Geospatial technology is changing. Now geographic information system (GIS) software is ingesting, organizing and visualizing data from a rapidly growing assortment of remote sensing platforms and sensors; 2D is transitioning to 3D; and still images are giving way to video.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe map of the future isn\u2019t a map,\u201d predicted Lawrie Jordan, now Esri\u2019s director of imagery, 20 years ago to a skeptical audience. \u201cIt\u2019s a photorealistic, intelligent 3D image that I can fly through and analyze, and hopefully one day it\u2019ll be right beside me as a wearable appliance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now the geospatial industry is getting close to realizing that vision.<\/p>\n
\u201cVirtually every one of the foundation layers on which GIS is built and relies \u2026 comes exclusively from remote sensing and imagery,\u201d explains Jordan. \u201cImagery really is the foundation upon which GIS is built.\u201d<\/p>\n
Conversely, he points out, combining multiple types of data yields unique views that can\u2019t be obtained from any one of them individually. \u201cFrequently, we\u2019re seeing users combine multiple types of data to get a new view.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to David Glenn, product line director for GIS at Hexagon Geospatial, his customers need some remote sensing capability when they\u2019re primarily performing GIS activities and some GIS capability when their primary work involves remote sensing.<\/p>\n