Kentucky GIS Conference 2024

The need for school safety has increased significantly in recent years. We will present a case study of a successful project to help address this need. The project was a collaborative effort of Bluegrass 911 and the school districts within its PSAP area. The resulting solution is a GIS base information system providing critical safety information for the schools, 911 dispatching and first responders. The system is designed to be sustainable by local personnel, shareable, and readily available to all the stakeholders.

Kentucky continues to make tremendous progress towards implementing Next Generation 911 (NG911) technologies statewide. The Kentucky 911 Services Board, working with vendors and local public safety answering points (PSAPs), is close to completing a robust foundation of GIS data. Funding has been secured to procure provision of an ESInet (IP connectivity) and Next Generation Core Services (geospatial call routing).
This presentation will serve as a brief introduction to and progress report on Kentucky’s NG911 journey, educate the broader GIS community about exciting data creation, and demonstrate technologies that bring GIS data and resources into dispatch.

Back in 2018 Henry County TN’s 911  started the process of removing their proprietary GIS setup and replacing it with an Open Source Stack. In 2024 Henderson County went through the same process. We will cover a little bit about open source software. We will cover  how we went about installing QGIS, PostGIS, Geoserver, and a host of other open source tools to deliver, maintain, and expand their offerings. The National NENA 911 Standard will also be touched on because you can use it with Free and Open Source Tools. 

Creating a public facing Web App Experience to help communicate obstructions to the approach zones that pilots use to take off and land at public, state-maintained airports in Kentucky. These maps use 3D approach data and drone imagery to identify where obstructions to the approach surface occur. This visualization is then used to communicate the need for maintenance, as well as an information hub for pilots flying into Kentucky. 

Accuracy in survey is critical, so developing survey-grade orthomosaics and LiDAR point clouds requires planning and plenty of time processing. This presentation explores the critical role of accuracy in UAS surveys, emphasizing its impact on decision-making and resource allocation. From planning to the flying the drone to processing the data, we will discuss important considerations to generate the most accurate UAS data possible. 

ArcGIS has long supported imagery and remote sensing data which historically comes from satellite and airborne systems. While these sources of data are still extremely important, drones have emerged as an extremely cost effective source of highly frequent, spatially accurate, high resolution data for our users to deploy in traditional GIS workflows, but also in the development of applications in location intelligence and location analytics.  Site Scan for ArcGIS can support the acquisition and utilization of drone imagery to enhance near-real time data acquisition and analysis capabilities to bolster your GIS program.  This session will provide an overview of Site Scan and discuss user cases pertinent to your organization.

Brookside Labs has been using with fixed wing aerial drone technology for several growing seasons and learning to incorporate aerial imagery, both RGB and Multispectral into our data analysis for our consultants and customers.  To date, we have collected bare soil imagery for soil color analysis, soybeans in the early vegetative stages for stand count and for replant decisions, corn in the mid-late reproductive stages for nitrogen use efficiencies and if/when post-mortem nitrogen sampling is needed, early weed management scouting in soybeans, scouting for field destruction from strong storms, and crop growth progression in corn. We are using aerial imagery software including GIS to develop tools to help provide needed answers and  help use develop new ways of furthering the technology.

During the summer of 2024, I introduced new GNSS systems, LiDAR and photogrammetric scanning, and UAV-borne laser scanning into my archaeological research in northern Yucatan. Previous research focused on a Maya imperial capitol that collapsed in a civil war around A.D. 1450. My current project investigates the changing and variable household economic and social organization of Maya peoples living in the aftermath of the imperial collapse and expansion of Spanish power. I began with locating and excavating a group of early colonial households. GNSS systems with NTRIP corrections simplify fieldwork and increase the precision of mapping. A Pix4D ViDoc RTK Rover facilitates 3D mapping of small features and excavation units. UAV-borne LiDAR scanning of three areas of 400 x 400 meters is being used to locate initial excavation targets. I describe in this presentation how I implemented these technologies and the challenges that arose under rural tropical field conditions.

KyFromAbove Explorer is the new tool that allows the user to browse the states coverage of oblique imagery. This tool allows for drawing, measuring, and sharing oblique images. KyFromAbove Explorer can also be integrated directly into other layers and maps. Join this session to learn about how to integrate the explorer into pop-ups, not only in ArcGIS Pro but in Map Viewer as well.

This concise abstract focuses on the meticulous process of collecting high-accuracy GNSS data. It outlines essential steps, including receiver selection and optimal field procedures, emphasizing the significance of adherence to best practices. We will highlight the critical testing phase against control points and error assessment techniques for data validation. Additionally, it touches upon advanced GNSS collection methods like differential correction and real-time kinematic solutions. Practical tips and tricks, addressing challenges like multipath interference, round out the abstract, providing a comprehensive guide for professionals seeking precise and reliable GNSS data.

Managing voter rolls is crucial for accurate elections. This presentation details a geolocation approach to help county clerks update precincts post-reapportionment. Using locators like KY NG911, et al, we can precisely pinpoint voter locations across various address formats. Collaboration with KY's Cabinet of Technology and testing NG911 locators and the national address database enhances accuracy. Geolocation parameters such as Subaddress, Point Address, and Street Address ensure detailed output fields, preserving original inputs during address edits. This maintains integrity in re-match processes for lower accuracy scores. Confidently located voters allow for heat map creation to optimize polling locations, weighted by past election activity. Advanced geolocation and data analysis empower county clerks to manage voter rolls effectively, improving voting experiences and ensuring fair elections.

Keywords: elections, reapportionment, geolocation, locators, ng911, precision, heat maps 

During this BONUS informative session, you will learn about an overview of the previous state plane coordinate systems, what levels of distortion previous systems created, and the proposed changes in the NSRS Kentucky update. We will talk through questions like: How many coordinate systems will Kentucky have? What grid numbers will these systems be on? What kind of distortion should we expect? ... and many more. We will be focused on the horizontal component of our forthcoming Modernized NSRS... the SPCS2022.