Video Mapping System

Rangelands Management is looking for technology that will make it easier to share information collected in the field with its customers. Currently, many environmental groups are requesting information in an electronic format they can access from their computers. Regulatory agencies, such as the US Fish & Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, require monitoring of rangeland resources as part of their biological opinions.

Rangelands technical support staff working with Red Hen Systems of Fort Collins, Colorado, has developed a system using video mapping tied to a GPS signal, with the ability to put audio, video, and GPS signal on the same tape. The system uses a Digital-8 video camera that produces video, audio, and images along with a GPS signal on a differentially corrected background map. Along with voice recognition software, this system will help range share monitoring information inside and outside the agency. Converting the information collected to an HTML format and posting the information to a web site will cut costs and share our work immediately to concerned groups and other agencies.

The Video Mapping System

Red Hen Systems offers a hardware and software system that makes video maps. It is a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) map that is interactive with images, video, audio, and attached documents. It is a map that will show what is at the mapped location, where it is, how it looked, and how it sounded. With the VMS 200 video map software, a person can simply click on a location to review the following:

• An image captured from video (JPEG file)
• A captured video clip (AVI file)
• A file on notes about the location
• An audio file
• A document can be opened with each feature point

The software imports GPS data from videotape, creates maps of videotaped locations, enables map-interactive video playback, enables still image and video clip capture, and imports and exports GIS map layers.

The VMS 200 video mapping system from Red Hen Systems is easy to use and a good way to add spatially indexed video and still imagery to GIS. Spatial multimedia is a new concept in collecting, archiving, and reviewing data using GIS technology. VMS 200 automates the addition of geo-indexed video and images to interactive maps. The VMS 200 hardware is a compact, lightweight unit that is easy to carry in the field. Along with its normal GPS function, it accepts data from a compatible laser rangefinder or digital compass.

Summary

VMS player, the software component of the Video Mapping System, gives interactive image-linked maps. Capabilities are:

1. Automate GPS data indexing and map creation.
2. Point and click data review. You choose the information to display.
3. Automatic feature creation at specified time or distance intervals.
4. Capture still images and video clips (video capture card required).
5. Differential post-processing with EZ-Diff program.
6. Easily export HTML maps and linked images.
7. Navigate and acquire data simultaneously in the field.
8. Use both .tab and .shp files as background maps.
9. Create either .tab and .shp files.
10. Conveniently locate features sorted in the feature browser.
11. Set zoom layering to show the right layers at the right zoom.
12. Create multiple feature layers.
13. Relocate features by dragging and dropping.
14. Index video from the digital video camera.
15. Capture audio files.
16. Select feature markers from a variety of custom fonts.
17. Display local time and UTC in GPS data window.
18. Use ADRG and GeoTIFF maps.
19. Move and copy features between layers.
20. Search video by date and time.
21. Review GPS data on-screen in real time.
22. Use drawing and measuring tools.

Last modified: Monday, 05-Dec-2005 12:19:01 EST