INDUSTRY TRENDS

IVS 3D's dynamic and creative team of professionals are dedicated to unveiling opportunities to develop and improve visualization, analysis and processing software.  This commitment requires our research and development team to understand many of the processes that our clients go through on a regular basis in the field. Listening to our clients and gaining a broader understanding of their challenges allows us to provide our clients with leading edge technology that not only meets their requirements, but also improves the efficiency and effectiveness of their processes.

Fledermaus Version 7 Previewed with Anticipation Among Clients at AGU

Many academic Fledermaus clients and users attend AGU every year, and 2008 was no exception. Most stopped in to visit the exhibition booth and ask questions, or share their experiences using Fledermaus for their projects. Many were very interested to see a demonstration of the fast approaching Version 7 and how its added functionality will help them with scientific analysis and presentation. There was a great interest in the FM Geocoder module and its potential ability to improve seabed characterization and habitat mapping.

Other researchers saw the potential for Fledermaus Version 7 in the emerging ocean observatories, collaborative set-ups involving many institutions and agencies.  Both large and small ocean observatories are generating all types of time-based data; the issue they now face is what they can do with the massive amounts of data they have collected.  Thomas Stieglitz of James Cook University was concerned with visualizing his proximity observation system for monitoring manta ray movement, while others focused on the logging and display of real-time events such as earthquakes.  The new time reference coming in Fledermaus Version 7 directly supports these applications.

New Features Available in Fledermaus Version 7

There are a number of significant upgrades with the upcoming release of Fledermaus Version 7:    

  • A fully integrated time reference system allowing users to work in a 4D environment and fully zoom in space and time. All data objects will have time-based reference to allow changes of position, orientation, scale, visibility and transparency in time.
  • Totally updated geo-referencing with support of all common datums and projections. Includes transformation and re-projection at various phases of import and processing.
  • Simple wizard-based importers of data added directly to Fledermaus for more efficient data import.
  • New multibeam backscatter processing and seabed characterization module, FM Geocoder. Based on the research of Luciano Fonseca of the Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping, UNH.
  • New project management tool to support management and preparation of source data for Fledermaus. Defined project structure and 2D geospatial view for easier determination of location and coverage.
  • Updated vessel manager with better connectivity via TCP, UDP or serial connections; additional formats including extended NMEA support, Applanix POSMV and marine AIS messages.
  • Updated free viewer, iView4D, to support distribution of Fledermaus Version 7 scenes.
  • Software re-bundled to application areas; Viz4D, FM Hydro, FM Habitat, FM Offshore and the complete bundle FM Pro, all with the option to add FM Geocoder.

 

Beyond Version 7 - Mid-Water Data Extraction, Visualization and Analysis

In 2008 IVS 3D was awarded a grant from the New Hampshire Research Innovation Center (NHIRC) for development of extraction, visualization and analysis tools for mid-water data from multibeam sonars. The funding supports researchers at the Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping, UNH to build on some initial R&D and transfer this technology to commercial applications.

Currently, the users of multibeam sonars have a limited view of the mid-water data. Clients in fisheries, oil and gas, and marine sciences will find immediate use for the new technologies, which will enable exploitation of this currently under-utilized data. As always, IVS 3D’s aim is to provide users with tools to enhance their view of data, and in this case provide it in a truly 4D environment. It will enable them to visualize the data in a new way and reveal information not previously seen, and to improve the efficiency of their analysis.

Initial results of this project are most exciting and it will result in the development of tools for these data that are currently not available. It will extend the use of multibeam sonars in a variety of areas; examples include mid-water target extraction in hydrography and fisheries, and the detection of bubble plumes in the mid-water and variations in water column properties. This adds true value for multibeam sonar users who will be able to efficiently process all the bathymetric, backscatter and water column data in an intuitive and efficient application.