new geophysical information and data to minerals explorers, academics and public stakeholders.

The key aim of the GCAS was to achieve excellence in community and landholder information, quality control and data processing to ensure the highest possible quality of data and geophysical

LASZLO KATONA

product deliverables. Another aim was to provide entirely new analytic and data modelling products that would fast-track minerals exploration in the region.

Achieving these aims involved collaborations with GA and CSIRO, and a number of experts in various facets of geophysical acquisition and processing, resulting in updates to the data specifications for airborne magnetic/radiometric/elevation surveys and an unprecedented suite of data and analytic products.

Community engagement There were more than 11,000 land parcels with around 2,000 landholders to notify and keep informed on the survey rollout, progress and location of low-flying aircraft. To achieve this, mail notifications and information sheets were posted to landholders, and the GCAS Community

Information web page was developed and added to the Department for Energy and Mining website. The website provided all relevant technical information about the survey, plus survey contractor contact information, facilitating direct communication between landholders and contractors to ensure survey activities had minimal impact with on-ground activities such as cattle mustering or lambing.

The website featured a near-real-time interactive GIS map, updated regularly with aircraft flight plans and survey progress, enabling stakeholders to see at a glance where the aircraft were flying, how much of the survey was complete and how much remained.

As survey regions were completed and data products released, the same map was used as a hub for downloading the data and other deliverables. An email subscription service was created that provided subscribers with email updates as survey regions were completed or new data was released. This closed the loop on landholder and stakeholder communications, providing relevant information before, during and after the survey was complete.

Acquisition platforms The survey parameters for the fixedwing survey were flight line spacing of 200 metres (doubling the resolution of previous regional surveys) with a nominal terrain clearance of 60 metres. In total there were 1.66 million line kilometres of new data over an area covering 294,000 square kilometres.

Four airborne survey contractors successfully bid for acquisition contracts over the total survey area, which was divided into 16 regions, enabling up to six surveys to be flown simultaneously.

Turbo powered aircraft or helicopters are recommended when a survey region is over rugged terrain due to the necessity for the acquisition lines to follow the topography, maintaining a consistent ground clearance.

The GCAS survey area is predominantly flat and as a result, fixed wing platforms were selected for the majority of the survey. The aircraft were fitted with a magnetometer (commonly called a stinger) which protrudes from the rear of the aircraft, keeping the instrument clear of electrical noise sources. Radiometric data is simultaneously captured using a gamma ray spectrometer, housed within the cabin of the aircraft. GPS and radar altimeter data are processed to produce an elevation model. For the GCAS, laser altimeters were trialled resulting in both radar-derived and laser-derived elevation models.

In total there were 1.66 million line kilometres of new data over an area covering 294,000 square kilometres.

Capturing the data The aircraft flies at a nominal ground speed of approximately 70m/sec and maintains the nominal terrain clearance of 60 metres, deemed to be the optimal safe ground clearance for magnetic data capture. Each of the data capturing instruments samples at a rate dependent on the instrument specifications (defined in Hz, or number of samples per second).

A Digital Acquisition System (DAS) generates geo-located points (fiducials) and has an internal timing system to assign coordinates to each of the input streams simultaneously.

Survey requirements nominate the minimum sampling rate of each acquisition instrument on the aircraft. Samples are captured from all survey instruments along flight lines at the fiducials, post-processed to be positioned at the sensor location on the aircraft. The minimum sampling rates for the GCAS were:

• Magnetometer — minimum of 10 Hz (equates to ~7m sample spacing) • Gamma-ray spectrometer — minimum of 1 Hz (equates to ~70m sample spacing) • Differential GPS — minimum of 1 Hz (equates to ~70m sample spacing) • Radar altimeter — minimum of 1 Hz (equates to ~70m sample spacing) • Laser altimeter — minimum of 1 Hz (equates to ~70m sample spacing)

Survey specifications Government agencies are the custodians of mineral exploration data and maintain a great deal of historical and current airborne survey data. As data processing methods evolve, this data is periodically revisited and reprocessed to extract greater value. Survey specifications dictate the data, data formats and other information required. Enough information must be provided to perform

The Gawler Craton Airborne Survey covered 16 regions, which were combined to produce the merged GCAS TMI grid.

www.spatialsource.com.au 31

feature data processing from the raw acquired data to the final processed products.

