The 2015 Kentucky GIS Conference will feature two keynote speakers.

On Tuesday morning, October 13th, we will kick off with breakfast and opening session in the ballroom at the Owensboro Convention Center with well-known keynote speaker, Brian Murphy. Mr. Murphy will inform us on the topic of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS’s) and their impact in our future.

UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS: BEYOND THE HYPE

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Brian Murphy, Altavian

Brian Murphy is the Vice President of Business Development for Altavian, inc., having joined them in 2014. Prior to working for Altavian, Brian has over 13 years of experience in the photogrammetry and LiDAR industry where he spent most of his career working for Northrop Grumman (formerly 3001, Inc.) serving in a variety of roles from Business Development & Program Management to Photogrammetry/LiDAR Production Manager. Brian is a certified GIS Professional and an ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) Certified Photogrammetrist. He has served a variety of leadership roles within the industry, including Chair of the Sustaining Member Council for ASPRS and President of the Florida Region of ASPRS. Brian has a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Masters of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning, both from the University of Florida.

On Wednesday, October 14th we will hear from Lewis Graham during lunch in the ballroom. Mr. Graham will also discuss UAV’s and UAS’s.

GEOSPATIAL TAKES OFF: SMALL UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS 

The only other things soaring higher than drones are the expectations of what these remarkable systems can do. From precision agriculture to package delivery through nefarious surveillance operations, there seems to be no limit to their capabilities.  Meanwhile, the business community asks the more pragmatic question “how does this technology fit into a business context; can one make a profitable venture?”

The Predator and similar platforms seem ideal for applications such as mapping and inspecting transmission line. Many serious talks are given on adapting this level of technology to useful civilian tasks. Yet few mention the $12, 255 USD per system per hour operating cost (US GAO report of December 2014).

The talk is focused on the practical aspects of small Unamend Aerial Systems (sUAS).    What is the current state of reliable hardware platform? What sensor platforms can be carried by these systems and what are the realistic uses? What current problems are amenable to solving using sUAS from a practical business perspective? And finally, how will we have to change our business models to accommodate this exciting new technology?

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Lewis Graham, GeoCue Group

Lewis is the President and Chief Technical Officer of GeoCue Group, a group of companies whose focus is sensor processing workflow management, point cloud exploitation and small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) mapping systems.  Prior to founding GeoCue, Lewis was the founding CEO of Z/I Imaging Corporation, a joint venture company of Carl Zeiss and Intergraph Corporation that provided photogrammetry hardware and software solutions.  Prior to Z/I, Lewis was an Executive Vice President at Intergraph, managing the Mapping and Civil Engineering business units.  He is an active member of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) where he currently serves as the Chair of the LAS (Point Cloud format) Working Group.  Lewis is a member of the Transportation Research Board and currently serves as a panel member of National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 15-44 which is developing standards for mobile LIDAR scanning for transportation.  Lewis also serves as a board member of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) Foundation.  Lewis holds degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering.