FIG Commission 5 - Positioning and Measurement

News


Commission 5 Annual Meeting

24-26 September 2024

The Commission 5 meeting will be held jointly with Commission 7, LADM, STDM Workshops and Geoinformation Week 2024 in Malaysia under the main title: Geospatial Innovation for Sustainable Rural and Urban Development

Read more


Reference Frames in Practise

November 2022, IGM, Chile

Limited sponsorship is available for particpants courtesy of UN-OOSA. This support will only cover cost for air fare, two nights of lodging and the RFIP fee. Participants can schedule their flights to arrive before the start of the SIRGAS Sumposium. However, costs for additional nights are at their expense.

Applications will be welcome immediately but will close on 14 OCTOBER 2022 (Short timeframe) More information and to apply


Commission 5, Chair Elect

August 2021

The General Assembly elected Mr. Ryan Keenan from Australia, SSSI, as the Chair Elect of Commission 5, the elected Chair Elect term as the Chair of the Commission will be initiated at the FIG Congress 2022 for the period 2023-2026.

In the report from the General Assemble, you can also access the video presentation of the Candidate, Mr. Ryan Keenan.


Commission 5 at FIG Working Week 2021

August 2021

The Working Week took place online, 20-25 June 2021. Commission 5 held its annual meeting with outset in their prepared Report and Agenda.

Commission 5 was also involved in several sessions covering Commission 5 areas within the theme of Smart Surveyors for Land and Water Management.

To read more about Working Week 2021 in general, the full report FIG e-Working Week 2021 is available.


Article: Key Global and Technology Drivers Impacting Surveying

February 2021

The article was published in GIM International. As the FIG commission chairs are near the halfway point in their terms, they reflect on the global and technological drivers influencing their work. This article describes the breadth of work across the FIG commissions as well as the common areas. The discussion is also informed by global reports such as the UN-GGIM’s Future Trends in Geospatial Information Management and the RICS Futures Report 2020. Enjoy the article


FIG Working (from home) Week 2020 - Proceedings

May 2020

During the conference days a range of articles highlighting the hot-topics, the ground breaking research, and the hidden gems in the proceedings was published.

Commission 5 broadly supports each of the subthemes by providing the applications and technology to enable smart surveyors in accomplishing their work. Additionally, these apply both on land and water – enabling the integration of offshore bathymetric data with onshore terrain models into a seamless whole for improved coastal and emergency management. In developing these technologies, the most efficient means are sought to enable developing countries to better access their respective geospatial information at similar levels of accuracy to those of more developed nations. Read the article.  


FIG Working Week 2020 has been cancelled

March 2020

It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the cancellation of this year’s FIG Working Week in Amsterdam due 10-14 May.

This is not a decision we have taken lightly and there are two overriding concerns that have caused us to make this decision at this time. 

First, the Dutch Government announced new measurements to control the COVID-19 outbreak. In the Netherlands all gatherings are prohibited until 1 June.

Second, our primary concern is always the wellbeing of you, and we would not take on the responsibility, during these times, to bring so many surveyors from all over the world together.


Report to the General Assembly

March 2020

FIG Commission 5 has prepared a written report to the General assembly.

The full agenda is available

The General Assembly has been cancelled and postponed to 2021.


FIG Working Week 2020 and FIG Commission 5

February 2020

The theme Smart Surveyors for Land and Water Management is both relevant in a world where drinking water is a scarce resource, waste water needs to be recycled rather than seen as waste, where the sea needs to be better mapped and managed, where land resources need to be protected against sea-level rise, and where land-based fresh water habitats are threatened.

Commission 5 is planning the following sessions:


Applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems Workshop

Suva - Fiji, 24-28 June 2019

FIG Asia Pacific Capacity Development Network (AP CDN) and Commission 5 – Position and Measurement members, along with representatives from sister organisations actively participated in the “Workshop on the Applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems”. FIG AP CDN convened two sessions, focusing on the why, how and what of organisational planning for the development of GNSS CORS infrastructure capability and geodetic datum modernisation.


Commission 5 at FIG Working Week 2019

The Working Week took place in Hanoi, Vietnam 22-26 April 2019. Commission 5 held its yearly meeting and was involved in several sessions covering the commission 5 areas.



Reference Frames in Practice seminar, April 2019

The Technical Seminar on Reference Frames in Practice was held in Hanoi on 20-21 April 2019. The main focus was on reference frames in general with a specific focus on UN initiatives and reference frame examples in the Asia-Pacific region.  A BELS+ Training was also completed on the second day of the seminar.  The Seminar was organized by FIG Commission 5, in conjunction with the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), the United Nations International Committee on GNSS (UN ICG), UN Global Geospatial Information Management – Asia Pacific (UN-GGIM-AP), BELS+, and the Vietnam Association of Geodesy, Cartography, and Remote Sensing (VGCR). The seminar was held in the InterContinental Landmark 72 Hotel in conjunction with the FIG Working Week 2019 at the Vietnam National Convention Center.

