University of Calgary Professor Wins Award for 3D Mapping Innovation

A professor from the University of Calgary, Faramarz Samavati, has been honored with the Mitacs Innovation Award for Outstanding Research Leadership for his pioneering work on a 3D digital mapping system. This recognition highlights his commitment to advancing technology and enhancing the accuracy of digital maps, a project he has dedicated 15 years to developing.

Samavati’s research addresses a significant limitation in current digital mapping applications, which often rely on a “flat Earth” model. This model can distort geographical representations, making places like Greenland appear much larger than they truly are compared to countries like Brazil. “Digital maps like Google Maps always have distortions,” Samavati explained. “When we visualize the Earth in 3D, we can accurately represent the true sizes of continents and avoid these inaccuracies.”

In collaboration with the Calgary-based software company Vivid Theory, Samavati and his graduate students developed a Discrete Global Grid System (DGGS). This innovative system divides the Earth’s surface into small grid cells, each assigned a unique code akin to a postal code. “This system allows for efficient data processing regarding Earth’s features, addressing the distortions inherent in traditional mapping,” he noted.

The research team, including graduate student Lakin Wecker, has focused on optimizing data access speeds. Wecker has been measuring processing times in nanoseconds, aiming to enhance the system’s efficiency. “We are measuring speeds that can reach 250 million times per second, looking to reduce processing times from 20 nanoseconds to 10 nanoseconds,” Wecker said. This level of precision is crucial given the vast amounts of data generated about the Earth.

Samavati’s work is further supported by a partnership with BigGeo, a Calgary-based startup developing the Spatial Cloud, a secure cloud computing system designed for location-based data. According to Brent Lane, CEO of BigGeo, “Spatial data accounts for 80 percent of all data on Earth, making it integral to the future of artificial intelligence.” Lane highlighted the potential of Samavati’s mapping system to provide users with faster and more accurate information for various applications.

The Mitacs Innovation Award is presented to a post-secondary supervisor who exemplifies strong collaboration with industry partners, offers valuable research experiences for interns, and leverages Mitacs funding to initiate impactful projects. These programs receive backing from the Government of Canada and various provincial governments.

Samavati envisions his mapping system not only as a tool for digitalizing the Earth’s surface but also for capturing what lies beneath and above it. “My goal is to create a living digital twin of the Earth,” he said. “This would allow us to gain a deeper understanding of our planet and develop tools to predict natural disasters—an essential capability in today’s world.”

For more information about BigGeo and its initiatives, visit their website at https://biggeo.com/.