GSI’s Activities� for �Geospatial Information Applications

Hiroshi Murakami

Director-General of Geospatial Information Department

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI)

State Of The Map 2012

September 6th – 8th, 2012

Tokyo, Japan

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

Overview

1. GSI and its Mission
2. Programs
3. Digital Map Products and Services
4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

1. GSI and its Mission

• GSI: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.
• Formerly, Geographical Survey Institute.
• Original body was established in 1869.
• Responsible for national surveying and mapping including law enforcement of the Survey Act.

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

1. GSI and its Mission

• Survey Act:
• Standard geodetic datum.
• Regulations for surveying and mapping projects conducted by public organizations to ensure the high quality of results and avoid duplicated efforts.
• Licensed surveyor.

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Public Organizations (80%)

Private

Companies

(20%)

GSI (1%)

Spending

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

1. GSI and its Mission� GSI’s Mission

• Facilitate applications of geospatial information through the following activities on surveying and mapping so that the users will find them valuable, and hence contribute to the economic growth and the improvement of the quality of life of the people.
• Develop, maintain and distribute fundamental geospatial information;
• Develop an environment that facilitates efficient development of a variety of geospatial information, and allows anybody to easily use it; and
• Cooperate with both domestic and international bodies.

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

2. Programs�Geodetic Survey

VLBI Observations

Horizontal Datum

Tide Observations

Vertical Datum

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

2. Programs�Geodetic Survey

GNSS-based

Control Station

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

2. Programs�National Mapping

Maintaining topographic maps at multiple scales:

1:5M, 1: 1M. 1: 200K, and 1:25K (Whole country)

>=1:2.5K ((Urban areas)

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

2. Programs�National Mapping

A new legislation in 2007, the NSDI Act, prescribes that the government is to develop an accurate map dataset as the standard reference to the other geospatial information, and make it freely downloadable to the public.

Fundamental Geospatial Data (FGD)

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

3. Digital Map Products and Services�Primary Products

(i) Fundamental Geospatial Data (FGD)

Control points,

Transportation, Boundaries, Buildings, Waters

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RMSE:

=< 2.5m (in urban areas)

=< 25 m (outside)

Elevation

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RMSE:

=< 1 m (in urban areas)

=< 5 m (outside)

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

3. Digital Map Products and Services� Primary Products

(ii) Digital Map (National Fundamental Data)

Contents: FGD + Additional geospatial features

Distribution: Online download or DVD (Vector data)

(iii) Digital Topographic Map 25000

Contents: FGD + Additional geospatial features

Distribution: Online download (PDF)

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

3. Digital Map Products and Services

Web Map Service of GSI

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

3. Digital Map Products and Services

Geospatial data overlaid on Web Map

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

3. Digital Map Products and Services

Web map site developed by local governments

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

3. Digital Map Products and Services

Applications that read

GSI web map via the Internet

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

3. Digital Map Products and Services

New version of Web map service that has better compatibility with the others and new map design

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives�Past Experiences with Volunteers

• Updates/errors/improvements on maps
• Infrequent comments/inputs from map users
• “Map Monitors”/“Geo-info Monitors”
• Cooperation with climbers group for the latest on mountain trails using GPS loggers

Doesn’t exist

New trail

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives�Past Experiences with Volunteers

• Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake
• Volunteer mapping groups
• Sinsai.info
• Emergency Map Team
• Passable/closed road information through crowd-sourcing

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Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

Passable/closed roads

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives�Cooperation with OSM Foundation Japan

• GSI created an award program on GIS applications and contents that incorporate GSI data.

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• 24 nonprofit organizations contributed to the program as the nominating bodies by nominating applications and contents for the award.

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• OSMF Japan volunteered as one of the nominating bodies.

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Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives� Cooperation with OSM Foundation Japan

• Dr. Furuhashi, Vice President of OSMF Japan, and his colleagues visited GSI in July and initiated a dialogue to discuss potential areas of cooperation, including:
• Use of GSI’s web map data by OSMF Japan for change detection; and
• Secondary uses of FGD by OSMF Japan.
• The dialogue should continue for mutual benefits and understanding.

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives�Challenges for Further Cooperation (Personal view)

• Quality of provided information
• Accuracy: positional, temporal, thematic, and topological (Verification needed?)
• Homogeneity/sustainability
• Inhomogeneous distribution of volunteers?
• Any disruption/discontinuation of activities?
• Disaster response
• Voluntary vs. Preparedness
• Pre-disaster exercises?
• How can volunteers and governments work together?

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives�Summary

• GSI acknowledges important roles VGI will play for the future in geospatial information applications, as they have been internationally appreciated, and exemplified by the disaster response to the Haiti earthquake and others.
• The dialogue has just started, but many positive outcomes and mutual benefits are envisaged for the future, as we work on some outstanding issues.

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

THANK YOU!

Hiroshi Murakami

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan