F r a u n h o F e r I n s t I t u t e F o r C o m p u t e r G r a p h I C s r e s e a r C h I G D

Spatial information management

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spatial information management @ Fraunhofer IGD 2

3D spatial information systems 5

Lifelike 3D city models with the CityServer3D 5

spatial data infrastructures 6

Integrate and harmonize spatial data with HALE 6

our expertise and service 8

Research, consultancy, implementation 8

Cooperations & boards 11

Contact 11

photo acknowledgements

Page 3 (right), 4: © Stadt Coburg

Page 7: data basis: Geobasisdatum, with the approval of the

Hessischen Verwaltung für Bodenmanagement und Geoinfor-

mation, © HVBG 2005

Page 8, 11: Werbefotografie Rühl & Bormann

Page 9: © Stadt Mainz

All other photos and graphics: © Fraunhofer IGD

September 2012

Spatial information management @ fraunhofer igD

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The spatial reference is a connecting element in numerous application fields, such as

Environment and disaster management Location marketing Real estate Decision support in planning and public participation Land management

Digital geographic data are an essential part of our globalized information society.

One of the great challenges is to set up globally distributed infrastructures for data integration

from different sources. This data should be available with all details to users from various ap-

plication domains and regions, and with any kind of end-user devices.

The researchers from Fraunhofer IGD, one of the leading institutions for applied visual comput-

ing, face this challenge with their know-how and customer-oriented solutions. Our goal is to

enable users to quickly capture complex interrelations and to derive appropriate decisions. In

particular in cross-application domains these technologies facilitate successful communication

and efficient collaboration through the use of spatial information.

The Competence Center Spatial Information Management at Fraunhofer IGD specializes in

these fields:

3D spatial information systems and Spatial data infrastructures (SDI).

“The volume, complexity, heterogeneity and the number of application fields of spatial data are

continuously increasing. Our application-oriented research and development work pursues new

methods for comprehensive integration, management and visualization of these data. Our cus-

tomers benefit from the added value of the enriched spatial information.”

The visualization of the energy

consumption of a city during the

course of the day (business and

housing units) supports decision-

making in energy management.

(Image above, left)

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Our world is more and more digitially captured in 3D. People

exceedingly use 3D models for their purposes. Examples can

be found in urban planning, tourism or knowledge transfer.

We have developed technologies that allow the users to

efficiently manage, store and analyse 3D spatial data. Further-

more we model and visualize city and landscape models and

provide services for quality assurance.

Lifelike 3D city models with the Cityserver3D

Our work builds on the CityServer3D technology that we have

been developing with partners and customers since 2004.

With the CityServer3D the users administrate and integrate

two- and three-dimensional spatial data. They can automati-

cally generate three-dimensional models and carry out simula-

tions in the 3D world.

This information can be made available via standardized inter-

faces. Update and quality assurance features are integrated in

the CityServer3D and can be adapted as needed. They ensure

a sustainable usage and management of the data.

The CityServer3D Suite consists of a spatial database, a server

with numerous interfaces for the import and export of the

data and applications for the development of landscape

models. Administration software allows processing the data

and the web viewer brings it onto the user’s screen.

Our customers from public services and industry successfully

apply the CityServer3D in their daily business. Fraunhofer IGD

advances the CityServer3D technology according the custom-

ers’ requirements as well as in research projects.

Read more about CityServer3D at:

www.cityserver3d.de

“With the CityServer3D the users from various application domains have a common basis to make

consolidated decis ions. A continuously updated city model al lows the users to administrate, plan,

present and analyze spatial information much easier.”

3D Spatial information SyStemS

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“Our team develops individual SDI based solutions to provide users from different application

fields with customized and up-to-date spatial information.”

Spatial data infrastructures (SDI) are used to exchange and

process geographic information across various application

areas, administrative boundaries and organizations. Our team

supports you in the design and adoption of SDI-based solu-

tions. We accompany the technical implementation and play

a mediator role between end-users and IT experts. We also

offer advice with selecting tools that match your requirements

profiles.

Integrate and harmonize spatial data with haLe

The HUMBOLDT Alignment Editor (HALE) serves as an effec-

tive tool for the interactive and declarative schema mapping

definition, which can be applied by spatial data providers and

users.

The definition of schema mappings is a significant step

towards the integration and harmonization of spatial data.

Schema mapping links the elements of the schema of a data

source to the elements of another schema.

An example of such a transformation is the mapping from

ALKIS (Amtliches Liegenschaftskataster-Informationssystem),

the information system of the official German register of

real estate, to the INSPIRE cadastral parcels scheme. Schema

mappings between complex schemas are difficult to generate

and to update.

We have developed HALE together with our partners to sup-

port domain experts with generating and managing schema

mappings.

HALE exports schema mappings in different formats and

uses them as basis for schema transformation. We have put

special emphasis on the user friendliness, the mapping process

management and on the documentation of mismatches in

mappings. This is an important step towards the semantic

harmonization of spatial data. HALE is freely available as an

open source solution. Users are welcome to evaluate, apply

and extend HALE.

Further details on the HUMBOLDT Alignment Editor (HALE) are

available at: http://community.esdi-humboldt.eu

Spatial Data infraStructureS

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application-oriented initial research as basis for new

products and services

Our team participates in national and international research

projects to develop and evaluate new methods and technolo-

gies for spatial information management. We also bring in our

expertise in the coordination and management of research

projects.

Our current research topics include:

Rule-based integration of distributed, heterogeneous

spatial data sets, e.g. for the generation of 3D city models Semantics in 3D spatial data modelling and processing,

especially the maintenance of semantics within the life

cycle of 3D GIS objects 3D cartography for the visualization of integrated 2D and

3D data for different environments and application areas,

e.g. noise and energy simulations, geology in the urban

context, land management conflict strategies Quality of 3D city models Semantic interoperability and semantic annotation of data

and services in spatial data infrastructures

Consultancy

We elaborate concepts for customers from administration

and industry. We acquire and analyse your requirements for

drafting and evaluating a system. We analyse the feasibility

and performance of a system of your choice. Furthermore,

our Competence Center carries out market surveys. We work

provider independently.

Implementation

We are experienced in implementing and introducing software

systems based on our own products or based on commercial

solutions or open source tools. We offer flexible and custom-

ized financing and licensing models.

“The Competence Center Spatial information Management brings in its know-how in research,

consulting and implementation projects. Our core competences are 3D spatial information systems

and spatial data infrastructures.”

our expertiSe anD Service

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The Competence Center Spatial Information Management is actively involved in the

following boards and committees:

Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Informations- und Kooperationsforum für Geodaten des ZGDV e.V. (InGeoForum) Deutscher Dachverband für Geoinformation e.V. (DDGI) European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information (EUROGI) Data Harmonisation Panel (DHP) Association of Geographic Information Laboratories for Europe (AGILE)

Contact

Dr. Eva Klien

Head of the Competence Center Spatial Information Management

Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD

Fraunhoferstrasse 5

64283 Darmstadt, Germany

Phone +49 6151 155-420

Fax +49 6151 155-444

E-mail: geo@igd.fraunhofer.de

www.igd.fraunhofer.de/geo

cooperationS & BoarDS

The Competence Center Spatial In-

formation Management connects vi-

sual computing with the geospatial

community and provides the users

with application-oriented solutions.