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Results of the III International Conference Remote Sensing – the Synergy of High Technologies The III International Conference Remote Sensing – the Synergy of High Technologies was held in Atlas Park-Hotel near Moscow on April 15-17, 2009 (pic.1). DigitalGlobe (USA) was the primary sponsor of the conference, STS Group – Salayeta Company (Russia) sponsored the conference as well, Bentley Systems Company (USA) sponsored one of the workshops, GIS-Association (Russia) presented the main conference partner. The conference was supported by such media partners as R&D.CNews web portal, GIS Development international magazine (general media sponsors), “Geoprofi” magazine, “GeoTop” specialized web catalogue, “GISinfo” newspaper, weekly magazine “Novosti-kosmonavtiki” (spationautics news), “Aerospace courier” magazine, research-and-technology magazine “Info and Cosmo”, international magazines GEOconnexion and GIM International. The International Conference Remote Sensing - the Synergy of High Technologies became a traditional meeting place for experts and managers from leading state and commercial companies, interested or specializing on remote sensing, navigation, GIS, cartography, cadastre, Oil & Gas special projects, power engineering, urban and municipal management, forestry, water industry and agriculture, ecology and environmental management. The conference attracted over 300 senior delegates from 12 countries: Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, USA, France, Germany, China, etc.
Pic.1 Atlas park-Hotel. Registration of the delegates for the III International Conference Remote Sensing – the Synergy of High Technologies. The conference started with the congratulatory speech of Sovzond General Director Vladimir Mikhailov, who expressed hope for successful and productive work at the forum, noted that this event provided an excellent opportunity to get to know new trends and share experiences on the use of advanced technologies and gave an overview of main activities and sessions of the conference. There were held plenary sessions, seminars, workshops, roundtable discussions, practical demonstration of space monitoring center and some other activities. The first conference day was focused on modern state and trends of native and foreign remote sensing programs (Pic.2). Analysis report of the development trends in this field was given by Deputy General Director Mikhail Bolsunovsky, where he paid special attention to availabilities of comprehensive approach to remote sensing data application and processing within GIS and described the concept of space monitoring center creation.  Pic.2 Plenary session Representatives of the leading world satellite imagery suppliers presented their white papers as well (DigitalGlobe. GeoEye, RapidEye AG, Infoterra GmbH, Nts OMZ, etc.). The key-note address about the next generation satellite WorldView-2 delivered by DigitalGlobe CTO and Founder of DigitalGlobe Dr. W. Scott, (Pic.3) aroused much interest. WorldView-2 to be launched in the 3rd quarter of 2009 will provide accuracy and agility similar to WorldView-1 – 0.5m in panchromatic mode, but with the additional enhancements of 8 multi-spectral bands providing true color image of 2m resolution, an intra-day revisit time over the entire globe and double the collection capacity. WorldView-2 may become commercially accessible in the 4th quarter of 2009 and after that DigitalGlobe will be able to cover the globe with images from its 3 satellites – QuickBird, WorldView-1 and -2 and collect about 2.7 million km2 every day. General Director of State Center Priroda Mr. V. Sedelnikov and the Chief of NTs OMZ Mrs. N. Novikova presented targeted plans for development of Russian remote sensing satellite system (Pic.3). Mrs. N. Novikova informed that till the end of 2015 in the long view Russian group of remote sensing satellites would contain 8-10 vehicles for natural-resources and detailed monitoring, including ones from Meteor-M series and Konopus-B, etc., that would help in resolving research and practical tasks both for socio-economic development of Russia and international cooperation. Mr. V. Sedelnikov noted that for the purposes of increasing of space activity results efficiency usage and creation of spatial data infrastructure Russian orbital group of satellites should consist of 4 vehicles: 2 optical-electronic, that could provide with panchromatic stereo images of maximum 1.5m resolution for topographic base creation and with panchromatic and multispectral images of 0.5-1.5m resolution for filling the constructed topographical basis; 2 radar satellites operating in tandem and providing all-weather shooting with various polarization and spatial resolution of 1m and worse, and also providing interferometric and three-dimensional shooting for construction and filling of a topographical basis.
