Six different paths of spatial career guide:
Published Paper in Journal of Transport System Engineering Vol 6 No 1 (2019)
ASSESSMENT OF THE CAR-FREE DAY IMPLEMENTATION ON UTM CAMPUS USING A SHORTEST PATH METHOD
A Car-Free Day (CFD) initiative was introduced on the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) campus and intended to reduce vehicle emissions, promote healthy lifestyle modes of transportation and improve environmental sustainability awareness among the campus community. This study was conducted to model and assess travel distances covered by vehicles during CFDs and Normal Days (NDs) on the UTM campus, Johor, Malaysia using Shortest Path (SP). In this study, online and paper-based questionnaires were designed and distributed to the UTM campus community to obtain residential addresses (origins) and parking lots (destinations). In total, 119 valid questionnaires were collected for the purpose of the study. Network datasets were built within a GIS database using ArcGIS Network Analyst Extension to perform SP analyses between the two centroids of origins and destinations. The measured travel distance costs of SP analyses during CFDs and NDs were compared using dependent t-test for paired samples and the test was not significant (t(118) = 0.45, P-value > 0.05). From the results, the study reveals that there is almost no difference in travel distances during CFDs and NDs, thus, the UTM Car-Free Day initiative has no particular effect on travel distances.
Published Paper in International Journal of Built Environment and Sustainability Vol 6 No 1-2 (2019)
THE KEY SUCCESS FACTOR OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM RE-IMPLEMENTATION IN TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD DISTRIBUTION, MALAYSIA: A CASE STUDY OF CHERAS TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD DISTRIBUTION STATION
Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) Distribution has embarked on the development of a Geographical Information System (GIS) since the year 2009. The scope of work is to map and digitize all TNB distribution electrical assets and to systematically establish the customer’s database. In this study, a review on the GIS implementation was carried out at Cheras TNB Distribution station. The low utilization of GIS contributes the most to the need of having the GIS reviewed. The aim of the study is to develop a revised strategy for a successful GIS re-implementation in TNB Distribution electrical network based on the results from the review process. Its objectives are to develop and evaluate strategize a plan for the re-implementation based on GIS components after reviewing and analysing the existing implementation. Key success factor (KSF) is introduced to deliver a success GIS project re-implementation. Data from the previous implementation, survey, workshop and feedback from users of TNB Cheras staff are used for references when developing the strategies. GIS components are capitalized to establish KSF criteria in order to measure the successfulness of the re-implementation. System Usability Scale (SUS) is used for interpreting the KSF outcome. The study is finally ended with the development and evaluation of the proposed strategize plan for the re-implementation of four GIS components which are System and Tools, Data, Business Process and User. The proposed strategy is used to determine the effectiveness of the re-implementation strategies and KSF in order to drive the future invasion of GIS application to other TNB Distribution stations in Malaysia.
Kurikulum Abad ke 21
Kursus SBEG3163 – System Analysis and Design dan SBEG3583 – GIS Software System akan menggunapakai kaedah Blended Learning/Active Learning sejajar dengan penilaian, pengajaran dan pembelajaran pada Kurikulum Abad ke 21 untuk Program Sarjana Muda Sains Geoinformatik Dengan Kepujian.
Very special instructions in the exam room for Geospatialist
- You are trained to be a Geospatialist and not a story writer, answer point to point.
- If you have missed my classes and have not prepared, don’t waste your time, instead, pray to God.
- Do not unnecessarily smile at the person sitting next to you, they may also not know the answer, moreover, exam hall is not the right place for networking.
- Do not get nervous if your friend is taking more sheets, they may be just showing off to make you nervous.
- It’s good to have a lot of beautiful options in life but all questions are compulsory here.
Future trends in geospatial information management: the five to ten year vision
Revised draft based on feedback provided following the Second Session of the UN-GGIM Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management
January 2013
The use of geospatial information is increasing rapidly. There is a growing recognition amongst both governments and the private sector that an understanding of location and place is a vital component of effective decision-making. Citizens with no recognised expertise in geospatial information, and who are unlikely to even be familiar with the term, are also increasingly using and interacting with geospatial information; indeed in some cases, they are contributing to its collection – often in an involuntary way.