There were 43 participants including presenters from around the world representing 20 different countries.  Countries represented included Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Fiji, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Singapore, Spain, Uganda, United States, and Viet Nam.  Attendees represented a mix of academic, government, and commercial institutions.


Report on GeoPrevi 2018 International Symposium-Geodesy for Smart Cities

29-30 October 2018 Bucharest, Romania

Geo PreVi 2018 Symposium “Geodesy for Smart Cities” took place in Bucharest, Romania on 29-30 October. The technical program was mainly organised by FIG Commission 5, 6 and 10. More than 120 participants from 14 countries attended this seminar.

FIG Commission 5 supported several young surveyors from Romania and abroad. Mr. Mudit Kapoor from India (Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee) as well as Mr Gheorghe Tintari and Ms. Loredana Stoica from Romania received the grants.


References Frame in Practice Seminar  - Operational Aspects of GNSS CORS

18-20 September 2018, Suva, Fiji

In conjunction with FIG Asia Pacific Capacity Development Network partners namely the Fijian Government - Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council (PGSC), the UN GGIM AP, FIG Commission 5, and the Pacific Geospatial & Surveying Partnership Desk – Pacific Community, a Reference Frame in Practice Seminar on Operational GNSS CORS will be held in Suva, Fiji 18-20 September 2018.  The objectives of this event are to provide technical advice on the operational aspects of GNSS CORS infrastructure, to build a sustainable and modernised geodetic reference frame and datum, and also develop the capacity of surveyors in the discipline of geodetic surveying.  Presently there will be over 20 presentations comprising of local and international speakers, with almost 100 delegates registered!  FIG and development partners wish to thank Lecia Geosystems for their support.


Commission 5 grants to Young Surveyors - Geo PreVi 2018

Geo PreVi 2018 Symposium “Geodesy for Smart Cities” will take place in Bucharest, Romania 29-30 October. The technical program is mainly organized by help of FIG Commission 5, 6 and 10 dealing with Positioning and Measurement, Engineering Geodesy and Construction Economics and Management. Web site: https://geoprevi.xyz/

The organizing committee will support young surveyors from Romania and abroad.

  • Young surveyors from outside Romania that will submit an article and give a presentation can be granted by maximum 400 €  to support travelling, accommodation and registration fee. If you are interested please send your application including a CV, the title and the abstract of the presentation as well as a motivation letter to Volker Schwieger volker.schwieger@iigs.uni-stuttgart.de and Li Zhang li.zhang@iigs.uni-stuttgart.de . Additionally you have to register at the mentioned website. We will award minimum two grants.
  • Romanian young surveyors that will submit an article and give a presentation will be granted for the registration fee of 30 € on-site. Please apply by sending a CV, the title and the abstract of the presentation to Ana Cornelia Badea anacorneliabadea@gmail.com and Aurel Negrila negrilaa@yahoo.co.uk. We will award up to fifteen grants.

Commission 5 Newsletter - July 2018

Read the latest Newsletter from Commission 5 that also includes report from the FIG Congress 2018.


Commission 5 at FIG Congress 2018

Istanbul, Turkey 6-11 May

The commission chairs of the term 2019-2022 were elected at the General Assembly held in conjunction with the FIG Congress in Istanbul. Mr. Dan Roman from United States was elected at chair of FIG Commission 5. His term starts 1.1.2019.

FIG Commission 5 was actively involved during the FIG Congress 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey.

 

Report on the Technical Seminar on Reference Frames in Practice held in conjection with the FIG Congress

The Technical Seminar on Reference Frames in Practice was held in Istanbul on 4-5 May 2018. The main focus was on reference frames in general, kinematics and dynamic datums which reflects geodetic priorities for all regions suffering from natural disasters such as earthquakes. Participants mostly come from countries where there is a strong need to model deformation to maintain their accurate spatial reference frames. So, this Seminar has been a good platform to share knowledge and resources for their mutual benefits.

The Seminar was organised by FIG Commission 5, in conjunction with the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), the United Nations International Committee on GNSS (UN ICG) and the Turkish Chamber of Survey and Cadastre Engineers (HKMO). 