Missing information or data can confound processing, leading to lower data quality or unusable survey data.

As a consequence of the review, the following changes to survey specifications were made for the GCAS: • Capturing both radar and laser altimeter data • Raw diurnal (long wavelength variations in the earth’s magnetic field) data captured and provided as a digital data file • Time channels provided across all data types • Date information captured in the ‘compensation-box’ file • Preference for radiometrics captured using an instrument with no ‘dead time’ • Information on the GPS system employed for the survey, including capture of real-time differential GPS status • More information supplied in metadata files for each data type • More informative daily and weekly reports from survey contractors • Updates to data formatting

Depth to magnetic source interpolated surface over South Australia, showing the GCAS region and additional project areas, generated using the ‘sweet-spot’ technique. Depth to magnetic source is a fundamental data set used by mineral explorers searching for a range of commodities.

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requirements, field width and data precision • Data received fortnightly for quality control (QC) Rigorous quality control was present, from the raw field data acquisition through to the final deliverable located and gridded (interpolated) products.

Communications between the Geological Survey of South Australia and the survey contractors were captured using online shared spreadsheets. This provided a timely and efficient means for approving tranches of survey data as well as highlighting and tracking the rectification of any issues found.

Test lines flown at Whyalla In a departure from conventional survey acquisition, the GCAS included a 7 x 75km-long test line survey to be flown at Whyalla, South Australia, using the same specifications as those used for the main survey… namely 200m line spacing, 60m terrain clearance. The test lines, which extended over the ocean for 20 km, provided the ability check the new data formats before the main survey began.

These test lines also offered important first data for checking the radiometric

spectra. The over-water component of the lines provides important information on background spectra, enabling additional processing options, including removal of background — a necessary part of radiometric data processing.

One of the most important aspects of the test lines was that it enabled a quantitative comparison of acquired data from each aircraft used for the GCAS. This was most useful for radiometric data, where each system had been carefully calibrated over an established test range in Western Australia.

After flying the Whyalla test lines a few cases were found to have significant differences in mean radioelement concentrations after data comparisons over the same flight lines. Significant variations in mean radioelement concentrations over the Whyalla test lines tells us that there may be inconsistencies in the way that backgrounds have been estimated during the calibration process, or relate to environmental effects that were present during the data capture.

With this information and data, a more rigorous processing workflow can be performed, resulting in better internal scaling and consistency between the survey regions.

Results and outcomes As a consequence of the rigour that went into the quality control during data acquisition and processing, 16 sets of high-quality magnetic, radiometric and elevation data were released to the public, with confidence that every effort had gone into ensuring uniformity across the survey regions… in turn resulting in a highquality set of located and gridded data deliverables whose internal consistency would generate high-quality, mosaicked, gridded products.

For the GCAS project, a set of additional image enhancements was produced in a collaboration with CSIRO, which included integration with gravity data and magnetic modelling to infer depth to magnetic sources, the prospective rocks that are of interest to mineral explorers.

The magnetic source depth modelling is of particular importance to explorers who will ultimately drill targets generated using magnetic and other geophysical and geological data, as those targets will most likely be near the depths inferred by the modelling. This project generated more than 4,000 discrete magnetic inversion models used to infer the depth to the top of the magnetic source. It is believed to be the world’s largest collection of such models in a single contiguous area. These models form part of a dynamic set that can be added to as additional modelling

A full set of grid, model and vector products have been released for each of the 16 GCAS surveys.

is performed, or new data acquired in regions adjacent to the GCAS area.