A number of important technology-driven trends are likely to have a major impact in the coming years, creating previously unimaginable amounts of location-referenced information and questioning our very understanding of what constitutes geospatial information. These developments offer significant opportunities but also present challenges, both in terms of policy and in terms of the law. Meeting these challenges and ensuring that the potential benefits can be realised by all countries will be important in ensuring that the full value of geospatial information can be maximised in the coming five to ten years.
It is recognised that different countries are at very different stages in terms of the development, sophistication and use of their geospatial information infrastructures. There is a risk, inevitably, that not all countries will be in a position to invest in and realise the full potential of geospatial information, for governments, businesses and citizens. International institutions such as the UN have an increasingly important role in helping to minimise this risk, communicating the value and importance of investing in and developing a solid geospatial information base and reducing the prospect of any ‘digital divide’ emerging.
Ensuring that the full value of geospatial information is realised in the coming years will also rely on having the necessary training mechanisms in place. New and changing skills will be required to manage the increasing amount of geospatial information that is likely to be created and to ensure that the maximum value is secured from it.
The number of actors involved in generating, managing and providing geospatial information has increased significantly in the last ten years, and this proliferation will continue and indeed will likely accelerate in the coming five to ten years. The private sector and the public will continue to play a significant role in providing the technologies and information required to maximise the opportunities available. They are likely to provide valuable, and in many cases unique, elements of geospatial information and the technologies and services required to maximise it, in addition to offering a growing understanding of the end-user base for geospatial information.
Governments will continue to have a key role in the provision of geospatial information and be substantial users of geospatial data; however, governments’ role in geospatial information management may well change in the coming five to ten years. Nevertheless, it will continue to be vital. Building bridges between organisations, collaborating with other areas of the geospatial information community and, most importantly, providing complete geospatial frameworks with trusted, authoritative and maintained geospatial information, will be crucial to ensuring that users have access to reliable and trusted geospatial information and have confidence when using it. This information is vital to inform decision-making, from long-term planning to emergency response, and to ensure that the potential benefits of a fully spatially-enabled society are realised
As with all technology-driven sectors, the future is difficult to predict. However, this paper takes the views of a recognised group of experts from a wide range of fields related to the geospatial world, together with valuable contributions from the National Mapping and Cadastral Authorities (NMCAs) and attempts to offer some vision of how this is likely to develop over the next five to ten years. Based on contributions received, trends have been broken down into broad themes covering major aspects of the geospatial world. They are as follows: technology trends, including the future direction of data creation, maintenance and management; legal and policy developments; skills requirements and training mechanisms; the role of the private and volunteered geographic information sectors; and the future role of governments in geospatial data provision and management.
Garis Panduan Penilaian Kualiti Data Geospatial
Oleh Jawatankuasa Teknikal Standard MyGDI (JTSM) 2010
Garis panduan ini disediakan bagi tujuan penilaian kualiti sesuatu data geospatial oleh pembekal data. Ia merupakan satu prosedur yang jelas dan konsisten bagi membolehkan pembekal data menyatakan sejauh mana produk mereka memenuhi kriteria spesifikasi produk yang ditetapkan. Ini membolehkan pengguna data menilai data tersebut sama ada memenuhi keperluan mereka atau sebaliknya.
Spesifikasi produk adalah kriteria yang penting dalam menjalankan penilaian kualiti data geospatial. Bagi maksud garis panduan ini, spesifikasi produk merupakan penerangan teknikal yang jelas dan tepat mengenai sifat-sifat sesuatu produk data geospatial serta boleh digunakan dalam pelbagai keadaan dan kegunaan oleh pihak-pihak yang berkenaan.
Walau bagaimanapun, bagi sesuatu produk data geospatial yang belum mempunyai spesifikasi produk, garis panduan ini masih boleh digunakan untuk menilai kualiti data geospatial tersebut. Sehubungan dengan ini, peraturan-peraturan berkaitan kualiti data sedia ada boleh digunakan untuk menyemak tahap pematuhan kualiti data tersebut.