Forthcoming FIG Commission 5 events

GEOPREVI 2018, Geodesy for Smart Cities, Joint Seminar of FIG Commission 5, 6 and 10 Symposium

Bucharest, Romania, 29-30 October

The GeoPreVi 2018 is a scientific event of the Faculty of Geodesy - Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest and will be organized this year in cooperation with FIG Commissions 5, 6 and 10, Romanian Surveyors Union and Romanian Association of Private Surveyors.
GeoPreVi 2018 is continuing the previous year collaboration with FIG. This year, International Symposium GeoPreVi 2018 is inspired by the theme Digital Geodesy for Smart Cities focusing on general topics like reference frames, positioning, surveying and Building Information Modelling.
We are sure that GeoPreVi 2018 will create the professional frame and environment for discussions, exchanging knowledge and experience among surveyors, geodesists and other professionals. Still it is one more opportunity to enhance the awareness regarding our profession in Romania, Europe and worldwide.
International Symposium GeoPreVi 2018 gives to the participants the opportunity to present papers, debate and communicate in a professional and scientific manner highlighting their own contribution finding out technical solutions and new researches in order to identify the social, technical and environmental benefits.

The Faculty of Geodesy, that merges the traditions and excellence in Romanian surveying academic education, together with its outstanding event initiators and co-organizers professional associations, members of The International Federation of Surveyors - the premier international organization that is supporting the interests of surveyors worldwide and covering the whole range of professional fields within the global surveying community have agreed to focus to very important challenges of the nowadays Romanian society such as positioning and measurement, engineering surveys, construction management.

For more information, please visit https://geoprevi.xyz/

10th Multi-GNSS Asia (MGA) Conference

23-25 October 2018 at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

The Multi-GNSS Asia (MGA) is an international cooperative initiative endorsed by the United Nation International Committee on GNSS to promote cooperation and utilisation of satellite positioning, navigation and timing services in Asia and Oceania. With the 2018 MGA Conference theme “Creating Solutions, Driving Innovation, Connecting Industry”, the event will present an informative program showcasing the latest advancements in GNSS technology and applications, innovative satellite positioning and navigation solutions, as well as connecting industries to explore new business cooperation in GNSS services, products and applications. MGA aims to expand the impact of navigation satellite technology right across our economy. Also, the program will include a facilitated networking event, open forums to discuss future collaborations and a young professionals and students event.

For mroe information, please visit: https://2018.mgaconference.com.au/


The deadline, the 1st October, for papers to be peer-reviewed for the FIG Congress Istanbul Turkey in May next year is approaching

The FIG Commissions 5 and 6 have an agreement with the Chief Editor of the Journal of Applied Geodesy: after the Working Week the best peer-reviewed scientific papers can be published in a special issue of this journal.

We hope to give researchers and scientists from all around the world an additional motivation to attend the FIG Congress, and at the same time the opportunity to publish their valuable research results in a well-known Journal.

The process will be as follows:

  •  you have to include your paper into the FIG peer-review process
  • the paper is successfully accepted and rated by the reviewers as well as and presented at the Working Week
  • the commission officers will decide on the base of the reviewer ratings about  the scientific quality of the paper
  • the authors of the best papers will be contacted by the Commission chairs, if they are willing to publish in the Journal
  • the peer-review process of the Journal of Applied Geodesy will start

Ivo Milev
Chair Commission 6
 Volker Schwieger
Chair Commission 5


One day meeting on “Regional Challenges, Benefits and Opportunities of Exchanging Geodetic Data”

The  Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) , FIG Asia Pacific Capacity Development  Network, and the UN Global Geospatial Information Management for Asia and the Pacific Working Group 1 are jointly hosting a one day meeting on “Regional Challenges, Benefits and Opportunities of Exchanging Geodetic Data” on 16 October 2017, at the Kumamoto City International Centre in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.

This meeting with United Nation Asia Pacific country member delegates will workshop -

  • the social, technical, environmental and economic benefits and opportunities of accessing and sharing geodetic data;
  • open geodetic data and access policies;
  • geodetic data / licencing agreements; in particular the UN-GGIM Compendium on Licensing Geospatial Information;
  • the state of play of geodetic data sharing in Asia;
  • geodetic data that should be shared and accessible; and
  • examine solutions to challenges, impediments and the way forward.

For more information about this meeting please navigate to - https://gsi-intl.github.io/ggim-ap-kumamoto/

Please note this meeting will be convened prior to the UN GGIM AP Plenary Meeting 17-19th October 2017 - http://www.un-ggim-ap.org/meetings/pm/6th/201707/t20170704_389286.shtml

Chair of the Asia/Pacific Regional Network, Rob Sarib would appreciate to get comments or information about geodetic data sharing from our Commission 5 Delegate. For example – case studies from different countries, challenges, the benefits of data sharing, open data, policies etc. You support would be appreciated.

