GEOmedia_3_2021

Rivista bimestrale - anno XXV - Numero 3/2021 - Sped. in abb. postale 70% - Filiale di Roma
LAND CARTOGRAPHY
GIS
CADASTRE
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
3D
SURVEY TOPOGRAPHY
CAD
BIM
EARTH OBSERVATION SPACE
WEBGIS
UAV
URBAN PLANNING
CONSTRUCTION
LBS
SMART CITY
GNSS
ENVIRONMENT
NETWORKS
LiDAR
CULTURAL HERITAGE
May/June 2021 year XXV N°3
GNSS-BASED
INTEGRATED
PLATFORM
INTERVIEW WITH KEVIN
DOWLING CEO OF KAARTA
ITALY DISCOVERABILITY
IN PRACTICE
AI PIPELINES FOR BIG
COPERNICUS DATA

Italy in the GeoInformation worldwide
In this issue, traditionally released in English language every year, GEOmedia provide
its readers the presentation of two international projects where Italian companies play an
important role.
AMPERE (Asset Mapping Platform for Emerging countRies Electrification), a project created
to bring to Dominican Republic, a GNSS-based integrated platform for energy decision
makers. It is finalized to the solution to one of the problems in the Central and South
America countries regarding the precarious, often chaotic status of large part of the electricity
distribution network, which, besides making the service unreliable and sometimes dangerous,
takes away from the simple beauty of the area. The old lines are being replaced with several
dedicated interventions to make areas more appealing. Moreover, the electricity distribution
companies experience serious problems with electricity leakages and were losing vast amounts
of resources from illegal connections to the grid. AMPERE, with the participation of the
Italian company Sistematica SpA, proposes a solution based on a GIS cloud mapping
technology, collecting on field data acquired with optical/thermal cameras and LIDAR installed
on board to an UAV as well as other data captured with conventional sensors on ground.
DeepCube is an Horizon 2020 project implemented by 9 European partners coordinated
by the National Observatory of Athens. In this project the Italian company TREA Altamira
(TREA) will analyze the deformation trend change detection on PSI (Persistent Scatterer
Interferometry) time series for critical infrastructure monitoring using InSAR derived services.
TRE has been a pioneer in developing new products from satellite SAR data, born as a
Politecnico of Milan University spin-off in 2000, the company was funded to market the first
PSI technique worldwide and in 2016, it merged with Altamira, an InSAR service company
too. When asked to join the DeepCube project, TRE was thrilled to contribute to the challenge
of exploiting the mass amount of Sentinel-1 SAR data combined with in-situ geodetic and
other measurements with the final goal of creating a commercial service to monitor critical
infrastructure at large scales.
Another important contribution is coming from the Italian Register of Territorial Data
(RNDT) talking about the Data Discoverability. This is described as one of the main
tasks, next to availability and interoperability, that public policy makers and implementers
should take into due consideration in order to foster access, use and re-use of public sector
information, particularly in case of Open Data.
An overview on the Team of HERE Technologies working on modern map-making and
maintenance that requires the normalization and conflation of combined datasets from many
different sources and channels. The Local Data Intelligence Team (known as LDI team) is
a global team, with geo spatial experts in each region. Different cultures and local knowledge
allow for a rainbow of expertise in this team. Although they are local, they state to contribute
toward global solutions.
Finally an interview to Kevin Dowling , CEO of Kaarta will bring us a new vision of actual
modern cartography. Kevin explain us that the name ‘Kaarta’ is a phonetic reference to the
science or practice of map making in cartography. The name captures the company’s pioneering
on mapping to produce 3D models in real time, and it is not about the technique used, but it’s
about the problems solved.
Enjoy your reading,
Renzo Carlucci

IN ThIS
ISSuE...
FOCuS
REPORT
COLUMNS
20 AUGMENTED REALITY
24 ESA Image
30 NEWS
AMPERE (ASSET
MAPPING PLATFORM FOR
EMERGING COuNTRIES
ELECTRIFICATION)
A GNSS-BASED
INTEGRATED PLATFORM
FOR ENERGy DECISION
MAkERS
BY MARCO NISI, MARCO LISI,
ALBERTO MENNELLA, PEDRO
CABRERA, PERE MOLINA,
GIANCARMINE FASANO, ROBERTO
MUSCINELLI, SIMONE MAURIZI
6
38 AGENDA
12
AN INTERvIEw wITh
kEvIN DOwLING,
CEO OF kAARTA
BY EDITORIAL STAFF
SANTO DOMINGO -
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:
View of famous landmark
of Columbus Statue and
Cathedral, Parque Colon.
geomediaonline.it
GEOmedia, published bi-monthly, is the Italian magazine for
geomatics. Since more than 20 years publishing to open a
worldwide window to the Italian market and vice versa.
Themes are on latest news, developments and applications in
the complex field of earth surface sciences.
GEOmedia faces with all activities relating to the acquisition,
processing, querying, analysis, presentation, dissemination,
management and use of geo-data and geo-information. The
magazine covers subjects such as surveying, environment,
mapping, GNSS systems, GIS, Earth Observation, Geospatial
Data, BIM, UAV and 3D technologies.

ADV
ITALy,
DISCOvERABILITy
IN PRACTICE
BY GABRIELE CIASULLO,
GIOVANNA SCAGLIONE
AND ANTONIO ROTUNDO
14
EPSILON 11
ESRI ITALIA 33
CODEVINTEC 35
DATRONIX 39
GEC SOFTWARE 2
GEOMAX 30
GIS3W 31
GTER 23
PLANETEK 39
STONEX 17
LOCAL ChANGE
DETECTION
TEAM @ hERE
TEChNOLOGIES
BY HERE TECHNOLOGIES
18
26
DEEPCuBE:
ExPLAINABLE AI
PIPELINES FOR BIG
COPERNICuS DATA
BY CHIARA GERVASI,
ALESSIA FERRARI, IOANNIS
PAPOUTSIS, SOUZANA
TOULOUMTZI
TEOREMA 38
Lake Mar Chiquita
In the background the Copernicus
Sentinel-1 mission
image taken over Lake Mar
Chiquita – an endorheic salt
lake in the northeast province
of Córdoba, Argentina.
Several small islands lie in the
lake, the most important of
which is El Médano. Vast expanses
of saline marshes can
be seen on the lake’s northern
shore. The lake has been designated
as a Ramsar Site of
International Importance,
and is considered one of the
most important wetlands in
Argentina owing to its rich
biodiversity. Over 25 species
of fish are known to breed in
Lake Mar Chiquita, with fishing
and livestock being the
principal land uses.
The colours of this image
come from the combination
of two polarisations from the
Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar
mission, which have been
converted into a single image.
This image was acquired on
17 November 2020.
(Source: ESA - Image of the
week: "Lake Mar Chiquita")
una pubblicazione
Chief Editor
RENZO CARLUCCI, direttore@rivistageomedia.it
Editorial Board
Vyron Antoniou, Fabrizio Bernardini, Mario Caporale,
Luigi Colombo, Mattia Crespi, Luigi Di Prinzio,
Michele Dussi, Michele Fasolo, Marco Lisi, Flavio Lupia,
Beniamino Murgante, Aldo Riggio, Mauro Salvemini,
Domenico Santarsiero, Attilio Selvini, Donato Tufillaro
Managing Director
FULVIO BERNARDINI, fbernardini@rivistageomedia.it
Editorial Staff
VALERIO CARLUCCI, GIANLUCA PITITTO,
redazione@rivistageomedia.it
Marketing Assistant
TATIANA IASILLO, diffusione@rivistageomedia.it
Design
DANIELE CARLUCCI, dcarlucci@rivistageomedia.it
MediaGEO soc. coop.
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Reg. Trib. di Roma N° 243/2003 del 14.05.03
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Issue closed on: 28/08/202
Science & Technology Communication

FOCUS
AMPERE (Asset Mapping Platform for
Emerging CountRies Electrification)
a GNSS-based integrated platform
for energy decision makers
by Marco Nisi, Marco Lisi, Alberto Mennella, Pedro Cabrera, Pere Molina,
Giancarmine Fasano, Roberto Muscinelli, Simone Maurizi
Despite global electrification
rates are significantly
progressing, the access to
electricity in emerging countries
is still far from being achieved.
Indeed, the challenge facing such
communities goes beyond the
lack of infrastructure assets; what
is needed is a holistic assessment
of the energy demand and its
expected growth over time, based
on an accurate assessment of
deployed resources and their
maintenance status.
As an example, one
big problem plaguing
Dominican Republic is
the precarious, often chaotic
status of large part of the electricity
distribution network
(figure 1), which, besides
making the service unreliable
and sometimes dangerous,
takes away from the simple
beauty of the area.
The old lines are now being
replaced with several dedicated
interventions to make areas
more appealing. Moreover,
the electricity distribution
companies experience serious
problems with electricity leakages
and were losing vast
amounts of resources from
illegal connections to the grid.
Based on the above scenario,
the AMPERE solution aims to
support the decision-making
process – including activities
planning, data acquisition
and final reporting - for investments
and network maintenance,
based on infrastructural
and geomorphological
assets mapping intended as a
service provided by AMPERE
consortium (figure 2).
The concept
The original need for
AMPERE platform comes
from issues related to operations
performed by on-field
surveyors to collect information
about mapping and
status of electrical assets. In
this operational scenario, the
surveyors have to operate in
a time-efficient and safe way,
using hand-held cameras
and geomatic tools to collect
data, which are then processed
offline.
AMPERE provides an important
contribution, being
the survey also supported by
Remotely Piloted Aircraft’s
(RPA’s) performing operations
in a semi-automated
way, i.e., exploiting on-board
sensors (optical/ thermal
6 GEOmedia n°3-2021