A full set of grid, model and vector products have been released for each of the 16 GCAS surveys. Located data were also released for use primarily by geophysicists and scientists who have requirements for the raw field data or wish to generate magnetic profiles using located line data.

Each survey region’s enhanced data release was accompanied by a report highlighting an area of interest along with discussions on the transformations, data modelling and processing.

After all deliverables for each region were released, the final task of levelling and

The image on the left shows a vertical gradient (1VD) image using the previous merged magnetic data released in 2017. The image on the right shows the merged GCAS vertical gradient (1VD) image spanning two GCAS survey regions. The images have been processed and displayed using the same methodology and settings.

Processed and displayed using the same methodology and settings, these ternary radiometric images combine uranium (blue), thorium (green) and potassium (red) and total count (shaded relief) into an RGB image. The GCAS image on the right benefits greatly from the closer line spacing and improved rigour of data capture and processing.

merging the 16 grids into a seamless set of image products was completed. This part of the process was carried out meticulously to ensure that all GCAS grids were conodular (line up perfectly) and required no resampling during the merge process.

To achieve this, a pilot grid was produced covering the GCAS region which was used to set the grid origin for each of the 16 GCAS regions, which were then gridded from the located data using a consistent set of gridding parameters.

This ensured the resulting interpolated grids were internally consistent and conodular within the survey overlap regions, eliminating the need for resampling during subsequent processing and merging. Only shifting and scaling were performed on the grids to maintain internal consistency between survey regions, before a final feather and merge process joined all of the survey regions together.

The result was as close to seamless as possible, with minor region joins only visible in a few places and only after heavy filtering was applied. The gridding was performed in the GDA94 geodetic coordinate system (which is consistent with the data capture flight lines coordinate system) at 0.00036 decimal degrees (equivalent to 40m) cell size.

The gridding method used for the TMI and DEM grids was minimum curvature; for the radiometrics it was minimum curvature with tension (0.2). An expanded set of transformations were applied to the merged grids.

Conclusions For mineral explorers in the Gawler Craton, the GCAS data and deliverables provide a comprehensive suite of meticulously produced geophysical data products that have the potential to fast-track minerals exploration in the region by facilitating robust geological interpretation and analysis.

The advantages of the new data are clear upon visual comparison with previous surveys, but the advantages become even more obvious after image enhancements and modelling products that add significantly to the utility of the data. The data can all be accessed via the Gawler Craton Community Information webpage https://energymining.sa.gov.au/ minerals/gcas or the South Australian Resource Information Gateway (SARIG) https://map.sarig.sa.gov.au. n Laszlo Katona is Principal GIS Geoscientist and Program Coordinator of the 4D Geoscience Atlas of South Australia at the Geological Survey of South Australia, part of Minerals and Energy Resources within the Department for Energy and Mining. www.spatialsource.com.au 33

feature

The crossover of mapping, BIM and GIS Brisbane’s new underground Cross River Rail is setting new benchmarks for the federation of BIM, GIS and 3D visualisation.

C

ross River Rail is a new twintunnel, underground rail line that will run under the Brisbane River and Brisbane CBD. It is set to transform the way people travel across the whole of South East Queensland. Once Cross River Rail is operational, journeys to, from and through Brisbane will be quicker, there will be new stations in more convenient locations, and public transport will become a more viable option for the whole region.

Set for completion in 2024 and with services expected to start in 2025, the $5.4 billion project will create not only four new city-centre underground stations but also a new above-ground station at the city’s iconic RNA Showgrounds. It also involves a rebuild of six existing stations between Fairfield and Salisbury to the south of the city and delivery of three new stations further south again, on the Gold Coast.

Along the way, the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority (CRRDA) is installing a new world-class ETCS train signalling system and, most notably for this article, it is also responsible for the planning and delivery of precinct development outcomes at each of the project’s five major inner-city station sites.

