Report of Medellin workshop in June 2008
Submitted by Jeffrey Rivera on 18 July, 2008 - 17:25.
Worldwide
In Medellin, Colombia, between the 23 and the 27th of June of 2008, I had the opportunity to be a part of the United Nations/Colombia/United States of America Workshop on the Applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems. We had the opportunity to share experiences and works done in the area of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) technology in precision agriculture, climate change, landscape epidemiology. We were informed of regional/national experiences and case studies on GNSS applications.
There were group discussions to exchange views and to develop pilot projects from sub groups of the same participants. There is hope that the pilot projects initiated at the end of the workshop would develop into something real and with future funding. I had the opportunity to plan a project with Mr. Hector Mauricio Ramirez, Mr. Roberto Zgingggi, Mr. Jorge Sattarin, Ms. Monica Patricia Gonzales and Ms. Angela M. Rave. As Ms. Alice lee called the groups that were made, we were each an Action Team. Our project was Methods for Monitoring the Ecosystem and we were the Action Team of agriculture and natural resource management and the environment and natural disasters.
Just to get an idea, here are a few really short summaries of what was said by only some of the many interesting presentations that were given.
Ms. Alice Lee from the United Office for Outer Space Affairs informed us about the workshops, the training courses and symposiums, the postgraduate courses provided by the affiliated regional centers, the fellowships program (the UN Italy long-term fellowship and the UN Argentina Fellowship Program on Advanced School for Training in Landscape Epidemiology that began in 2007). She also talked about the data sharing and the policy, strategy and national budgetary allocation. Alice is the one that can help out as the contact person for pilot projects.
Mr. Jason Kim from the National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing informed us about the next meeting in Pasadena California at the end of the year. He also talked about the benefit of GPS for all human kind. His presentation showed us that there will be a new change in the GPS Modernization Program. There will be a change in the GPS signals and by about the year 2020 all the GPS apparatus will have to change although this change will be a slow process. His email is jason.kim@pnt.gov and his websites are www.gps.gov and www.pnt.gov.
Mr. Ciro Arevalo, the chairman of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, informed us of the activities of COPOUS. I was able to talk to him about the activities in Guatemala and what can be done.
Mr. Ivan Dario Gomez Guzman of the Colombian Commission on Space (CCE) informed us about the national development plan. He talked about the IDEAM. He talked about the Colombian spatial data infrastructure and the cooperation that the institutions are doing to boost research and development and training in geospatial topics. He ended his talk with a supporting push to others saying that countries like Colombia can achieve training in geospatial topics with a lot of effort. His website is www.cce.gov.co.
Ms. Sharafat Godimova of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs informed us about the history of the GNSS Action Teams and activities that the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs is doing. Her email is sharafat.gadimova@unoosa.org and oosa@unvienna.org and her website is www.unov.org and www.icgsecretariat.org.
Mr. Sergey G. Revnivykh of the Federal Space Agency, Russian Federation, informed us about the GLONASS Status and progress. He talked about the GLONASS state policy, orbit constellation, and the GLONASS development program. He explained that ICG is the instrument to extend an international cooperation. The GLONASS system is an element of critical state infrastructure ensuring national security and economical development.
Mr. Geraldo Delgado of the Galileo Info Centre for Latin America informed us about the Galileo. There are now 30 satellites, 5 stations, 10 station uplinks and 2 control centers. He explained the GPS and Galileo relations and the agreements between Europe and the US. He explained the International Cooperation and the GNSS compatibility and interoperability. He also talked about the Latina American activities of the GIC (Galileo Information Centre for Latin America). He talked about the objective of the Project Latino which is to establish a focal point for dissemination and promotion of Galileo services and applications in the region. They want to act as an interface between Latin America and Europe. He also talked about the project Celeste and it will help strengthen cooperation in Latin America. He also mentioned the L signal flares which will be available for any demonstration within the area of service (implantation began in November, 2007). There was mention of the Project Progeny which has activities of research and development led by GSA (groups of experts with technical reviews of projects). He also announced that there will be a course held in Mexico in September of 2008. His email is info@galileoic.org and carine.saut@pildo.com and his website is www.galileoic.org and www.pildo.com.
