Paradigm shift

又是“年度最佳享受：Intergeo”，这是日历中最大的年度活动之一，展示了所有最新的技术和创新。尽管这只是我的第二个，但我感觉到了一个变化的杂物。Intergeo传统上称为调查专业人员的活动，正朝着变得更加地理空间而努力。看到今年的节目是在这里了解未来的含义：更多的现代技术（机器人技术，传感器），更多的现代软件和GIS处理（3D可视化）以及更多的数据标准。

Intergeo is also maturing from a forum for surveyors into more of a data managers' forum. After fifteen years' orientation around data capture and collection, it is now evolving gradually beyond pure surveying towards a focus on what becomes of the data, resulting in higher-value processing and value-added products. Manufacturers are embedding products with intelligence, great for people like me who are less interested in raw data and technical details, and far more in its results and utilisation. What we're seeing in fact is a drift towards simplicity.

It goes without saying that this issue contains a review of Intergeo 2009. The same drift towards simplicity can be seen in the scanning industry on which our report focuses. Terrestrial laser scanning is showing an increase in systems combining cameras and lasers. And in the mobile laser-scanning industry, last year's cars mounted with a tailor-made configuration of instruments have been supplanted by the first ready-to-use systems for - very clever move - the roof rack!

And what sort of simplification might we expect in aerial laser scanning? Any inventions such as ready-to-use systems or other combination and integration of equipment to further improve measuring? According to Intergraph, the company is considering combining a photogrammetric camera system with high-quality Lidar. Wouldn't such fusion of sensors be great? Just one platform needed for sharable components and, more importantly, only one flight for data acquisition. Plus another consideration: less trouble comparing datasets, since they would be collected at the same time, under the same weather conditions. It's already within the realms of technological possibility. But are you, and thus the market, ready for it? Let me know through the poll on our website.

So with Intergeo behind us again, I'm already looking forward to the next. And like last year, next year I hope to visit even more stands than I could this. Back in the here and now, this months issue focuses on geomatics education, as highlighted by our interview discussing GIS education and the feature article on survey education.