 Read more about the FIG Asia/Pacific Network: http://www.fig.net/organisation/networks/capacity_development/asia_pacific/index.asp


Reference Frame in Practice Seminar

29-30 July 2017, Kobe, Japan

The Reference Frames in Practice (RFIP) series has been in operation since May 2012 and this year’s seminar was convened in Kobe (Japan) on 29-30 July 2017.  The seminar venue was the Kobe Chamber of Commerce - Port Island, and was hosted by GSI - Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.  A special thanks to Mr. Basara Miyahara and his team at GSI for their great hospitality.

Like previous seminars this RFIP was well attended.  It attracted 68 delegates from 19 different countries. From a program perspective, there were 21 quality presentations which included 4 presentations from the event sponsors who provided a manufacturers perspective on the issues and challenges relating to geodetic reference frames.

The seminar’s objective was to provide fundamental geodetic reference frame background, concepts and examine the associated data and analysis techniques, each with a focus on practical implementation and application. 


Newsletter - July 2017

Commission 5 Newsletter July 2017 - incl. Commission 5 report from FIG Working Week 2017 in Helsinki, Finland


Cost Effective Positioning and Geo Data Seminar

20 April 2017, Novosibirsk, Russia

The Seminar was organized by FIG Commission 5. It was held within the frame of the XIII International Exhibition and Scientific Congress "Interexpo GEO-Siberia 2017" in Novosibirsk. The primary objective of the Seminar was to shape a vision for the future of cost-effective positioning technologies. The seminar was aimed at bringing developers of precise low-cost solutions, surveyors, and other potential users together.


Commisson 5 at the FIG Working Week 2017 in Helsinki, Finland 29 May - 2 June

Commission 5 had its annual meeting during the FIG Working Week 2017 in Helsinki, Finland 29 May - 2 June 2017

Commission chairs 2015-2018 at their meeting during the FIG Working Week, 29 May-2 June in Helsinki, Finland: Remy Boudon(comm. 6) Volker Schwieger (comm. 5), See Lian ONG (comm. 10), Angela Etuonovbe (comm. 4), Steven Nystrom (comm. 9), Kwame Tenadu (comm. 8), Enrico Rispoli (comm. 3), Gerda Schennach (comm. 7), Fahria Masum(comm. 2), Brian J. Coutts (comm. 1)


TECHNICAL SEMINAR ON REFERENCE FRAME IN PRACTICE

29-30 July 2017, Kobe - Japan

This seminar will be of benefit to operational geodesists or surveyors who are dealing with reference frame issues and crustal deformation, either in a government or commercial environment. It is also open to academics or postgraduate students in a surveying or related discipline.

More information on this special event


Technical Seminar on Cost Effective Positioning and Geo Data

20 April 2017, Novosibirsk, Russia

We are pleased to invite you to attend the International Seminar on the role of Cost Effective Positioning and Geo Data. The Seminar will be jointly organized under auspices of FIG Commissions 3 and 5. It will be held within the frame of the XIII International Exhibition and Scientific Congress "Interexpo GEO-Siberia 2017", April 19-21, 2017. More information...


International Digital Elevation Model Service (IDEMS)

A newly developed International Digital Elevation Model Service (IDEMS) is now available under the umbrella of the International Gravity Field Service (IGFS) of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG). IDEMS provides a focus for distribution of data and information about various digital elevation models, including spherical-harmonic models of Earth’s global topography and lunar and planetary DEM. Related datasets, such as representation of Inland Water within Digital Elevation Models, and relevant software which are available in the public domain are also provided. IDEMS will provide the following DEM related products:

  1. Compilation, tutorial-style provision and maintenance of information on global gridded DEMs;
  2. Compilation of available national elevation data sets with information on data resolution, methods used for DEM generation and links to providers;
  3. Generation and dissemination of spherical-harmonic models of Earth’s global topography and bathymetry;
  4. Compilation of geodesy-relevant DEM-studies;
  5. Extension of the focus from Earth to Moon and terrestrial planets through compilation of information on available planetary topography models.

IDEMS is hosted and operated by Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) (http://www.esri.com/) under the lead of Mr Kevin M Kelly (Director) and Dr Jianbin Duan (Deputy Director). The new IDEMS website is available at: https://idems.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html. Mr Kelly is also the chair of FIG Commission 5 (Positioning and Measurement) Working Group 5.3 - Vertical Reference Frames.