This precinct planning component is far larger than many people realise, and

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from the outset has driven an increased focus on above-ground land mapping and GIS than might be otherwise expected for the construction of what is primarily an underground rail line.

Common data environment At the project’s southernmost Boggo Road station, construction will leave behind nearly three hectares of developable land at the heart of an area that is already a world-class health, science and education precinct. At Woolloongabba just south of the Brisbane River, a huge 4.5-hectare site that is currently the launch site for the project’s giant tunnel boring machines provides the potential for not only the development of an entirely new town centre but integration also with Brisbane’s iconic Gabba stadium. The latter is a venue that the Queensland Government has recently announced will be completely redeveloped, should Brisbane be successfully appointed as hosts of the 2032 Olympics.

As the project then extends under and north of the Brisbane River, construction of a new station at the corner of Mary St and Albert St will leave behind a prime central CBD land lot. Then at Roma St on the northern edge of the city, demolition of the tired and unloved

RUSSELL VINE

Brisbane Transit Centre will create not only potential for new commercial and residential developments on yet another large three-plus-hectare land lot, but the station site has also been earmarked as the preferred site for Brisbane Live. This new 18,000-seat indoor entertainment centre will replace Brisbane’s outdated Boondall Entertainment Centre, located an inconvenient 16 kilometres to the north of the city.

All of this is why, at the outset of project delivery back in 2017, CRRDA realised that the project would have potentially unique needs in respect of correlating its BIM approach to GIS and land mapping. This realisation was exacerbated further once the delivery team started to contemplate how that relationship might also encompass best practice for both 3D digital visualisation and system or information modelling.

To encompass all of these areas in a single exercise, the Delivery Authority has adopted a common data environment and federated model approach. This ensures that not only must multiple major contractors contribute to a single master BIM model, but that the BIM data set is combined with data sets in proprietary GIS platforms — including ‘desktop’ and ‘webmap’ applications — and that the

The Cross River Rail project will involve construction of four underground and one new above-ground railway stations.

This view of one of the platforms was produced using the project’s VIS model.

All images courtesy CRRDA.

blended BIM/GIS dataset is then used to build and update a ‘real time’ interactive virtual reality, which is built and maintained using game engines.

This gamified VR is referred to as the Project’s ‘VIS’ model and uses both 3D digital engineering information as well as 3D geospatial land layers, to enable both visualisation of final infrastructure project outcomes, as well as optioneering of potential wider precinct outcomes.

The approach is referred to by the Delivery Authority as ‘Project DNA’ (ie.

Digital Network Approach) and, critically, was an intended project cornerstone prior to any bids for contracts in 2018, with all bidding parties obligated to support Project DNA if successful. And even at a bid stage, they were instructed to provide bid information as per pre-determined BIM and GIS specs.

The move to 3D GIS

CRRDA realised that the project would have potentially unique needs in respect of correlating its BIM approach to GIS and land mapping.

The $5.4 billion, mostly underground Cross River Rail will connect Brisbane’s north to its south.

With major construction having commenced in 2019 and the project now two years into a six-year build cycle, the benefits of Project DNA are proving to be numerous. For instance, there is a highly advanced BIM model built across a suite of tools from a range of suppliers (such as ESRI, Autodesk, Bentley and many others) that spans not only three major works packages and 17 kilometres of rail line (both above and underground) but also four underground station interiors modelled down to 2mm detail and updated every four hours. There are also designs for a further 11 above-ground rebuilds, reconfiguration of two major rail yards and integration with future roads and bus services.

The project’s GIS webmap is equally turbo-charged. It provides not only a traditional 2D map area covering more than 2.2 million hectares of South East Queensland and 514 separate information layers, but also provides an opportunity to test a LiDAR/ photogrammetry layer that merges with the 3D BIM data. This allows the Delivery Authority to ‘tilt’ the GIS view to 3D and then shows the data from BIM coming through into the spatial models. This in turn can be published as 3D webscenes, where future assets can be turned on and the BIM model infrastructure can be contemplated versus current landscape context.

