What it is….

Geospatial Technology refers to technology used for visualization, measurement, and analysis of earths features. It is commonly known as geomatics.

Geospatial technology includes three different technologies that are all related to mapping features of our planet. The three technology systems are GPS (global positioning systems), GIS (geographical information systems), and RS (remote sensing).

History…

Geospatial technology was originally first found on walls in prehistoric caves. The drawings found, were of humans and animals indicating migration routes, as well as areas of high and low animal concentration. In simplified terms geospatial technology comes down to being a map. You can trace map making back to 1000 BC. Early evidence of this can be found on ancient Babylonian clay tablets. It was not until the 20th century when detailed maps were introduced. Advances in technology kept improving them to make them more and more accurate. Eventually people started to store and publish this information in archives as well as libraries. The issue with this was that the landscape is always changing and a map of a certain area could change yearly. In the 1960's the space race created the need for the United States and to launch satellites. These satellites were mainly used for spying. This new technology, for its time, would become the first geospatial hardware. Currently the advancement of these satellites made it easier for countries like the and to be able to see any part of the world. In the 1980's and 90's Geospatial hardware became much more advanced with the capability of modern computing. This made it possible to store, analyze, gather and share geospatial data at much higher speeds. The internet is an example because anyone with internet access can find a map with a couple of clicks.

Until recently, geospatial technologies were less complex; only using maps and images. They were used for everything ranging from fighting forest fires to rescuing ships stranded at sea. Without satellites and computers it was very difficult to store, analyze, gather, and share this information. Now this technology is being used to its true potential.

Applications