FOCUS
cameras, LIDAR and GNSS
receivers) to keep their trajectory
as close as possible to
the targets to be surveyed.
electric assets, thus achieving
high-resolution details while
maintaining a safe distance to
avoid collisions.
It is worth noting that the use
of GNSS (GPS and Galileo)
receivers allows not only a
precise navigation of the
drones, but also a highly accurate
geo-referencing of the
collected data. These features
will be in the future further
enhanced taking advantage of
the soon operational Galileo
High Accuracy Service
(HAS).
AMPERE proposes a solution
(figure 3) based on a GIS
cloud mapping technology,
collecting on field data acquired
with optical/thermal
cameras and LIDAR installed
on board an RPA as well as
other data captured with conventional
sensors on ground.
In particular, an RPA will be
able to fly over selected areas
performing semi-automated
operations to collect optical
and thermal images as well as
3D LiDAR-based reconstruction
products. Such products
are post processed at the
central cloud GIS platform,
allowing operators to perform
planning and monitoring activities
by means of different
screen views. Analytic tools
can resolve data accessibility
issues and improve the decision-making
process.
AMPERE system elements
RPA platforms
Two RPA typologies have
been considered in AMPERE:
Fixed Wing RPA’s and
Multirotor RPA’s.
A Fixed Wing RPA, flying
high and fast, is very suitable
for a rapid inspection
over a long power line, but it
cannot observe small details
(e.g., signs of deterioration)in
electric towers, distribution
boxes, wires and insulators.
However, it can provide the
general topology of the network
by flying even 80 Km
per flight (Beyond Visual
Line of Sight, BVLOS), embarking
an RGB camera and/
or a thermal (IR) imager as
payload.
The AMPERE fixed-wing
RPA is based on the Believer
1960 mm Wingspan platform.
This flight platform
features a high portability,
stability and durability, making
it ideal for industry class
aerial survey. The Fixed Wing
RPA has been designed with
active tracking antenna system
(ATAS) needed for long
range flight operations.
Figures 4 and 5 show, respectively,
the fixed-wing drone
and its portable control and
communications system.
A multi-rotor aircraft is the
most suitable choice to provide
very detailed thermal and
optical images by hovering in
the air at close distance from
the various components of
the power line; moreover, it
is suggested for rural as well
as for sub-urban and urban
Figure 2: AMPERE service value chain
Figure 1: aerial power lines in Dominican Republic
environments. The only
disadvantage of this type of
drone comes from the relatively
limited autonomy: about
half an hour, working on batteries.
The main platform used
for powerline inspections
in AMPERE is the DJI
MATRICE 300 RTK. It is
a powerful industrial drone
platform with an advanced
GEOmedia n°3-2021 7

FOCUS
Figure 3: AMPERE architectural concept
Figure 4: Fixed wing drone developed in AMPERE project
flight controller system,
6 Directional Sensing,
Positioning system and FPV
camera. This system can implement
semiautonomous
operations, thanks to the
high-end onboard sensors
and sophisticated data fusion
algorithms. Moreover, this
platform has different mechanisms
(SDK) to integrate specific
third-party equipment.
Specifically, in the AMPERE
application the drone is
equipped with a payload,
including a LIDAR instrument,
which implements a
complete 3D Laser scanning,
providing a high-resolution
map of the power line,
with a centimetric level resolution;
a Synchronized
Stereo Optical Camera and
a Triple Frequency Multi-
Constellation E-GNSS
Receiver, used for georeferencing
the acquired data and
for they synchronization.
Figures 6 and 7 show the
main multi-rotor RPA and its
multi-instrument payload.
Finally, in addition to the
fixed-wing and the main multi-rotor
RPA’s, a small multirotor
drone with a Maximum
Take-Off Mass (MTOM) of
less than 250 g, including
payload, will be used. The
main advantage of this category
is the possibility to fly
over people not informed of
drone operations, making it
suitable to be employed even
in crowded cities.
AMPERE Cloud GIS Platform
(ACGP)
Electric utility companies
need accurate information
on their asset inventory, basically
based on two types
of geographical information:
(i) asset mapping of
the distribution network,
containing crucial technical
information and locations of
infrastructural assets as poles,
power lines, lights, circuits,
equipment, facilities etc.; and
(ii) information about the
customers, including their
locations and consumption
details to determine the areas
for potential new customers
and network expansion..
Indeed, the biggest problem
electric utilities are facing is
storing the historical data and
updating it due to the realtime
changes on the field.
8 GEOmedia n°3-2021

FOCUS
Accordingly, AMPERE Cloud
GIS solution provides utilities
with an overview of the
entire process visualized on
a map from campaign planning,
execution, acquisition
and processing to generate a
final automated report (figures
8 and 9).
AMPERE Cloud GIS platform
is a multi-sensor mapping
system, featuring both
3D reconstruction capabilities
(based on LiDAR) and
vision-based products (based
on RGB/thermal cameras),
that are already geo-referenced
for their straight-forward
use by end-user platforms
in AMPERE. Moreover,
AMPERE foresees co-registration
and combination
of RGB images and LiDAR
point clouds. The key concept
is that the LiDAR point
cloud can provide 3D information
to image data, while
in an inverse fashion, LiDAR
points can be associated to
image windows where these
points are observed, thus supporting
visual inspection.
The greatest benefit is the
real-time collaboration
between top management
and field operators where
maps and layers can be shared
with different levels of
access. Moreover, AMPERE
Cloud GIS solution can be
used with no need for extensive
education of operators:
the solution is implemented
in a process workflow immediately
and it is suitable for
non-GIS users as well as for
professionals. The option to
collect line features in the
field with high GNSS accuracy
and to store them in the
database can increase time
and cost efficiency of the entire
organization as it offers a
more convenient way to collect
data.
As such, in the context of
AMPERE, Galileo – the
European GNSS system - is a
key enabler, especially when
leveraging its unique features:
a free-of-charge High
Accuracy Service (HAS) and
highly precise E5 AltBOC
code measurements. These
features are of great benefit
for the industry of mapping
in general -and electric utilities
in particular-, as they
simplify the mapping methodology
(less supporting
infrastructure needed) and
therefore increase time and
cost efficiency, offering a
more convenient way to manage
energy distribution. The
core component in this task
is GeoNumerics’ NEXA, a robust
non-linear least-squares
generic sequential estimation
engine to compute trajectories
of any type. NEXA has
been designed to be extensible
and adaptative, provided
with the appropriate plugand-play
toolboxes (GNSS,
or GNSS/INS, or GNSS/INS
plus other sensors).
Figure 6: AMPERE multi-rotor RPA
Future works
and conclusions
The AMPERE system is
being tested in Europe. After
on factory tests performed
at partners’ premises in Italy
and Spain, a dedicated campaign
covering technical (accuracy
of sensors installed on
the drone) and operational
(user experience) aspects is
planned in September 2021
for the complete system acceptance.
Figure 5: fixed wing drone
control & communications
system
GEOmedia n°3-2021 9

FOCUS
Figure 7: AMPERE multi rotor RPA payload
Figure 8: ACGP. Project creation for campaign planning
Figure 9: ACGP. Network assets topology acquisition with attached products
Furtherly, a validation campaign
with Stakeholder’s
involvement will be conducted
in Santo Domingo,
in November 2021. The
sessions will measure the
benefit of the AMPERE
solution in terms of time of
operations and accuracy of
collected data when compared
to traditional state-ofthe-art
approaches based on
the usage of geodetic GNSS
receivers.
The area is already selected
after agreement with
Corporation Dominicana de
Empresas Eléctricas Estatales
(CDEEE), also supporting
with formal interest the
consortium together with
Instituto Dominicano de
Aviación Civil (IDAC).
The AMPERE solution will
be used to map “Los Tres
Brazos” sector, eastern side
(ML69-02 EDEESTE) circuit,
in a popular district of
Santo Domingo.. The campaign
in Santo Domingo,
with involvement of the
above mentioned stakeholders,
will be an important
pillar for qualification review
also from a market perspective,
providing necessary
feedbacks upon the maturity
of the envisaged business
models (figure 10):
• AMPERE as a Product
(AaaP): This option includes
the provision of
the overall needed fleet of
drones (already tested and
integrated with the payload),
a training session (in
which installation activities
will be performed), the
maintenance and post-sales
service (for both physical
assets – e.g. drones and
payloads - and platform
customer care/updates);
10 GEOmedia n°3-2021

FOCUS
• AMPERE as a
Service (AaaS): This
option includes the
provision of the overall
service, meant
as gridline mapping
and inspection and
production of reports
and management
of the ACGP.
As a final output
the client would get
a detailed report of
the As-Is situation of
the network, based
on the surveys made
by an allocated team
of engineers and
drone operators.
C’è vita nel nostro mondo.
Figure 10: AMPERE business models
METAKEYS
Galileo, Copernicus, Powerlines, Electrical Asset Mapping, Emerging
Countries
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the AMPERE (Asset Mapping Platform for Emerging
countRies Electrification) project is to provide a dedicated solution for
electrical power network information gathering: AMPERE will support
decision making actors (e.g. institutions and public/ private companies
in charge to manage electrical network) to collect all needed info to
plan electrical network maintenance and upgrade. AMPERE solution
is based on a GIS Cloud mapping technology, collecting on field data
acquired with optical/thermal cameras and LIDAR installed on board a
Remote Piloted Aircraft (RPA).
AMPERE project has received funding from the European GNSS
Agency (grant agreement No 870227) under the European Union’s
Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
AUTHOR
Marco Nisi
marco.nisi@grupposistematica.it
Simone Maurizi, Free Soft and Tech s.r.l.,
Marco Lisi, Independent consultant,
Alberto Mennella, TOPview
Pedro Cabrera, UNPHU University
Pere Molina, GeoNumerics S.A.,
Giancarmine Fasano, University of Naples Federico II,
Roberto Muscinelli, Business Integration Partners S.p.A.
AMPERE Consortium
www.h2020-ampere.eu
Trasformazione e pubblicazione di dati
territoriali in conformità a INSPIRE
Assistenza su Hight Value Datasets,
APIs, Location Intelligence, Data Spaces
INSPIRE Helpdesk
We support all INSPIRE implementers
EsinItaiaS
Viale della oncordia,
endicino S
el e a
infoepsilonitaliait
www.epsilon-italia.it
www.inspire-helpdesk.eu
GEOmedia n°3-2021 11