IDEMS offers two main digital elevation data services managed and maintained by Esri: Terrain and TopoBathy. These services provide online access to a global collection of multi-resolution and multi-source elevation and bathymetry data, including metadata and source information. This DEM data collection includes the best publicly available data and community contributed data with resolutions ranging from 1000 meters to 3 meters. The IDEMS terrain and bathymetry data are updated periodically as new datasets become available. Many other DEM data, not directly hosted by Esri, are also available on IDEMS.

Access to IDEMS will not require Esri software. However, for users with Esri software – which includes many academic institutions globally – a number of pre-defined, common terrain data analysis tools become available such as data aggregation, interpolation, density, buffering, flow analysis, and more.

IDEMS encourages contributions to the site from the geodetic community in any of the five product types listed above. Please contact the IDEMS Director or Deputy Director if you would like to contribute or recommend content you think appropriate for IDEMS.

Kevin M. Kelly (kevin_kelly@esri.com)
Director IDEMS
Chair FIG WG5.3 – Vertical Reference Frame
Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri)
Jianbin Duan (jDuan@esri.com)
Deputy Director IDEMS
Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri)

Newsletter - July 2016

Commission 5 Newsletter including the report from Commission 5 at FIG Working Week 2016 in Christchurch, New Zealand, May 2016


Commission 5 at the FIG Working Week 2016 in Christchurch, New Zealand 2-6 May

Commission 5 had its annual meeting during the FIG Working Week 2016 in Christchurch, New Zealand, 2-6 May 2016


Commission chairs 2015-2018 at their meeting during the FIG Working Week, 2-6 May 2016 in Christchurch, New Zealand: Brian J. Coutts (comm. 1), E.M.C. (Liza) Groenendijk (comm. 2), Enrico Rispoli (comm. 3), Angela Etuonovbe (comm. 4), Volker Schwieger (comm. 5), Diane Dumashie (Vice president), Ivo Milev (comm. 6)., Gerda Schennach (comm. 7), Steven Nystrom (comm. 9), See Lian ONG (comm. 10) and Eva-Maria Unger (YSN)


Annual Steering Commission Meeting was held during the FIG Working Week in Christchurch, New Zealand


Reference Frame in Practice Technical Seminar - Report

The technical seminar aimed at surveyors, spatial professionals, students and operational geodesists who are interested in learning more about practical aspects of reference frames from some of the world’s leading geodesists and geodetic surveyors. As well as covering reference frame basics, the two-day seminar focused particularly on dealing with deformation and datum unification.

The Technical Seminar Reference Frame in Practice - Reference Frames, Datum Unification and Kinematics was held at the Rydges Latimer in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 1-2 May 2016 in conjunction with the 78th FIG Working Week 2016, 2-6 May 2016. The seminar was organized by IAG (International Association of Geodesy), FIG (Fédération Internationale des Géomètres), UN-GGIM-AP (UN Global Geospatial Information Management for Asia and the Pacific), ICG (International Committee on GNSS) and NZIS (New Zealand Institute of Surveyors). The seminar was attended by over 50 participants from 18 countries.

Five participants were funded by the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

  • Report by Asakaia Tabuabisataki, Fiji
  • Report by Charisma Cayapan, Philippines
  • Report by Joanna Kuczynska-Siehien, Poland
  • Report by Niraj Manandhar, Nepal

The technical program comprised of eight technical sessions, including two focused on case studies. There were fifteen presentations given by speakers from New Zealand, Australia, Japan and USA, two presentations on behalf of sponsors: Leica and Trimble, and five brief presentations given by ICG-supported delegates from Philippines, Poland, Fiji and Nepal.


Report on the Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council Meeting and GIS / RS User Conference

The meetings were held from 16-20 November 2015 in Suva Fiji. FIG and Commission 5 was represented by Rob Sarib.  Mr. Sarib was invited by the Australian Government’s Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific (COSPac) to participate in discussions by contributing to the development of a “strategy document” for the PGSC. It is anticipated that a draft strategic plan will be ready for review at the Christchurch FIG Working Week in May 2015.


Technical Seminar on Vertical References Frame in Practice

27-28 July 2015 in Singapore

This event is co-sponsored by IAG, (International Association of Geodesy), FIG (Fédération Internationale des Géomètres), UN Global Geospatial Information Management for Asia and the Pacific (UN-GGIM-AP), ICG (International Committee on GNSS) and Singapore Land Authority.

The Organisers IAG, FIG, UN ICG, UN GGIM AP and SLA would like to thank and acknowledge the following FIG Corporate sponsors for their generous support of this event.