This move to 3D GIS also enables delivery teams to not only utilise GIS for all of the usual project planning purposes (eg. land planning, utilities mapping, clash detection, environmental planning, plotting volumetric land lots etc) but also for the mapping and 3D visualistion/ recording of data sets such as archaeology www.spatialsource.com.au 35

feature finds, air quality monitors or how each station will integrate back into existing roads, walkways and cycle paths.

Further ‘boosted’ GIS functions now being trialled include pulling real-time data through to a 3D webmap view, which enables the Delivery Authority to better understand and visualise things like tunnelling progress or construction site air quality feeds in a more visual and relevant context.

The project’s heightened interest in modelling information geospatially has also led to the development of a mobile application that enables engineers on site to save images and other construction progress information directly back to the webmap, rather than saving information in traditional server structures or local drives. This means the project can continue moving to a future where site-specific information is saved geospatially and also creates an opportunity to map information to 3D land visuals.

Virtual delivery Last but by no means least, there is the ‘VIS’ model output — an interactive, navigable 3D Virtual Brisbane built in Unreal, whereby the Delivery Authority can turn on and explore the future tunnels, stations and precinct buildings not yet constructed.

This is a free-reign, photo-realistic environment, true to BIM model design, drawing on multiple GIS datasets. At a basic level, it enables engineers to contemplate multiple/ alternate built environments not yet realised, in the first person and in significant detail. At the same time it enables the project to share with the public exactly what Cross River Rail will look like, consist of and could yet mean for the city,

in a way that is informative, interactive and immersive.

The Delivery Authority has also pushed the envelope when it comes to the User Interfaces and User Experience for the VIS model. Staff undertake ‘pilot training’ and learn how to spawn into, then fly around, the model using an Xbox controller, which in turn ensures multiple delivery teams regularly fly through the model and can view it on screen in meetings and on an everyday basis.

In addition, the model can be experienced using a standard VR headset and controllers, which enables individuals to be spawned into the future stations at scale and lets them conduct self-guided walking or flying tours anywhere across the full environment.

Better still, the Delivery Authority has also pioneered the use of a 5-way projector system and built a unique ‘mixed reality’ (MR) viewing theatre, where the model environment is projected at scale onto a 2.4m-high, 270° viewing screen. This enables groups of up to 20 people to walk or fly through future stations and future precincts.

This new use of MR is a great example of Cross River Rail’s commitment to innovation in the BIM,GIS and 3D gamification space. It has been universally acclaimed by accessibility groups, emergency services and various architecture, design and engineering communities as a genuine game changer for how teams will be able to benefit from VR models of large-scale infrastructure projects in the future. n Russell Vine is Lead Innovation Officer with the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority and a member of the Delivery Authority’s Executive Leadership Team.

An aerial view (left) from project’s BIM Model showing the new Woolloongabba station, and a cross section (right) showing detail of one of the underground stations.

The VIS model shows developable land lots (left) and potential precinct outcomes (right).

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new products Septentrio launches AsteRx-i3 GNSS/ INS line

Handheld imager has indoor and outdoor uses Leica Geosystems has released the Leica BLK3D update, a handheld imager in-picture measurement solution for indoor and outdoor applications, such as exterior building measurements for scaffolding, façade, roofing and architecture projects. According to Leica, BLK3D users can capture façades of four-storey buildings within seconds with centimetre accuracy. New guidance and accuracy indication features enable optimisation of the capturing process, achieved by enhancing the image processing algorithms and workflow adaptation and enabling the capture of multi-shots of up to four shots.

The BLK3D update is rolled out with the BLK3D Mobile and Desktop software version 3.0. The BLK3D with Publisher license option enables collaboration within teams with increased accessibility to published 3D images through the cloud, and measurements can be created and shared on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Septentrio has launched a new line of five high-performance GNSS/INS receivers known as the AsteRx-i3 family, which includes plugand-play navigation options as well as receivers with raw measurement access. Available are OEM boards that enable rapid integration, as well as ruggedised versions enclosed in a waterproof IP68 housing. The range is suitable for applications that require high-accuracy positioning together with 3D orientation, heading, pitch and roll angles.

