williams 1977-82

Videre Parare Est

The Engineering disciplines of Surveying and Mapping and the Sciences of Geodesy and Cartography are enduring

SSGT / LT R.J. Williams

LT Williams receiving award BA Computing Studies Canberra CAE, 1980

1977 - 1982

Reflections by Dr R.J. (Bob) Williams [Retired]

Cartographer - Topographic Surveyor - Geographer - Geospatial Scientist Compiled 2014

The 1970s … …A Decade of Vision … … with Visionaries with Ideas … … The 1980s … …A Decade of Innovation … … with Experience and Vision … …

A TIME OF EDUCATION, AND VISIONI, along with three other senior non-commissioned officers, was invited by Major John Cattell to a Christmas-eve 1976 barbeque. I was surprised by the invitation. During the evening I had a chat with my Corps Director Colonel Jim Stedman. Colonel Stedman asked me if I would like to undertake Long Term Schooling. In addition to undertaking three years of academic study, I was given a challenge of identifying future directions for digital mapping for the Royal Australian Survey Corps and the Australian Army. The following year I commenced the first of my tertiary studies at the (then) Canberra College of Advanced Education (now the University of Canberra) towards the award of Bachelor of Arts in Computing Studies (Cartography major). My principal lecturer was Waldo (Wally) Wassermann. Wally was a German mathematician and engineer who came to Australia to work on the Snowy Mountain Scheme. Wally had some interesting beliefs. On my first meeting with Wally he said that at the end of our courses “you will know of a whole lot of topics that you’ll know nothing about”. Wally also said that they would not have constructed the Snowy Mountains Scheme if they had used the standard technology and procedures of the day; in other words, he suggested that we “need to question and challenge current procedures and not just rely on published text books”. Because I, and three others, were ‘mature age’ students with surveying and mapping experience Wally awarded us exemption from introductory surveying and cartography subjects. As such we were able to partake in a unique course combining cartography and computer science. We did a unit in remote sensory mapping (now known as remote sensing#), a unit in machine intelligence (now known as artificial intelligence), as well analytical cartography units having advanced calculus and spherical trigonometry.Those days were the most ‘enlightening days’ in my career. At that time I believed that we were about to embark on a NEW AGE OF CARTOGRAPHY!

CCAE

# The term “remote sensing” was coined in the early 1960s by geographers in the [US] Office of Naval Research to apply to the information derived from photographic and non-photographic instruments.

The American Society of Photogrammetry published the First Edition of the Manual of Remote Sensing in 1975.

Enlightening days!

Bio

2

BA Computing Studies (Cartography major)A Unique Course

“From their inception back in the 1960s, the computing studies courses from CCAE were considered by many to be the best in Australia and they also had a great reputation worldwide”.

Bob Ecclestone, Honorary Degree Holder, Master of Applied Science, 1989

My personal view of the sciences

Core scientific discipline

Cartography

Foundation scientific disciplineMathematics

Enabling scientific disciplineComputer science

Projections & transformations

Spatial & temporal reasoning

CalculusAlgebra

Geometry

Trigonometry

Numerical analysis

Spherical Trigonometry

Course subjects and topics

Datums & Coordinate systems

Topology

Data structures

Terrain modelling

Information science

Computer science

Computer programmingALGOL + Several other languages

Systems analysis

Computer architecture Numerical analysis

Graph theory Operations research

Machine (artificial) intelligence

Representation & communication

3

CCAE

Origins Waldermar (Waldo or Wally) Wassermann was a German mathematician and geodetic surveyor. Wally was a visionary! He had a mate in the timber industry who was interested in determining the best route to drive his vehicles from the south coast to Canberra. He also had a mate (an airline pilot) who saw the day when airlines would be flying shorter routes across Asia/Europe.

A Unique Course which featured interesting [and non-conventional] assignments and projects

1977 – Cartography 2 - Map projections for Geodesists, Cartographers and Geographers“The idea to write this introduction to map projections was born in 1969 in the Department of Geodetic Science of the Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, USA.There existed agreement in the opinions of the authors that most most books on map projections are either too simple of conception, or too involved, carrying the subject matter far beyond the knowledge required of geodesists studying at a Master’s degree level.This book is an intermediate. After a description of general features presupposing a knowledge of elementary spherical trigonometry, it employs mathematics up to a level of ordinary and integral calculus. It leads the way directly to the design of general computer programmes for the calculation and/or plotting of geographic grids in the common projections of both terrestrial and lunar ellipsoids.…It is hoped that the combined experience of the authors in geodesy and cartography, in academic and professional practice, has produced a text useful to students and colleagues”.