Geoinformatics Education and Training at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
By Mohamad Nor Said Mohamad and Ghazali Hashim, Department of Geoinformatics, Faculty of Geoinformation and Real Estate, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (2013)
Human resource development is a part of the major components that constitute a successful implementation of Geographical Information System (GIS). Technical knowledge and skill is always required in ensuring a GIS is applied effectively, no matter for what purpose. Hence, a properly designed curriculum at various levels of teaching and learning of the subjects related to the discipline is very important. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has taken a lead in this very demanding field by offering a bachelor degree program in Geoinformatics since 1994. The curriculum was initially designed by referring to various academic development and GIS applications and implementation throughout the world. It is further improved from time to time to suit and fit the local requirements both by the industries and the government authorities such as Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA). Having a current number of about 500 graduates, the GIS industries seem to grow significantly and thus help the government speeding up various development projects with the use of GIS. At a higher level, UTM also offers postgraduate programmes mainly to carry out researches related to various issues related to GIS implementation and developments. With the establishment of Malaysian Centre for Geospatial Data Infrastructure (MaCGDI), UTM plays greater roles in collaborating with this agency in providing professional training as well as contributing expertise towards helping the development of Malaysian Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). This paper reports on various academic and research activities as well as professional training conducted by UTM.
Location-Based Service (LBS)
A Location-Based Service (LBS) is usually a service running on a mobile device that provides facts or recreational information. It employs geolocation to make the facts or entertainment more personal to the user of the application. An example of a typical LBS is one that identifies the location of a device and then discovers the location of restaurants in the immediate vicinity of that location. As LBS become more common, their commercial value will become more readily evident to corporations, who can use them to personalize users’ experiences with location-aware weather, coupons, and advertising. This is already becoming more common, and will only continue to grow in the future.
An LBS begins by gathering a location for the device using one of its available methods, which could be through GPS, the GSM/CDMA Cell ID, or its IP Address, for example. Once it has a location in latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, it can then retrieve whatever additional information it is programmed to receive. This information is then presented to the user, most likely to be interacted with in some fashion.
Some popular examples of LBS are:
- Turn-by-turn navigation to an inputted address
- Notifications regarding traffic congestion or accidents
- Location of nearby businesses, restaurants, or other services
- Social interaction with other people nearby
- Safety applications for tracking members of a family
This list could go on and on, as there are countless things to be done with LBS today. LBS is a large part of geolocation today, but they are not the only services that use geolocation for their functionality.
Source: Holdener (2011). HTML5 Geolocation. O’Reilly Media, Inc.
Definition of GIS
GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems, but the “S” is increasingly being used to stand for science and studies as well. Geographic Information Science, and Geographic Information Studies are used increasingly. No universally agreed-upon definition has been put forth. Surprisingly, a number of GIS texts do not even attempt to define the term.
Traditionally, GIS is a computer-based system for collecting, managing, analyzing, modeling, and presenting geographic data for a wide range of applications.
Geographic Information Science, then, is the discipline that studies and uses a GIS as a tool. GIS is not simply creating maps with a computer. The technology is a very powerful tool for analyzing spatial data; while maps can be and are produced with GIS, their main power is analytical.
GI scientists do not consider themselves primarily as mapmakers. Although they may produce maps as an end product, their primary emphasis is on analysis of the data. In fact, it is comparatively recently that GI systems people have given much thought to presentation of data.
Edited from: Tyner, J. (2010). Principles of Map Design. The Guilford Press.
Prestasi Pencapaian eLPPT 2011-2019
Alhamdulillah, untuk lima tahun berturut-turut dari tahun 2015 sehingga 2019 saya dapat mengekalkan pencapaian markah eLPPT melebihi 90%. Segala puji dan syukur hanya untuk Allah SWT dan salawat dan salam untuk Nabi Muhammad SAW. Terima kasih kepada semua di atas pencapaian ini dengan bantuan dan kerjasama secara langsung dan tidak disedari, hanya Allah SWT sahaja yang layak membalasnya; khususnya buat keluarga, rakan-rakan seperjuangan dan semua pelajar-pelajar saya.