The AsteRx-i3 Pro receivers offer high-accuracy positioning with 3D orientation and dead-reckoning functionality for fast and easy plug-and-play integrations.

The Pro+ receivers provide integrated positioning and orientation along with raw measurements, in single or dual antenna configurations, suitable for applications with sensor fusion. The single antenna mode is suitable for compact and light-weight configurations, while the dual antenna mode reduces the need for movement during IMU initialisation.

One of the receivers offers an off-board IMU sensor, which can be mounted exactly at the alignment point-of-interest.

3D modelling on mobile devices with RTK accuracy

Photorealistic realtime 3D renderings

Pix4D has released the viDoc RTK rover, a ground-based RTK-grade 3D scanning solution for use with iOS mobile phones and tablets. The viDoc RTK rover works with the Pix4Dcatch app (which can be downloaded free from the App Store) for image acquisition, and is designed as a replacement for more expensive ground surveying equipment while not compromising on accuracy to achieve 3D, actionable results. The solution combines RTK-accurate image tagging with photogrammetry and LiDAR (for LiDARenabled mobile devices) processing.

When synchronised with Pix4Dcatch, the viDoc RTK rover geotags the images of a 3D scan in real-time, while connected to any NTRIP service. According to the company, research has shown that it can produce 3D models with an absolute geolocation accuracy of less than 5 cm.

Trimble has integrated V-Ray, a rendering application for architectural visualisation from Chaos, into the SketchUp Studio 3D modelling software and design platform used by architects, engineers and construction (AEC) professionals.

The integration enables users to generate high-quality renderings directly within Trimble’s SketchUp Studio.

V-Ray’s rendering options enable SketchUp Studio users to add global illumination, artificial lighting, realistic materials and textures, atmospheric effects and more to 3D models.

Styles can be rendered for each stage of a project, such as conceptual renders for internal buy-in, fast renders for comparing design options or photorealistic renders for the final design.

www.spatialsource.com.au 37

sssi

News and views from the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute

SSSI Board – 2021 Paul Digney President Dr Lesley Arnold President-Elect & Director – WA Wayne Patterson Director – NSW Dale Atkinson Director – Qld Nicholas Brown Director – ACT Michael Grear Director – SA Neil Hewitt Director – HC Andrej Mocicka Director – Vic Inga Playle Director – Tas Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse Company Secretary Roshni Sharma YP Observer

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President’s Report

I

t was great to be in Melbourne recently for Locate21 and to finally attend an event in person. While disappointed that we had to cancel our main live site in Brisbane due to COVID restrictions, we were able to adapt and still deliver a world-class program. A special thank you to Paul Reed and Kate Williams and the organising committee for all their efforts in managing the program and overall event. Thank you also to all the volunteers and members who joined us at one of the live sites.

It was the first time I had ever attended a hybrid conference of this scale, and all but for a few technical issues it was a great experience. Whether you attended as a delegate or participated as workshop host or presenter, thank you for being part of Locate21. If you were unable to attend, I encourage you to turn the page and check out the graphic recording of Locate21 produced by Dayna Hayman (Dayna Hayman Design) with words from Roshni Sharma (FrontierSI) and Laura Kostanski (Asymmetric Innovations). It is a fantastic summary of the three-day event. And don’t forget that Locate22 will be held in Canberra in May 2022.

The highlight of Locate21, as it is each year, was the awarding the oceanic winners of the Asia Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards (APSEA). Though it had to be a virtual ceremony, this did not take the shine off the talented individuals and projects we celebrated. It was also a great

honour to present the SSSI Eminence Award to Professor Allison Kealy and the SSSI President’s Award to Paul Reed, plus confer former SSSI President Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse, Hon. Fellow, and Mark Shortis, Fellow of SSSI. I am also pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the 2021 Regional APSEAs. Though 2020 may have been a difficult year for many, in did not stall innovation and creativity. All the nomination information is available on the www.apsea.org.au website, with nominations closing at the end of July.