Newsletter June 2015


Annual Steering Commission Meeting was held during the FIG Working Week in Sofia, Bulgaria


Commission 5 at the FIG Working Week 2015 in Sofia, Bulgaria 17-21 May 2015


Prof. Volker Schwieger, Chair of commission 5 making his report to the General Assembly
Commission 5 had its annual meeting during the FIG Working Week 2015 in Sofia, Bulgaria, 17-21 May 2015.

Commission 5 at the XXV FIG Congress 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 16-21 June


Mikael Lilje

From a FIG Commission 5 perspective, the Congress was impressive and the Commission 5 technical program was comprehensive and extensive. Also the Annual Steering Committee Meeting was held during the XXV FIG Congress 2014.


Report on the Eight Meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG-8), 9-14 November 2013, Dubai, UAE

The Eight Meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) was held in Dubai, UAE from 9 to 14 November 2013. The ICG has been formed as a result of recommendations of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS), as ratified by the General Assembly of the UN.


FIG Pacific Small Island Developing States Symposium
18-20 September 2013, Suva Fiji

Joint Workshops: UN-GGIM-AP and FIG Commission 5

FIG Commission 5 and the UN-GGIM?AP (United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management ? Asia Pacific) are facilitating two workshops at the FIG Pacific Small Islands Developing States Symposium in Fiji - www.fig.net/fiji/.


Commission 5 Technical Seminar - Reference Frame in Practice, 21-22 June 2013, Manila, Philippines

 

This event is co-sponsored by IAG (International Association of Geodesy), FIG (F??ation Internationale des G?m?res), UN Global Geospatial Information Management for Asia and the Pacific (UN-GGIM-AP), ICG (International Committee on GNSS) and PhilGEGS ? Philippines Geodetic Engineering and Geomatic Society.

We are proud to announce that our FIG corporate sponsors - ESRI, Trimble and Leica Geosystems are generously providing support for this event.


Commission 5 at the FIG Working Week 2013 in Abuja, Nigeria 6-10 May 2013

Commission 5 had its annual meeting during the FIG Working Week 2013 in Abuja, Nigeria, 6-10 May 2013. Commission 5 report

REPORT on the Seventh Meeting of the International Commitee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG-7), 5-9 November, Beijing, China

The ICG has been formed as a result of recommendations of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS), as ratified by the General Assembly of the UN. The International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) is an Associate Member of the ICG. Mikael Lilje was there as the FIG representative to UNOOSA and Matt Higgins was there as FIG?s co-chair for Working Group D.


Commission 5 Newsletter July-October 2012


Commission 5 and 6 Workshop, 18-19 September 2012 Almaty, Kazakhstan

We are pleased to invite you to participate in the fifth FIG Commissions 5 and 6 Workshop
on ?Innovative Technologies for an Efficient Geospatial Management of Earth
Resources? organized by the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), Kazakh National
Technical University after K.I. Satpaev (KazNTU) and Siberian State Academy of Geodesy
(SSGA). The workshop will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on September 18-19, 2012.


Commission 5 at the FIG Working Week 2012 in Rome, Italy, 6-10 May 2012


Volker Schwieger

Commission 5 had its annual meeting during the FIG Working Week 2012 in Rome, Italy, 6-10 May 2012. The General Assembly appointed Prof. Volker Schwieger from Germany as the Chair Elect of Commission 5 for 2013-2014.


FIG Commission 5 and 6 Technical Seminar "Reference Frame In Practice" - 4-5 May 2012, Rome, Italy

The seminar was organised by IAG (International Association of Geodesy), FIG (F??ation Internationale des G?m?res) and ICG (International Committee on GNSS) and was held at Cassa Geometri 4-5 May 2012 in association with the FIG Working Week, 6th - 10th May 2012, Rome, Italy.


Commission 5 Newsletter March-April 2012


International Committee on Global Navigation satellite Systems, Tokyo, Japan, September 2011


General Assembly for the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics Earth on Edge: Science for a Sustainable Planet June 28 ?July 7, Melbourne, Australia

Rob Sarib, Mikael Lilje, Graeme Blick and Allison Kealy participated in the conference as well as the General Assembly and relevant business meetings


FIG Commission 5 and 6 Workshop Innovative Technologies for an Efficient Geospatial Management of Earth" - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 4-8 September 2011

The third FIG Commissions 5 and 6 Workshop on ?Innovative Technologies for an Efficient Geospatial Management of Earth Resources? will be held for the first time in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 4-8 September 2011.The Workshop is organized by the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), Mongolian Association of Geodesy Photogrammetry & Cartography (MAGP&C) and Siberian State Academy of Geodesy (SSGA).


Commission 5 at the FIG Working Week, May 2011 Marrakech Morocco


Commission 5 Newsletter - April 2011

Read about Commission 5 activities at the FIG Working Week and the Commission 5 working plan for 2011-2014.


