Voronoi diagrams can be created by many GIS packages today for understanding spatial patterns.

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Delivers High-Resolution, Real-Time Lidar for Mobile Robots, Shuttles and More

SAN JOSE, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — August 9, 2019 — Velodyne Lidar, Inc.^[1] today introduced the Puck 32MR™^[2] sensor to address key markets in the autonomous industry. This product offers a cost-effective perception solution for low speed autonomous markets including industrial vehicles, robotics, shuttles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Puck 32MR bolsters Velodyne’s robust portfolio of patented sensor technology, delivering rich perception data for mid-range applications.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190809005376/en/^[3]

In addition to featuring Velodyne’s patented surround-view perception capability, the Puck 32MR boasts a range of 120 meters and a 40-degree vertical field of view to enable navigation in unfamiliar and dynamic settings. Generating a high-resolution point cloud with minimal noise in all light conditions, the Puck 32MR accurately detects crosswalks, curbs, vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles and obstacles for safe and efficient operation in roadway, commercial and industrial use cases. Along with outstanding perception performance, this sensor delivers reliability and durability in a compact form factor....

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2019 — (PRNewswire) — As NASA continues the final stage of testing for its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) platform, the agency is inviting media to Corpus Christi, Texas, on Thursday, Aug. 15, to learn more about what it takes to fly drones safely in urban areas.

This test will focus on drone operations at altitudes between 200 and 400 feet within a dense city environment. Along with larger populations, city landscapes present unique challenges to drone traffic management, including: more obstacles to avoid, specific weather and wind conditions, reduced lines of sight, reduced ability to communicate by radio, and fewer safe landing locations. The Corpus Christi activities will test new ways to address these hurdles using the NASA platform and technologies onboard the participating drones. 

Media will have the opportunity to interview NASA researchers and watch drone demonstrations. Members of the media interested in participating must contact Darryl Waller at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.^[1] or 650-604-4789 by noon CDT Wednesday, Aug. 14. Details regarding location and arrival time will be sent to participants who make reservations.

Since 2015, NASA has worked to create a research platforms that can manage drone traffic safely. With a long-standing partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration and help from industry partners, the goal...

More Professional Scientists Are Employing Geospatial Technology

REDLANDS, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — August 9, 2019 — Esri^[1], the global leader in location intelligence, today announced the publication of GIS for Science: Applying Mapping and Spatial Analytics^[2]. In their new book, Editors Dawn Wright and Christian Harder present examples of scientific research with many applications for geographic information system (GIS) technology.

Ever since Professor Michael Goodchild coined the term GIScience in 1993, the world has viewed GIS more as a science in its own right. GIS is also a unique discipline that cuts across most other scientific disciplines since most scientific study involves at least some spatial component.

With advancements in usability and the sudden explosion of sensor-derived scientific data, professional scientists are increasingly applying geographic information and GIS to rigorous scientific study. The research community has benefitted through enhanced understanding that helps scientists better predict problem areas, devise protection strategies, and even restore ecological integrity to the planet.

Designed for easy reading, the case studies reported in GIS for Science: Applying Mapping and Spatial Analytics use a variety of interrelated geospatial technologies like remote sensing, cloud-based web mapping, spatial analysis, and ArcGIS StoryMaps to document and solve an array of issues with a geographic dimension, ranging...

HERNDON, Va., Aug. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ManTech International Corporation (Nasdaq: MANT) has completed the acquisition of H2M Group (H2M), a leading provider of intelligence analysis services and solutions to primarily the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Headquartered in Manassas, Virginia, and founded in 2014, H2M offers a range of services that support the intelligence community (IC), including geospatial analysis, imagery and full motion video analysis, GEOINT operations and cartography.

This acquisition strengthens ManTech’s ability to help key government agencies implement new automation techniques that enable intelligence analysts to more effectively navigate large amounts of data, and to distill the critical information that informs actionable intelligence necessary to make mission-critical decisions.

The acquisition also brings to ManTech approximately 180 highly skilled employees, most of whom are directly supporting intelligence missions. H2M will become part of ManTech's Mission, Cyber & Intelligence Solutions Group, led by President Rick Wagner.

“In just a few short years, H2M Group has established impressive relationships across the geospatial and intelligence communities,” Wagner said. “These trusted partnerships will help bolster ManTech’s presence in this vital marketspace as we continue to work hard to meet our customers’ needs – now and in the future.”

