The MapScaping Podcast - GIS, Geospatial, Remote Sensing, earth observation and digital geography MapScaping

AI Autocomplete for QGIS
Brendan Ashworth the CTO and co-founder of https://buntinglabs.com/ focuses on integrating AI with QGIS, and today on the podcast we are talking about Autocomplete for vectorization.
Along the way Brendan will share with us why Bunting Labs chose to build this on top of QGIS, the Challenges in Map Digitization, what the development process was like and how this is different from tools like Segment Anything ( from meta ) 
Here's what we discussed:

Introduction to Bunting Labs: Get to know more about Brendan and Bunting Labs, whose mission revolves around enhancing QGIS with AI, especially focusing on automating vectorization processes.


AI Autocomplete for Vectorization: We explored the AI autocomplete feature developed by Bunting Labs that simplifies the vectorization of maps in QGIS, streamlining the digitization process for better efficiency.


Brendan’s Background and Motivation: Brendan shared his journey from a software engineer to a pivotal player in the geospatial sector, spurred by a project that showcased the potential of merging geospatial data with machine learning.


Why Choose QGIS?: Discover why Bunting Labs opted for QGIS over other GIS platforms, with an emphasis on its open-source nature and vibrant community ecosystem.


Challenges in Map Digitization: Our conversation covered the technical challenges involved in developing AI capable of accurately understanding and digitizing maps.


Iterative Development and Learning: Brendan highlighted the evolutionary process of their AI model, which has significantly improved from its early versions.


AI vs. Segment Anything: Brendan explained how their AI autocomplete tool differs from existing solutions like Segment Anything, particularly in handling specific digitizing challenges.


The Future of AI in Geospatial Data Analysis: We discussed potential future applications of AI in geospatial data, including automatic georeferencing and metadata extraction.


Privacy Considerations: We also touched on the importance of privacy in the development and deployment of AI technologies in geospatial data analysis.


Changing the Geospatial Landscape: Brendan shared his vision for using geospatial data not just to map the current world but to plan and improve future landscapes.

Sponsored by https://www.scribblemaps.com/
Recommended Listening
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/the-business-of-web-maps/
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/the-business-of-qgis-development/
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/qgis-offline-and-in-the-field/
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/computer-vision-and-geoai/
 

GNSS receivers - why precise positioning will not be coming to your phone any time soon
 
Igor is the CEO and cofounder of Emlid.com a company that started out making high-precision GNSS receivers in his kitchen and crowd-funded the first batch on Kickstarter. 
 
But that was over ten years ago so today on the podcast Igor is going to tell us about the innovations that made this possible, give a great explanation of RTK and PPP and explain why we should expect to see high precision positioning on your phone any time soon.
Connect with Igor here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/igor-vereninov-52a73ab0/
Or visit https://emlid.com/
 
In this episode, we cover: 
**Introduction to Emlid and its Focus**: Introduction to the company Emlid, its CEO and co-founder Igor, and their focus on high precision GNSS receivers and software designed for centimeter accuracy positioning.
 
**Startup Story and Crowdfunding**: The origin story of Emlid, starting from working with drones in university, the need for accurate maps, the initial challenges with high precision GPS technology, the development of their own GNSS receiver, and their successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.
 
**Innovations in GNSS Technology**: How Emlid managed to make high precision GNSS technology more affordable and accessible, the role of open-source software, and the technical innovations that allowed them to reduce the cost and size of GNSS receivers.
 
**Market and Technology Evolution**: The discussion on how the market for GNSS technology has evolved, including the impact of autonomous cars on the development and availability of multi-frequency GNSS chips, and how these advancements benefited broader applications beyond surveying and construction.
 
**Precision vs. Accuracy in GNSS**: An explanation of the difference between precision and accuracy in the context of GNSS technology, and the significance of each in various applications like drone mapping and volume measurements.
 
**RTK and PPP Explained**: A detailed explanation of Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) and Precise Point Positioning (PPP), including how they work, their applications, and their advantages and limitations.
 
**The Future of GNSS Technology**: Insights into the future directions of GNSS technology, including the challenges and potentials for achieving sub-centimeter accuracy with smartphones, the complementarity of GNSS and visual positioning systems, and the potential for GNSS technology to replace traditional surveying methods.
 
