Autonomous Oceans: Past, Present and Future
A look at autonomous ocean systems in the past, what is currently available and what the future looks like, including how PicSea aims to achieve a step change in ocean data collection and what is possible in the next 10 years. A preview of PicSea’s First AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) and how the technology that is being developed now will change the way that we see the oceans in terms of exploration, exploitation, protection and sustainability.

Collaborating to maximise Australian seabed mapping efforts
In Australia and its Antarctic Territory, high-resolution seabed mapping is primarily driven by safety of navigation and environmental management requirements. Until recently, there has been limited coordination of the mapping activity. To address this situation, Geoscience Australia is facilitating a National Seabed Mapping Coordination Working Group which is a collaboration of Australian and New Zealand representatives from federal and state government, universities and industry. The group is developing a government priority plan for data acquisition in Australia, a national multibeam echosounder guideline and common seabed mapping tools, such as a survey register, that will be available on the web. This presentation highlights the progress of these initiatives and demonstrates how collaboration is crucial to the development of standards and coordination of mapping efforts.

In October 2018, the NovaSAR satellite is scheduled for launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in
India. NovaSAR is an experimental low-cost satellite mission developed and operated by Surrey Satellite
Technologies in the U.K. It carries an S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and a maritime
ship identification system (AIS). As a partner in the NovaSAR programme, Australia has purchased 10% of
the satellite operational capacity, providing Australia with exclusive rights for acquisition programming and
data downlink, processing and distribution over its national territory and other designated areas of interest.

For Australia, the NovaSAR partnership presents an opportunity to build new space R&D facilities and to
stimulate new applications research in Earth observation, as well as to grow partnerships and potential
commercial markets around this new capability. In the longer term it constitutes a pathfinder towards a
potential future full-scale national satellite constellation.

The main objective of this seminar is to bring together national stakeholders (institutional, commercial,
academic) to assess how to maximise the use of this new resource. The seminar will feature some
introductory presentations on radar remote sensing for non-experts and provide an overview of
the NovaSAR mission, observation modes and potential observation scenarios over Australia. It will include
an informal open floor discussion to identify key thematic topics to address from an Australian perspective
and to identify topics for which some NovaSAR test cases could be developed.

Speakers

• Dr Alex Held, Director, CSIRO Centre for Earth Observation Astronomy and Space Science
• Dr Ake Rosenqvist, Director, soloEO, Japan
• Dr Mark Williams, Co-Director, Horizon Geoscience Consulting

Open Forum: 10 am – 12

• Room 356 Rountree, level 3, Biolink bldg. (entry via E26 Biological Sciences south – upper campus)

Invitation only: 1 – 3:30 pm

• Technical discussion on science questions and user requests for NovaSAR

For full event details, click here.

The Open Data Institute (ODI) is hosting its quarterly ODI Connect – a series of events that provide a unique opportunity to gather and network with fellow open data friends, listen to inspiring talk on thought-provoking topics and enjoy a refreshing drink at the end of the day.

Geoscience Australia is holding a public talk on the Positioning for the Future program. This event is free and is open to the public. Event details:

When            11.00am–12.00pm, Wednesday 27 June 2018

Where           Sir Harold Raggatt Theatre, Geoscience Australia, Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Drive, 
                       Symonston Canberra ACT

Register        Register to attend this free event via Eventbrite here

A casual meetup for those that work with and want to discuss open maps.