EuroSDR Educational Service (EduServ) annually offers four two-week e-learning courses in the field of GeoInformation (GI). It is designed for knowledge transfer from the research to the production domain. Thus, it is mainly focused on participants from NMCAs and industry, but also PhD students and researchers find the courses interesting as they always reflect the latest developments in GI.

The 20^th series of e-learning courses from EuroSDR will open on February 14-15, 2022, with an online pre-course seminar. During the seminar, the background material of four e-learning EduServ 2022 courses will be presented by the tutors, and the learning platform – Moodle, will be demonstrated.

The four two-week e-learning courses are scheduled from February to June 2022. They can be followed over the Internet from any location, thereby allowing participants to update their knowledge with minimum disruption. Each course requires about thirty hours of online study.

You can download the flyer here.

Recent Lidar Technologies (pdf)
Tutor: Gottfried Mandlburger (TU Vienna)

The course tackles the recent progress in Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS), the state-of-the technique for 3D mapping of topography and shallow water bathymetry, including the following topics: (i) point density and spatial resolution: Higher scan rates in the MHz range increase the point density, which leads to an increased spatial resolution if, in addition, the laser footprint sizes match the point-to-point distance; (ii) full waveform analysis: State-of-the-art FWF processing techniques enable higher measurement precision and better target characterization; (iii) multispectral laser scanning: Scanners using laser wavelengths facilitate point classification by exploiting the radiometric content of the captured data; (iv) hybrid sensors: Scanners and cameras mounted on the same platform enable joint data orientation and processing of laser scans and image blocks; (v) single Photon LiDAR: These new mapping sensors provide a higher area coverage performance at the prize of lower accuracy and higher outlier rate requiring robust point cloud filtering techniques; (vi) topo-bathymetric LiDAR: Beyond charting shallow coastal areas, laser bathymetry evolved to a powerful tool for high-resolution mapping of the entire littoral area; (viii) UAV-LiDAR: Sensor miniaturization and progress in aviation technology has opened new close-range airborne applications due to the integration of lightweight LiDAR sensors on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

Please note that the number of participants in the Recent LiDAR technologies course is limited to 40 (based on the confirmed fee payment)!

Dates: February 28 - March 11, 2022

Working with Volunteered and Crowdsourced Geographic Information (pdf)
Tutors: Peter Mooney (Maynooth University) and Levente Juhász (Florida International University)

Up to recently, geographic data was exclusively available from authoritative sources such as National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies, professional companies, etc. The rapid emergence of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) and Crowdsourced Geographic Information (CGI) has challenged and changed this situation. VGI and CGI have transformed from being considered 'disruptive' and poor quality to well-known mainstream data sources used widely in industry, research, and other applications. The goal of this course is to introduce participants to VGI (and CGI), the current state-of-the-art research in these areas, methods for obtaining VGI/CGI data (API sources, processing GeoJSON, etc), and advanced topics such as assessment of the quality of these data. Participants are informed that a basic knowledge of a programming language is required to complete some practical exercises and assessments. Free and open-source software and openly accessible VGI/CGI will be used.

Dates: March 28 - April 8, 2022 

Integration of 3D City Models and BIM: GeoBIM (pdf)
Tutors: Francesca Noardo and Ken Arroyo Ohori (Delft University of Technology)

A lot has been discussed about the integration of geoinformation (i.e. 3D city models) with BIM in the last years. The topic is wide, complex and technically demanding. According to the progress made in the last few years, both on the technical and on the theoretical side, this course will teach the basic knowledge on  GeoBIM integration based on the needs of use cases and will show two examples of conversions procedures that support those use cases. After introducing the basics on 3D city models and Building Information Models, students will learn a method to compare two datasets (a 3D city model and a BIM) in order to analyse their integration possibilities and define the actions necessary to get to an integrated dataset, useful for a use case. The students will then practice with two conversion procedures, one Geo to BIM and one BIM to Geo in order to produce suitable data for two specific use cases.

Dates: May 2 - May 12, 2022

3D Point Cloud Classification for Mapping Purposes (pdf)
Tutors: Michael Koelle, Norbert Haala (University of Stuttgart), Eleonora Grilli and Fabio Remondino (Fondazione Bruno Kessler)

In recent years, point cloud processing techniques have been extensively investigated in the research community for various applications, and some commercial solutions start to be frequently used in daily practices. In particular, geospatial point cloud classification methods hold an important place, as assigning semantic information to 3D geodata allows for widespread use of such geospatial data. The course will present the latest developments and solutions for 3D point cloud classification, with particular emphasis on mapping needs, activities and purposes. Starting from traditional yet functional Machine Learning solutions, the course will then focus on more recent Deep Learning methods. Theoretical aspects and practical work will be coupled in order to provide a comprehensive and complete overview of the topic, from the classification of 2.5D DSM to 3D aerial point clouds.

