3D collaboration to support Newcastle’s solar city project

Ordnance Survey has teamed up with Newcastle City Council to demonstrate how 3D mapping can help make Newcastle one of the most sustainable cities in Europe.

The new partnership between Ordnance Survey and Newcastle City Council will demonstrate how 3D city models can provide valuable information to enable effective solar power generation.

Both organisations are members of a European project consortium called i-SCOPE (Interoperable Smart City Services through an Open Platform for urban Ecosystems), which will run for three years and will involve 11 cities across Europe.

Newcastle was a logical city to be selected for i-SCOPE, because of its experiences in a number of projects already undertaken, including solar analysis, 3D modelling and thermal heat loss tracking. The city has also made good progress in becoming a ‘hub’ for the low carbon economy, with plans at an advanced stage in preparing the city to become a ‘Green Deal’ provider. High profile European projects such as i-SCOPE offer extra support to the city’s carbon economy work, providing residents and businesses with new innovative choices, helping them deliver, and meet, their own sustainability projects and objectives.

Under the i-Scope project, Ordnance Survey will be supporting Newcastle through expert technical support and advice on all mapping-related issues to develop 3D urban models of Newcastle. Across the other 10 European cities the 3D models will be used for noise mapping and personal routing in addition to solar power generation. Ordnance Survey will also play a leading role across the project on 3D data standards, and specifically in extending the CityGML standard.

Peter ter Haar, Ordnance Survey Director of Products, comments: “The i-Scope project will provide Ordnance Survey with an opportunity to test and validate the value of 3D city models in a practical way. We anticipate a rich future for 3D data and this is an excellent collaborative vehicle for sharing expertise across a European consortium.

“I am confident that by working in partnership with Newcastle City Council we can demonstrate the true potential that 3D city models can play in creating sustainable urban areas. 3D mapping will enable town and city planning departments, and solar panel installation companies, with a true ‘real world’ view of rooftops and building heights. From this high quality data, users can analyse the pitch and angle of roofs, look at neighbouring building heights and determine where shadows will fall. The 3D city models will ultimately allow effective positioning of solar panels.

“In addition to solar panel analysis, 3D mapping can play an important role in underpinning other critical functions, including flood prevention and town planning. Other potential users could include the emergency services. Imagine the emergency services being able to accurately visualise the scene of an incident before arriving. They would have foreknowledge of points of access, be able to see any obstructions and know the size and shape of any buildings involved. This technology could have a genuine impact on people's lives.”

For more information about the project, go to www.iscopeproject.net

The publication of AGI member press releases is a member service. The AGI neither approves or endorses the contents of member's press releases, nor makes any assurance of their factual accuracy.

Ordnance Survey launches new professional accreditation programme

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/news/2012/03/ordnance-survey-launches-new-professional-accreditation-programme.html

Geographic information (GI) experts across the globe are being given an exciting opportunity to gain professional recognition from Ordnance Survey under a new accreditation scheme.

The new professional accreditation programme will create a specialist network of GI experts who will work with the national mapping agency in supporting, and providing technical advice to government, commercial and international customers.

The global use of GI, and recognition of the important role that accurate mapping data can play in supporting economies, governments, commercial organisations and individuals, is at an all time high. Today, Ordnance Survey data is being used extensively across the private and public sector to drive efficiencies and underpin decision making. In addition, GI is being used by new audiences, and the challenge for Ordnance Survey and the industry is how best to foster new collaboration between ‘non-traditional’ partners to drive the geospatial innovation agenda forward.

The new professional accreditation programme will see Ordnance Survey working more collaboratively with experts from around the world, providing support, technical expertise and consultancy to a diverse range of customers in both traditional and non traditional markets. Under the new programme, Ordnance Survey will develop two communities for the  Accredited Consultants and Accredited Technical Specialists.

The Accredited Consultants will be independent experts with a track record of providing external consultancy on strategic planning, design and implementation.