Text books included:

Richardus, Peter and Adler, Ron K. (1972). Map Projections for Geodesists, Cartographers and Geographers, North-Holland, Amsterdam

Digital terrain models and data banks. The direct and indirect measurements performed for the purpose of recording the physical and artificial (man-made) features are processed in the form of a digital model. Each point measured is defined by its three dimensional coordinates within a specific system, such as longitude, latitude and height above mean sea level. One can imagine a data bank as a storage divided into surface compartments, the compartment boundaries corresponding to a system of parametric lines created by the geographical or plane rectangular coordinate grid.

A text book with visionary concepts:

4

CCAE

Origins


Text books included:

1978 – Remote Sensory Mapping - Digital Picture Processing

1979 – Machine Intelligence – The Thinking Computer: Mind Inside Matter

Rosenfeld, Azriel and Avenish C. Kak (1976). Digital Picture Processing, Academic Press, New York

Raphael, Bertram (1976). The Thinking Computer: Mind Inside Matter, W. H. Freeman, San Fransisco

“This book should be suitable for a one- or two- semester advanced undergraduate or graduate course in picture processing.Picture processing or image processing by computer encompasses a wide variety of techniques and mathematical tools”.

Mathematical preliminaries Visual perception Digitization Compression

Enhancement Restoration Segmentation Geometry Description

“The computer is a tool whose continued improvement, and subsequent expanded application, can be of immeasurable benefit to mankind. One might imagine many ways in which computers could be improved. Computer scientists and engineers try to make their machines faster, cheaper, more reliable, and easier to use. In addition, a few specialists in a growing field called ‘artificial intelligence’ are devoting their professional careers to trying to make computers more intelligent”.

Bertram Raphael – Director of the Artificial Intelligence Center of the Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park, California

5

CCAE

Origins


Yoeli Analytical Hill-Shading 1965

Perspective view of Greater Vancouver

Program: SYMVU Data: D.Mark U British Columbia

AssignmentDigital terrain modelling: A system of parametric lines

Wally had an idea! Let us model the surface of the Earth using a system of parametric lines.

He provided sets of elevations over the Canberra CAE area with the challenge of creating a surface representation; or splitting the surface into a group of small surface elements.We [course members] used a number of contemporary documents for research.We were unsuccessful with this assignment but received passes because Wally valued the learning experience above simple tests. This trait [from our observation] did not sit well with other academics.

e.g. the sphere can be paramatized as

6

CCAE

Origins

A Unique Course Remote Sensory Mapping – Assignment 1 Lecturer: Dr Grahame Smith

Assignment 1 required the use of LANDSAT data and required the following tasks:² Reduce a scene (150 scan lines in length and 480 pixels wide) of central Canberra

sensed on 18 November 1975 to a new scene 50 lines in length and 160 pixels wide. There are many methods of accomplishing this reduction, you should carry out at least two. Included with map outputs should be a discussion of the merits and demerits of your methods.

² Using thresh-holding techniques extract Lake Burley Griffin from your reduced scene. You should produce a map of the lake, together with an account of the methods you used to get it.

² Locate the bridges and other non-water features of the lake. Produce these as an overlay for your lake map.

The photographic images (below) did not become available until later in the course. The images were processed by Dr John O’Callaghan at CSIRO. Thus, photographic images were not in existence at the time of the actual assignment. Naivety can be beneficial in conducting innovative work.

LANDSAT scene of Canberra Sensed 18 November 1975

Bridges

Shoreline of Lake Burley Griffin

CommentBridges XShore *

Fountain in front ofOld Parliament House*

Google Earth 2014

7

A Unique Course Attachment to CSIRO during end-of-year break Prototype – Trafficability at Shoalwater Bay

CSIRO TERRAIN PATTERN MAPDigitised by SSGT Bob Williams

1978

SHOALWATER BAY AREA - QUEENSLAND

RASVY TRAFFICABILITY MAP

Because I was in the Army I was required to work through the academic breaks. During the period December 1978 – February 1979 (then) SSGT Bob Williams, a member of the Royal Australian Survey Corps (RASVY), worked in collaboration with the Directorate of Engineers – Army, the Joint Exercise Planning Staff (JEPS), and Dr Joe Walker and his staff at CSIRO’s Division of Land Use Research to digitize terrain pattern maps compiled by CSIRO and using software written by CSIRO’s Bruce Cook to form the basis of Trafficability Overprints for the Shoalwater Bay Training Map. A series of overlays that showed GO-NO areas under a range of environmental conditions and a series of overlays that showed FIRE RISK areas were compiled for use by JEPS (Joint Exercise Planning Staff) but these were never published.

