Moving Forward to Look Back: Google Earth, GigaPan and the Civil War - 2010 NASCIO Awards Government to Citizen Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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Moving Forward to Look Back:
Google Earth, GigaPan and the Civil War
2010 NASCIO Awards
Government to Citizen
Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaSummary
Travel and tourism are big business in Pennsylvania. It is estimated that $25 billion in
travel-related spending moves through the commonwealth’s economy each year,
generating $3 billion in tax receipts. These sectors support approximately 600,,000 jobs
that pay commonwealth citizens about $18 billion. (PA Tourism Office)
In 2006, Pennsylvania’s state government made a crucial, early-stage grant of $285,000
to support an unprecedented partnership between Google Earth, Carnegie Mellon,
NASA, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office and the National Civil War Museum.
The grant was provided through the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority,
which strives foster technological innovation and strengthen the commonwealth’s
economy. With this grant Pennsylvania sought to accelerate the development of viable
commercial applications of gigapixel panorama imagery (GigaPan)—including for
interactive tourism marketing. The original technology was developed by Carnegie
Mellon University researchers and NASA for use in Mars rovers.
Beginning October 15, “virtual tourists” from all corners of the globe can use their
browsers to immerse themselves Pennsylvania's civil war battlefields, museums and
hallowed sites. The www.PACivilWarTrails.com experience is accomplished through a
first-of-its-kind configuration with Google Earth, GigaPan and geographically or
contextually targeted “bubbles” commonly used in advertising. Together, these tools
seamlessly transition the user from satellite imagery to specific, navigable, ultra-high
resolution 3D images to tools that help them develop itineraries, book hotels and
manage other travel details with unsurpassed ease.
Outcomes of this work have been significant. A sample includes:
The creation of GigaPan Systems LLC, a spin-out of Carnegie Mellon to
commercialize this technology; it employs seven commonwealth citizens and had
more than 20 million visits to its website last year.
The development of infrastructure using Google Application Programming Interface
that allows other destination marketing organizations to consistently share and
display tourism data on Google Earth.
A 10% increase in the number of unique users visiting Pennsylvania’s online travel
marketing sites and a 1% increase in hotel bookings in the highlighted region.
The provision of 16 GigaPan systems to 12 Pennsylvania high schools and training
for 40 students to lead activities and teach their peers how to use the systems.
Google Earth, GigaPan and the Civil War 2010 NASCIO Awards
Government to Citizen | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Page 2Description
State governments routinely work to spur development in up-and-coming economic
sectors, create and retain jobs, preserve their cultural heritage, promote tourism and
provide innovative educational opportunities. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is no
exception. A myriad of agencies and dozens of programs strive to achieve these
outcomes for Pennsylvania’s citizens. Rarely, however, are such diverse aspirations
advanced so significantly through a single project.
Spur development in up-and-coming economic sectors.
In 1982 the Pennsylvania General Assembly established what has become the
Ben Franklin Technology Partners, managed by the Department of Community
and Economic Development. The program is among the most widely known and
emulated technology-based economic development programs in the nation.
Among other activities, “the Bens” provide capital and expertise to start-up and
early-stage tech companies.
Pertinent to this award is the Bens’ $285,000 early-stage grant to a cadre of
scientists at Carnegie Mellon University to explore commercial applications for
gigapixel panorama imaging (GigaPan) technology developed by the university in
collaboration with NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group and deployed on
NASA’s Mars rovers.
Create and retain jobs.
GigaPan Systems LLC—the company created as a spin-out of Carnegie
Mellon—was founded in 2008 and now employs seven Pennsylvania workers.
Their main product consists of three technological developments: a robotic
camera mount for capturing very high-resolution (gigapixel and up) panoramic
images using a standard digital camera; custom software for constructing very
high-resolution gigapixel panoramas; and a new type of website for exploring,
sharing and commenting on gigapixel panoramas.
Preserve cultural heritage.
The Pennsylvania Civil War Trails program is a joint effort of the Pennsylvania
Historical and Museum Commission, the commonwealth’s Tourism Office, the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the National Civil War Museum,
county historical societies, regional visitors’ bureaus, a variety of private Civil War
attractions, area colleges and universities and others. The program educates
people about women and children under siege during the war, African-American
contributions to Pennsylvania’s defense and the endurance or ordinary citizens
during this troubled time in American history.
