Diagnóstico de sistema integrado de transporte de passageiros com uso de sistema de informação geográfica : o caso da cidade de Macaé – RJ – Brasil : resultados preliminares

O Sistema Integrado de Transporte Coletivo do município de Macaé – RJ tem sido alvo de diversas críticas atualmente e reflete a dificuldade dos gestores urbanos em acompanhar as rápidas transformações da “capital nacional do petróleo", levantando a necessidade de métodos de diagnósticos eficientes em sistemas de transporte de passageiros. Desta forma, o objetivo do trabalho é diagnosticar o sistema de transporte público de Macaé - RJ e analisar o uso de Sistema de Informação Geográfica, tendo em vista a eficiência do diagnóstico. A metodologia se baseia em dados operacionais do sistema de transporte, confecção de mapas e análises espaciais com uso do software Transcad 4.5 Full. Os resultados apontam dificuldades estruturais no sistema como, por exemplo, a localização indevida de 2 Terminais, a sobrecarga de linhas alimentadoras com necessidade demasiada de transbordo, a falta de atendimento direto de importantes linhas de desejo, a desestabilidade na operação, etc. A utilização do SIG demonstrou expressivo ganho de tempo na gestão e análise de informações de forma integrada, devendo-se ponderar, em alguns casos, o método de mapeamento e a relação tempo de trabalho x ganho de conhecimento, assim como a necessidade de integração com informações operacionais do sistema de transporte.

Satellite image map of King George Island, Antarctica

A new topographic database for King George Island, one of the most visited areas in Antarctica, is presented. Data from differential GPS surveys, gained during the summers 1997/98 and 1999/2000, were combined with up to date coastlines from a SPOT satellite image mosaic, and topographic information from maps as well as from the Antarctic Digital Database. A digital terrain model (DTM) was generated using ARC/INFO GIS. From contour lines derived from the DTM and the satellite image mosaic a satellite image map was assembled. Extensive information on data accuracy, the database as well as on the criteria applied to select place names is given in the multilingual map. A lack of accurate topographic information in the eastern part of the island was identified. It was concluded that additional topographic surveying or radar interferometry should be conducted to improve the data quality in this area. In three case studies, the potential applications of the improved topographic database are demonstrated. The first two examples comprise the verification of glacier velocities and the study of glacier retreat from the various input data-sets as well as the use of the DTM for climatological modelling. The last case study focuses on the use of the new digital database as a basic GIS (Geographic Information System) layer for environmental monitoring and management on King George Island.

Economic impacts of the Kra Canal : an application of the automatic calculation of sea distances by a GIS

A plan to construct a canal through the Kra Isthmus in Southern Thailand has been proposed many times since the 17th century. The proposed canal would become an alternative route to the over-crowded Straits of Malacca. In this paper, we attempt to utilize a Geographical Information System (GIS) to calculate the realistic distances between ports that would be affected by the Kra Canal and to estimate the economic impact of the canal using a simulation model based on spatial economics. We find that China, India, Japan, and Europe gain the most from the construction of the canal, besides Thailand. On the other hand, the routes through the Straits of Malacca are largely beneficial to Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia, besides Singapore. Thus, it is beneficial for all ASEAN member countries that the Kra Canal and the Straits of Malacca coexist and complement one another.

Proposal for the Management of temporal and semantic components of Geographic Information

This poster raises the issue of a research work oriented to the storage, retrieval, representation and analysis of dynamic GI, taking into account The ultimate objective is the modelling and representation of the dynamic nature of geographic features, establishing mechanisms to store geometries enriched with a temporal structure (regardless of space) and a set of semantic descriptors detailing and clarifying the nature of the represented features and their temporality. the semantic, the temporal and the spatiotemporal components. We intend to define a set of methods, rules and restrictions for the adequate integration of these components into the primary elements of the GI: theme, location, time [1]. We intend to establish and incorporate three new structures (layers) into the core of data storage by using mark-up languages: a semantictemporal structure, a geosemantic structure, and an incremental spatiotemporal structure. Thus, data would be provided with the capability of pinpointing and expressing their own basic and temporal characteristics, enabling them to interact each other according to their context, and their time and meaning relationships that could be eventually established

Managing Industrial Simulator Visual Databases Using Geographic Information Systems

Geographic Information Systems are developed to handle enormous volumes of data and are equipped with numerous functionalities intended to capture, store, edit, organise, process and analyse or represent the geographically referenced information. On the other hand, industrial simulators for driver training are real-time applications that require a virtual environment, either geospecific, geogeneric or a combination of the two, over which the simulation programs will be run. In the final instance, this environment constitutes a geographic location with its specific characteristics of geometry, appearance, functionality, topography, etc. The set of elements that enables the virtual simulation environment to be created and in which the simulator user can move, is usually called the Visual Database (VDB). The main idea behind the work being developed approaches a topic that is of major interest in the field of industrial training simulators, which is the problem of analysing, structuring and describing the virtual environments to be used in large driving simulators. This paper sets out a methodology that uses the capabilities and benefits of Geographic Information Systems for organising, optimising and managing the visual Database of the simulator and for generally enhancing the quality and performance of the simulator.