“H2M Group complements and builds on ManTech’s capabilities and high-end,...

Publication Details Tools for Maintaining or Restoring Ecological Integrity for Healthier Communities

REDLANDS, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — August 9, 2019 — Esri^[1], the global leader in location intelligence, today announced the publication of Green Infrastructure: Map and Plan the Natural World with GIS^[2]. The book offers a road map for planning communities whose design stresses the importance of humans and a shared ecosystem equally.

"We need houses but often 'grow' them—instead of food—on our best agricultural soils. We need clean water but often cover the tops of recharge zones with roads and parking lots," says one of the book's authors, Karen Firehock.

Just as communities manage their built assets, such as roads or buildings, they must also manage natural assets. Green infrastructure planning uses maps, analysis, and legal tools for land development and conservation consistent with natural environmental patterns. Green Infrastructure: Map and Plan the Natural World with GIS lays out how to go about achieving that.

Readers follow a six-step process to identify, evaluate, and prioritize the areas deemed critical to preserving a healthy community. Equipped with this logical and iterative process, GIS modelers and analysts, land planners, landscape designers, ecologists, and other professionals can begin crafting accurate, data-driven maps that better facilitate local planning....

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS), a leading National Security Solutions provider, announced today that its Unmanned Systems Division has recently received approximately $4.8 million of awards for high performance jet drones, spares for Kratos jet drones, support equipment for Kratos jet drones, and specialty composite components. Kratos is a leading provider of high performance unmanned aerial drone systems for threat representative target missions to exercise weapon, radar, and other systems; and tactical aerial drone systems for strike/ISR and force multiplication missions.  Work under these recent contract awards will be performed at secure Kratos manufacturing facilities and customer locations. 

Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said, “With worldwide operating tempos increasing for missions supported by Kratos jet drones, the requirement for additional aircraft and the logistical elements that support operations is increasing correspondingly. We are committed to supporting our customers’ expanding requirements and are proud to be able to ramp up our production efforts to meet the demand as well as continuing our innovative system design efforts to maintain our systems on the leading edge of the evolving defense needs.”

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) develops and...

MicroSurvey Software, part of Hexagon, has released their new field data collection software platform for Android users.

Kelowna, Canada, August 8, 2019 -- MicroSurvey Software Inc. is proud to announce the release of FieldGenius for Android version 1.0. This first release of our new multi-platform field software is built on the Android platform and supports most popular GNSS sensors on the market today.

FieldGenius continues to be the world’s premier third-party, brand-neutral data collection software choice amongst surveyors.  This new release builds on decades of innovation MicroSurvey has invested into the original FieldGenius software, providing users with an easy to use and intuitive mobile data collection software package for the next generation.

We’ve added new dynamic data panels synchronized with the map views. This fresh user interface provides familiarity for existing FieldGenius users while offering new tools, simplified workflows and readily available data that surveyors require at the point of work to make informed decisions in the field. 

Designed for Surveyors around the globe

“Surveyors, dealers, and distributors from every corner of the world have been demanding an Android based version of MicroSurvey FieldGenius for years.“ said Marc Veinotte, Global Sales and OEM Manager at MicroSurvey....

Counting Every Person Living in the U.S. in the Right Place with the 2020 Census Using GIS

Dr. Ron S. Jarmin and other spokespeople from the U.S. Census Bureau spoke at the Esri User Conference 2019 Plenary Session about the enormous responsibility of the U.S. Census Bureau to administer the constitutionally mandated count of the U.S. population, a task that is done every ten years since 1790.

“Decennial census is a fundamental part of our democracy,” said Dr. Jarmin. “It determines apportionment of seats in congress allocates nearly $9 billion in federal funding to communities each year.

The important task will start in January 2020, and people will receive letters in the mail inviting them to go online and complete the census. “Our goal is to count every person living in the U.S. in April and count them only once and in the right place, so geography is a central component,” said Dr. Jarmin. “It’s a big job. We’ll be printing 1.5 billion questionnaires, letters and postcards, and hire nearly 400,000 people to knock on doors of those who haven’t responded.”

The April 1, 2020 census count will begin months earlier in Alaska’s Toksook Bay, a rural village on the Bering...