Hawaiian High School Students Use GPS-Photo Link Software to Study Beach Erosion
Written by GeoSpatial Experts
06 September 2006
THORNTON, Colorado, USA, 6 September 2006 - Students at Kealakehe High School in Hawaii will be hitting the beaches this year with GPS-Photo Link software from GeoSpatial Experts of Thornton, Colo., to study the extent and possible causes of shoreline erosion.
The study is funded through a Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grant sponsored by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
"We have incorporated GPS and GIS into our Career and Training Education curriculum which focuses on teaching skills that students can use to get jobs," said Larry Rice, a Career and Training instructor at Kealakehe High School on the island of Hawaii.
As part of the B-WET Program, the students will select several beaches on the island for mapping and study. Using standard Ricoh digital cameras equipped with GPS cards, the students will document beach conditions throughout the school year. They will then use GPS-Photo Link software to integrate the GPS-located photos into a geographic information system (GIS) to determine if, and to what extent, the beaches are eroding as a result of sea level rise and island subsidence.
Mapping with digital photography is a technology made possible by GeoSpatial Experts' GPS-Photo Link software. This digital image mapping software automatically links digital photographic images with GPS location data and maps the photographs on a GIS layer. In addition, GPS-Photo Link creates web pages in which the watermarked photographs are integrated with satellite imagery, street maps, or other GIS-based mapping layer. New functionality added in the most recent software version enables users to display their photo locations as icons in a Google Earth map layer and add an arrow indicating the direction in which the photo was taken.
"From past course work, we have already built several GIS layers for the island, and the GPS-Photo Link software will allow us to add the visual information as another information layer," said Rice. "Mapping with a digital camera and GPS is simple with the GeoSpatial Experts' software."
Rice expects up to 400 students in ninth through twelfth grades to participate in the B-WET project this school year. B-WET was established in 2002 to improve the understanding of environmental stewardship through education for both teachers and students, according to a NOAA web site. There are currently B-WET programs active in Hawaii, the Chesapeake Bay and Monterey Bay areas.
"Students love to use GPS-Photo Link software because it's so easy to use, and they can see the results of their field work presented visually on the GIS map screen within minutes after they return to the classroom," said Rick Bobbitt, President of GeoSpatial Experts.
For more information on GPS-Photo Link, visit www.geospatialexperts.com
For more information on Kealakehe High School and the NOAA B-WET program visit http://waveriders.k12.hi.us/ and www.csc.noaa.gov/psc/bwet.html
GISuser Feature Articles
Top iPhone related GIS and Geo Tech news stories from 2009 - At the end of the year its always interesting for us to look at some of the stats and results to identify trends and more important, to see what our readers think is hot! In the "news" category it seems that iPhone related geo tech items were extremely popular.
10 Awesome GIS and Mapping apps for the iPhone - I recall last year at the ESRI UC when an iPhone was on stage showing a prototype app (think ArcPad on iPhone). It was then that I realized the iPhone platform is going to be BIG in mapping and there's a ton of opportunity for developers.
Nokia Booklet 3G, unboxing video and image gallery... Those of you in the USA who pop in to BestBuy occasionally, you may have seen a stand showing off the Nokia Booklet 3G. A sleek, 3G enabled, SIM slot (AT&T) sporting netbook.
Interesting Tweeple - 10 Geo Technology & Geo-Social Women of Twitter - given the growing love for geospatial and location-aware technologies, I’ve decided to hype 10 women that I feel make a significant contribution to the Geo-Twittersphere. If you’d like to add 10 knowledgeable and useful Twitter contacts to your Geo following list I highly suggest the following: (in no particular order)
10 Geo Social Location-Aware Apps Making Waves... With Twitter's opening of their location API to developers there's going to be a ton of third party apps that will enable Twitter users to share location-aware information via their Twitter accounts.
Signs that indicate you may be a GeoGeek (aka. GeoNerd) and some suggested Geo blogs - Chances are good that if you are a Geo Geek then you already know it and likely refer to yourself as one. However, there’s many of you out there that may be on the fence and wondering… “am I a Geo Geek?" Read on for a comprehensive list of signs you might be a GeoGeek followed up by some suggested Geoblog reading.
Real-time GPS Mapping and GIS Solution Aids Efficient Disaster Management - Saturday, February 7, 2009 will forever be known as Black Saturday in the State of Victoria, Australia. In the midst of a 10-year drought, a record breaking heat wave descended upon the state, with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees C (110-120 deg F), breaking all-time record highs in some cities - Victoria Police Use Trimble Juno SC Handhelds to Speed Assessment of Damage Caused by Bush Fires.
10 Ways Your Tech Business Can Take Advantage of Twitter - Many companies and individuals are still asking themselves how can I use Twitter in my business? The following is a small sampling of some of the ways that your technology business can use Twitter to your advantage.
2010 ESRI Federal User Conference February 17-19, 2010, Washington D.C. Walter E. Washington Convention Center - The FedUC is the largest geospatial conference for federal agencies. Connect with other leaders, decision makers, and GIS professionals.
The International LiDAR Mapping Forum 2010 - Tenth Anniversary Event! ILMF 2010 will be held from March 3 - 5, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency in Denver at Colorado Convention Center.
The NAVTEQ 2010 Global LBS Challenge Awards Ceremony will be held during Ignite at O'Reilly Where 2.0. Be among the first to hear as NAVTEQ announces the winners for the North America region. Participants will be competing for a global prize pool of $10 million and growing by showcasing pre-commercial location-enabled apps using NAVTEQ map data & products. March 30, 2010, during Ignite Where, 7:30pm - 9:00pm, at the Marriott San Jose, CA
WHERE2.0 2010 - Now in its sixth year, the Where 2.0 Conference is where the grassroots and leading edge developers building location-aware technology intersect with the businesses and entrepreneurs seeking out location apps, platforms, and hardware to gain a competitive edge. For 15% use Discount Code: whr10lbs