Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2022. Read them in this 14th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
What to Expect from Geospatial Analytics in 2022
By
Antonio Cotroneo, Director of Technical Content Strategy
Global problems require global
perspectives-and COVID-19 has been a global problem, the likes of which we
haven't seen in decades. The critical nature of the pandemic has emphasized and
accelerated interest in geospatial analytics to unprecedented levels moving
forward.
Over the past 18+ months, technology
advancements have flooded the geospatial realm. These innovations have and will
continue to profoundly impact public health, government agencies,
defense/intelligence, business activity, and, inevitably, daily life in 2022
and beyond. In particular, we anticipate three developments to affect
geospatial analytics. Practitioners, decision-makers, and even the average
citizen should take note:
Landsat
9 will take earth observation to a new level of utility.
Since 1972, a progression of Landsat satellites has been imaging the Earth's
surface with increasing levels of accuracy and sophistication. Landsat 9,
equipped with even more advanced sensors, cameras, and capture devices, will
open new opportunities, particularly in the practice of digital twinning.
Twinning makes possible the creation of
virtual duplicates that mirror the three-dimensional configuration, physical
properties, and environmental conditions surrounding a real-world object or
place. The breakthrough allows researchers and analysts to examine factors that
emanate from or may influence that twin's real-world counterpart.
Combined with other earth observation
satellites, LiDAR data, drones, and ground-based sources, Landsat 9 will not
only support digital twinning but also capture more accurate representations of
our environment from the natural and built perspectives. It will be invaluable
for complex challenges like forest fire management; moreover, virtually all the
data is open for public use, making the highly granular information beneficial
for all kinds of applications.
The
collection of human movement data will accelerate.
Movement tracking has been developing for some time, but the COVID-19 pandemic
pushed this discipline forward into the world of analytics like never before.
2022 will be a watershed in its use.
Human movement data comes primarily from cellular
phones-but vehicles, watches, and anything else that moves along with people
will be in the mix. While tracking and tracing anonymous movement in the
aggregate reveals patterns useful for infection analysis, the practice is
highly prized for marketing, public safety, academic research, and many other
pursuits.
Unprecedented in human history, movement
tracking is becoming ubiquitous. Anyone who has ever granted permission for
their phone to collect location information is participating. Human movement
data is being used by analysts for natural disaster response, population
migration research, roadway and traffic management, and much more. Yet all
these legitimate and beneficial uses require balance, which leads to the last
major trend of 2022:
The
data privacy debate will intensify. The abundance and
increasing rate of data collection are spawning essential conversations about
personal privacy. These are fundamental issues that have no easy answers - yet
will expand in urgency in 2022.
There's no question that when analyzed
correctly and with respect and regard for individual rights, movement data can
be a positive at both the personal and societal levels. It's important to
acknowledge, however, the breathtaking volume of data that is being collected.
Every device we carry or own is now generating data in some way, and it's being
captured somewhere by someone. 5G cellular technology will only make
transmission of this information faster and easier, and as AI ramps up, many
data-based decisions will be made automatically by machine.
Researchers are making great use of these
technologies, but the potential for nefarious activity is there. Regulators,
device OEMs, and governments will have their hands full, preventing such
misuse.
The public needs to develop "data literacy"
to mitigate unethical practices. Fortunately, literacy is growing as the
average person is made aware of data practices and as more tools are made
available that allow individuals to access and interrogate their data. This will
help further the debate and keep the public in the loop.
As a society-and at a global scale-we are on
the precipice of an explosion of valuable geospatial data. We already have a
large amount, and we haven't even scratched the surface of what's coming. As we
enter 2022, it will be the responsibility of everyone to ensure that it is used
well.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ANTONIO
COTRONEO is Director of Technical Content Strategy for
OmniSci, a
leading data analytics solutions provider.