Geographic Information Technology Services

Burnside expanded into the technical area of Geomatics, which includes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing to better serve clients needs. Burnside is an ESRI business partner, the world's largest GIS software company. We have been providing top-level GIS products and services to local, national, and international clients for the past eight years. Employing industry-leading geomatics professionals, we follow an innovative process that enables ongoing research and development into solutions and best practices. We offer our clients a variety of data collection techniques, customized maps, on-line services, custom designed software and personalized training.

Burnside provides clients with a variety of surveying, mapping, evaluation and operating services, applying our expertise in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Satellite and Airborne Remote Sensing.

A Geographic Information System's primary purpose is to manage, analyze, and disseminate spatial data and phenomena. The types of data the GIS is capable of managing is as varied as the methods of collecting the data. Most GIS projects and datasets utilize vector, raster, and tabular data. With the introduction of the ESRI Geodatabase, all these forms of data can be integrated into a relational database.

Burnside has extensive experience in the collection, integration, and processing of data in all types of industry formats and from many sources and agencies ranging from government to private industry. Burnside employs a wide range of Airborne and Space borne platforms including the Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) constellation, Ikonos, Landsat, Radarsat, Hyperspectral Sensors, traditional Aerial Photography, terrestrial surveying, and bore hole geophysics. The creation and provision of specialized datasets to support environmental projects such as groundwater protection studies, hydrological and floodplain analysis, and solid waste management is a staple of our expertise.

Remote sensing is the collection of spatial data from a distance. Using both satellite and airborne technologies, Burnside has extensive capabilities gathering accurate and current information. This can be information that is a component in the delivery and implementation of an effective GIS, or as data processed and analyzed as part of a specific project requirement.

Using sensors that capture electro-magnetic data reflected from the earth's surface, remote sensing satellites can reveal varied and diverse information about the earth.

Optical imagery from satellites, such as LANDSAT and IKONOS, provide excellent remote sensing products at a regional level. Current high-resolution commercial satellite imagery can collect data with pixel sizes smaller than one meter.

IKONOS / Quickbird imagery can be included in a municipal geographic information system with other digital map layers (i.e. official plan, zoning, parcel boundaries) to help inform the municipal council, staff and public of particular planning issues and future municipal development concerns. In addition, this imagery can also be draped over a digital elevation model, to create a three-dimensional perspective of the area. For most municipalities, ortho-aerial photography is too costly; however, implementation of IKONOS / Quickbird satellite data reduces the cost to municipalities by approximately 60 to 70 percent.

RADARSAT technology uses active radar to collect data about the earth's surface. RADARSAT has the advantage over optical sensors of not being hindered by darkness or weather conditions. In addition, it will detect information that passive optical sensors cannot such as surface and sub-surface features of the earth. According to the needs and specifications of the client, Burnside uses these satellites in conjunction with geological, geophysical and hydro geological data, to produce cost effective solutions.

Using film cameras mounted in aircraft, airborne remote sensing data products can produce pictures with spatial resolution up to 15 centimeters. These cameras capture the data by capturing reflected or emitted electro-magnetic energy from the Earth's surface, on film. Hyper spectral sensors, the newest in airborne remote sensing technology, are able to collect data about the Earth's surface that other sensors cannot. A hyper spectral sensor is an instrument that "sees" the surface of the earth not only in the visible spectrum like the human eye but also in the ultraviolet (UV), near infrared (IR) and short wave infrared (SWIR) parts of the spectrum. Where typical visible light sensors collect data in three channels (red, green and blue light channels), hyper spectral sensors can collect more than a hundred channels of data. In essence, a hyper spectral sensor captures a "fingerprint" of the earth's surface.

This hyper spectral technology, applied to mineral exploration, can be described as "airborne geochemistry" can distinguish subtle differences in mineral and vegetation composition of a study area. Burnside, as the technical service provider for Ekwan Technology Corporation (www.ekwantech.com), is a leader in both designing and applying hyper spectral technology.