Announcing the U.S. Education Challenge Winner

Hexagon Geospatial is pleased to announce that it has officially named the winner of its 2015 U.S. Education Challenge, which showcases the top usage of Hexagon Geospatial’s Power Portfolio in a college or university in the U.S.

This year’s winner is Su Zhang, a GIScience student focused on Remote Sensing and Civil Engineering at the University of New Mexico.  Zhang’s winning study, titled, “Pavement Surface Cracks Detection and Assessment Based on Hyper-spatial Resolution Natural Color Digital Aerial Photography” focused on the utilizing a UAS to evaluate the condition of pavement surfaces.

The research project explored the utility of hyper-spatial resolution (3-millimeter) natural color digital aerial imagery acquired from a low-cost unmanned remote sensing system  to create a detailed characterization of flexible pavement (i.e. asphalt concrete) surface distress conditions with the help of Hexagon Geospatial’s ERDAS IMAGINE.

“Fostering the next generation of geospatial experts and leaders is a key focus for Hexagon Geospatial,” said Mladen Stojic, President of Hexagon Geospatial. “We find that some of the most innovative uses of our solutions happen in a university setting, which is exactly what Su Zhang did with his study.”

As the winner of the 2015 U.S. Education Challenge, Zhang and his advising professor, Dr. Christopher D. Lippitt, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of New Mexico, are receiving a free trip to attend HxGN Live Las Vegas. Immediately following the award ceremony at 5:30 in Room 113, Zhang will present his winning paper.  In addition, both Dr. Lippitt and Zhang will be interviewed for HxGN Live TV at the event.