Bio

In March 1972 the NSW Government invited CSIRO to participate in a joint study of land use on the South Coast of the State. CSIRO was asked to undertake a pilot survey of resources in the area to provide a ‘rational basis for planning decisions on a wide variety of land uses’.

The report titled Land Use on the South Coast of New South Wales (1978) includes a Chapter by Bruce Cook on Computer Methods.

LAND USE ON THE SOUTH COAST OF NEW SOUTH WALES

TRAFFICABILITY AT SHOALWATER BAYJ.Walker and A.P.Spate, Woodland Ecology Unit, Division of Land Use Research, CSIRO, July 1976

8

Origins

Origins

A Unique Course which featured interesting symposiums, conferences & visits Attended Conference: LANDSAT 79

The Keynote Address was given by Vincent V. Salomonson of NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. He was Project Scientist for Landsat 4 and 5 (1977-1989).Dr. Salomonson has received numerous recognitions for his work and leadership. These include the Goddard Exceptional Performance Award (1975) for his work as Chairman of the NASA Sub-discipline Panel for Water Resources, the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (1976) for outstanding contributions in the practical applications of remote sensing data in the water resources field.

LANDSAT 79FIRST AUSTRALASIAN LANDSAT CONFERENCE

Macquarie UniversitySydney

May 22-25, 1979

Dr Grahame Smith and another of my lecturers, Geoff Halsey, presented a paper “Rectified Images in Geographic Information Systems” at the First Australasian LANDSAT Conference.Dr John O’Callaghan# from CSIRO Division of Computer Research (and who provided support for the unit Remote Sensory Mapping) made a presentation titled Colour Image Processing of LANDSAT Imagery.

# Professor John O'Callaghan has had a distinguished career in the area of information technology and has made significant contributions to research and development on information technology systems. He is recognised as an international expert in the area of high-performance computing, data management and communication.

2014 photo

9

Origins

A Unique Course which featured interesting symposiums, conferences & visits Attended Seminar: Harvard ‘Odyssey’ at CSIRO

In 1979, Eric Teicholz, Deputy Director of the Laboratory of Computer Graphics, Harvard University and Geoffrey Dutton, a research scientist at the Laboratory visited CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and ANU (Australian National University) in Canberra. Wally arranged for my course members to attend a presentation by Teicholz on Harvard research and its ODYSSEY Project. Dutton assisted and also demonstrated a hologram titled “American Graph Fleeting” at the Australian Academy of Science.

Odyssey GIS is the first vector GIS developed by the Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis in the mid-1970's. The need to use computer databases to store and manipulate large geographic files emerged in December 1975 as employees at the Harvard laboratory struggled to restructure Urban Atlas files for the Census Bureau. As a result of these struggles, the Harvard team, which was comprised of Nick Chrisman and Denis White, created the conceptual model for ODYSSEY; a suite of programs connected by a common user interface and data manipulation software.

In 1978, GEOFFREY DUTTON (Harvard University) made what may be the first thematic spatio–temporal hologram, apparently the only example of holographic four-dimensional cartographic display. A cylinder sixteen inches in diameter, it shows the changes in population over time as it turns.The hologram was produced by the program ASPEX from a sequence of images showing U.S. population by county from 1790 to 1970. Each annual surface is based on interpolation from the decennial census data, smoothed onto a grid of 82 by 127 cells. Starting over the Caribbean, the viewpoint shifts two degrees with each year, rotating full circle with one turn around the image. The view also moves upward from thirty degrees at the start to sixty at the end.

Geoffrey Dutton was certainly a scientist who worked “outside the box”. Dutton developed the tessellation of the octahedron structure as a spherical data model. I understand, through personal discussion with Distinguished Professor Michael Goodchild, that that model underpins “Google Earth”. Of course, Dutton has not been credited for that work! 10

Origins

A Unique Course which featured interesting symposiums, conferences & visits Attended Symposium: GIS Workshop

A workshop on geographical information systems was held at the Australian National University during 5-7 December 1979 under the joint sponsorship of Human Geography, ANU Research School of Pacific Studies and Applied Geography at the Canberra College of Advanced Education. Dr Rhind, Reader in Geography, University of Durham, organized and led the program as part of a four month visit to Canberra.Academic seminars had previously been held in universities and at CSIRO but not openly publicized.

