MoreAfter much feedback from the LiDAR community, the organizers of the European LiDAR Mapping Forum (ELMF) have selected two issues to be debated in a newly introduced plenary panel debate session, taking place on the opening day of the ELFM, which runs from Nov. 29 – 30, 2011 in Salzburg, Austria. The issues revolve around the support of Open Source and Point Cloud services. Experts from all sectors of the LIDAR industry will put forward their opinions for debate with delegates.
The debate has come at a significant time for the industry; when there is a growing trend in the way data is becoming available to a much larger user community. This is presenting a whole new set of challenges, not only to the existing industry players in terms of ensuring commercial viability of mapping projects, but also the need to educate a congregation of new users in the benefits and limitations, understanding and management of the LiDAR data they use.
Alastair MacDonald, ELFM conference chairman, said, “These are crucial issues for the LiDAR community. At one level, we have to understand the growing demand for LiDAR data with a widening group of users, and the benefits of open source data. At another level, there are questions about the computational resources required to efficiently manage the huge volumes of spatial data, which is where cloud services may be of benefit. But cloud services also pose the question of who would manage and control the data. Ultimately these issues will impact on the business models of many organizations and it is important that we raise this to the top of the agenda, for the community to debate and progress.”
Running alongside the ELFM conference will be an exhibition of more than 50 of the world’s leading companies in the LiDAR industry market. Exhibitors include the LiDAR and complementary sensor manufacturers, survey and mapping companies, data processing, GIS and management specialists and the latest mobile mapping vehicles. In addition, there will be a full series of learning workshops and demonstrations aimed at providing an understanding of the basic principles and fundamental benefits of LiDAR.
The organizers are setting up an online debate via the ELMF Group on LinkedIn. To join the debate online, please visit: www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2972280 or to take part in the debate at ELMF on November 29th, please register online at: www.lidarmap.org/ELMF.
The debate has come at a significant time for the industry; when there is a growing trend in the way data is becoming available to a much larger user community. This is presenting a whole new set of challenges, not only to the existing industry players in terms of ensuring commercial viability of mapping projects, but also the need to educate a congregation of new users in the benefits and limitations, understanding and management of the LiDAR data they use.
Alastair MacDonald, ELFM conference chairman, said, “These are crucial issues for the LiDAR community. At one level, we have to understand the growing demand for LiDAR data with a widening group of users, and the benefits of open source data. At another level, there are questions about the computational resources required to efficiently manage the huge volumes of spatial data, which is where cloud services may be of benefit. But cloud services also pose the question of who would manage and control the data. Ultimately these issues will impact on the business models of many organizations and it is important that we raise this to the top of the agenda, for the community to debate and progress.”
Running alongside the ELFM conference will be an exhibition of more than 50 of the world’s leading companies in the LiDAR industry market. Exhibitors include the LiDAR and complementary sensor manufacturers, survey and mapping companies, data processing, GIS and management specialists and the latest mobile mapping vehicles. In addition, there will be a full series of learning workshops and demonstrations aimed at providing an understanding of the basic principles and fundamental benefits of LiDAR.
The organizers are setting up an online debate via the ELMF Group on LinkedIn. To join the debate online, please visit: www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2972280 or to take part in the debate at ELMF on November 29th, please register online at: www.lidarmap.org/ELMF.