Proposal for the Management of temporal and semantic components of Geographic Information

This poster raises the issue of a research work oriented to the storage, retrieval, representation and analysis of dynamic GI, taking into account the semantic, the temporal and the spatiotemporal components. We intend to define a set of methods, rules and restrictions for the adequate integration of these components into the primary elements of the GI: theme, location, time [1]. We intend to establish and incorporate three new structures (layers) into the core of data storage by using mark-up languages: a semantictemporal structure, a geosemantic structure, and an incremental spatiotemporal structure. The ultimate objective is the modelling and representation of the dynamic nature of geographic features, establishing mechanisms to store geometries enriched with a temporal structure (regardless of space) and a set of semantic descriptors detailing and clarifying the nature of the represented features and their temporality. Thus, data would be provided with the capability of pinpointing and expressing their own basic and temporal characteristics, enabling them to interact each other according to their context, and their time and meaning relationships that could be eventually established

GIS analysis of the accuracy of Tomas Lopez's historical cartography in the Canary Islands (1742 - 1746)

The accuracy of Tomás López´s historical cartography of the Canary Islands included in the “Atlas Particular” of the Kingdoms of Spain, Portugal and Adjacent Islands” is analyzed. For this purpose, we propose a methodology based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a comparison of digitized historical cartography population centres with current ones. This study shows that the lineal error value is small for the smaller islands: Lanzarote, El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera. In the large islands of Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, the error is smaller in central zones but increases towards the coast. This indicates that Tomás López began his cartography starting from central island zones, accumulating errors due to lack of geodetic references as he moved toward the coast.

A Tele-Health Communication and Information System for Underserved Children in Rural Areas of Nicaragua

Millennium Development Goals point out the necessity of actively promoting maternal-child health care status, especially in underserved areas. This article details the development actions carried out between 2008 and 2011 in some rural communities of Nicaragua with the aim to provide a low-cost tele-health communication service. The service is managed by the health care center of Cusmapa, which leads the program and maintains a communication link between its health staff and the health brigades of 26 distant communities. Local agents can use the system to report urgent maternal-child health care episodes to be assessed through WiMAX-WiFi voice and data communications attended by two physicians and six nurses located at the health care center. The health and nutritional status of the maternal-child population can be monitored to prevent diseases, subnutrition, and deaths. The action approach assumes the fundamentals of appropriate technology and looks for community- based, sustainable, replicable, and scalable solutions to ensure future deployments according to the strategies of the United Nations.

Developing an information system for deaf

This paper presents the SAILSE Project (Sistema Avanzado de Información en Lengua de Signos Española ? Spanish Sign Language Advanced Information System). This project aims to develop an interactive system for facilitating the communication between a hearing and a deaf person. The first step has been the linguistic study, including a sentence collection, its translation into LSE (Lengua de Signos Española - Spanish Sign Language), and sign generation. After this analysis, the paper describes the interactive system that integrates an avatar to represent the signs, a text to speech converter and several translation technologies. Finally, this paper presents the set up carried out with deaf people and the main conclusions extracted from it.

Assessment of Underground Wine Cellars Using Geographic Information Technologies

Geographic information technologies (GIT) are essential to many fields of research, such as the preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage buildings, a category which includes traditional underground wine cellars. This article presents a methodology based on research carried out on this type of rural heritage building. The data were acquired using the following sensors: EDM, total station, close-range photogrammetry and laser scanning, and subsequently processed with a specific software which was verified for each case, in order to obtain a satisfactory graphic representation of these underground wine cellars. Two key aspects of this work are the accuracy of the data processing and the visualization of these traditional constructions. The methodology includes an application for geovisualizing these traditional constructions on mobile devices in order to contribute to raising awareness of this unique heritage.

The use of geographic information systems for the optimal location of biomass power plants in the Madrid Community (Spain)

This article has been extracted from the results of a thesis entitled “Potential bioelectricity production of the Madrid Community Agricultural Regions based on rye and triticale biomass.” The aim was, first, to quantify the potential of rye (Secale Cereale L.) and triticale ( Triticosecale Aestivum L.) biomass in each of the Madrid Community agricultural regions, and second, to locate the most suitable areas for the installation of power plants using biomass. At least 17,339.9 t d.m. of rye and triticale would be required to satisfy the biomass needs of a 2.2 MW power plant, (considering an efficiency of 21.5%, 8,000 expected operating hours/year and a biomass LCP of 4,060 kcal/kg for both crops), and 2,577 ha would be used (which represent 2.79% of the Madrid Community fallow dry land surface). Biomass yields that could be achieved in Madrid Community using 50% of the fallow dry land surface (46,150 ha representing 5.75% of the Community area), based on rye and triticale crops, are estimated at 84,855, 74,906, 70,109, 50,791, 13,481, and 943 t annually for the Campiña, Vegas, Sur Occidental, Área Metropolitana, Lozoya-Somosierra, and Guadarrama regions. The latter represents a bioelectricity potential of 10.77, 9.5, 8.9, 6.44, 1.71, and 0.12 MW, respectively.

Creating a Web-accessible, point-of-care, team-based information system (PoinTIS): the librarian as publisher*

The Internet has created new opportunities for librarians to develop information systems that are readily accessible at the point of care. This paper describes the multiyear process used to justify, fund, design, develop, promote, and evaluate a rehabilitation prototype of a point-of-care, team-based information system (PoinTIS) and train health care providers to use this prototype for their spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury patient care and education activities. PoinTIS is a successful model for librarians in the twenty-first century to serve as publishers of information created or used by their parent organizations and to respond to the opportunities for information dissemination provided by recent technological advances.