INTERVIEW
An interview with
Kevin Dowling,
CEO of KAARTA
What does Kaarta
mean and why you
choose this name for
your company?
Kevin Dowling: The
name ‘Kaarta’ is a
phonetic reference to
cartography, the science
or practice of map making,
and all things cartographic.
Kaarta, the
company, is all about
mapping and localization.
The name – with
the extra a added for effect
– captures the company’s
pioneering take
on mapping to produce
3D models in real time.
The name is not about
the technique we use,
it’s about the problems
we solve.
Kaarta is a relatively
recent company, but
has grown a lot in
recent years. What is
your magic potion?
There’s little that is
magical about growing
a company. It’s a lot
of time, effort and
plain hard work, but if
anything is our magic
potion it would be the
core algorithms and
approaches to solving a
long-standing problem
of figuring out where
you are and what is
around you. It’s a hard
problem and many
groups have attempted
to solve it. There is no
simple closed-form
solution. It is truly a
chicken and egg problem:
Kaarta uses the
world around us to
figure out where we
are while using where
we are to figure what is
around us. That’s both
magical and bewildering!
Kaarta is specialist in
real-time mobile 3D
reality capture. Which
is the core business of
the company?
Capturing the real
world as a 3D digital
representation is important,
and Kaarta does
it quickly and accurately.
But that is
just the first step of
what Kaarta does and
what customers ultimately
need. Kaarta’s
core business is helping
our customers get to
the representation of
the world that they
need. This might be a
floor plan, a 3D model,
tagged and labelled assets
and more. It starts
with data capture and
ends with a model, or a
plan, or a decision.
What are your best
product and why?
We have several products
that are suitable
for different applications
so it’s hard to say
what is best since each
product is tailored for
particular needs.
• Contour - Simple
handheld indoor reality
capture. Fast and
you can see results in
real-time on an easyto-use
touch screen.
• Stencil 2 - Long range,
lightweight, can
be flown, carried, or
driven. 100m range
in all directions.
Two flavours of lidar
-16 and -32 line
for the best quality.
• Stencil Pro - The
flagship - rugged
outdoor or vehicle
scanning yet can be
carried when needed.
Integrated GNSS,
Rugged IP65 rating,
200m range, and
four 4K HD cameras
provide real-time
panoramic views.
• Kaarta Cloud - Postprocessing
made
easy, visual, and
collaborative. Kaarta
Cloud even works
with raw data files
direct from lidar.
• Kaarta Engine -
Mostly licensed to
robotics companies
for robot localization
and mapping. Easily
integrated and interfaced
into customer
systems.
Now you can see
why there are multi-
12 GEOmedia n°3-2021

INTERVIEW
ple ‘best’ products.
They each serve their
markets well!
Kaarta recently introduced
Stencil Pro.
Users who have tried
it have called it amazing:
what is the secret
of this MMS?
Stencil Pro is a turnkey
system advancing
next generation mobile
surveying. It is a new
class of product for
Kaarta, and for the
industry as a whole. It
marries the speed and
ability to work in
GNSS denied areas of
a SLAM-based system
with the distance and
accuracy of a traditional
mobile mapping
system, at a fraction of
the cost. Stencil Pro
offers a fully integrated
seamless design
that incorporates an
advanced lidar with
200m of range in all
directions, four 4K
HD cameras to provide
images that can be
made into panoramic
images. It offers a high
quality Trimble GNSS
with corrections capabilities,
an excellent
antenna, and a path to
further upgrades. Also,
a fully-integrated IMU
is used for building accurate
trajectories and
therefore point clouds.
Stencil Pro is also
made for tougher
environments and is
rated IP 65. It’s not so
much a secret as a lot
of effort to make a great
product.
What will be the role
of SLAM technology
and Mobile Mapping in
the creation of a digital
world in the future?
[The last question is
completely open. We
would like to understand
how your company is
contributing to autonomous
robots. If you are
developing particular
sensors for autonomous
robots, maps that are
used by robots, SLAM
for robots or new algorithms
that allow robots
to improve their ability
to positioning, avoid
collisions or make quick
‟
SLAM solutions
enable many new
and novel realms of
capture, modeling,
planning, and assessment.
Because of
the speed of SLAM
and ever improving
accuracy sufficient for
all but the most stringent
applications, the
world can be modeled
rapidly from the
air, from vehicles, by
people and by robots.
Applications including
subsurface and
new multi-sensory
capabilities will help
The name is not
decisions. We kindly
ask you to go into this
last subject as much as
possible.]
Kaarta’s highly mobile
approach has
many advantages over
traditional capture
approaches including
fast speed, quick response,
and minimum
site access. In addition,
Kaarta provides
100% coverage
in the most complex
environments. We can
scan environments
impossible for stationary
scans including
partially flooded mines,
shipboard applications,
small spaces,
and more.
‟
about the technique
we use, it’s about the
problems we solve
model the world
in unprecedented
ways by mapping
everything from
acoustics, radiation,
lighting, RF, chemicals,
and much more.
Robots will increasingly
be part of our
lives - even if they
don’t look like the
robots of fiction and
movies. Whether navigating
a warehouse
or a retail store aisle,
cleaning floors,
or making a last mile
home delivery, autonomous
robots need
a map and need to
know where they are
on the map. Kaarta
provides a new level
of understanding of
spaces for humans and
autonomous machines
alike.
Kaarta Engine is a
set of purpose-built
3D mapping and localization
algorithms
that artfully solve the
simultaneous location
and mapping problem
of both capturing what
is around it (mapping)
and where it is in
that environment (location).
Kaarta’s unparalleled
expertise in
localization – a result
of our deep robotics
roots – is fundamental
to our patentpending
approach to
solving the SLAM problem,
reducing drift
error of other SLAM
systems by an order of
magnitude.
Kaarta Engine is at the
heart of our Stencil
and Contour products,
and it is also the mapping
and localization
intelligence behind an
array of third-party
geospatial and mobile
autonomous robotics
solutions that need to
quickly and accurately
assess and understand
the fundamental questions
of where they
are and what is around
them.
METAKEYS
Mapping, Cartography,3D
reality capture
AUTHOR
GEOmedia Editorial Staff
redazione@rivistageomedia.it
GEOmedia n°3-2021 13

REPORT
Italy, discoverability in practice
by Gabriele Ciasullo, Giovanna
Scaglione and Antonio Rotundo
Data discoverability is one
of the main tasks, next to
availability and interoperability,
that public policy makers and
implementers should take into
due consideration in order to
foster access, use and re-use of
public sector information (PSI),
particularly in case of open data.
Users shall be enabled
to easily search and
find data they need for
the most different purposes.
That is clearly highlighted in
the introduction statements
of the INSPIRE Directive,
where we can read that “The
loss of time and resources in
searching for existing (spatial)
data or establishing whether they
may be used for a particular
purpose is a key obstacle to the
full exploitation of the data
available”.
Metadata and data portals/
catalogues are essential assets to
enable that data discoverability.
In Italy, AgID (Agency for
Digital Italy,) is in charge of
managing the National Open
Data Portal (dati.gov.it,) and
the National Catalogue for
Spatial Data (RNDT - geodati.
gov.it). These catalogues are
the core components of an
overall PSI infrastructure to be
intended as the knowledge base
of all PSI, implemented by the
actions defined in the Three-
Year Plan for ICT in the Public
Administration 2019-2021.
Recently the new version of
both catalogues was released
with important new features
aimed at further improving the
user experience in the search,
access and use of public data
and at facilitating the use of
the functionalities for the
documentation of data and
services by the administrations.
Some examples of these new
features are:
harvesting by dati.gov.it
of data sources consistent
with the national metadata
profile DCAT-AP_IT;
dataset search for
each data provider, as
well as for catalogue,
under the new section
“Administrations, Link
opens in a new window” in
dati.gov.it; and
the pre-defined view
for “priority datasets” in
geodati.gov.it as defined
under the INSPIRE
context.
The main aim of these
activities is to make public data
available to an ever wider and
diversified audience. In this
regard, the most significant
action, defined in the threeyear
plan mentioned above, has
concerned the interoperable
integration and coordination
of the two catalogues through
the implementation of
GeoDCAT-AP, Link opens in a
new window to ensure aligned,
up-to-date and not conflicting
descriptions of spatial data even
available as open data. Thanks
to that, open spatial data
documented in the RNDT are
also discoverable in the open
data portal, without any other
burden for data providers.
Linked to that, specific
pre-defined views were
implemented in both catalogues
in order to immediately
identify:
open data in geodati.gov.it,
using DCAT-AP themes as
search criteria;
open spatial data coming
from RNDT in dati.gov.it,
using the INSPIRE themes
as search criteria.
14 GEOmedia n°3-2021