Cyberspace Technologies
AR – Augmented Reality
VR – Virtual Reality
MR – Mixed Reality
XR – eXtended Reality
GIS-Based Success Factors
Besides conducting a comprehensive needs assessment that helps adequately define the user needs and identify the available resources within the NSO and in the country, particularly the funding requirements, we need to consider critical factors to succeed in a full digital GIS-based census program. Chief among these factors are:
- ensuring senior management commitment to developing a long-term digital program;
- building the technical and human capacities required for sustaining the GIS-based systems and databases and setting up an independent unit for cartography and GIS activities within the NSO;
- using technical standards;
- forming a partnership to work together with the NMA and other groups that do things with geospatial information; and
- choosing the appropriate methodology of integration of the new geospatial technologies with the census mapping operations (compatibility).
These factors are revealed by survey-based study findings and lessons learned from country experiences during the last round of censuses in 2010.
See details in Australia Programme Review and the related background paper on Developing a Statistical Geospatial Framework in National Statistical Systems: Survey of Linking Geospatial Information to Statistics—Analysis of Questionnaire Responses (2013), available at https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/44th-session/documents, and the UNSD report on the Results of a Survey on Census Methods Used by Countries in the 2010 Census Round, available at https://unstats.un.org/unsd/censuskb20/KnowledgebaseArticle10696.aspx.
Top five trends in GIS technology
According to Dangermond, the top five trends in GIS technology today are as follows:
- Location as a service
- Advanced analytics
- Big data analytics
- Real-time GIS
- Mobility
Dangermond continues: “The last leap in computing was the shift from the server to the cloud. Software as a service (SaaS) opened a world of opportunities for GIS, as shared map services like the World Imagery basemap are no longer separate from the unique services offered to users. GIS users can share data, collaborate, make mashup maps in the server, and then connect to the cloud.
The next leap in GIS technology and computing is connecting to the vast network of devices providing data in real time. This technology is a revolutionary change and brings great opportunity. The more accessible data is, the more important it will be to understand it. And maps are the visual language for understanding the context of data.”
Excerpt From: Amor Laaribi. “GIS and the 2020 Census.” iBooks.
Geocoding
Geocoding (geographically enabling unit records) is defined as the process of finding associated geographic coordinates (expressed in latitude and longitude) from other geographic data for the statistical units, such as street addresses or postal codes. (Geocoding is a way to ensure that the data “knows” where it is.)
In other words, geocoding involves taking location information for these statistical units (such as address) and linking this information to a location coordinate (i.e., x,y,z coordinates) and/or a small geographic area. The geocodes (the location coordinates and geographic areas codes) obtained from this process can be stored directly on the statistical unit record or linked in some way to the record. There is a common misunderstanding between geocoding and georeferencing, so it is important to emphasize that while they are related, they are quite different. Georeferencing is often done, for example, with raster images. Georeferencing is the process of referencing data against a known geospatial coordinate system by matching to known points of reference in the coordinate system so that the data can be analyzed, viewed, and queried with other geographic data.
In the GIS industry, geocoding is synonymous with address matching, which is the process of assigning map coordinate locations to addresses in a database.30 A GIS is capable of doing this by comparing the elements of an address or a table of addresses with the address attributes of a reference dataset—the GIS data layer used as the geographic reference layer (e.g., a city’s street centerlines layer)—to find a match (i.e., to determine whether particular address falls within an address range associated with a feature in the reference).
But the concept of geocoding goes beyond address matching. It covers a continuum of spatial scales: from individual housing units to EA levels, up to higher administrative or national levels. The use of GPS, directly capturing precise data at the level of point locations (latitude and longitude coordinates), allows the coding of centroids, building corners, or building point-of-entry coordinates for a unit such as a block of land, building, or dwelling.
Excerpt From: Amor Laaribi. “GIS and the 2020 Census.” iBooks.
Finding the best locations and paths
“A very common type of spatial analysis, and probably the one you are most familiar with, is optimization and finding the best of something. You might be looking for the best route to travel, the best path to ride a bicycle, the best corridor to build a pipeline, or the best location to site a new store.