SSSI has recently reviewed all the APSEA award categories, and some changes have been made to encourage more equity and diversity in nominations.

On the SSSI news front, I was delighted to announce the formation of SSSI’s Spatial Digital Twins Special Interest Group, and we have been overwhelmed by the response from the geospatial community wishing to participate in one of its six Working Groups. With the federal government recently announcing a $40 million investment in a 3D atlas for Australia, this further reinforces our need to focus on this area as an Institute.

Also, our industry leading SSSI National YP Mentoring Program continues for 2021. It is rewarding to see this program going from strength to strength. This year’s program builds on the success of the previous years’, with

SSSI sustaining partner

Commission Chairs

improved mentor-mentee matching and pairing by either geography or technical discipline. Mentors and mentees will choose six topics out of a possible 30 to explore, discuss and document in their mentoring journals. The YP program outcomes are immeasurable and mentor/ mentee learnings everlasting. If you have participated in this program, either as a mentor or mentee, you will no doubt agree it is a rewarding experience.

As you may recall from my column in the last issue of Position, SSSI has been working with several other organisations to develop the 2030 Space and Spatial Roadmap. This Roadmap explores the opportunity for both the space and

spatial sectors. We are now seeking feedback on the proposed Roadmap, and we value your input. For up-to-date information and to download a copy of the consultation paper, I encourage you to visit: www.2030spaceandspatial.com.

As we head towards the later part of the year, the SSSI Regional events calendar will be ramping up with many local conferences, forums or seminars planned. As always, check out the events page of the SSSI website for all the information and keep your fingers crossed for no further COVID-19 outbreaks. And please stay safe.

Paul Digney President

Engineering & Mining Surveying Chair Andrew Edwards chair.emsc@sssi.org.au Hydrography Commission Chair Neil Hewitt chair.hc@sssi.org.au Land Surveying Commission Chair Lee Hellen chair.lsc@sssi.org.au Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry Commission Chair Petra Helmholz chair.rspc@sssi.org.au Spatial Information & Cartography Commission Chair Robert Campbell

chair.sicc@sssi.org.au

Regional Committee Chairs

Oceanic APSEA individual winners Professional of the Year Award – Alistair Byrom Young Professional of the Year Award – Michael Topp Women’s Leadership Award – Melissa Harris Educational Development Award – Ivana Ivanova Postgraduate Student Award (Joint Winners) – Wallace Boone Law and Antara Dasgupta Undergraduate Student Award – Alexei Tiong

ACT Regional Chair Noel Ward chair.act@sssi.org.au NSW Regional Chair Mary-Ellen Feeney chair.nsw@sssi.org.au

Vocational Education Training (VET) Student Award – Russell Commins

NT Regional Chair Rob Sarib chair.nt@sssi.org.au

Reflections from a regional APSEA winner

QLD Regional Chair Noel Davidson chair.qld@sssi.org.au

I’m spewin’! After all my hard work over the years and all my efforts in negotiating the nomination process for the Asia Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards (APSEAs) — which led to me winning the regional award for Educational Development — I threw my hat in the ring for the same award in the Oceanic APSEAs. But I was cruelly cut down by Western Australia!

I’m joking, of course. A massive congratulations to Dr Ivana Ivanovic from Curtin University who went on to win the Oceanic APSEA Education Development Award Positive change is here! But for you there’s no better time than now to apply for the 2021 Regional APSEAs. The application process has greatly improved and will enable you to more easily convey what you did and why it is worthy of an award. Only once nominations are received will a judging panel be appointed — this will ensure it has the requisite expertise to best judge each category.