REPORT
The classification of open
spatial data against the
DCAT-AP themes is based on
the alignments between the
controlled vocabularies used
in ISO 19115 / INSPIRE
metadata and those used in
DCAT-AP defined under
the ISA 2 programme. Other
alignments needed for the
implementation of GeoDCAT-
AP and the coordination of
the two catalogues are being
published in the registry
managed by AgID too (an
example of a cross-map register
is available at this URL.
Finally, in order to address
a wider audience, including
non-GI experts, spatial data
documented in RNDT
is also available through
the web search engines,
specifically Google Dataset
Search. A relevant current
example on how that
discoverability, outlined in
this blog post, concretely
works is the COVID-19
open data, published by the
Italian Department for Civil
Protection, including national
trends, provinces and regions
data and areas, under the license
CC-BY 4.0.
Metadata for those datasets
were published in RNDT as
spatial data (e.g. see metadata
for the dataset of zones at
national level for containing
COVID-19 contagion) and,
consequently, those datasets are
also made discoverable:
in dati.gov.it, as open data;
in the European Data
Portal, as both dati.gov.
it and geodati.gov.it are
harvested;
in the INSPIRE
Geoportal, as geodati.gov.it
is harvested;
in Google Dataset Search.
In summary, Open Data are
available in an ‘universal’ way,
regardless the search tool used
by the users. Additional features
are being implemented in both
catalogues and will be presented
in a future blog post.
Interview on GeoDCAT-AP - Insights from Agency
for Digital Italy
Interview with Antonio Rotundo, Geographic Information
Expert, and Gabriele Ciasullo, Head of Databases and
Open Data Office, Agency for Digital Italy (AgID)
Why did your agency opt for GeoDCAT-AP?
AgID (Agency for Digital Italy) has been working on a
national strategy for an overall public sector information
infrastructure as knowledge base of all public information
resources, implemented by the actions defined in the
Three-Year Plan for ICT in the Public Administration.
The core components of that infrastructure are the national
catalogue for spatial data (RNDT) and the national
open data portal.
The Agency decided to implement GeoDCAT-AP to
achieve an interoperable integration and coordination of
the two catalogues. The aim was also to ensure aligned,
up-to-date and not conflicting descriptions of spatial data
even available as open data.
Furthermore, it supports the general objectives to apply
the once-only principle and to improve coordination
between the INSPIRE implementation and eGovernment,
open data and other relevant processes at the
national level. This is recommended in several EU official
documents, such as the eGovernment Action Plan, the
European Interoperability Framework, etc.
How was the implementation of GeoDCAT-AP carried
out in Italy?
The implementation of GeoDCAT-AP in Italy (named
GeoDCAT-AP_IT) was addressed as a specific action in
the previously mentioned Three-Year Plan for ICT in the
Public Administration. The Plan is a strategic policy document
for all public administrations established by the
government which oversees the digital transformation of
the country.
The actions foreseen for the implementation of
GeoDCAT-AP are:
the definition of national guidelines (published in
January 2018);
the implementation of these guidelines and the development
of the tools needed for their implementation
(already done);
and the full engagement of the Italian organisations
managing local catalogues.
The tools developed include the XSLT script extended
(to take into account the extensions introduced in the
national metadata profiles) and the GeoDCAT-AP_IT
API reusing and extending the one developed under the
ISA² Programme.
GEOmedia n°3-2021 15

REPORT
Can you give examples of how public administrations
in Italy can use GeoDCAT-AP today?
Thanks to GeoDCAT-AP, public administrations can
document open spatial data ONLY in the national catalogue
for spatial data that will directly enable and provide
access to spatial data also in the national open data
portal.
Public administrations at the local level are expected to
adopt the national approach also for their catalogues. For
this purpose, we make the API available for reuse under
the European Union Public Licence (EUPL) to facilitate
the implementation also at the local level.
Users and developers can also use the API to have a different
format (RDF/XML and JSON-LD) for the metadata
published in the national catalogue for spatial data.
What are the benefits of GeoDCAT-AP for your organisation?
How could it benefit other public administrations?
We can identify benefits both on the side of the public
administrations and on the side of the users.
The use of GeoDCAT-AP allows our organisation to
make open spatial data available to a wider and diversified
audience, beyond the geospatial domain.
Moreover, it allows to avoid the double burden on public
administrations concerning the documentation of open
geodata in both catalogues. Consequently, GeoDCAT-
AP helps overcome the possible misalignments between
the metadata for the same dataset published in the two
catalogues.
On the side of users, GeoDCAT-AP allows to improve
the user experience in the discoverability of data. The
more the metadata quality increases, the more effective
the search becomes.
Can you give an insight into your involvement in the
work on GeoDCAT-AP?
We actively participated in the development and revision
of GeoDCAT-AP specification as members of the
Working Group established under the ISA² Programme.
In that context, we also provided a study comparing ISO
19115:2003, INSPIRE and ISO 19115-1:2014 (the latest
version of ISO 19115), included in Annex III to the
specification.
Moreover, we contributed to the activity carried out for
the definition of the alignments between the controlled
vocabularies used in ISO 19115 / INSPIRE metadata
and those used in DCAT-AP.
Finally, based on our experience in implementing
GeoDCAT in Italy, we will further contribute to improve
the GeoDCAT-AP specification by reporting issues
and gaps as well as extensions included in the national
implementation.
ABSTRACT
In Italy, AgID (Agency for Digital
Italy) is in charge of managing the
National Open Data Portal (dati.
gov.it) and the National Catalogue
for Spatial Data (RNDT, geodati.
gov.it). Data discoverability is one
of the main tasks, next to availability
and interoperability, that public
policy makers and implementers
should take into due consideration
in order to foster access, use and
re-use of public sector information
(PSI), particularly in case of open
data.
KEY WORDS
RNDT, AGID, Open Data
AUTHOR
Gabriele Ciasullo
ciasullo@agid.gov.it
Giovanna Scaglione
Antonio Rotundo
AgID,
Italian National
Open Data Portal
(https://dati.gov.it)
National Catalogue for
Spatial Data
(https://geodati.gov.it)
16 GEOmedia n°3-2021

REPORT
Sede in Italia
Più di 100 distributori nel mondo
Una linea di prodotti Made in Italy
Dove siamo Chiamaci Contattaci
Seguici sui Social
Viale dell’Industria 53
20037, Paderno Dugnano (MI)
Tel. +39 02 78619201
www.stonex.it
info@stonex.it - italia@stonex.it
GEOmedia n°3-2021 17

REPORT
Local Change Detection
Team @ Here TECHNOLOGIES
A mirror to the world
by Here Technologies
Who are the Local Data
Intelligence Team
and what is the important
of location services?
The Local Data Intelligence
Team (known as LDI team) is
a global team, with geo spatial
experts in each region. Different
cultures and local knowledge
allow for a rainbow of expertise
in this team.
Although we are local, we contribute
toward global solutions.
Our team is in a truly unique
position given the global context,
we carry the responsibility
of receiving and processing
information in order to identify
changes and solutions.
Local Change Detection
and its world
(Superior) Local Change
Detection is one of the main
activities of the Local Data
Intelligence Team.
Today and every day, reality is
changing and so are our maps!
Local Change Detection aims at
pro-actively identifying and prioritizing
real-world changes that
need to be reflected in HERE
maps. We focus on the freshness
staying one step ahead. This
Modern map-making and maintenance require the normalization and
conflation of combined datasets from many different sources and channels.
“The challenge is to mirror the real world by refreshing our maps as quickly
and consistently as we possibly can.”
"We deliver fresh
maps in order to
experience an
optimal location
service."
18 GEOmedia n°3-2021

REPORT
“We are a Global
high-tech team
with a Local Flavor,
we are the eyes
and ears wherever
you are!”
We are the Local
Change Detection
team and we know
what tomorrow is
going to be, today”
is why we strive to proactively
identify approaching changes,
soon to manifest in the near
future.
The team monitors through
tools (externally and internally
developed) how our physical
reality is continuously evolving
and changing. All relevant
changes are verified and supported
during the ingestion
process, according to priorities
and reducing turnaround time
between detection and data ingestion.
All of this ensures the
freshness and competitiveness of
HERE maps. Media reports are
one major source for this kind
of information. Considering,
however, that millions of news
stories are published every day,
drowning in this flow of data
becomes a real possibility.
Real word changes can start
from major updates, passing
through Admin postal code
changes, neighborhood expansion
to traffic road closure.
Major Updates are changes affecting
major communication
arteries, or changes requested by
customers regarding e.g. Points
of Interest. These changes are
crucial for the mobility experience,
for our customers and
the end users, who are always at
the core of our business.
The Local Change Detection
Team detects changes through
different sources of data such as
Media monitoring, GPS Probe
Points, Satellite images, local
knowledge and many other data
flows. These detected real world
changes then proceed to feed
different tools assisting in the
update of HERE maps.
Team members are in contact
with local authorities and government
agencies, to receive
updates, thus transforming information
into data available in
our HERE maps as well.
The hidden complexity in creating
a digital clone of reality covering
more than 400 navigable
attributes, geometry, 2D and
3D building footprints could
easily be mistaken for magic.
The challenge is to identify the
information that matters most,
in a flood of millions of articles
produced every day. To achieve
these optimal results HERE
digests thousands of articles
per week using in house software
solutions combined with
Machine Learning algorithms.
In this way we guarantee competitiveness
in what we produce
and release.
The process never ceases and is
a cardinal step for HERE map
maintenance, providing value
in areas that are also updated by
other detections methodologies
and processes. Additionally, innovation
and improvements are
a crucial part of our journey.
By definition a map is a symbolic
representation of selected
characteristics of a place, usually
drawn on a flat surface. Maps
present information about the
world in a simple, visual way.
They teach us about the world
by showing sizes and shapes, locations,
features and distances.
We would like this representation
in our HERE maps to
provide a service that everyone
can enjoy with a truly enjoyable
navigation experience, in real
time.
ABSTRACT
Modern map-making and maintenance require the normalization
and conflation of combined datasets from many
different sources and channels. All of this ensures the freshness
and competitiveness of HERE maps.
KEY WORDS
Mapping, Cartography, HERE
AUTHOR
Maria Elena Ceci
Communication & Learning Lead for
Local Data Intelligence Team at HERE
MARIA-ELENA.CECI@HERE.COM
GEOmedia n°3-2021 19