Using multiple input variables or a set of decision criteria for finding the best locations and paths can help you make more informed decisions using your spatial data.
Types
• Finding the best locations that satisfy a set of criteria
• Finding the best allocation of resources to geographic areas
• Finding the best route, path, or flow along a network
• Finding the best route, path, or corridor across open terrain
• Finding the best supply locations given known demand and a travel network”
Excerpt From: Amor Laaribi. “GIS and the 2020 Census.” iBooks.
Understanding Where
“If you don’t know where you are, you are lost. Understanding where is about putting the world in context. Where are you? What is around you? Very similar to when you were two years old, your journey of spatial analysis requires an understanding of how you fit into your geography.
Understanding where includes geocoding your data, putting it on a map, and symbolizing it in ways that can help you visualize and understand your data. Within the taxonomy of spatial analysis, the first category of understanding where contains three types of questions.
Types:
• Understanding where things are (location maps)
• Understanding where the variations and patterns in values are (comparative maps)
• Understanding where and when things change”
Excerpt From: Amor Laaribi. “GIS and the 2020 Census.” iBooks.
Geoblockchain
“A blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data. It is a ledger that records transactions in a verifiable, permanent way.”
“Geography is critically important to capture in a blockchain record, which is why we are now calling this a geoblockchain.”
“Adding location to the blockchain would provide enhanced security and validation because the same transaction cannot happen in two places at the same time. Use cases for blockchain being explored today include land title, supply chain, and data exchanges. The amount of data that will become available with systems like these is worth consideration and needs research.”
Excerpt From: Amor Laaribi. “GIS and the 2020 Census.” iBooks.
Development of Web-Based Application for Shapefile Coordinate System Conversion for Malaysia
By Elysonia Alim and Shahabuddin Amerudin
It is difficult to process GIS vector data when they are not aligned with one another. The need for different coordinate systems rose from the fact that some coordinate systems are better fitted to describe the geographical phenomenon occurring in a specific area. However, even commercial software had been proven to have questionable accuracy in coordinate system conversions. The purpose of this study is to develop a web application capable of converting the coordinate system of a GIS data format such as a shapefile for Peninsular Malaysia. The web application named Coordinate Conversion Application (CCA v1.1) was developed using Django 2.0 with Python 3.6 and is capable of five-coordinate transformations namely WGS84 to GDM2000 (forward and backward), WGS84 to MRSO (old) (forward only), MRSO (old) to Cassini (old) (forward and backward). Results obtained were compared with existing software such as GDTS v4.01 and ArcGIS 10.3, and analysis shows that CCA v1.1 has achieved satisfactory accuracy.
Published in Proceedings Asian Conference on Remote Sensing ACRS 2018 pg. 449
Development of Web-Based Application for Shapefile Coordinate System Conversion for Malaysia
Elysonia Alim and Shahabuddin Amerudin
Department of Geoinformation, Faculty of Geoinformation and Real Estate, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
Email: elysoniaalim@gmail.com; shahabuddin@utm.my
KEYWORDS: coordinate system, conversion, shapefile
ABSTRACT: It is difficult to process GIS vector data when they are not aligned with one another. The need for different coordinate systems rose from the fact that some coordinate systems are better fitted to describe the geographical phenomenon occurring in a specific area. However, even commercial software had been proven to have questionable accuracy in coordinate system conversions. The purpose of this study is to develop a web application capable of converting the coordinate system of a GIS data format such as a shapefile for Peninsular Malaysia. The web application named Coordinate Conversion Application (CCA v1.1) was developed using Django 2.0 with Python 3.6 and is capable of five-coordinate transformations namely WGS84 to GDM2000 (forward and backward), WGS84 to MRSO (old) (forward only), MRSO (old) to Cassini (old) (forward and backward). Results obtained were compared with existing software such as GDTS v4.01 and ArcGIS 10.3, and analysis shows that CCA v1.1 has achieved satisfactory accuracy.
Topic: Web GIS Applications