3rd International Colloquium - Scientific and Fundamental Aspects of the Galileo Programme in Copenhagen, Denmark


The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Technical University of Denmark is hosting the 3rd Galileo Science Colloquium in Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 31 to September 2, 2011. The Colloquium focuses on scientific applications of Galileo (and other global navigation satellite systems) as well as on sciences which can benefit the future development of Galileo. This includes topics such as geodesy, geodynamics, reference frames, atomic clocks, signal propagation, disaster monitoring, positioning, navigation etc.
Deadline for submission of abstracts has passed April 15, 2011.
Further information and online abstract submission: http://www.congrex.nl/11A12/

FIG Commissions 5 and 6 Workshop on ?Innovative Technologies for an Efficient Geospatial Management of Earth Resources? - Blue Bay Recreation Centre, Zyryanovsky Region, Kazakhstan, 3-7 September 2010

Click picture for bigger format.
Participants at the Workshop in Kazakhstan

FIG Commissions 5 (Positioning and Measurement) and 6 (Engineering Surveys) together with Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Land Resources Management, D. Serikbaev East Kazakhstan State Technical University (EKSTU), Siberian State Academy of Geodesy (SSGA) and Regional Scientific and Technological Park ?Altai? organised a Workshop on ?Innovative Technologies for an Efficient Geospatial Management of Earth Resources?. The Conference was attended by about 100 participants and contained almost 60 presentations.
Proceedings of the Workshop will be available soon

Incoming Chair of Commission 5, Mikael Lilje, attends IGS workshop and Vertical Rates Symposium, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, 28 June ? 2 July 2010


Report from XXth EUREF Symposium in Gävle Sweden, June 2 - 5, 2010


Commission 5 at the FIG Congress 2010 in  Sydney, Australia, 11-16 April 2010

Click picture for bigger format.
Mikael Lilje

Commission 5 had its annual meeting during the FIG Congress 2010 in Sydney, Australia, 11-16 April 2010. The General Assembly appointed Mr. Mikael Lilje from Sweden as the Chair of Commission 2 for 2011-2014.


Commission 5 Newsletter, March 2010

Read about the highlights from FIG Commission 5 2009 activities as well as a report on 1st Asia Oceania Regional Workshop on GNSS, report on "AuScope" VLBI Project Status and Report on Cost Effective GNSS. Please also notice the Call for Ideas for FIG Commission 5 Work Plan 2011-14.


Commission 5 Newsletter, November 2009 - Report on FIG Regional Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, 19-22 October 2009

This Commission 5 Report provides an overview of activities at the 7th FIG Regional Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. FIG Commission 5 coordinated several technical sessions during the Conference in the areas "Global and Regional Observing Systems and Services", "GNSS CORS Infrastructure and Standards", and "Asia Pacific Reference Frame". Please read the report at view the pictures from the conference.


FIG attends IAG 2009 Geodesy for Planet Earth - Buenos Aires, Argentina, 31 August - 4 September 2009

The International Association of Geodesy (IAG) organised the ?Geodesy for Planet Earth? conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the end of August. FIG was invited and represented by Mikael Lilje, Chair Elect of Commission 5 (Sweden) and Rob Sarib, Vice Chair of Administration (Australia). This scientific symposium is a biannual IAG event and attracted approximately 500 delegates from 65 different countries. There were 500 technical / scientific papers submitted and 280 of them were delivered as oral presentations. The technical program was run in two parallel sessions with numerous business meetings held in the evenings outside the ordinary technical program. Read more...

FIG Commission 5 and 6 and SSGA Workshop on ?Innovative Technologies for an Efficient Geospatial Management of Earth Resources? - Listvyanka, Russian Federation, 23-30 July 2009

Click picture for bigger format. FIG Commissions 5 (Positioning and Measurement) and 6 (Engineering Surveys) together with the Siberian State Academy of Geodesy (SSGA) organised a Workshop on ?Innovative Technologies for an Efficient Geospatial Management of Earth Resources? on Lake Baikal in the settlement of Listvyanka, Russian Federation 23-30 July 2009. Read more...
Proceedings available on Commission 6 web site.

2nd International Conference on Machine Control & Guidance, 9-11 March 2010, Bonn, Germany

The 2nd International Conference on Machine Control & Guidance to be held in Bonn, Germany, 9-11 March 2010 is co-sponsored by FIG Commission 5 and 6.
Web site: www.mcg.uni-bonn.de 
First invitation and call for papers as a .pdf file.