**Global Utility of GNSS**: A discussion on the importance of GNSS as a global utility, its indispensable role in modern technology and everyday life, and the potential consequences of GNSS failures.
More GNSS-related podcast episodes!
From GNSS to VPS
Reimaging GPS
How Google Knows Your Location
Past, Present and Future of GNSS
SBAS - A base station in the sky
 
 
 
 
 

Refactoring the Way you Talk About your geospatial skills: It is Costing you Money
Some of the key topics in this episode 
1.Our Geospatial Skills and Marketability: There's a realization that while our traditional geospatial skills are valuable, they might not always be marketed effectively to match the broader IT and data analysis job markets. We discuss the benefit of framing our skills in terms that are more widely recognized outside the niche of geospatial technology, such as data science or IT.
2.The Spatial Discount: We explore the concept of the spatial discount, which refers to the observation that geospatial professionals might face a disparity in compensation compared to their counterparts in more generalized IT roles, despite having highly transferable and valuable data manipulation skills.
3. Skill Development and Adaptation: The importance of continually developing skills that are not only advanced within the geospatial domain but also marketable across various sectors is emphasized. Learning and mastering technologies that have broad applications, such as SQL for spatial data manipulation, can enhance our versatility and marketability.
4. Communication and Marketing Skills: Our ability to effectively communicate and market our skills is highlighted as crucial for career advancement. We are encouraged to adopt the language and terminology that resonate with broader industries and potential employers, moving beyond the jargon of the geospatial field.
5. Finding Value in Our Geospatial Work: The discussion also touches on the importance of identifying and articulating the real-world value of our geospatial work. We should focus on how our skills can solve practical problems and address the needs of businesses and organizations, rather than solely on the technical complexity of our tasks.
6. Professional Development: Lastly, the conversation advocates for a proactive approach to our professional development, suggesting that we should seek out opportunities to learn new skills and technologies that align with market demands and personal interests.
These points collectively suggest a strategy for us, as geospatial professionals, to enhance our career prospects: by broadening our skill sets, effectively marketing our capabilities, and aligning our work with the needs and language of the wider IT and data analysis fields.
 
Connect with Brain Timoney on LinkedIn 
Thank you to our sponsors 
https://www.scribblemaps.com/ 
https://merginmaps.com/
 
Recommended Listening
 
Modern Geospatial
Rebranding Gis and Geospatial
Getting Where You Want To Go In Your Geospatial Career
Mid-Career Change
 
 

Modern geospatial - not the bleeding edge of geospatial but modern geospatial - what is it?
Well my guest Will Cadell, the CEO of SparkGeo describes modern geospatial as the intersection of the cloud, smart space, open source data/standards, AI and smart devices - that's modern geospatial 
And as you will hear during the discussion it's important to understand the difference between modernisation and innovation when we think about moving people from where they are now to where they want to be with regards to their geospatial capabilities. 
You might be wondering - what does any of this have to do with me? I just want to make better things, I just want to help people use all this awesome geospatial stuff …
but you don’t get to do that without first understanding what “better” looks like for them - what is their version of awesome geo stuff … and that is why you should listen to this episode! 
 
Connect with Will Cadell
Twitter https://twitter.com/geo_will
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/willcadell/
SparkGeo  https://sparkgeo.com/
https://www.strategicgeospatial.com/
 
This episode is sponsored by https://www.scribblemaps.com/
 
Recommended Listening
 
The Business of Web Maps
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/the-business-of-web-maps/
 
Modern GIS
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/what-is-modern-gis/
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The main topics discussed during this episode include:
Basics of LIDAR data and its applications.
Differences between LIDAR and photogrammetry.
Processing chain of LIDAR data.
Challenges in classifying point clouds.
Applications of LIDAR technology in vegetation mapping, terrain modelling, and infrastructure inspection.
The future of LIDAR technology includes the potential for more affordable and widespread use.
Importance of automated processing tools for handling large volumes of data.
Connect with Nejc Dougan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nejcdougan/
or at https://www.flai.ai/ 
 
Recommended listening 
 
Cloud Optimized Point Clouds
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/cloud-optimized-point-clouds/
 
PDAL - the point data abstraction library
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/pdal-point-data-abstraction-library/
 
Lidar from drones
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/lidar-from-drones/
 
Bathymetric Lidar
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/bathymetric-lidar-and-blue-carbon/
 
 

Alex Leith is a Digital Earth Architect and in this episode, you will learn what Infrastructure as code is  - hint it is the opposite of the "clicky-clicky" and so much more!
Connect with Alex here https://auspatious.com/
 
Recommended Listening 
Cloud-Optimized Point CLounds
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/cloud-optimized-point-clouds/
 
Cloud Native Geospatial 
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/cloud-native-geospatial/
 
Planet Scale Tiled Maps without a Server
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/planet-scale-tiled-maps-without-a-server/
 
What is Modern GIS
https://mapscaping.com/podcast/what-is-modern-gis/