Pic.3 Plenary session. Speakers. Representative from GeoEye (USA) Mr. A. Shumakov was telling about start of commercial operations for GeoEye-1 satellite, the world's highest resolution and most accurate commercial imaging satellite with a ground resolution of 0.41-meters. Order price depends on the covered area and processing level only and is not connected with the chosen category of product. Prices for black and white images, multispectral and bundle (multispectral and panchromatic images) will be the same. Besides it is guaranteed 15% cloud cover in the images. Infoterra GmbH (Germany) was performed by Mr. R. Lunzl with announcement that it was planned to launch new radar satellite TanDEM-X in the end of 2009, which together with existing in orbit TerraSAR-X will ensure high-precision digital elevation models of the whole planet. Dr. Griesbach’s (Engineer, RapidEye AG, Germany) presentation excited the curiosity of the listeners as well. Maneuverability, large areas of surveying and the possibility of daily monitoring, and high spatial resolution makes application of data from five satellite constellation RapidEye particularly promising in agriculture and forestry, for the purpose of monitoring emergency situations and protect the environment; to solve planning and management problems in the oil and gas and transport sector. There is one exclusive feature for this like high resolution satellites – red-edge spectral band, what is perfect for the purposes of monitoring and analysis of vegetation cover conditions. Representatives from organizations FSUE Uralgeoinform, FSUE NPP VNIIEM, NKS VEKTOR and many others shared their ideas and experience in remote sensing data application for practical purposes. One of the newest trends in remote data application was presented by D. Rumyantsev, General Director of STS Group – Salayeta Company, - situational centers. On the second day (16, April) there were 2 plenary sessions – “Software, technologies and solutions for remote sensing data processing from the leading international and Russian developers” and “Satellite imagery in Oil and Gas sector”. Reports from the software leading world developers have been listened to carefully and caused special interest. Stefano Morisi, Bentley Systems Vice President, was speaking of main trends in developing of GIS orientation of Bentley System software. Modern CAD and GIS market offers a wide range of variants but only a few combine design-automation system features with full-scale GIS opportunities. In this context Bentley System software solutions lead the world market by right. Mr. Morisi also signed the efficiency of using Bentley system software in geoportals creation. For example, Bentley Geo Web Publisher – a full-scale solution for representing geospatial information via geoportal. New features and abilities in thematic and photogrammetric data processing software complexes were presented by executives from ITT VIS (USA) Cherie Darnel, who showed the new ENVI software version, and INPHO GmbH (Germany) Barbara Quedenfeldt, who gave an overview of INPHO photogrammetric solution. In the second part of the plenary session contributors demonstrated multifold opportunities of using remote sensing data and GIS technologies in resolving various tasks for Oil and Gas sector. The listeners marked presentations from Mr. E. Bragin (V.I. Shpilman Research and Analytical Center for the Rational Use of Subsoil) about application of remote sensing data for monitoring infrastructure facilities and environmental disruptions, Mrs. I. Kargapolova (ECONGengineering) about remote sensing data application in monitoring of diagnosing submerged crossings of pipelines, Mr. Y. Kantemirov (VNIIGAZ) about monitoring of deformations of buildings and constructions in Noviy Urengoy using the method of interferometry of permanent dispersers based on the TerraSAR-X data, and many others. The last day (17, April) plenary session was focused on satellite imagery applications and unique and perspective remote sensing technologies, where lots of interesting papers were performed: “Organizational and technological aspects of monitoring drug containing plants from space” by Mr. G. Chernyavskiy (Director, FSUE RNII KP), “Application of high resolution satellite images in Remote Monitoring Information System of Rosleskhoz” by Mr. R. Kotelnikov (FSE Avialesookhrana), “Application of the remote sensing data for air navigation and flight safety purposes ” by O. Ryzhova (Geodinamika-M). There were held several special workshops and seminars (Pic.4)
Seminars were carried on by “Sovzond” top specialists with assistance of partner-representatives. Attendees of seminar-practical demonstrations for the first time were able to not only observe data processing and imagery interpretation through ENVI software but also test it by themselves. In addition there were organized some training in “the field” for the check up purposes.
Pic.4 Special seminars and workshops. One of the most prospective and actual directions of remote sensing application is creation of space monitoring centers, the implementation of which increases the effectiveness of management activities incredibly. There was designed a demonstrational space monitoring center at the conference. The technical realization of the center was implemented by STS Group – Salayeta Company, informational and analytical part was provided by “Sovzond”. Conferees could find out more about main principles of how situational center works and make sure of high efficiency of performed remote sensing data in geoportals. Two special rooms were taken for situational center operation - one was a Control and decision making center and the other – additional remote situational center (subdivision). Video and audio connection was installed between these two rooms so that participants could see each other, pass reports and tasks, negotiate, discus decisions and problems, etc. It should be noticed that TouchTable system was brought into play as well as powerful tool for visualization of spatial data.
Pic.5 Practical demonstration of space monitoring center. Apart from official part of the conference there were organized interested and varied entertainment program. On the second day, 16th of April a banquet and concert of one of one of the popular Russian rock-and-roll music groups took place. (Pic.5) According to the results of some funny competitions several the most active participated organizations were identified and got certificates for imagery acquisition from WorldView-1 or QuickBird, GeoEye-1, RapidEye satellites, provided by “Sovzond”, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, RapidEye companies, also some other prizes were presented.
Pic.6 Entertainment program and participants. Some TV media company was invited – “TV Center” (third Russian channel) to make a reportage, what was transmitted in the evening TV edition “Sobitiya” (events) on the 17th of April. Video is available through the following link: http://www.tvc.ru/ShowNews.aspx?top=5&id=40f961da-05c8-4711-b511-dda4291e42f6 . Abstracts and some of the presentations are available at conference web page in the Agenda section Agenda section. Photo gallery is already made at http://www.sovzondconference.ru/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=965 Conferees noted the high organizational level of the conference. Summarizing results it can be surely said that International Conference Remote Sensing – the Synergy of High Technologies becomes more and more popular in GIS community. Sovzond Company thanks all the participants for their active and effective work at the conference and welcomes to attend next IV International Conference Remote Sensing – the Synergy of High Technologies in April 2010.
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