AUGMENTED REALITY
ARCHITECTURE & RESTORATION:
XR TECNOLOGY
AR-VR-MR APPLICATIONS ARE THE PREREQUISITES
FOR ACTIVATING NEW MODELS OF PARTICIPATORY
DESIGN AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTION AND VISUAL
COMMUNICATION PROCESSES OF THE PROJECT.
XR 2020:
News & Events
by Tiziana Primavera
Innovative Tech
Evangelist - AR/VR
senior expert
Augmented Reality, a
young computer discipline
that deals with the superimpression
of digital content
to the observed real world, has
the appropriate requirements
to guarantee a good threshold
of interactivity to applications
dedicated to the design and use
Example application of markerless geolocalized AR (Byod experience)
of spaces in general, whether
they are designed or virtually
rebuilt, completely distorting
the usual and limited paradigm,
now consolidated, of the classic
desktop configuration, mouse,
keyboard.
Augmented Reality is a computer
discipline that studies projective
systems able to increase
reality with digital content, it
could be defined as the ability
to superimpose on reality observed
by the subject a set of information
related to the context.
In summary, the perception of
an Augmented Reality user is
implemented, "augmented" by
the presence of digital objects in
its field of view, enriching the
observed view with additional
information of any complex
contents of 3D graphics (threedimensional
objects - 3D animations)
or more elementary
(two-dimensional type: video
- infographic data)
Therefore, in a sensory overcoming
made possible thanks to
the computer system implemented,
Reale and Virtual apparently
coexist in the observed scene
and the user of the interactive
visual experience thus conceived,
can move quietly in the
real space, thus comfortably
observing virtual objects from
various points of view, in the
desired scale, also therefore on
the natural scale 1 :1.
It should be pointed out that in
more advanced applications, not
augmented reality, but Mixed
Reality with the integration
into the system of appropriate
sensors, sensory overrun can be
extended as well as to the view
to the simulated touch, or the
user active in the experience,
can not only visually inspect the
three-dimensional digital object
placed in real-time mode in the
desired Real Space , but also to
move it as it pleases, raising the
level of potential interactivity.
Mainly immersive technologies
such as Virtual Reality and
interactive such as Augmented
reality, have found happy application
in multiple and heterogeneous
contexts of use, both
at the entreprise leveland in the
various professional application
areas (training on the job, maintenancecontexts,
site management,
interactive communication-presentation
of projects on
aplanimetric basis at the desired
scale or on-site at the real scale,
20 GEOmedia n°3-2021

AUGMENTED REALITY
enhancement of archaeological
assets, etc.). The display of these
"three-dimensional digital holograms"
can take place via tablet/
smartphone or wearable device
(technological headsets).
AR in the architectural sector
In building contexts, augmented
reality can be particularly
functional in the visualization
of projects under construction
and in the visualization of the
operations to be carried out on
site. It can be used for on-site
project analysis and to identify
potential problems by visually
inspecting the completedmodel
or in itsconstituent, architectural
and plant engineering
parts.
The computer-generated digital
structure can be superimposed
on the real environment in
which it will be built, before it
happens, thus making possible
design errors evident during
thepreliminary phase of visual
control with huge economic savings,
allowing you to save a lot
of financial resources before any
construction work begins.
Land soon companies able to
use augmented reality to visualize
georeferenced construction
site models, underground structures,
cablesand tubactions,
simply by using BYOD (mobile
devices) technologies.
In this way, the construction
problems can be reviewed and
actively collaborated on useful
changes between design and
construction.
But this technology can also be
interesting to support design
operations in the architect's
studio and in remotely participatory
design, being able to
intervene on the same digital
plastic, although operating in
separate studios.
Clearly being a visual technology,
its killer application
consists in communicating the
project to the customer, which
Project viewable on site in scale 1:1, inspectable and modifiable in real - time mode
can be implemented in different
ways, at the desired scale,
displaying a simple floor plan
or at the real scale, to allow interactive
walktroughs to the customer
in the three-dimensional
space, sometimes using mixed
AR-VR applications.
The user experience can be improved
with AR applications,
allowing not only to visualize
objects and layouts within a
building to better understand
the space planning and project
display, but also allowing them
to display in real-time mode
Integration of the AR system - Bim data for prefiguring the overall dimensions.
GEOmedia n°3-2021 21

AUGMENTED REALITY
Interactive mixed reality application, two designers, albeit remotely, are placed in the condition of being able to
modify the morphology of the project (Microsoft application)
different finishes or furnishings
or distribution layout options
foreshadowed appropriately.
AUGMENTED REALITY FOR
INTERACTIVE ON-SITE
FORESHADOWINGS AND DI-
GITAL PLASTICS IN THE RE-
STORATION SECTORS
The powerful representative potential
of AR technology therefore
allows, even in professional
contexts oriented to the restoration
and restoration of bodies of
high historical and architectural
value, to be able to offer an
exact three-dimensional foreshadowing
of the various predefined
intervention concepts
directly on-site and in real-time
mode, as if they were photorealist
holograms perfectly consistent
Mixed reality application (Hololens device)
with pre-existence, constantly
recorded from the point of view
of the observer, in order to be
able to evaluate with greater
accuracy the design or technical
aesthetic solution considered
optimal and more responsive
to the essential specifies of the
historical-architectural context
of intervention.
The orientation of the type of
restoration to be undertaken
clearly depends on a series of
factors that go to frame in detail
the structure on which to intervene,
its conditions, the type of
intervention and its complexity,
Augmented Reality Technology
allows a particular and more
exhaustive verification, thanks
to the accurate interactive visualization,
since it takes place di-
rectly on the building organism
subject to the intervention.
By innovatively introducing the
"third dimension" and where
necessary the photorealistic
rendering of materials, it guarantees
the technician and the
client to be able to implement
a critical-evaluation analysis of
the MOST accurate and more
exhaustive intervention in terms
of technical and perceptual verification.
This clearly represents a substantial
progress and a dialectical
overcoming of the previous
visual communication methods
of the previous generation
project (rendering, post-production
video photomontages, desktop-walktrough)
characterized
by the simple two-dimensional
nature and the constrained view
of use.
IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES
TO SUPPORT THE KNOWLED-
GE AND DIAGNOSIS OF THE
BUILDING ORGANISM
Potential and further application
contexts of contemporary
visual technologies are also
foreshadowed to support the
different phases of the design
process characteristic of restoration
interventions, such as
those related to the knowledge
and diagnosis of the building
organism.
In fact, the project of the recovery
/restoration interventions
requires, as a preliminary step,
the qualification and evaluation
of the morpho-typological,
material-constructive, technicaltechnological
characteristics, the
conservation status and residual
performance, because of relief,
investigations, and analysis in
situ.
Thanks to Virtual Reality techniques
it is also possible to systemoticize
the different information
/ data / data sheets etc.
identifying a tool that collects
22 GEOmedia n°3-2021

AUGMENTED REALITY
and shares accurate representations
of the state of the places
and documents of multiple
origins.
The technology is able to support
the development of virtual
tours thanks to interactive
hotspots that geoloize spherical
photos. In immersive display
mode, available through VR
headsets.
It is possible to configure a virtual
tour of 360° panoramas, to
simulate in an immersive way,
the direct use and visual survey
of the state of the places, returning
the intuitive-immersive
perception of the spatiality and
materiality of the building.
In more advanced and interactive
VR systems, with a view to
outlining a complete cognitive
framework, with an important
transversal role with respect to
the design, implementation and
control of conservative actions
of architectural heritage, it is
also possible to relate to the
aforementioned digital environment
the various multiple
and heterogeneous survey data
produced in advance, making
them accessible and easily accessible.
KEYWORDS
Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality,
Participatory Design
ABSTRACT
The scenarios that characterize the evolution
of the professions related to technical
design/representation in the light of the
new interactive visualization technologies
are outlined.
AUTHOR
Tiziana Primavera
tiziana.primavera@unier.it
AR Advisor, Ph.D.
www.gter.it
info@gter.it
GEOmedia n°3-2020 23

MERCATO
24 GEOmedia n°3-2021

NEWS
Lima, Peru
Lima, the capital and largest
city of Peru, is featured in this Copernicus
Sentinel-2 image. The commercial and industrial centre
of Peru, Lima is located on the mostly flat terrain in the Peruvian
coastal plain, within the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers.
The city is bordered on the east by the foothills of the Andes Mountains and
on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Lima can be seen directly on the south bank of
the Rímac River, which flows for around 200 km through the Lima Region, before
emptying near Callao – a seaside city and port in the Lima metropolitan area (the largest
metropolitan area of Peru). Lima’s historical centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage
Site in 1988 owing to its large number of historical buildings dating from the Spanish colonial
era. One of the most notable characteristics of Lima is the barren desert that surrounds the city,
with the sand supporting little to no plant life, with the exception of where water has been artificially
provided. Although Lima is located at a tropical latitude, the cool offshore Humboldt Current
(also known as the Peru Current) produces a year-round temperate climate. The cooling of the coastal
air mass produces thick cloud cover throughout winter and the dense sea mist, known locally as garúa,
often rolls in to blanket the city. In this image, captured on 20 April 2020, several cloud formations
can be seen dotted along the coast. Callao is Peru’s main seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge
Chávez International Airport. Several small boats and vessels can be seen near the port. Callao has
several islands: San Lorenzo Island (currently used as a military base), El Frontón (a former high
security prison), the Cavinzas Islands, and the Palomino Islands, where numerous sea lions and
sea birds live. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission consists of a pair of twin satellites that orbit
Earth once every 100 minutes, together imaging a path on Earth’s surface 580 kilometres
wide. The satellites observe in 13 spectral bands – from visible to infrared light – giving
various perspectives on land and vegetation. This means that the mission can
be used to retrieve a wealth of different information about Earth’s surface.
(Source: ESA - Image of the week: "Lima, Peru")
GEOmedia n°3-2021 25