The response [to the workshop] was overwhelming and available space in the Coombs Building was packed to capacity. Dr Rhind proved to be most versatile and resourceful with an appropriate commentary on a wide range of topics such as the purposes of geographical data handling; the encoding, validation and editing of data; recent international developments of hardware and software; and a review of available packages of software. Various speakers delivered papers on user needs, developments overseas, the Army AUTOMAP system, data management for government, FASTRACK and RESPONSE II, SIDSIM software for integrating spatial data by images, the applications of micro-computers, geographical aspects of the 1981 Population Census and the CSIRO South Coast Land Use Project.

1979 was an amazing year because the first workshop, open to a general audience , on Geographical Information Systems was held in Canberra.

Personal comment. During his time in Canberra I had several meetings with Dr Rhind and provided him with statistical data on the World Data Bank II for his research.

Rhind went on to become CEO of UK Ordnance Survey and, later, Vice-Chancellor of City University London.

Cartography (Journal of the Australian Institute of Cartographers)Volume 11, No 3, March 1980

11

CCAE

Origins

A Unique Course - Special Studies in Computing Towards a CARTOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

During my Special Studies in Computing unit at CCAE I developed a map projection and transformation software package and used World Data Bank II.The World Data Bank II, developed by the US CIA, is a collection of world map data, consisting of vector descriptions of land outlines, rivers, and political boundaries. It was created by the U.S. government in the 1970s.

The data was provided by an officer, Mr Jack Doyle, from the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) on nine magnetic tapes and my first task was to convert the data into a 48 bit word format for processing on a Burroughs B6700 computer using the ALGOL computing language.My package featured a number of innovative features: the use of rigorous half-angle spherical trigonometry to calculate great circles (Wally believed that aircraft would one-day fly along great circle paths); development of a user communication simulating ‘natural language’ and ‘smart’, automated scale and positioning of maps.Results of my CCAE studies were published and presented in 1980. In addition I produced a number of radial equidistant plots centered on cities in Australia and Asia for JIO and rewrote the software for JIO in TEKTRONIX Extended Basic running on a TEKTRONIX computer early in 1980. This mapping software was, I believe to be, the first computer mapping software written for Defence for applications beyond computer assisted mapping as in Army’s AUTOMAP I and Navy’s AUTOCHART.

Projections, transformations, spherical trigonometry

Natural language processing

Interactive communication

Query languages

Recursive & heuristic algorithmsIncl A* path-finding algorithm

Burroughs B6700 12

Publications Williams, R.J. (1980). “An overview of a cartographic mapping package”, Cartography, Volume 11, No.3, March 1980 Williams, R.J. (1980). “Automated cartography with navigational applications”, Proceedings – Fourth Australian Cartographic Conference, Hobart 1980

Information systems

Beyond Electronic Maps

13

Origins

A Unique Course which featured interesting symposiums, conferences & visits - Selected readings

Azriel Rosenfeld, Extraction of Topological Information from Digital Images

David M. Mark, Topological Properties of Geographical Surfaces: Applications in Computer Cartography

Thomas K. Peuker, Data Structures for Digital Terrain Modules: Discussion and Comparison

Bruce G. Cook, The Structural and Algorithmic Basis of a Geographic Data Base

Nicholas J. Cox and David W. Rhind, Networks in Geographical Information Systems: A British View

Geoffrey H. Dutton, Navigating ODYSSEY

Nicholas R. Chrisman, Concepts of Space as a Guide to Cartographic Data Structures

Geoffrey Dutton (ed.) (1978). Harvard Papers on Geographic Information Systems. (proc. of first International Symposium on Topological Data Structures for Geographic Information Systems)

Nick Chrisman’s book "Charting the Unknown" presents a history of GIS technology that takes readers back more than four decades to the Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis, where a variety of professionals converged to rethink thematic mapping, spatial analysis, and what we now call GIS. The book includes a CD containing interviews with important figures at the Harvard Laboratory, three movies showing animated visualization, and scanned copies of Context publications (from 1968 to 1983) describing research and research-related activities at the lab.

Dr. Craig Fields, Beyond ELECTRONIC PAPER

FIRST INTERNATIONAL ADVANCED STUDY SYMPOSIUM ON TOPOLOGICAL DATA STRUCTURES FOR GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMSThe Symposium was held at the Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis, Harvard University between October 17 and 21, 1977. At the meetings more than seventy participants from seven nations convened to discuss fifty-seven papers.

