Eric D. Colburn, PLS

Professional Land Surveyor News

Professional Land Surveyor News: First China-Made Unmanned Aerial Photography Systems Delivered

People’s Daily Online reports that on April 15 the first batch of 17 light, fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial photography systems was delivered in Beijing, China to the surveying and mapping departments of 16 provinces and municipalities.

Chinese surveying and mapping departments have begun to extensively apply UAV aerial photography systems for the first time. Previously, the use of UAV aerial photography was employed during disaster relief efforts, like in the aftermath of the Wenchuan earthquake.

China sees UAVs as providing the following:

• Improving emergency support service capacity relating to surveying and mapping.
• Allows for rapidly taking HD photos within small areas that are hard for general aerial flights.
• Play an important role in developing a Digital China.
• Facilitate monitoring of geographic information.
• Improving social-management efficiency (I’m not sure what this means? Sounds scary, though it probably refers to managing development).

“Xu Deming, vice-minister of the Ministry of Land and Resources and director general of the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM), said that acting as a powerful supplement to traditional aerial photography, the UAV aerial photography system is characterized by its flexibility, high efficiency, accuracy, low cost and wide application scope.”

Professional Land Surveyor Source – People’s Daily Online

China Has a Plan

SBSM plans on increasing its use of these light, fixed-wing UAV aerial photography systems throughout China this year. The UAV systems, according to SBSM, provide for easy and efficient methods of surveying and mapping to obtain the following types information and data:

• Development of digital cities.
• National emergency disaster relief.
• National land-monitoring.
• Development of new rural areas.

Professional Land Surveyor Source

• People’s Daily Online

Professional Land Surveyor News

Geospatial Consortium Implements Land Registry System in Anhui Province, China

BEIJING, CHINA — International Land Systems (ILS), Inc. with the Anhui Agricultural Commission held a commencement meeting for the China Rural Land Certification and Registration Program, a technical assistance pilot project funded by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

The project aims to allow Chinese residents in Anhui province’s rural Feidong county to register farm plots and gain land lease certificates.  States Yang Zhao, Vice-Secretary for China’s Center for Rural Development Policy, “The goal is to further protect farmers’ rights by reducing uncertainty pertaining to land ownership, and by providing clearer and more complete information pertaining to designated land rights for farmers.”  The Chinese government has set the policy framework to protect farmers’ rights through the 11th Five Year Plan, but much work remains to survey individual farmers’ plots and document individuals’ ownership status.

Read the rest of this entry →

Professional Land Surveyor News

Yesterday, January 18, 2009, Reuters India reported from Beijing, China that over the past weekend China launched the third BeiDou (Big Dipper) or Compass satellite in an effort to build its own global satellite positioning (GPS) system. This latest satellite is part of  a proposed constellation of 35 Chinese GPS satellites to be in orbit by the year 2020.

China is competing in space with the United States and Russia, and in addition to these BeiDou or COMPASS satellites also has plans to land on the Moon in 2012. While this instills a great deal of national pride within China, and is increasing the prominence of China in the space arena, this initiative and the overall China space program has alarmed some western counterparts. Within the region, rival India, in response to China’s space ambitions, is now working to increase India’s space program.

As reported, the China BeiDou or COMPASS GPS network will provide the following services:

• Read the rest of this entry →

China vows to foster the development of the geographic information industry and boost the “building of Digital China” through the National Geographic Information Summit, which opens in Beijing today, according to Xu Deming, vice-Minister of Land and Resources.

Surveying and mapping has become a fundamental safeguard for the development of the economy, Wang Chunfeng, vice-chief of the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, said last month.

Professional Land Surveyor Source: China Daily

Read the Rest of This Story>>