E-government and digital maps

E-government E-government is the delivery of government products and services over the Internet. Designed to reduce the printed document and the need to travel to government offices to carry out business. The advent of census tiger files and geo- positioning satellites (GPS) has lead to the creation vast amounts of spatial information and the ability to track vehicles, planes, and vessels. Much of the data on the web and is presented as electronic maps that the user can interact with to drill down for further details and clarification

Entrepreneurial Applications of Electronic Maps

Geo Reference Search Engine

MetaCarta.com

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

Weather maps Weather (Wx) maps are probably the most commonly used maps on the web. Weather news commonly use a variety of satellite & radar imagery, and weather charts

Hurricane Forecasting Hurricanes are some of the most deadly and costly natural disasters, The US government weather bureau and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency have tracked and researched hurricanes for years. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency

Google’s new earth site Google’s new earth product allows users to add satellite and other imagery on a real time basis. Here we see NASA infrared satellite data superimposed on the earth.google.com globe tracking the same hurricane (Emily on July 19, 2005) Image is updated every 3 hours.

Commercial Wx sites

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

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

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) GIS software and databases have been rapidly growing in sophistication and complexity. The geospacial data allows for planning, training, and operations of all level of governments. The data is often freely available to the public.

GIS Viewers

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

Satellite imagery and aerial data are now merged with maps and GIS data

GlobalXplorer

Digitalglobe

Electronic Maps (emaps) Digital maps (emaps) are the basic tools of the geographer.

Historic emaps The overlay of historic emaps allows one to understand the growth of an area. The Sanborn digital maps prepared for insurance companies are tools for planners. Sanborn data is used in the 3d maps of google’s earth site. See for instance:

Historic Boston Maps

Google’s new earth product Google is now offering a new product that will allow the user to display satellite and government and private GIS data source. The basic system is free but to create a useful application requires a license fee of several hundred dollars per seat. Their Enterprise server for private application develop is in the hundred thousand dollar range not including data.

Google’s new earth product Here we see one of the more interesting 3-D applications showing a basic 3-D architecture of 33 US and major international cities (Sanborn Corp data). Earth has a global digital elevation model (DEM) that allows the viewer to explore the terrain in 3-D

MSN Virtual Earth The site is currently in beta.

Amazon.com’s A9.com maps

NASA’s Project WorldWind WorldWind is an open government source program written in C## and Active X for the PC. Allows for the display of satellite data and GIS information.

U Mass Lowell, (Terrafly 2m)

A photo tour of Paris online Use the cursor on the map to locate the address and the photo window offers views from front, rear, etc. Many people are trying to find a cheap means of creating photo realist 3-d buildings.

Data Sources Links TerraFly for aerial and satellite photos. Microsoft TerraServer for aerial and satellite photos: Google Maps and Satellite images: Mapquest for maps and directions.

Tracking vehicles, ships, & planes Tracking is made possible thru radar, GPS, E911, and other technologies.

Tracking Land Based Vehicles For enhanced fleet productivity, response time, service, and safety.

Yahoo Traffic Report

Yahoo (detail Portland ME)

Yahoo Traffic (Chicago, Il)

Google’s Ridefinder

ER Mapper – Track GPS over satellite and map data

Weather and Highways

Next Generation – Beat the Traffic Site Shows current traffic situations What is novel is it attempts to forecast next 7 day traffic load. Produces a 3-d overview for television similar to long range weather forecasts. Site is fee based.

Beat the Traffic x?regionid=3&viewname=Chicago-Evanston x?regionid=3&viewname=Chicago-Evanston

Air Traffic and Air Travel

Traffic Flow Management The airspace is approaching saturation and requires cooperation between those who fly in the airspace, air traffic control, and traffic flow management, to provide safety, productivity, and to minimize delays. Requires that all aircraft in the North American space and all of the aircraft from Europe, Pacific, and some of South America (~ 7500 airplanes at max and 150,000 aircraft a day)

Traffic Flow Management – Showing the flow of planes into OHare

FAA Online Airport Status

Live Air Traffic Control Voice Traffic Listen to various air traffic voice communications at a variety of airports. The voice traffic is from various stages of arrival and departures, i.e. tower-pilot, arrival sector traffic control-pilot, etc.

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

Commercial Applications Airlines track the progress of their airplanes on their websites for customer conveyance (passenger pickup) Airline operations (management of gates) Limos and taxis use information to time arrivals Environment monitor noise around airports

Passur Airport Monitoring Passur provides a replay of air traffic over airports. Current data is delayed 15 min. for security purposes. Provides a replay at a variety of distances and rates of replay.

Logan Airport Monitor

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

Flightview at

Flight Tracking Air France AF 337 Boston/Paris Shown approaching Paris

Flightview Live product Live tracking of an aircraft for 99¢/day At most 3 aircraft in one day and only one at a time. Note the weather is on and flight path is shown. Current speed and heading are also shown.

Other FlightView products Air Traffic over North America. No flight information can be accessed. Air traffic filtered for Boston (BOS) arrivals.

Google Earth with live 3-d air traffic

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

Vessel tracking Automatic Identification System (AIS) uses GPS to track vessels at sea. It is used for safety as it allows ships to see all of the vessels within a 30 mile radius. It is a security device and all ships within 2000 miles of the US are required to use it.

Cruise Ship Locations in the Gulf of Mexico Cruise Ship Locations in the Gulf of Mexico March 29, PM Est

Current MA Bay Current MA Bay Mar 29, PM Boston Berge is an LNG tanker

AISLive.com Site is worldwide is available on real time basis for a fee. Non fee user’s are delayed one hour. Site is tied to ship imagery data and other data bases for detailed imformation about the vessels.

AISlive.com Ship Information (Hein)

AISlive.com Vessel image (Hein)

Useful Maritime Data USCG search tool to find ship information earch.asp earch.asp