REPORT
DEEPCUBE: Explainable AI
Pipelines for Big Copernicus Data
by Chiara Gervasi, Alessia Ferrari, Ioannis Papoutsis, Souzana Touloumtzi
DeepCube is a Horizon 2020
project implemented by 9
European partners coordinated
by the National Observatory
of Athens. It will unlock the
potential of big Copernicus data
with Artificial Intelligence and
Semantic Web technologies,
aiming to address problems of
high socio-environmental impact.
Figure 1: DeepCube implementation workflow from technology development to demonstration in Use Cases.
According to the recently
published (19 June
2020) European White
Paper on Artificial Intelligence
(https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/
default/files/commission-whitepaper-artificial-intelligencefeb2020_en.pdf),
Artificial
Intelligence (AI) is a strategic
technology that, among other
things, “offers important efficiency
and productivity gains
that can strengthen the competitiveness
of European industry
and improve the wellbeing of
citizens”, while “it can also
contribute to finding solutions
to some of the most pressing
societal challenges, including
the fight against climate change
and environmental degradation,
and the challenges linked to
sustainability and demographic
changes”. The same paper
acknowledges Earth Observation
(EO) and space as domains
in which the race for global leadership
is open.
DeepCube (https://deepcubeh2020.eu/)
is a 3-year (January
2021 - December 2023) Horizon
2020 project that leverages
advances in the fields of AI and
Semantic Web to unlock the
potential of the vast amounts
of data produced by the Copernicus
program. DeepCube has
the goal to address problems of
high environmental and societal
impact while enhancing our understanding
of Earth’s processes
correlated with Climate Change,
in order to respond to the
urgent challenges addressed by
the EU Green Deal. To achieve
this, the project develops an
open, scalable and interoperable
platform, integrating novel
Information and Communication
Technologies such as the
Earth System Data Cube, the
Semantic Cube, the Hopsworks
platform for distributed Deep
Learning, and state-of-the-art
data visualization tools, providing
solutions for all phases of
an EO-based AI pipeline, from
data ingestion and organization
in data cubes, to feature engineering,
semantic reasoning
and visualization. In addition,
DeepCube tests a hybrid modeling
approach for Earth System
Science, combining data-driven
modeling bound by physical
parameters, further enhanced
through explainable AI and
Causality for “physics-aware” AI
applications.
Contextual background
DeepCube contributes to the
European Commission's Destination
Earth, an initiative that
aspires to create a digital model
of the Earth’s physical resources,
to help us plan and prepare for
major environmental degradation
and disasters due to Climate
Change. To support this,
the European Space Agency
has put forward the concept of
Digital Twin Earth to develop a
dynamic, digital replica of our
planet. A model powered by
observations that provides an
accurate representation of the
26 GEOmedia n°3-2021

REPORT
Figure 2: TRE Altamira’s wide area monitoring over different countries around the world -
the UK, Denmark, France and Japan.
The Copernicus program
The Copernicus Earth Observation program,
providing free, open, and high
quality data about our planet at large
scales, is believed to be a game changer
for both science and the industry. Today,
Copernicus is producing 15 terabytes of
data every day, while every product is
downloaded on average 10 times. However,
the availability of the sheer volume
of Copernicus data outstrips our capacity
to extract meaningful information. That
is why the Earth Observation community
is in need of technology enablers to propel
the development of entirely new applications
at scale.
past, present and future changes
of our planet to support us in
preparing a better response to
future challenges.
We consider DeepCube as a
showcase of the Digital Twin
Earth potential, addressing all
of its elements from data to
infrastructure, to technology,
to Research & Development,
to new business models, with
Artificial Intelligence and big
Copernicus data at its core.
DeepCube is driven by the
scientific and business questions
behind its Use Cases. What makes
its applications different is
that they serve non-traditional
use cases, penetrate untapped
markets, exploit unique datasets
and employ new AI architectures.
The DeepCube Use Cases
Five Use Cases (UCs) have
been designed by DeepCube’s
partners to showcase the innovative
technologies used in this
project: two on business, two
on earth system sciences, and
one on migration.
UC1: Forecasting localized extreme
drought and heat impacts
in Africa
UC2: Climate induced migration
in Africa
UC3: Fire hazard short-term forecasting
in the Mediterranean
UC4a: Automatic volcanic
deformation detection and alerting
UC4b: Deformation trend
change detection on PSI timeseries
for critical infrastructure
monitoring
UC5: Copernicus services for
sustainable and environmentally-friendly
tourism
[UC4 is under the umbrella of
SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar)
Figure 3: TRE Altamira’s UC4b schematic.
interferometry and consists of the
smaller-scale UC4a on volcanic
risk reduction and the larger-scale
UC4b that integrates measurements
from in-situ geodetic and
other information with InSAR
(Interferometric Synthetic Aperture
Radar) time-series].
The UCs are the core of DeepCube
and drive the development
on both the technology
and the research sides. The
project approach is to co-design
GEOmedia n°3-2021 27

REPORT
the UCs together with their
beneficiaries and ensure that the
outcomes fit their needs and
decision-making processes.
Drought and heat waves, due
to their frequent occurrence in
the last decade, are expected to
become even more frequent in
the future, as the corresponding
persistent weather situations
become more and more probable.
UC1 puts on the table the
following questions to respond,
using AI on big EO data: Which
are the spatial factors that yield
impact susceptibility versus resilience
to meteorological drought
and heat waves? Can we predict
localized impacts given coarse
scale meteorological information?
Can we employ advanced ML
solutions to model the spatiotemporal
drought impact by combining
this with a physical approach
in a hybrid model? What are
the anticipated long-term effects
of drought and heat?
UC2 aims to uncover how
extreme weather conditions
cause internal displacement and
whether any other drivers are
playing a role, related or not,
to Climate Change. Through
modern observational causal
inference models, UC2 will be
designed to understand, quantify,
and predict migration flow
effects from socio-economic
contextual information as well
as from environmental variables
extracted from EO data.
Wildfires are a very impactful
hazard affecting natural ecosystems
and manmade infrastructures,
causing in extreme cases
human life losses. It is expected
in the future that fire danger
will increase, affecting even
northern latitudes and evergreen
tropical forests. The goal of
UC3 is to model fire hazards
in multiple temporal scales,
providing short-term (e.g.
hourly), mid-term (e.g. weekly,
monthly) and long-term (e.g.
seasonal) predictions of the best
possible accuracy to interested
users.
At any given moment, several
volcanoes worldwide are
erupting, while there are more
than 1,500 volcanoes capable
of reawakening and creating
severe or even catastrophic impacts
to society. Historical data
from eruptions indicate that
they are almost always preceded
by volcanic unrest. Therefore,
early warning based on detected
volcanic unrest could be of
great importance for civil protection
authorities, enhancing
their response effectiveness and
allowing for scientists to deploy
critical in-situ monitoring
equipment to assess volcanic
hazards more accurately. UC4a
adopts a novel DL method,
which has not been explored
before in EO problems, to
detect deformation associated
with volcanic activity using
SAR complex imagery.
Tourism is one of the pillars of
the modern economy. It constitutes
more than 10% of global
GDP. The number of international
tourists is forecasted to
rise to 1,8 billion in 2030, making
it crucial to find efficient
ways to handle this growth,
preserve the fragile destinations,
and adapt to the increasing demand
over limited hospitality
infrastructures. Additionally,
more than 65% of European
travelers have declared that
they are striving to make their
travels more sustainable but do
not find the right information
or the possibility to assess their
environmental footprint.
UC5's goal is to design a pricing
engine for hotel rooms and
tour packages purchases independent
from the major reservation
platforms and incorporate
the environmental dimension
for sustainable tourism.
UC4b- Deformation trend
change detection on PSI time
series for critical infrastructure
monitoring
TRE Altamira (TREA) is a
global leader in InSAR derived
services and a pioneer in
developing new products from
satellite SAR data. Born as an
independent company in 2000,
TRE was funded by Politecnico
of Milan to market the first PSI
(Persistent Scatterer Interferometry)
technique worldwide
and in 2016, it merged with Altamira,
an InSAR service company
too. Since then, TREA
employs advanced InSAR techniques
to measure ground motion
and structural movement
from space. In more than 20
years of experience, TREA has
analyzed over 5,000,000 km2
in the world and carried out
1,000+ projects in various market
sectors such as civil engineering,
oil & gas, mining, and natural
hazards. Several critical infrastructure
projects have been
conducted all over the world to
support engineers during the
phases of planning, designing,
and construction. Today, using
its proprietary SqueeSAR® algorithm,
TREA can provide surface
displacement maps over large
or small areas.
When asked to join the DeepCube
project, TREA was
thrilled to contribute to the
challenge of exploiting the mass
amount of Sentinel-1 SAR data
combined with in-situ geodetic
and other measurements with
the final goal of creating a commercial
service to monitor critical
infrastructure at large scales.
The rationale behind:
The Copernicus Sentinel-1 (S1)
SAR mission has turned out to
be a game changer for the EO
community. This twin platform
constellation provides wide-scale,
systematic (every 6 days) and
free-access imagery over most of
28 GEOmedia n°3-2021