14

Bertram Raphael started at SRI (Stanford Research Institute) International in 1964 as a consultant. After completing his PhD at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), he was at the University of California, Berkeley for an academic year, and subsequently joined SRI full time in April 1965. He was a long-time member of SRI's Artificial Intelligence Center, and was its director from 1970 to 1973. While at SRI, he helped invent the A* search algorithm and develop Shakey the robot, which was one of the first projects sponsored by DARPA ([US] Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). He also co-founded the Journal of Artificial Intelligence.

Origins

A Unique Course which featured interesting symposiums, conferences & visits - Grahame Smith & Stanford!

“SRI bridges the critical gap between research universities or national laboratories and industry. We move R&D from the laboratory to the marketplace to create high value and real innovation. And the platforms we build today are designed to meet tomorrow’s needs”.

Lecturer: Dr Grahame Smith

Textbook

AI Center Perception Group

+ notesand

articles

1980s

Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute

Government funded research and development laboratory [1988-1999] for investigating and commercializing Artificial Intelligence, specially Intelligent Software Agents.

Grahame Smith left Australia to work at Stanford

Grahame Smith returned to Australia to work at AAII

Mathematician Geodetic surveyor

Mr Waldemar Wassermann retired in December 1988 from the School of Applied Science, Canberra College of Advanced Education. Wally was appointed as Senior Lecturer in Cartography in February 1972 following national and international advertisement which attracted him from the Geodetic Research Institute, Frankfurt, where he had been engaged in the application of satellite imagery to computer mapping. He had worked previously in Australia as the Chief Surveyor of the Snowy Mountains Authority.

2013 photo

Waldemar Wassermann

The Engineering disciplines of Surveying and Mapping and the Sciences of Geodesy and Cartography are enduring

Bio

Wally was promoted in 1977 to the position of Principal Lecturer in Surveying and Cartography. He was responsible for setting up a cartographer major which stressed techniques of computer mapping and photogrammetry. He also established a programme leading to a three year bachelor’s degree in surveying.

Wally is renowned for the very high standards expected from his students. His graduates include many of the staff of AUSLIG, the Royal Australian Survey Corps, the image analysis section of military intelligence, several academic appointments and a number of public servants in South Australia, Queensland and Northern Territory. All will value the guidance provided by Wally in understanding the transition from analogue to digital representation of data.

Cartography (Journal of the Australian Institute of Cartographers)Volume 17, Issue 2, 1988

15

Mathematician Computer scientist

Bruce Graydon Cook

Bio Bruce Graydon Cook (BGC) BSc (Maths, Physics) Sydney. Joined Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology & Geophysics (BMR) as Geophysicist in 1953. Worked in observatory geophysics: terrestrial magnetism, seismology. Stationed from time to time at Watheroo, WA; Macquarie Island; Mawson, Antarctica; as well as at Geophysical Branch headquarters, Melbourne and later Canberra. Early computing & data processing experience with BMR on Silliac and CSIRO CDC3600.

Joined CSIRO Division of Land Research (DLR) in 1967 to work on methodology of land resource survey. Became DLR nominee on ANU-hosted Automated Cartography Study Group (ACSG).

Developed a simple topological data structure for representation of plane region maps (Cook, 1967). The system was the subject of a poster presentation at the international Land Evaluation Symposium, Canberra, organised by DLR in 1968. One of the delegates to that conference was Canadian geographer Roger Tomlinson, who at that time was heading the Canadian Geographic Information System.

CGIS was the system designed to store and manipulate the data gathered for the Canadian Land Inventory (CLI). Tomlinson invited BGC to develop an alternative graphic input system for CGIS using manual tracing on a table digitizer. BGC spent six months of 1969 with CGIS in Ottawa.

On return to Australia, BGC applied this approach to a planned moderate scale land use study, it was clear that the complex multi-attribute descriptors to be used could not be accommodated within the designed topological data structure. Rather than design a special purpose auxiliary data structure for the attribute data, it was determined to use a general purpose database management system (DBMS). The DBMS chosen was an implementation developed in the CSIRO Division of Computing Research.

Throughout the 1970s, the work was publicised through appropriate study groups, workshops, seminars, symposia and conferences as well as activities expanded to include, among other organisations, the Division of National Mapping and the Army Survey Corps. URPIS conferences provided convenient access to state and local government instrumentalities. The 1978 Harvard symposium provided an international forum.

