GEOmedia_3_2016 special issue for INTERGEO

INTERGEO
NEWS
Sun, water and
hydromethane:
possible options
for the energy
future of the
Smart Cities
The Italian engineering company
Geocart S.p.A. (www.geocart.net),
in the context of the
urban planning according to
the "Smart Cities" approach,
has focused its attention on the
search for new solutions for the
production of energy from renewable
sources and resources
and the development of innovative
techniques for the monitoring
of energy efficiency.
The final objectives of the
study are threefold:
1. mapping of potential hydroelectric
productivity
from mini and micro-hydro
plants;
2. study on the feasibility of optimal
hydromethane generation
from renewable sources;
3. analysis of the efficient use
of solar resource on an urban
scale.
In addition to the estimation
of the potential productivity
of hydropower, the objective
of the study is to understand
the feasibility of optimal hydromethane
generation from
renewable sources and its use
for public transport in urban
areas or high environmental
value areas. The activity aims
to respond to market needs:
the various existing technologies
for hydrogen storage are
not fully satisfactory in terms
of efficiency, convenience and
affordability. A fundamental
aspect of the activity is the generation
of hydrogen-methane
mixtures having a maximum
hydrogen content of 30%
by volume, easier to use than
pure hydrogen: in fact, the hydromethane
can be used in a
normal natural gas engine.
For the analysis of the solar
potential of the urban area, the
research is based on 3D mapping
of city buildings, as a further
instrument of knowledge,
including for policy makers,
of the effective potential use
of solar resource on building
patrimony, and as a policy instrument
for the planning of
new construction areas. In this
context, particular attention is
paid to the study of the energy
exchanges of the urban area
and the so-called urban heat
islands.
www.geocartspa.it
(Source: Geocart)
Location-based data
and services enabling a
geosmartcity
Any smart-city implementation
leveraging location-based data
and services is undoubtedly
reaching faster its sustainability
aims. The EU co-funded project
GeoSmartCity is contributing
to this, establishing a cross-platform,
re-usable and open hub
in which different categories of
users can discover and access interoperable
geographic information,
by means of generic-purpose
as well as specialized services
based on open standards.
The GeoSmartCity approach is
applied in two different urban
contexts (the Green-Energy scenario,
to support the implementation
of sustainable energy policies
,and the Underground scenario,
to support the integrated
management of underground
utility infrastructures) and tested
by 11 pilots, consisting of
cities/regions from 8 different
Member States.
The underlying layer of the
overall GeoSmartCity architecture
consists of interoperable
georeferenced and semantically
reach spatial datasets, which
have been harmonized according
to common data models
which extend INSPIRE application
schemas on Buildings
and Utilities & Governmental
Services and have been made
discoverable and accessible by
means of OGC webservices.
http://www.epsilon-italia.it/IT
(Source: Epsilon Italia)
Leica Pegasus
Backpack
The Leica Pegasus:Backpack is
an award-winning wearable reality
capture sensor platform. A
highly ergonomic design combines
five cameras offering fully
calibrated 360 degrees view and
two LiDAR profilers with an
ultra-light carbon fibre chassis.
It enables extensive and efficient
indoor or outdoor documentation
at a level of accuracy that is
authoritative and professional.
This unique mobile mapping
solution is designed for rapid
and regular reality capture. It is
completely portable, enabling it
to be checked in as luggage on
a flight. The Pegasus:Backpack
is designed to act a sensor platform
with our standard external
trigger and sync port outputs.
BIM – map indoors, outdoors,
underground, anywhere
The Pegasus:Backpack makes
progressive professional BIM
documentation a reality. It synchronises
imagery and point
cloud data, therefore assuring
a complete documentation
of a building for full life cycle
management. By using SLAM
(Simultaneous Localisation
and Mapping) technology and
a high precision IMU, it ensures
accurate positioning with
GNSS outages.
Industrial training – realitybased
information for fast
response Knowing and understanding
a landscape before
rushing into emergency situations
can save lives. Document
any site in 3D models and
images for fast, safe and efficient
response. Combined with
Autodesk, Intergraph and other
software, reality-based industrial
training is enhanced with
the most accurate and current
data sets. Safety & security – informed
decisions in emergency
situations
The Pegasus:Backpack helps
you to make better and faster
decisions in emergency situations
due to access to more accurate
data. Evacuation plans
and route mapping benefit
from clear and detailed images
and point clouds that alert authorities
to any changes. Access
densely populated areas, providing
accurate and current mapping
to give city authorities a
clearer and deeper understanding
of the situation.
Natural disaster response – minimise
damage and save lives
For the first time, responders
to natural disasters can capture
disaster area data in 3D on foot.
Faster response times translate
into lives saved and damage
minimised. Capture the critical
data needed to make faster and
better informed decisions that
increases chances of survival and
reconstruction.
Contact us for more information
or to request a demo.
www.geomatica.it
(Source: Teorema srl)
36 Special Supplement to GEOmedia Journal Issue n. 3-2016