What happens if I win? You’ll be featured online in Spatial Source and may even get to write something in Position magazine! Plus you’ll get a big certificate to hang in your office, bragging rights and no doubt an invitation to speak at a regional SSSI event.

And if I don’t win? Well, at least you’ll get to commiserate with likeminded professionals, pump the winners for insider tips and scoop the pool next year. So please, tell us about the great work you’re doing and be in the running for a prestigious APSEA. Nominations are now open for the next regional awards — visit www.apsea.org.au for details.

SA Regional Chair Graham Walker chair.sa@sssi.org.au TAS Regional Chair

Inga Playle chair.tas@sssi.org.au VIC Regional Chair Andrej Mocicka chair.vic@sssi.org.au WA Regional Chair Darren Mottolini chair.wa@sssi.org.au SSSI National Office 27-29 Napier Cl, Deakin, ACT 2600 (PO Box 307) Phone: +61 2 6282 2282 Email: info@sssi.org.au

Craig Roberts Senior Lecturer, UNSW www.spatialsource.com.au 39

sssi

40 position June/July 2021

www.spatialsource.com.au 41

sssi opinion

Five reasons why Space+Spatial matters The crossover of the space and spatial sectors make them essential drivers of societal and economic prosperity.

S

patial data and space services are ubiquitous in our modern and digitally connected lives. The power of where, enabled through space and spatial, is the record of what we do, when and where we do it, and in what environment — because everything happens somewhere. Nations increasingly are using location to connect data and workflows for government, industry, researchers and the community to make decisions that dramatically improve economic, environmental and social outcomes.

The spatial industry depends upon space and space technologies such as Earth observation and remote sensing, positioning, navigation, timing and communications. These space-based assets supply the streams of data that power the activities of many of companies operating in Australia’s spatial industry, which in turn service most areas of the Australian economy. These areas include agriculture, construction, property and land development, mining, energy, transport, advanced digital analytics, asset management, telecommunications, environmental management, defence and emergency management.

By taking location

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information and applying geospatial capabilities to analyse and visualise the content contained within, government policy and service delivery can become more relevant, targeted and efficient, both during emergencies and in business as usual.

There are five main reasons why co-dependence of the overlapping part of ‘space+spatial’ is so important and promises such exciting growth prospects: 1. Over the past 18 months Australia has been subjected to a series of disasters that have had wide-ranging impacts across the nation, including the Queensland floods, the national drought, the national bushfire crisis and now COVID-19. A critical aspect in supporting response and recovery has been understanding the geographic extent of these disasters, the nature of the community and businesses

effected, and the social, physical and environmental infrastructure and assets impacted.

2. Space technologies play a vital role in collecting data and information (through positioning, navigation and timing and through remote sensing by earth observation) and disseminating data and information (through telecommunications).

3. Location provides a unifying factor for much of the data that is available, as well as a powerful tool to understand and communicate the data, information and stories the data contains. By taking location information and applying geospatial capabilities to analyse and visualise the content, government policy and service delivery can become more relevant, targeted and efficient, both during emergencies and in

TONY WHEELER business-as-usual, enabling industry to function and grow.

4. Recent studies have found that the global geospatial technology industry is worth around $400 billion and is growing at 13.8% annually. Remote sensing is the fastest growing subsector, with the majority of growth reported in the Asia-Pacific region. Various studies into the space and spatial sector highlight the significant and growing contribution to local, national, regional and global economies, now and into the future.

5. Australia’s spatial industry is already well established and has strong additional growth potential if a significant space investment is made.

It is important to acknowledge the role played by the spatial industries in realising the benefits of investment in space and that the two sectors are inherently co-dependent. The spatial industry’s early adoption and use of the outputs and capabilities of space have delivered returns in the order of three to five times the initial investment. That multiplier effect is likely to increase further in the future. n Tony Wheeler is CEO of the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute.

info@caroni.com.au

www.caroni.com.au

www.mapgear.com.au