What I think that everyone was very interested was in what SIRGAS was doing. The idea of being a part of what a GPS monitoring network was very interesting and necessary. Mr. Claudio Brunini from Plata National University, Argentina, informed us about the Geocentric Reference Systems of Americas (SIRGAS) and the many institutions of many countries that did monitoring with GNSS. The SIRGAS observations were continuously processed with the help of IGS Regional Network Associated Analysis Center for SIRGAS. A set of coordinates for all SIRGAS stations are computed on a weekly basis and delivered to IGS. He explained the SIRGAS stations the network that was created. His website is www.sirgas.org so that anyone can see who was monitoring in which country.
Mr. Won Suk Lee, from the Agricultural and Biological Engineering University of Florida informed us of precision agriculture. This was a way to manage each crop production input using tools such as GPS, GIS, remote sensing, soil testing and others. He described what VRT (Vary Rate Tecnology) was. There are two basic methods: map based and sensor based. He showed us how the difference between crops that were monitored and controlled with this technology developed much better than other crops that didn’t use it. His website is http://precag.ifas.ufl.edu at the precision agriculture laboratory at the University of Florida IFAS.
Mr. Alvaro Martinez of the Ministry of National Maritime Defense (DIMAR – Ministerio de Defensa Nacional) informed us of the capturing the geographical information. He described the flight plans and the digital metric aero photography.
Mr. Paul Acquatella from Caracas, Venezuela, informed every one of the activities that are involved in Space Generations of the space development and the education among young people in developing countries.
When it was my turn to present the project that I am doing in Guatemala on “Water Evaluation and Planning System for Water Resources Planning” I was able to inform of the uses of GIS and GPS that helped out in my project with the development of 2 watershed models. I showed how the model was developed using a watershed in a humid side of the country and another model was developed using a watershed in the dry side of the country. With historical monitoring information and with analysis of the parameters of climate, agriculture and population, the model was developed and calibrated. The idea of the models was to also see the trend towards the future as well as in other future scenarios. I was able to discuss this project with some others in the workshop that were interested in this project.
The workshop had included a technical visit to the Aeronautical Fair. There were different types of airplanes and helicopters to see and get inside. There were amazing flight shows. There were military stands showing their methods and technology. I was interested in the military flight 3D computer games that they had there because I like programming 3D computer games.
I am more than thankful for the opportunity in participating in this workshop and for having been fully funded. I am grateful for the UNOOSA and for SGAC for their support. Thank you all.
Report of trip to:
United Nations/Colombia/United States of America Workshop on:
The Applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems
Follow up to the 5th Space Conference of Americas
Hosted by and Co-organized with the
Vice Presidency of the Republic of Colombia, and the
Colombian Commission on Space (CCE)
Medellin, Colombia
23 – 27 June 2008
Mini summery of the event:
The presentations mainly consisted of the following:
1) GNSS technologies such as GPS, GLONASS and Galileo
2) Geocentric Reference Systems of Americas (SIRGAS)
3) Precision agriculture
4) LIDAR sensors integration
5) On board GNSS system
6) SIGPA – BOYACA Project and satellite images
7) SBAS type ionospheric correction and integrity assessment experiment in the Central and South American region
8) GNSS and tropical agriculture
9) GPS for Geodynamic and Meteorological studies
10) Water Evaluation and Planning System
11) CAR / SAM regional Program for Satellite
12) Brazilian Active Control Network
13) Vector control of Chagas disease in Argentina
14) Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV) presence in Argentina
15) NTRIP Fundamental Tool for cartography and cadastral works
16) Inland water way – Magdalena River
17) United Nations Centres for Space and Technology Education and ICG Information Centres
18) CRECTEALC – Campus México
19) Aerospatial Medicine in Colombia
20) SGAC: enabling space development and education among young people in developing countries
21) Planning surveys with GPS receiver
22) IMSMA – Tool provided by UN by Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining
23) The Yellow Fever (Fiebre Amarilla) in Paraguay
Some short summaries of some presentations:
My own presentation:
Extras activities:
Thanks:
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