Report of Commission 5 Activities at the FIG Working Week 2009 in Eilat, 4-8 May 2009

Commission 5 Annual Meeting was held in Eilat, Israel during the FIG Working Week 2009. Read more:


The Final Report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) on GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM Significant Challenges in Sustaining and Upgrading Widely Used Capabilities has been released


Commission 5 Newsletter - December 2008


FIG Vice President Matt Higgins attends the Third Meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) - Pasadena, California, USA, 8-12 December 2008

The International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG), met in Pasadena, California, USA, from 8 to 12 December 2008. Vice President Matt Higgins attended representing the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG). Read more...


Report of Commission 5 Activities at the FIG Working Week 2008 in Stockholm 14-19 June 2008

Commission 5 Annual Meeting was held in Stockholm, Sweden during the FIG Working Week 2008, 14-19 June 2008. Read more:


Vice President Matt Higgins attends Munich Satellite Navigation Summit - Munich, Germany, 19-21 February 2008


FIG Vice President Matt Higgins attends the Second Meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) hosted by the Indian Space Research Organisation in Bangalore, India, 4 to 7 September, 2007


Commission 5 Newsletter - December 2007


Commission 5 Newsletter - October 2007


Commission Chair Rudolf Staiger attends the 24th General Assembly of IUGG in Perugia, Italy, 2-13 July 2007


Commission 5 Newsletter - June-July 2007


Report of Commission 5 Activities at the FIG Working Week 2008 in Stockholm 14-19 June 2008

Commission 5 Annual Meeting was held in Stockholm, Sweden during the FIG Working Week 2008, 14-19 June 2008. Read more:


Vice President Matt Higgins attends the Munich Navigation Summit 2007 - Munich, Germany, 6-8 March 2007


Letter to Commission delegates from Prof. Rudolf Staiger, Chair of Commission 5 (2006-2010) and draft Commission Work Plan 2007-2010


FIG Congress in Munich, Germany, 8-13 October 2006

First Meeting of the International Committee on GNSS (ICG), Vienna, Austria, 1-2 November 2006

FIG Publication # 37 - FIG Guide on the Development of a Vertical Reference Surface for Hydrography


New Commission 5 Position and Measurement website - Reference Frame in Practice

Surf your way to the new Commission 5 Position and Measurement website - "Reference Frame in Practice".

This website wants you to interact with your colleagues by visiting this website regularly and for you to contribute relevant reference frame information to this website. Any interesting and emerging reference frame news, issues or topics are welcomed OR even feedback on how to improve this site….. so please visit this web portal and email your suggestions or comments to our Commission 5 representatives mikael.lilje@lm.se and robert.sarib@nt.gov.au.


New web site for Commission 5 Sub Group 5.3.3 - GNSS Developments and Modernization (2002-2006)


FIG Working Week in Cairo, 16-21 April 2005


Report on the UN/USA International Meeting on the Use and Applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) - Hosted by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Vienna, Austria, 13 to 17 December 2004

Report of the meeting on the use and applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) hosted by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UN OOSA) and also supported by the State Department of the USA. The meetings arise from recommendations of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS), as ratified by the General Assembly of the UN. Matt Higgins, Chair of Commission 5 attended the 2004 meeting representing FIG.


FIG Working Week in Athens, 22-27 May 2004

Prof. Rudolf Staiger from Germany was appointed by the General Assembly in Athens as the Chair Elect of Commission 5 for 2004-2006. He will be the chair of the commission 2006-2010. He is Professor at the Fachbereich Vermessungswesen, Labor für Geodätische Messtechnik at the University of Essen

New web site for Commission 5 Sub Group 5.3.3 - GNSS Developments and Modernization


United Nations/United States of America International Workshop on The Use and Applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems - 8-12 December 2003, Vienna, Austria by Matt Higgins, Chair of FIG Commission 5

The Workshop Programme and Presentations are available at:
http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/SAP/gnss/joint2003/presentations/index.html


Report of the FIG Regional Conference and Minutes of the Steering Committee of Commission 5 - December 2-5, 2003, Marrakech, Morocco


7th South East Asian Survey Congress, Hong Kong, SAR China, November 2003 - Report by Matt Higgins, Chair of FIG Commission 5


Draft Work Plan for Working Group on Low Cost Surveying Technology and Techniques for Developing Countries (A Joint Working Group of Commissions 3, 5 and 7)


FIG Working Week and 125th Anniversary - Paris 13-17 April 2003


Commission 5 gets a new Vice Chair of Administration

Mr Robert Sarib, Manager of Survey Services from Dept. Infrastructure, Planning & Environment from Darwin, Australia has been appointed to Vice Chair of Administration of Commission 5. Rob can be reached by email: robert.sarib@nt.gov.au