As the spatial industry continues to grow and diversify, it is becoming increasingly valuable to have your hard-earned GIS skills and experience formally acknowledged with an industry-recognised qualification. For many years Esri has offered numerous certifications to help GIS professionals validate their knowledge and technical skills.
The Land Transport Rule "Traffic Control Devices (2004)" has recently been updated to allow street art within the roadway, termed “roadway art”.
2020 has brought about a new set of challenges in keeping ourselves and each other healthy, both physically and mentally, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. I have personally been a long time advocate of mental health issues, having studied Psychology in my first degree, before studying Engineering. I have previously volunteered with Victim Support and seen first-hand some pretty confronting examples of how events around us can cause a wide range of reactions.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, spatial data and tools have been widely used to track and visualise the virus globally. Mapping such a vast and dynamic outbreak can be challenging. The Johns Hopkins ArcGIS Dashboard is a widely used tool to understand the spread of the disease. News articles, reports and studies are nearly always accompanied by a map.
In the quest to find opportunities for a computer vision solution, experts from across our business have been brainstorming ideas. We have identified four main categories of features to detect:
Today, 22 September, is "World Car Free Day". This is an annual celebration to encourage people to use active and sustainable modes of transport and to promote the benefits of going car free. According to recent research, New Zealand’s rate of car ownership is one of the highest in the world at 1.3 vehicles per person of driving age![1]
This year’s Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Maori Language week 14-20 September 2020) saw a dedicated internal programme of activities developed for our team, aimed at promoting and encouraging the use of te reo Māori in our day-to-day mahi.
Infrastructure improvements and targeted safety programmes receive much of the focus for achieving a Vision Zero transport system. However less attention is given to transport and land use activities that could undermine this ambitious goal.
We often hear the term artificial intelligence thrown around, a phrase which can be interpreted in many different ways. Artificial intelligence has undoubtedly changed how we interact with technology, from facial recognition on our smart phones, to Netflix recommendations. Most of us interact with artificial intelligence every day without even realising it. It is easy to think that these tools are reserved for the likes of Google or Apple, but these techniques and technologies are becoming more and more accessible across a range of industries and applications.
COVID-19 has presented many challenges in 2020, and Abley’s annual weekend away event was no exception. This year, due to the growth of our Auckland office and the uncertainty around travel, it was decided that we would hold both a North Island and a South Island event.