Dates: May 23 – June 3, 2022

Fees

400 € for pre-course seminar + 1 or 2 courses
500 € for pre-course seminar + 3 or 4 courses


Scholarships

Five scholarships will be available to fully cover the course fee. The scholarships are intended to Ph.D./Master students and other applicants with no or very limited financial support from their university or public institution. Successful completion of at least two courses is expected from successful applicants.

In order to proceed with the application:

• Register to EduServ.
• Fill in the application form that includes a motivation letter and information about professional experience. It is recommended to support the application with a reference letter. Both documents shall be submitted to eurosdr@kuleuven.be not later than on 21^th January 2022.

Applicants will be informed about the acceptance/rejection of their application latest on 29^th January 2022. Successful applicants from previous years will be automatically excluded from the evaluation.


Registration

You can register >>> here <<< until 8th February 2022.


Program of the online pre-course seminar (time zone: CET)

The pre-course seminar will take place in the form of an e-course on February 14-15, 2022, using the Moodle platform. 

February 14, 2022

* Each session includes a discussion on the topic based on materials sent prior to the seminar.

February 15, 2022

* Each session includes a discussion on the topic based on materials sent prior to the seminar.

Testimonials

“The whole course was really well done in both terms of form and content. Everything was thought through, communication was top notch. I believe I gained valuable knowledge in most of the topics. I can highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in spatial research.” (Jan Dolezal, Charles University)

“Both [courses] were very enlightening and supported me during several steps of my PhD research.” (Marco Palma, Università Politecnica delle Marche)


FAQ

Registration

·        I haven't received a confirmation email yet. Did something go wrong?

No. An official confirmation email will be sent to you within 10 working days. If you haven't received an email, please contact the secretariat at eurosdr@kuleuven.be.

·        I would like to enroll to the e-learning course(s), but I am not able to attend the pre-course seminar. Is that a problem?

No. It is not obligatory to attend the pre-course seminar. Please note that the fee for attending the pre-course seminar is always included in the total price.


Fees & payment methods

·        What does the course fee include?

The course fee includes all course materials, two-weeks of e-learning and participation at a two-day (online) seminar.

·        Can I pay by credit card?

Unfortunately we are unable to accept payment by credit card. However, payments can be made by bank transfer or by invoice.

·        Is it possible to request an invoice?

Yes. If you would like to receive an invoice, please contact the secretariat as soon as possible at eurosdr@kuleuven.be. Please note that EuroSDR does not have a VAT number.


Scholarships

·        Who can apply for a scholarship?

The scholarships are intended to Ph.D./Master students and other applicants with no or very limited financial support from their university or public institution. You can only apply for a scholarship if you take active part in all 4 EduServ courses (but we accept if at least two of them are successfully completed). Please note that successful applicants from previous years will be automatically excluded from the evaluation.


E-learning platform

·        When will I receive the login details of Moodle?

You will receive an email with instructions to access Moodle a week prior to the pre-course seminar/the e-learning course you registered for. If you haven't received any email by then, please contact the secretariat at eurosdr@kuleuven.be.  

·        How do I log in on Moodle? 

Once you have created an account on Moodle (you will receive the instructions by email), you should be able to log in with the username (your email address) and password your entered during registration. If you need any technical assistance, please contact matej.racic@fgg.uni-lj.si or anka.lisec@fgg.uni-lj.si. Important: you have to create a new account on Moodle first even though you already participated in EduServ in the past (before 2022) as the e-learning platform is now hosted by the University of Ljubljana.

·        How long and when will I have access to the study materials?

Once the course has started, you will have access to the study materials 24/7 during four weeks (thus the course materials are accessible until two weeks after the course has ended), in order to allow participants to follow the course with minimum disruption. 


Certificates

·        Will I receive a certificate?

Yes, you will receive a certificate of completion after successfully completing the e-learning course(s). This certificate will be sent to you by email or to the address you provided on the registration form -depending on which option you selected- latest at the beginning of July. If you haven't received your certificate by then, please contact the secretariat at eurosdr@kuleuven.be.

In case you did not pass the course(s) and actively participated in the course, it is possible to obtain a certificate of attendance. You can request this certificate by sending an email to eurosdr@kuleuven.be. 

For more information, please contact Ms. Tatjana Van Huyck at eurosdr@kuleuven.be.