The linked database system was the end of this line of geographic database development in DLR. No serious consideration was given to moving beyond the development stage. Moreover, research priorities changed in the 1980s.

A Computer Representation of Plane Region Boundaries was published in THE AUSTRALIAN COMPUTER JOURNAL, November, 196716

Typical object recognition enquiries might take the form:• What is the feature 5KM north-west of the junction of road A and road B?• Give details of this building (pointed to on a screen).• What is this feature (pointed to on a screen)?

Examples of these types of queries may take the form:• Show a base map bounded by 20OS, 25OS, 130OE and 132OEand highlight the bores.• Locate and list details of the nearest airfield tothe town of Kyogle, NSW• Plot all roads between Dubbo NSW and Bourke NSW to adistance of 100KM from the centre line

A DEFENCE ENQUIRY SYSTEM (DES)LT R.J.Williams

1980

Photo taken in December 1979 of (then) SSGT Bob Williams. Military symbols produced using Tektronix PLOT 10 software.

17

Fulfilling a Promise! … a discussion paper on where I thought that the Royal Australian Survey Corps should be heading …

1980

Below are copies of extracts from the original paper with scanned copies of the original illustrations.

Abstract “an emergency situation, whether it be military in nature or a natural disaster, often tests the speed of response of sub-units of an organisation. Planning, staffing, coordinating, directing and controlling decisions are required in a limited time frame”.

Object recognition. Today’s orthophotomap may be replaced by a digital image, perhaps similar to LANDSAT images, and various features highlighted or classified. It might also be feasible that digital terrestrial cameras of the future could be used to identify features (possibly with the help of symbol tables and definitions).

18

Fulfilling a Promise! … a discussion paper on where I thought that the Aeronautical Information products should be heading …

1980

Below are copies of extracts from original plots produced within Special Studies in Computing [CCAE].

MAPPACKAn applications program

Demonstrating navigational aspects

An overview of acartographic

mapping packageR.J.Williams

Bachelor of Artsin Computing Studies

(CCAE)AMAIC

CARTOGRAPHYVolume 11 No.3 March 1980

Vision – CARTOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

MAPPACK Communications – Appendix 1 RUN MAPPACK; MAXPROCTIME = 30; MAXIOTIME = 20 #Collect any printout from Print 6 #Running #? *Mappack* Cartographic Mapping Package Types of maps available include …. Atlas Strip map Pre-history mapping Distance to coastline Which would you prefer? ATLAS Enter region - If World type WORLD - - Strip map of type A TO B

DARWIN Enter projection number 0 … Orthographic 1 … Stereographic 2 … Gnomonic 3 … Postel (Azimuthal Equidistant) 4 … Perspective 5 … Mercator 6 … Lambert (Cylindrical Equal Area) 7 … Bonne 8 … Sanson-Flamsteed 9 … Mollweide 3

You may nominate your scale options:You may nominate your … Own scale Computer printout size … A4 size Maximum available size Which would you like? A4 Map scale is 20,000,000 Is oblique aspect required? YES Place centred on? DARWIN Postel Equidistant Projection Enter radial distance in 1000KM (max 20) 5 Map scale is now 1:75,000,000 Are distance range rings required? YES The following options are available Enter YES if required … Geographic data … YES Geographic graticule … YES Nomenclature … NO Legend … YES ***MAPPACK running**

19

Fulfilling a Promise! 1980 This paper provides is an overview of a cartographic mapping

package developed at the Canberra College of Advanced Education. The package demonstrates educational and navigational applications and was produced for the semester unit Special Studies in Computing in the course for the award of Bachelor of Arts in Computing Studies.

20

In 1947 Colonel Lawrence FitzGerald attended two important conferences in London: the Commonwealth Survey Officers Conference in August, and a Military Mapping and Aeronautical Charting Conference held immediately afterwards. It was probably the military mapping conference in England that brought home to FitzGerald the extent to which Australia was being drawn into the widening web of alliances and agreements that characterised the immediate post war period. At a previous Anglo-American conference on military map and air chart policy, held in October 1946, these two powers agreed to each accept particular responsibility for map production for half the world. Now Britain was asking its dominions to accept a further subdivision of its share. Australia was invited to accept the Netherlands East Indies as an area of primary interest.

In 1941, Martin Hotine became Director of Military Survey [UK Ordnance Survey] with the rank of Brigadier, commanding Geographical Section of the General Staff and responsible for the Army’s maps and the RAF’s aeronautical charts.

