Bangor, ME – In November, Kappa Mapping took part in the fifth annual MAPPS Geospatial Products and Services Excellence Awards competition and won an award in the Small Projects category for the third consecutive year.
Kappa’s winning entry – Innovative Software use for Danbury Airport (DXR) Obstruction Mapping – complied with government data collection and attribution requirements and supported precision approach analysis and certification.
“Certification attracts aviation business and increases air access to the region, enhancing the airport’s economic viability,” explained Kappa Mapping President Claire Kiedrowski, who attended the awards ceremony in mid-November.
The Bangor-based firm was recognized by MAPPS, the only national association for private geospatial firms, on November 15 at the 2011 MAPPS Fall Policy Conference in Herndon, VA.
A panel of independent judges evaluated a wide variety of projects in seven categories – airborne and satellite data acquisition; photogrammetry/elevation data generation; remote sensing; GIS/IT; surveying/field data collection; small projects; and technology innovation. The judges made their selection on the professionalism, innovation, and societal benefit of each submission.
"These awards highlight ongoing challenges that geospatial solutions address and solve. The projects demonstrate ingenuity and professionalism MAPPS members strive to provide on a daily basis,” said John Palatiello, MAPPS Executive Director.
“We’re honored to receive this award for our airport obstruction mapping,” said Kiedrowksi. “To successfully map the treetops and other obstructing objects, we needed to display the airport’s approach and related surfaces in 3d. We accomplished this using in-house software and hardware – and a little creativity – which avoided the purchase of expensive, specialized software and saved our client money. Our solution met both our client’s needs and the newest FAA requirements, which support precision approach design. “
According to Robert Burtch, chairman of the judges’ panel, Kappa Mapping won the Small Projects award for two reasons: their ingenuity and flexibility.
“Larger firms may have more assets, but Kappa expertly modified their hardware and software to meet client needs,” said Burtch. “They were willing and able to adapt when the scope of the project changed. Kappa Mapping is very deserving of this award and should be recognized for their hard work and dedication.”
In addition to chairman Robert Burtch PS, CP of Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan, the judges’ panel included Christine "Kristi" Grahl, editor of P.O.B. magazine, Troy, MI; Leonard Gilroy, AICP, director of government reform at Reason Foundation, Los Angeles, CA; and Donn Dears, president of TSAugust.org, a nonprofit think tank conducting research on energy and economic issues; and Thomas Palmerlee, associate director, Technical Activities Division at the Transportation Research Board (TRB), Washington, DC.
About Kappa Mapping, Inc.
Kappa Mapping provides high-quality photogrammetric and GIS services that help a wide variety of clients – architects, engineers, surveyors, developers, airport planners, utility firms, municipalities, and government agencies – solve complex problems, monitor important resources, and better manage their communities. Kappa Mapping is a woman-owned business. For more information, call 866.836.8834 or visit kappamap.com.
About MAPPS
Formed in 1982, MAPPS is the only national association exclusively comprised of private firms in the remote sensing, spatial data and geographic information systems field in the United States. Current MAPPS memberships span the entire spectrum of the geospatial community, including Member Firms engaged in satellite and airborne remote sensing, surveying, photogrammetry, aerial photography, LIDAR, hydrography, bathymetry, charting, aerial and satellite image processing, GPS, and GIS data collection and conversion services. MAPPS also includes Associate Member Firms, which are companies that provide hardware, software, products and services to the geospatial profession in the United States and other firms from around the world. MAPPS provides its 160+ member firms opportunities for networking and developing business-to-business relationships, information sharing, education, public policy advocacy, market growth, and professional development and image enhancement. For more information, please visit MAPPS.org.