Case Study

From Analog to Digital
Modernizing Operations for Mapping Needs of Kenya
Kenya, an East-African country nestled between Lake
Victoria and the Indian Ocean, is known for its wildlife,
culture, and dramatic landscapes. Ranging from tropicalforests and beaches to arid deserts and grasslands, eachof these landscapes contains a diverse set of resources
and supports an abundance of wildlife – both of which areimportant to the country’s sustainability – but can also
make it a challenge to map.

Survey of Kenya, established in 1903, is responsible
for the mapping needs of the entire country. As part of
the Ministry of Lands & Physical Planning, Survey ofKenya employs approximately 1,500 personnel acrosseight divisions: Land Survey; Cartography; Geospatial
Data Management; Photolithography; Photogrammetry;
Hydrography; and the Geodetic, Technical, National andInternational Boundaries.

Survey of Kenya focuses on assisting the government with theestablishment of boundaries, adjudication of land, mapping ofresources for exploitation or conservation, and hydrographic
surveys in support of the shipping lines. They provide data togovernment bodies, universities and research institutions aswell as creating maps for the general public.
With so many varied responsibilities, it was vital that Survey of
Kenya modernize their services, processes, and tools to keep
pace with the evolving capabilities of geospatial technology
and better meet mapping needs to support operations anddecision-making within their country.

Time-Consuming Data Production
Survey of Kenya had been using an outdated and timeconsuming analog mode of producing and consuming
geospatial data, which was tedious, complicated, and limitingin scope. The organization lacked the ability to collect,process, analyze, and interpret data strategically.
In order to upgrade their systems, processes, and tools
to become more agile, accurate, and productive, it wasnecessary to modernize the operations – a daunting task for acountry with such a diverse landscape.
To accomplish this, several immediate needs had to beaddressed. First, as with many national mapping agencies,
Survey of Kenya manages terabytes of data, including
constantly updated aerial photography, satellite imagery,
LiDAR data, and vector data sets. They needed a way to store,
secure and locate all of this data online.

Next, they wanted to modernize operations by implementing
Digital Photogrammetry workstations with 3D capability tosupport fast data capture for over 50 photogrammetrists.
In addition, for aero-triangulation processes, Survey ofKenya had to rely on third-party organizations, such as localuniversities, to make the observations for them. Also, theold machines could not be serviced and sometimes failed tostart, resulting in slow progression of work.

Efficient Photogrammetry Workflows
Survey of Kenya chose Hexagon’s Geospatial division because
they could provide powerful and sufficient solutions to meettheir requirements.
To address the storage issue, Survey of Kenya implemented
an online cataloging system using ERDAS APOLLO. With
this system, all of their data is stored and accessible in onesystem. Capabilities include performing spatial and metadata
searches, and delivering the data both through streaming andclip, zip, ship mechanisms. Access to the data is managed
through role-based permissions.
To support the photogrammetric operations, the organization
selected a variety of photogrammetry, terrain editing, andremote sensing tools, including IMAGINE Photogrammetry,
IMAGINE AutoDTM, IMAGINE Terrain Editor, ERDAS IMAGINE,
Stereo Analyst for ArcGIS, Terrain Editor for ArcGIS, Feature
Assist for ArcGIS, and ORIMA.

“Hexagon ‘s Geospatial division andtheir partner Oakar Services madeit easy for us to embrace this newtechnology”

Survey of Kenya was able to convert from 6 analog
photogrammetric workstations to 32 digital photogrammetricworkstations for faster data capture. Not only did this sharpen
the accuracy of their operations, but their productivity
increased significantly, while their response time to requests
from other departments improved.
Also, after this implementation, Survey of Kenya can performaero-triangulation easily using the system on their own,
without relying on third-party organizations.

Trusted Partner
Oakar Services, Hexagon’s Nairobi-based distributor, carriedout installation of the software and assisted in setting up
the photogrammetry lab and providing Survey of Kenya withstrong confidence through their support, troubleshooting, andanswers to technical queries.

Mapping Kenya EffectivelySince the implementation, Survey of Kenya has improved
both the speed and convenience of their data production andexchange.
As with many national mapping agencies, they manage
terabytes of data, including constantly updated aerial
photography, satellite imagery, LiDAR data, and vector data
sets. ERDAS APOLLO allows them to easily catalog, archive,and deliver their data.
With the help of Hexagon’s geospatial products and support andtraining from Oakar Services, Survey of Kenya is able to meet all
mapping requirements for the sustainability of the country.

Contact us“Hexagon’s Geospatial division and their partner OakarServices made it easy for us to embrace this new technology,”
said Cesare Mbaria, Director of Surveys. “They helped us
make the transition smoothly and continue to offer us worldclass support.”

For more information, please contact us at:marketing.us.gsp@hexagon.com+1 877 463 7327
https://go.hexagongeospatial.com/contact-us-today

From Analog to Digital3

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