The Accredited Technical Specialists will be individuals with a track record of providing technical consultancy, including advice on Ordnance Survey data and services, to end-use customers within live operations environments – both government and commercial customers.

Community members will benefit from using the globally recognised Ordnance Survey name and logo, have the opportunity to add business contact details to the Ordnance Survey website, have access to the established OS Insight programme, and access to exclusive community events, forums and online resources.

James Brayshaw, Director of Sales and Market Development, comments: “These experts will work with Ordnance Survey providing specialist advice and skills to all our markets. This could range from strategic government customers who access Ordnance Survey data via the Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA), to new commercial companies looking to create innovative products using mapping data.

Click to read more ...

GeoVation tackles a coastal challenge

Ordnance Survey is to launch the second GeoVation Challenge of the year focusing on the Wales Coast Path.

As the first ever ‘total’ coastal path nears completion and gets ready for the official opening in May, the GeoVation Challenge has crossed the Severn Bridge to encourage the public, businesses, charities, groups, schools and universities to submit innovative ideas of how Wales can make the most of it.

GeoVation is an exciting innovation network from Ordnance Survey supporting new geography and mapping based business ventures that have an economic, social or environmental benefit for the country. GeoVation does this by running themed challenges which address real world problems and opportunities. The latest challenge, which has a £125 000 development prize fund, is looking at how geography and innovation can better connect communities along the new Wales Coast Path.

The 870 mile (1,400 km) all-Wales Coast Path stretches from the Dee estuary in north-east Wales, west to Anglesey, Gwynedd, and down the west and south-west Wales coast, going east to Cardiff and Newport with views over the Bristol Channel. Once completed, the new coastal path will improve public access to Welsh countryside jewels, such as, the Gower Peninsula and Ceredigion coast, in turn offering huge financial and logistical benefits to Welsh tourism, as well as businesses and local communities along the path, who will become better connected as a result.

Ahead of the official path opening the GeoVation Challenge, in partnership with Ramblers Cymru, the Welsh Governments Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science Team and the government Technology Strategy Board (TSB), aims to look at how people who live and work on the path can benefit from this ‘world first’ opportunity. The challenge aims to launch new ventures, products and applications which will ultimately improve the experience for people visiting any area along the 870 mile coastal path.

The latest challenge, ‘How can we connect communities and visitors along the Wales Coast Path’, aims to better connect communities, businesses and visitors through the application of geography, mapping, innovation and expertise. The challenge, is calling for creative thinkers, developers and entrepreneurs everywhere to submit their ideas for a chance to win a share of a £125,000 funding prize. Some of the areas which the challenge is looking to tackle include:

• How can we stimulate local business growth off the back of genuine problems that need solving?
• How can more be done for local communities to support and use the path?
• How can we engage and empower children and young people to use, take more interest in, and become proud of the Wales Coast Path?

Click to read more ...

HRH The Princess Royal visit to the newly-restored Osmington White Horse

Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal visited the newly-restored Osmington White Horse near Weymouth to celebrate the monument 204 years after its creation to honour King George III – her great, great, great, great grandfather yesterday.

The monument was created in 1808 as a tribute to King George III who was sadly unable to return to Weymouth to acknowledge it due to illness. The Princess will now return to visit the monument and recognise the work put in by many volunteers to restore it as closely to the original in time for the 2012 Olympics when the monument will be seen by millions of people watching the TV coverage of the Olympic sailing held in Weymouth.

The monument which stands 85 metres long and nearly 100 metres high had been steadily deteriorating and the outline had become degraded due to encroachment by plants and weathering.

The Osmington Restoration Group was set up in 2009 with the ambition of restoring the monument to its original and preventing further deterioration. With a grant from Natural England, and help from local organisations and individuals, together with research and technical expertise by Ordnance Survey and English Heritage, work began in July 2010

Each stage raised its own challenges. These ranged from having to remove 160 tonnes of superfluous stone without jeopardising the surrounding site of special scientific interest, having to work in all weathers on a steep hillside, and determining the original outline after much change over the years.

