Holographic Geospatial Imaging: The Future Is "Wow"!

Inc. magazine’s “Top 500 Companies for 2009” listed Zebra Imaging at #348. Zebra’s website reveals why they made the list.  Using any 3D digital input (lidar scans or satellite imagery, for example) they create amazing autostereoscopic (no glasses, goggles, or external eyewear) 3D holographic images that appear to be floating in air.

Take a look the accompanying photo. The first time I saw it I thought, “Big deal, some guys are looking at a scale model of a city block.” Then I looked closer—these aren’t models, they’re holograms! 

This technology has been used for undersea visualization (oil companies are mapping areas below the North Sea for oil exploration), land and real estate development planning (imagine showing your clients eye-snapping holographic representations of their projects!), and much more. I don’t want to turn this into an ad for the company, but I do want to emphasize that this is the kind of mind-blowing technology we will be bringing to you in Pangaea.

Check out Zebra Imaging’s website and watch a short video explaining the process.

 —Jeff Salmon

Web Editor

Penn State Public Broadcasting is developing the Geospatial Revolution Project, an integrated public media and outreach initiative about the world of digital mapping and how it is changing the way we think, behave, and interact.

The project will feature a web-based serial release of eight video episodes—each telling an intriguing geospatial story—and will culminate in a 60-minute documentary. The project also will include an outreach initiative in collaboration with their educational partners, a DVD, and downloadable outreach materials.

See this article for more on the project.

In response to a long-standing request from ESRI, JAVAD GNSS announces that ArcPad users can now communicate directly with ArcServer.

The need to first process field information through proprietary software has been eliminated, and real-time centimeter-level positioning is now possible.

JAVAD ArcPad Extension provides a full range of functions to control the GNSS receiver and manage the surveying process. It establishes a connection to the receiver via serial, USB, or Bluetooth. Only three buttons are needed to control data logging, configure the base station parameters that govern the RTK and UHF radio setups, and GSM modem settings.

Visit www.javad.com for details.

Spar Research focuses on “Business and technology trends in 3D imaging for engineering/construction/manufacturing.” Their SPAR 2009 in Denver was a mind-boggling array of cutting-edge geo-tech.

For information about their 2010 convention, visit http://www.sparllc.rsvp1.com/spar2010.php or http://www.sparllc.rsvp1.com/spar2010.php if you’re interested in presenting.