In 1946, no doubt aided by his overseas surveying experience, he became the founding Director of the Directorate of Colonial (later Overseas) Surveys (DOS), a post he held until he retired 1963. During this time he had a profound influence on both surveying and mapping within the Commonwealth.

Aeronautical Products!

… some historical information on Aeronautical charting … a relationship that lasted half a century …

1980

I was posted back to Army Survey Regiment, Bendigo in March 1980 and appointed IC RAAF Charting Troop in Cartographic Squadron. My first trip was to RAAF Frognall (Melbourne) to visit AIS (Aeronautical Information Service). My troop was manned by 22 Army Survey technicians and a RAAF Liaison Officer; responsible for base maps of aeronautical charts.

Survey Regt, Fortuna Villa

RAAF Frognall

During discussions with Squadron Leader Mackenzie I showed him my work (e.g. as on right) and we discussed the nature of future en Route Charts and Flight Information Publications and that the structure and the geometry lent itself to producing a ‘tailored’ product for a flight plan and supplying the information in a database which could be accessed when required.

Two factors prevented this innovation from happening:1.  The technology of-the-day was not advanced enough for this type of

application; and2.  The reluctance of people to accept a change from a traditional paper-

based view to intelligent computer solutions.THIS IS THE PROBLEM TODAY!

3665-III STRICKLAND [1:50000] was the first map published using the AUTOMAP I system in 1978. Compilation was by digital stereo-photogrammetric methods 1976.

YAMPI JOG [1:250000]

MAP GENERATION

21

1980

YAMPI: A Digital Mapping Experience report, described the area; discussed the map production describing the available source data, detailing production time limitations and method of production; analyzed various aspects observed during the production including the integrity of the data bank, cost of data manipulation processes, the effect of management and operational procedures and the quality of the graphic; and, finally examined some future applications and recommendations.

YAMPI A Digital Mapping

Experience

The first, and only ever, 1;250,000 map - SE51-3 YAMPI - was produced from source digital data of the 1:50,000 maps compiled by stereo-photogrammetric techniques during June – August 1980.

22

1980 YAMPI A Digital Mapping

Experience

The first, and only ever, 1;250,000 map - SE51-3 YAMPI - was produced from source digital data of the 1:50,000 maps compiled by stereo-photogrammetric techniques during June – August 1980. Analytical Hill-Shading

CDC CYBER76 Computer room

(typical)

Modem

Magnetic TapeWILD B8 Stereoplotter

HEWLETT PACKARD2100A Minicomputer

GERBER 1232Light head flat bed

plotter

DECPDP 11/70

Minicomputer

Contours

Spot heights

Grid matrix

Shade density

The only patch of analytical hill-shading

producedModem / comms

technology was not robust enough with connections failing on several nights

23

1980 YAMPI A Digital Mapping

Experience

The first, and only ever, 1;250,000 map - SE51-3 YAMPI - was produced from source digital data of the 1:50,000 maps compiled by stereo-photogrammetric techniques during June – August 1980. The back of SE51-3 YAMPI presented SOME APPLICATIONS OF THE DATA BASE

INFRASTRUCTURE DIRECTORY (left)The data base has potential to be used in support of the Infrastructure Directory, by introducing supplementary information, to provide attributes of various features.

RADAR SIMULATIONA potential application of the data base is to project features of radar significance to produce a simulated radar map. This display, which shows an actual display of the southern approach to the City of Darwin, could be produced with some additions to the topographic data base, and in any selected bearing and altitude combination.DARWIN

COMMAND, CONTROL, COMMUNICATION (above)In operational situations, special thematic overlays could be superimposed onto a selected topographic map.

DSVY-A DEF/MISC5157CAugust 1980

Vision – CARTOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

Projections, transformations, spherical trigonometry

Natural language interactive communication

Query languages

Recursive & heuristic algorithms

AutomatedCartography

withNavigationalApplications

R.J.Williams MAIC

24



25



The following scenario demonstrates complex demands on an emergency management organisation Ø Suppose that the control room of an emergency management organisation received notification that an unidentified vessel with 60 passengers has grounded on a small island at latitude 16.43S and longitude 123.07E. Ø Ten people have been swept overboard and are missing and one woman is seriously ill. Ø Logically the first queries might be …

In this example, the system may have no detailed knowledge of Kimbolton Homestead (the nearest habitation), but is able to report that Oobagooma Homestead has a serviceable airstrip and a number of four-wheel drive vehicles. The system may also be able to provide comprehensive infrastructure details for Derby (the nearest town).