REPORT
the globe. Any single S1 image
covers a 250x250 km2-area and
is delivered within one hour
from acquisition. This can be
considered as a significant improvement
over existing SAR
systems.
Advanced InSAR technology is
used to produce deformation
maps from satellite SAR imagery
with millimetric-precision.
Thanks to S1 revisit time,
deformation maps can be delivered
to end-users on a regular
basis, providing average velocity
displacement rates of Persistent
Scatter points and their associated
displacement time series.
Each deliverable consists of a
layer of hundreds of thousands
of measurement points and can
be compared to previous layers
to detect ground surface instability
over large areas. The availability
and accessibility to mass
amounts of S1 data, combined
with cloud-based solutions,
enable TREA to deliver nationwide
InSAR measurement
databases providing millions of
measurement points and their
associated time series of displacement
at each update.
How can we help end-users best
understand and make use of this
mass of information?
How can we contribute to the creation
of a novel service that meets
the monitoring requirements of a
specific market sector?
Through the MATTCH project
(ESA Open Call for Science,
2019), TREA has already
implemented Deep Learning
based methodologies to mass
amount of S1 data to detect
changes in time series trends for
data screening purposes. So far,
hotspots can be identified but
no reason about driving mechanisms
for these trend changes is
given to end-users.
With DeepCube and the UC,
TREA intends to further advance
the state of the art reached
in the MATTCH project.
TREA will develop new Deep
Learning architectures for trend
change detection from dense
InSAR point time series- this
time combined with industrial
geodetic (GNSS) and other measurements
to identify clusters
of points sharing key attributes
or features for critical infrastructure
monitoring at a large
scale. An Italian civil engineering
group will contribute to
the development of the UC by
providing in-situ measurements
over sample areas along a strategic
infrastructure in Italy.
Conclusion
DeepCube addresses problems
that require quantitative estimation
of geophysical variables.
For this purpose, a hybrid modeling
approach for geophysical
parameters estimation will be
tested, where data driven modeling
bound by physical models,
AI applications, and Causality
are combined.
DeepCube is exploiting nonspace
data, linking other information
sources such as social
media, industrial and socioeconomic
data to satellite data
in order to create new value
chains.
Also, DeepCube is tackling
AI problems that use satellite
InSAR data. Sentinel-1 SAR
archive is the richest asset that
remains hugely underexploited
by the scientific community
when it comes to AI-based
applications, and DeepCube is
addressing this gap.
The DeepCube platform is a
unique legacy that will be developed
as an open source suitable
to be deployed in different
cloud environments. To our
knowledge, this will be the first
time that such an end-to-end
platform will become available,
tailored for the processing of
big Copernicus data and made
available to the community to
reuse and extend.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Partners:
National Observatory of Athens, Greece
(https://www.noa.gr/)
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry,
Germany (https://www.bgc-jena.mpg.de/
index.php/Main/HomePage)
University of Valencia, Spain (https://
www.uv.es/uvweb/college/en/universityvalencia-1285845048380.html)
Logical Clocks, Sweden (https://www.
logicalclocks.com/)
National and Kapodistrian University of
Athens, Greece (https://en.uoa.gr/)
Gael Systems, France (https://www.gaelsystems.com/)
Tre Altamira, Italy (https://site.tre-altamira.
com/)
Infalia, Greece (http://infalia.gr/)
Murmuration, France (https://murmuration-sas.com/)
METAKEYS
Artificial Intelligence, Deep learning,
Machine learning, Earth observation,
Climate change
ABSTRACT
DeepCube is a 3-year Horizon 2020
project that leverages advances in the fields
of Artificial Intelligence and Semantic Web
to unlock the potential of big Copernicus
data. Its goal is to address problems of high
socio-environmental impact and enhance
our understanding of Earth’s processes
correlated with Climate Change. To achieve
this, the project employs mature ICT
technologies, integrating them into a scalable,
open and interoperable platform that
provides solutions for all phases of an Earth
Observation based AI pipeline. The Deep-
Cube technologies will be demonstrated in
five Use Cases.
AUTHOR
Chiara Gervasi, TRE Altamira
(chiara.gervasi@tre-altamira.com)
Alessia Ferrari, TRE Altamira
(alessia.ferrari@tre-altamira.com)
Ioannis Papoutsis,
National Observatory of Athens
(ipapoutsis@noa.gr)
Souzana Touloumtzi,
National Observatory of Athens
(stouloumtzi@noa.gr)
GEOmedia n°3-2021 29

MERCATO
ASI STARTS THE EX-
PLOITATION PHASE
OF DATA ACQUIRED IN
EUROPE BY THE L BAND
SAR SENSOR OF THE
ARGENTINEAN SAOCOM
CONSTELLATION ‣
Starting from July 20th, ASI will
accept registration requests submitted by the scientific, institutional
and commercial community (only for non-commercial purposes),
both Italian and International, allowing the access to the
SAOCOM products acquired in the geographic zone in which
ASI has full utilization rights (Zone of Exclusivity). It roughly
corresponds to the European territory. Anyone can be part of
the growing community of users of SAOCOM products in the
ASI Zone of Exclusivity through a simple registration operation,
by accepting the License (Terms and Conditions for use of the
products of the SAOCOM mission), releasing a liability declaration
and compiling a membership registration form with the
personal info as well as a brief description of the project in which
the SAOCOM data are intended to be used. For accessing the
products it is sufficient to download the SAOCOM Registration
Data Package and submit via email a registration request. Further
details can be found in the SAOCOM membership guide inside
the above-mentioned package. SAOCOM data will be accessed
and disseminated through a dedicated ASI SAOCOM
portal, based on a customized version of the DHuS system, that
has been originally developed by ESA as the backbone of the EC
Copernicus data distribution to users.
The ASI SAOCOM portal currently contains only a subset of
all the products available in the Zone of Exclusivity but it will be
increasingly populated in next weeks.
Starting from July 20th, ASI will accept registration requests
submitted by the scientific, institutional and commercial community
(only for non-commercial purposes), both Italian and
International, allowing the access to the SAOCOM products
acquired in the geographic zone in which ASI has full utilization
rights (Zone of Exclusivity). It roughly corresponds to the
European territory. Anyone can be part of the growing community
of users of SAOCOM products in the ASI Zone of Exclusivity
through a simple registration operation, by accepting the License
(Terms and Conditions for use of the products of the SAOCOM
mission), releasing a liability declaration and compiling a membership
registration form with the personal info as well as a brief
description of the project in which the SAOCOM data are intended
to be used. For accessing the products it is sufficient to
download the SAOCOM Registration Data Package and submit
via email a registration request. Further details can be found in
the SAOCOM membership guide inside the above-mentioned
package. SAOCOM data will be accessed and disseminated
through a dedicated ASI SAOCOM portal, based on a customized
version of the DHuS system, that has been originally developed
by ESA as the backbone of the EC Copernicus data distribution
to users. The ASI SAOCOM portal currently contains only
a subset of all the products available in the Zone of Exclusivity but
it will be increasingly populated in next weeks.
https://www.asi.it/en/earth-science/saocom/
Works when you do
X-PAD Ultimate
Tutto in un unico software
X-PAD Ultimate è un software modulare, facile da usare per lavori
topografici e del cantiere, come rilievi, tracciamenti, catasto,
controlli BIM, strade, mappe, batimetria e GIS.
Il software è disponibile sulla piattaforma Android e porta le
migliori tecnologie direttamente in campo nella tua mano: una
completa visualizzazione 3D ed un sistema CAD per visualizzare e
modificare i disegni, integrazione dei tuoi dati con tutte le tipologie
di mappe, supporti per la realtà aumentata e molto altro.
30 GEOmedia n°3-2021
XPad Ultimate ti assicura la produttività e ti permette di avere una
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Disponibile in due versioni, una dedicata a chi lavora nel campo
della topografia ed una dedicata alle imprese di costruzioni,
offrendo ad entrambi delle caratteristiche dedicate.
geomax-positioning.it
©2020 Hexagon AB and/or its subsidiaries
and affiliates. All rights reserved.

NEWS
IDS GEORADAR ANNOUNCES IQMAPS
ENHANCEMENT
IDS GeoRadar, part of Hexagon, today announces that
it has enhanced IQMaps, its post-processing software
application for advanced GPR data analysis. The updated
version includes new functionalities that improve
the visualisation of radar data and extend the application
fields to void detection and archaeology.
New functionalities in the updated version of IQMaps
improve the visualisation of radar data.
Thanks to these new functionalities, IQMaps now allows:
• Multi-shape area picking for 3D mapping of sinkholes,
inspection chambers and other generic buried
objects
• Automatic exporting of radar map sections with user
defined length and statistical data for comprehensive
reporting functionality
• Overlaying of multiple vector layers such as cadastral,
as-built and DBYD plans onto the tomography drawings
• Improving initial survey positioning by using external
survey data.
The main advantage of multi-shape area picking is the
ability to mark a 3D area both on the B-scan radar map
and the tomography. This feature allows the user to select
areas for 3D mapping of all identified voids and
anomalies.
The software now allows for the simultaneous export
of multiple radar maps with user-defined lengths with
detected features on these maps also exported in .csv
format. This allows for more streamlined reporting and
statistical analysis.
The ability to import multiple overlapping vector layers
such as DBYD plans and as-built drawings over
the tomographic map, greatly aids the user during data
analysis and interpretation.
Users can now import external trajectories such as
Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) corrected GNSS or
post-processed GNSS data into IQMaps after the survey
is completed. This enables the user to correct positioning
data that may originally have been inaccurate
due to poor floating GNSS signal in tunnels or under
bridges.
“IQMaps has reached a significant milestone in its evolution,“
says Davide Morandi, Director GPR Product
Management at IDS GeoRadar. “With this update,
IQMaps stays ahead of the curve, offering new functionalities
that make 3D mapping even easier and more
efficient for our existing customers, and allows specialists
in new fields to benefit from its seamless mapping
workflow.”
The IQMaps update is rolled out with the new software
version 1.3.
GEOmedia n°3-2021 31

