Rapid Development of Geospatial Applications with Web Technology

Rapid development of Geospatial Applications with Web Technology

In an increasingly dynamic world, it is becoming all the more important to respond to critical needs rapidly. While traditional geospatial technologies continue to be a wise choice for long term solutions, an alternative solution is needed to react to more immediate demands.

Whether the goal is prototyping solutions in a challenging new space, quickly extending existing solutions, or responding to new challenges, web technologies are now a significant part of our toolkit. As a result, one of the challenges as compared to desktop and embedded technology is the constant and consistent pace in the development of new software in the web space.

At Kongsberg Geospatial we tackle the problem from both ends. While we deliver scalable solutions based on trusted technology like Node.js, MQTT, and Docker, we also seek out the frontiers in developing our own solutions like TerraLens 3DWeb, leveraging TypeScript, WebAssembly and WebGL to provide powerful geospatial visualization to desktop and mobile users anywhere.

Another significant challenge is the integration of web technology with existing solutions, with different methods depending on the layer of integration desired. On the backend, using popular formats like GeoJSON/KML, or standardized protocols such as OGC WMS/WMTS can enable swift integration with existing systems. Side-by-side integration delivers an alternate interface to access existing systems using a web-based solution such as TerraLens 3DWeb. Finally, direct integration using technology like Qt’s WebView can deliver new functionality directly into existing applications without significant redevelopment.