August 25, 2015 — On the 25th anniversary of the establishment of GIScience, the industry’s irrefutable ‘founding father’ will present to Australia’s leading Geographic Information System (GIS) technology specialists at a forum in Melbourne.
Dr Michael F Goodchild, recipient of the ‘Nobel Prize of geography’, will appear at the country’s largest GIS conference – Ozri 2015 – next month to deliver his much-anticipated keynote on the future of GIScience.
Speaking ahead of his visit, Dr Goodchild said GIS technology – once solely the domain of geospatial experts – would soon become a part of everyday use for work, travel, shopping and recreation.
“Recent developments in the space of indoor mapping and the explosion of crowdsourced data have made the democratisation of GIS possible,” Dr Goodchild said.
“On average, most people spend 87 per cent of their time indoors, so they are increasingly looking for the same functionality they get from using GPS outside.
“Navigating indoor spaces using smart mapping and analytical technology, such as Esri’s ArcGIS platform is at the forefront of the industry right now.
“I believe within as little as five years, we will all use the technology to be guided through buildings such as universities, shopping centres and hospitals with opt-in features enabling a highly personalised service.”
Dr Goodchild also said crowdsourced data – contributed via social media – will become a large part of keeping the information on smart maps up-to-date and relevant.
“Information sourced from real people who are directly experiencing an event such as a natural disaster, can be just as valuable as authoritative data,” Dr Goodchild said.
“When there are changes in the landscape we can tap into local knowledge to amend maps rapidly and efficiently.
“Using crowdsourced information also adds a human and emotional element, incorporating how local residents refer to a place and the associations they have with it.”
An Emeritus Professor at the University of California, Dr Goodchild has published more than 15 books and 500 articles on GIScience and Big Data and is considered a living legend within geospatial circles.
In taking the stage at Ozri, Dr Goodchild will be joined by a distinguished line-up of local and international GIS specialists.
The event hosted by Esri Australia, will focus on showcasing the current trends and new developments across the world-leading ArcGIS platform from 2 – 4 September.
Dr Goodchild will be available for media opportunities at Ozri 2015, where he will reveal further predictions and trends on GIScience and Big Data.