MERCATO
PRISMA MONITORS OREGON LOG FIRE
Acquired by PRISMA satellite (PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione
Applicativa) on 17 July 2021, false color image which includes both visible
and infrared light, captured a large portion of burn scar and active
areas. The vegetation appears in shades of red and bare ground in shades
of tan. The burned areas appear black dark and the smoke from active fire
front in blueish. The image, that covers an area of 30 by 30 Kilometers, has
been acquired in the framework of the ASI project “Sviluppo di Prodotti
Iperspettrali Prototipali Evoluti” whose main objective is to define the development
plan for a subset of L3 / L4 value-added products to be retrieved
by means of hyperspectral data processing and to prototype them. The
required data are used for the development of several prototypes among
which the Forest Fire Front that reports the localization of active fires,
based on the ionization at flaming temperature of the Potassium contained
in biomass burning.
Data/Information generated by Stefania Amici-Istituto Nazionale di
Geofisica e Vulcanologia and Volcanology (INGV) under an ASI License
to Use; Original PRISMA Product - © ASI – (2021). All rights reserved
IDS GEORADAR
ANNOUNCES
IQMAPS EN-
HANCEMENT
Two global leaders
in Geospatial and
Earth Observation
data and services,
e-GEOS, an Italian
Space Agency (ASI-
20%) and Telespazio
(80%) company,
and ISI (ImageSat
International), a
world leader in
space-based intelligence
solutions,
have announced a
partnership to form
the world’s most capable
commercial
ELECTRO Optical-SAR earth observation satellite constellation.
e-GEOS and ISI have established a strategic alliance, by
bringing together the world-class satellite assets of both companies
to form a High Revisit- Ultra High Resolution EO-
SAR constellation that will propose to the market the best
assets synergy to match the market's ever evolving operational
needs.
The virtual joint constellation is presently comprised out
of 8 ultra-high-performance satellites data including five
COSMO-SkyMed and COSMO-SkyMed second generation
dual use SAR satellites - owned by the Italian Space
Agency (ASI) and the Italian Ministry of Defence, for which
e-GEOS is exclusive global distributor worldwide - and ISI
three EROS Next Generation ELECTRO Optical ultra-highresolution
satellites.
This one of a kind constellation is envisioned to dramatically
expand in the coming years through the launch of new
missions including additional COSMO-SkyMed Second
Generation satellites and two EROS C ELECTRO Optical
ultra-high-resolution satellites and two EROSAR high resolution
satellites by ISI.
The two companies will be able to offer their existing customer
base, as well as future customers, a natural expansion
through the access to world class intelligence gathering assets.
Combining satellites with different sensing technologies
launched into traditional Polar orbits and mid inclination orbits,
to ensure High Revisit – Ultra High-Resolution imaging
capabilities throughout day & night time and in all weather
conditions.
Thanks to this agreement, the competitiveness of the two
companies grows and consolidates their industrial capacity,
leveraging on respective business footprint world- wide and
technological complementarity, specifically to offer services
and information solutions to Defense & Intelligence market.
“A new collaboration perspective within a broader Federative
horizon is opening up new market possibilities by relying on
the best performing satellite systems,” said Paolo Minciacchi,
e-GEOS CEO and Director of the Geoinformation Line of
Business of Telespazio.
“By bringing together the satellite systems, past experience,
talent and expertise of both companies, we have literally formed
one of the world's most capable commercial intelligence
gathering capabilities, which was until now only in the
hands Super-Powers. I am confident that our alliance with
e-GEOS will empower our customers by providing access to
the world’s most capable commercial satellite constellation.”
said Noam Segal, Chief Executive officer of ISI.
32 GEOmedia n°3-2021

NEWS
Blending the Science of Geography
and Technology of GIS
www.esriitalia.it
GEOmedia n°3-2021 33

MERCATO
SAFE INTEGRATION OF DRONES IN CON-
TROLLED AIRSPACE PERFORMED BY SA-
TELLITE PROCEDURES
The European GNSS systems (EGNOS and Galileo), in addition
to GPS, are capable of ensuring drones to perform safe
satellite-based approach procedures, a capability required to
include and integrate drones in controlled airspace.
This has been demonstrated during campaign of the ECARO
(Egnos Civil Aviation ROadmap) project, performed at
Grottaglie Airport in Italy.
Coordinated by ENAV, the Italian air navigation service provider,
and jointly developed by the DTA - Apulian Aerospace
District, Planetek Italia, Ums Skeldar and Airgreen, the
ECARO project (EGNOS Civil Aviation Roadmap) is a
multidisciplinary project whose main objective is the adoption
of European satellite navigation systems GNSS (Global
Navigation Satellite Systems) EGNOS and Galileo for all civil
aviation applications like fixed wings operation, drones and rotorcraft
emergency operations. The project is co-financed by
EUSPA (European Union Agency for the Space Programmes).
ECARO will contribute to define the roadmap for ENAC’s
advanced air mobility and will support the development of
a national experimental research center for urban air mobility,
and concurrently will provide benchmarks and services
for both the implementation of Grottaglie spaceport and the
Drone Living Lab of Bari Municipality.
The flight test campaign on satellite procedures tested the application
of civil aviation flight procedures also by using a Swiss
UMS Skeldar drone, so to demonstrate their integration in an
airport environment and the benefits obtained from the exploitation
of the European GNSS systems EGNOS and Galileo.
To monitor GNSS signal quality, Planetek Italia has tested a
radiofrequency spectrum monitoring system at airports, which
could improve the safety and security of UAS operations.
Thanks to the ECARO project, it was demonstrated that the
European GNSS systems (EGNOS and Galileo), in addition
to GPS, are capable of ensuring drones to perform safe satellite-based
approach procedures, a capability required to include
and integrate drones in controlled airspace.
www.geoforall.it/kyara
Product features & benefits:
> Easy, one-touch scan function
> 3D mosaic imaging without position info
> Easily combined with laser scan imagery
> Compact size fits into tight spaces
> Operates in low and zero visibility conditions
> Standard Ethernet/RS485 interface
> Easy Windows-based software
> Leica Cyclone data compatible
> Sector and spherical scans
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units are easily deployed on a tripod or an ROV. The scanning
sonar head and integrated mechanical pan and tilt mechanism
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www.geoforall.it/kya6p
34 GEOmedia n°3-2021

NEWS
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GEOmedia n°3-2021 35

MERCATO
RHETICUS® NETWORK ALERT TO ASSIST
UNITED UTILITIES OF ENGLAND
United Utilities is responsible for water and wastewater services
in the North West of England
and adopted recently Rheticus® Network Alert system of
Planetek Italia because it can help provide a better service
to its customers, improve its activities, and prioritise and
optimise maintenance spending. Monitoring the infrastructures'
stability is an important activity to ensure people's
safety, environmental protection, and the safeguarding of
assets at all stages of the life cycle of infrastructures, from
design to production, management, and maintenance.
Rheticus® Network Alert improves inspection planning
and efficiency of water and sewer networks, providing
actionable reports of critical pipe segments to prioritise
inspection activities and improve inspection efficiency.
The service enables predictive maintenance to prevent
structural failures by using ground subsidence as an indicator
of the likelihood of failure. The millimetre-scale
ground movements are calculated, and quarterly updated,
through the satellite's radar data processing.
The service offers an update and complete view of the
entire pipeline network through actionable reports and
GeoAnalytics. Inspections and maintenance activities are
thus scheduled more efficiently and simplified as a whole.
This activity led utilities to unlock cost-effective watersupply
and sewer network management. Consequently,
customers receive a series of benefits, such as:
- Avoid usual inconveniences derived by a network failure
(e.g. traffic, road interruptions)
- Bill reduction thanks to the predictive maintenance,
which avoid utilities to pay a considerable expense for repairing
a failure
By two years from now, United Utilities foresee a spread
adoption of the predictive maintenance approach by utilities
and, thus, of Rheticus® Network Alert.
www.geoforall.it/kyar9
• An improved version of the backpack, designed for the
best ergonomy to increase the comfort of the operator.
• A high resolution 360° panoramic camera, compatible
with the dedicated car mount and the backpack, to document
the environment with incredible image details.
The Scanfly family is the payload lidar designed to be multipurpose,
easy, and ready to use in just a few steps in drone,
car, and backpack mode.
Easy to use has always been the Scanfly motto.
This new car mounting kit has been completely redesigned
under this philosophy and allows deploying the Scanfly in
combination with the panoramic camera kit quickly and efficiently.
Fixing the plate to the car roof requires less than a
minute with the three vacuum cup mounts. Scanfly and the
camera are installed and removed with quick-release mechanisms
and simple wing nuts.
360° CAR MOUNTING KIT NOW AVAILABLE!
3D TARGET is pleased to announce the release of new
add-ons, compatible with all Scanfly models, that were specifically
designed with this philosophy in mind.
Topics:
www.geoforall.it/kyaxd
• A brand new car mounting kit series, allowing for an even
easier and repeatable installation of Scanfly on the roof of
any car available in the market today, it will take less than
a minute
36 GEOmedia n°3-2021

NEWS
GEOmedia n°3-2021 37

AGENDA
13-15 Settembre 2021
10th AIT International
Conference
Cagliari www.geoforall.it/
ky3x4
27 – 30 Settembre
GIScience 2021
2021 Poznan (Poland) www.
geoforall.it/kfrkk
21 - 23 Settembre
INTERGEO 2021
Hannover (Germany) www.
intergeo.de
6 - 8 Ottobre 2021
DRONITALY - Working
with Drones
Bologna (Italy) www.
geoforall.it/kfy44
25 - 29 Ottobre 2021,
Inspire Conference 2021
ONLINE
www.geoforall.it/kya9h
24-25 Novembre 2021
GEO Business 2021
London (UK) www.
geoforall.it/kf4yh
18 - 21 Dicembre 2021
ICC- International
Cartographic Conference
Firenze www.geoforall.it/
kyk8k
LEICA BLK360°
The imaging laser scanner simplifies
the way spaces are measured, designed
and documented .
New dimension in measurements technology
❚❚Leica BLK360° captures the world around you with full-colour panoramic images overlaid on a
high-accuracy point cloud.
❚❚Simple to use with just the single push of one button, the BLK360 is the smallest and lightest of its kind.
❚❚Anyone who can operate an iPad can now capture the world around them with high resolution 3D
panoramic images.
❚❚Using the ReCap Pro mobile app, the BLK360° streams image and point cloud data to iPad. The app
filters and registers scan data in real time.
❚❚After capture, ReCap Pro enables point cloud data transfer to a number of CAD, BIM, VR and AR
applications.
❚❚Teorema Milano can offer you a solution “all-inclusive” that includes: BLK360° with software ReCap
Pro, Ipad Pro 12,9”, training courses with specialist.
Contact us, you will discover much more.

INSPIRATION
FOR A SMARTER WORLD
SPONSOREN / SPONSORS:
Veranstalter / Host: DVW e.V.
Ausrichter Conference / Conference organiser: DVW GmbH
Ausrichter Expo / Expo organiser: HINTE GmbH
WWW.INTERGEO.DE