Research was needed across widely disparate sources including oil paintings from the period, old photographs and Ordnance Survey maps, on-site analysis of earthworks, and the use of the latest GPS and mapping technologies. The interactive use of such a combination of sources is believed to have broken new ground in this type of restoration.

Geoff Codd, Chairman of the Osmington Restoration Group said:

“We are delighted to have achieved so much and are grateful for the support and involvement of so many groups and individuals from the local community and further afield. We are delighted that The Princess has been able to finally come to see the monument to her great, great, great, great Grandfather and recognise the efforts that everyone has put in, during this Jubilee year and ahead of the Olympics when the monument will be seen around the world.”

Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB, Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey added:

“This project shows how we can use modern technology to revisit the past. By looking at old photographs of the White Horse as well as historical mapping, we were able to use GPS to identify the precise outline of the original monument. Working with English Heritage, we were able to transfer this onto the ground to enable the team to cut the turf to the exact outline to recreate the original monument. Given the scale of the project and the steepness of the hill, it’s been a great achievement.”

The publication of AGI member press releases is a member service. The AGI neither approves or endorses the contents of member's press releases, nor makes any assurance of their factual accuracy.

Ordnance Survey holds free open data masterclasses

People across Great Britain are being given the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of open data, and the tools and techniques to use open datasets, through a series of free masterclasses hosted by Ordnance Survey.

Following on from the success of the two previous open data masterclass series, individuals, developers, community groups, social entrepreneurs, commercial and government organisations are invited to attend the latest series of masterclasses. The masterclasses are run by Ordnance Survey’s GeoVation initiative and supported by Horizon Digital Economy Research.

Those participating stand to benefit from a greater understanding of the opportunities around open data; as well as being provided with the tools and techniques needed to use and analyse a range of open datasets relevant to them.

The open data masterclasses will combine theory and practical sessions and provide participants the opportunity to use and harness free-to-use open datasets, including Ordnance Survey’s own free-to-use OS OpenData, now approaching its second anniversary, after being released on 1 April 2010.

Participants will learn a range of techniques, from data collection and processing, to data analysis and map visualisation. The focus on the day will be guided, hands-on practicals, using data from Ordnance Survey and data.gov.uk. Through the masterclasses, participants will have the opportunity to use and harness open datasets from various government departments and public-sector organisations including higher education, healthcare, transport and environment.

The content of the masterclasses is suitable for a wide spectrum of participants with various levels of IT experience, although some familiarity with web browsing and Microsoft Excel is assumed.

Ordnance Survey is able to offer up to 30 places at each masterclass, running from 9.30 am until 5.00 pm each day. Locations and dates of the sessions:

16 March – Open University, Milton Keynes http://odmcmiltonkeynes.eventbrite.co.uk/

23 March – Technium OpTIC Centre, St Asaph http://odmcstasaph.eventbrite.co.uk/

26 March – University of Manchester http://odmcmanchester.eventbrite.co.uk/

27 March – University of Cardiff http://odmccardiff.eventbrite.co.uk

29 March – Ordnance Survey, Southampton http://odmcsouthampton.eventbrite.co.uk

30 March – RGS (with IBG), London http://odmcrgs.eventbrite.co.uk/

Interested participants should click on the relevant link to reserve their space and obtain a masterclass ticket.

More information on OS OpenData is available on the Ordnance Survey website http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/os-opendata.html

Notes to editors: 

1. Ordnance Survey is Great Britain’s national mapping agency, providing the most accurate and up-to-date geographic data, relied on by government, business and individuals.

2. To download this news release visit www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/media. There you can also subscribe to our RSS feed. 

For more information from Ordnance Survey, please contact:

Rob Andrews – Head of Corporate Communications on 023 8005 5563 or robert.andrews@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

The publication of AGI member press releases is a member service. The AGI neither approves or endorses the contents of member's press releases, nor makes any assurance of their factual accuracy.