The presentation commenced with the following scenario.

: Show an image of the area

ERTS image 07 August 1973

At this point, the control room may be notified that the weather was characterised as a severe cyclone and that it had hit Derby, cutting off communications, and causing extensive structural damage … Example only - image 1980

I rewrote my mapping software in FORTRAN77 for use on a PDP11/70 computer. I called my software MISTI (Management Information for Topographic Intelligence) and, as I was IC RAAF Charting Troop, focused on trying to automate EN ROUTE Chart base map production.

My vision was that it would be possible to automatically generate en route charts along with relational database access to information contained in RAAF EN ROUTE SUPPLEMENTS and that the route should be along a great circle.

26

Aeronautical Products! … MISTI (Management Information for Topographic Intelligence…

1982

I again rewrote my mapping software in FORTRAN77 this time for use by the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) for use on a HP2100 series computer.

I called my software WIMS (World Interactive Mapping Software).

Vision – World (or Williams) Interactive Mapping System that could automatically extract information from a world data base determined by place names and search criteria.

Applications would include producing background maps in normal, radial and oblique rectangle formats anywhere in the world.

27

Fulfilling a Promise! Returing to JIO (Joint Intelligence Organisation).. … the year after the Falklands War …

1983

1980- 84

28

1982 - Digital Topographic Database – A structured and formatted collection of sets of random accessed files organised into evaluated Military, Geographic and Intelligence Data (MGID) available to meet the needs and requirements of the user – command and control systems, route classification, cross-country going, engineer intelligence data, resources data, meteorological data. - US Exchange Officer Major David Bowen, USA and Lt Robert Williams, RASVY

Technical Development Cell, Army Survey Regiment

FORTUNA VILLABENDIGO

Major David Bowen and (then) Captain John Charland jointly wrote a paper titled Interactive Computer Cartography at West Point for the Fourth Australian Cartographic Conference, Hobart 1980. Major Bowen presented the paper.

Major John Charland, ICA Conference & AUSTRA CARTO 3, Perth, 1984 v Permit the Transportation Officer to point to a bridge and have

the system return the width, allowable load and structural components of the bridge.

v Permit the Medical Officer to point to all hospitals in an area and have the number of beds currently available.

v Permit the Commander to point to a geographical area and have the system return enemy unit designations, locations, strength and equipment status, and have the system designed to permit data base update so that the information returned is current and accurate.

Major Bowen was a US Army Exchange Officer from US Defense Mapping Agency to Australia and posted to the Army Survey Regiment, Fortuna, Bendigo. His previous posting was as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Computer Science, United States Military Academy.His replacement, in 1983, was Major John Charland who, also, was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Computer Science, United States Military Academy.Major Bowen had an MA degree in Geography and Major Charland had an MSc in Civil Engineering.

Technical Development Cell US Exchange Officers

1984

29 The 1980s … …A Decade of Innovation … … with Experience and Vision … …

Reflections on the period 1977-82 – An enlightening time!

The 1970s … …A Decade of Vision… … with Visionaries with Ideas … …

The Survey Corps had A LONG HISTORY OF INNOVATION – embracing emerging technologies and applying technologies to new areas of application.For example, in the mid-1960s a survey operation was underway, that of the Southwest Pacific Survey. The aim of that survey was to establish the principal islands of the Southwest Pacific area on a common geodetic datum including connecting New Guinea and the adjacent islands to the geodetic network on the mainland of Australia. The project being accomplished by aerial electronic survey, specifically HIRAN, and ship to shore operations.

The measurement of very long lines, in the order of 750km, meeting surveying accuracies, came from the World War II uses of radar for precision bombing and navigation. HIRAN was an electro-distance measuring system (HIgh frequency RAnging and Navigation).

So, challenging existing procedures and undertaking challenging tasks was the NORM for Army Survey.

As an aside, possibly as a result of radar initiatives [I do not have actual evidence], there was a great spirit of co-operation between the RAAF School of Air Navigation (and Air Gunnery/Radio Operaters) based at RAAF Ballarat during WWII and the Survey Regiment at Bendigo. There was an annual sports day (Bone of Contention Day) held between the two Units continuing after the RAAF unit relocated to Laverton (Radio School).

Second from rightTHEN …

SSGT Bob Williams operating a GPS receiver – 1976 Drawn from a photo as part of a publicity brochure This appears on the reverse of a number of back-up maps.

williams 1977-82

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