Google Earth, GigaPan and the Civil War 2010 NASCIO Awards
Government to Citizen | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Page 3The Department of Community and Economic Development—which manages
both the Ben Franklin Technology Partners and Pennsylvania’s Tourism Office—
brought the technological capabilities of Google Earth and GigaPan to an
advisory committee that included Civil War experts, community leaders,
historians, writers, marketing professionals and others.
The committee generated an initial list of 1,800 noteworthy Pennsylvania Civil
War sites. The list was eventually culled to 200 and, of those, 88 were
documented through the GigaPan process. A number of challenges arose during
this time—from understanding the technology to establishing latitude and
longitude coordinates for each location to securing site inspections, permits and
other legal documents—it took months to move from concept to the first usable,
interactive GigaPan.
Experts spent more than 3 months delving deeply into each of these 88 sites.
GigaPan technology allows users to explore a panorama in such detail that they
can get close enough to read an inscription on a weathered tomb stone or travel
through a time lapse to see how strategy for a specific battlefield may, of
necessity, change with the seasons.
Promote tourism.
Simply documenting these sites is of significant historical value—but
Pennsylvania was not content to stop there. The commonwealth had a vision of
allowing the world to explore these places and inviting citizens of the globe to
travel through the astonishing images to Pennsylvania. Literally.
A comprehensive tourism campaign was developed which included complete a
branding strategy with, among other tactics: development and consistent
typography, colors and iconography; signage at hundreds of locations statewide;
a “where stories hit home” narrative style; extensive cross-referencing; and more.
The keystone of the campaign is www.PACivilWarTrails.com which went live on
October 15 and offers 40 “story stops” which include images, content and text
vetted by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the National
Civil War Museum, and the Department of Community and Economic
Development. Each offers a living-history presentation in or around the
Pennsylvania communities of Carlisle, Chambersburg, Gettysburg, Hanover,
Harrisburg, Wrightsville and York.
The experience is accomplished through a first-of-its-kind configuration with
Google Earth, GigaPan and geographically or contextually targeted “bubbles”
commonly used in advertising. Together, these tools seamlessly transition the
user from satellite imagery to specific, navigable, ultra-high resolution 3D images
Google Earth, GigaPan and the Civil War 2010 NASCIO Awards
Government to Citizen | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Page 4to tools that help them develop itineraries, book nearby hotels and manage other
travel details with unsurpassed ease.
The website provides a direct, interactive, and cost-effective link to Civil War
enthusiasts, particularly when contrasted with the high costs and limited reach of
traditional-media marketing campaigns. The website solidifies Pennsylvania’s
reputation as an industry leader in tourism, by not just embracing new
technologies, but by helping to develop them.
Provide innovative educational opportunities.
"The Pennsylvania Civil War Trails project is pioneering the use of new online
media, including the revolutionary GigaPan technology, to re-imagine how the
public can research, explore and visit fantastic historic sites," said Illah
Nourbakhsh of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute. "This new information…will
drive economies through tourism as it drives history and technology education in
local schools. We are proud that Carnegie Mellon has been a member of the
team that has made this possible."
Pennsylvania invests a great deal in workplace training, frontline professional
development, high school “school to career” programs and “service learning”
projects. Accordingly, the Civil War Trails project identified 12 schools in eight
counties to participate as “Google –GigaPan Ground teams.”
Teachers and students from selected schools were provided with GigaPan
technologies and participated in a day-long project orientation which, among
other things, included hands-on GigaPan training and technical assistance
workshops.
Each school will facilitate GigaPan documentation of a conservation weekend at
a participating Civil War heritage site and of the 2010 Grand Review Parade.
Schools’ GigaPan images will be featured on www.PACivilWarTrails.com,
exhibited at high-visibility locations statewide, and presented to their partnering
destination organization and commonwealth “Main Street” and “Elm Street”
partners.
Each school is provided a liaison by the Civil War Trails project’s education and
lifelong learning coordinators who will monitor the progress of school, coordinate
installation and exhibition, and report outcomes, impacts and best practices
during teacher workshops. Liaisons will also collaborate with journalism and
communication departments at the State System of Higher Education
universities of Shippensburg, Millersville, Kutztown to provide peer trainers and
tutors for student activity.
Google Earth, GigaPan and the Civil War 2010 NASCIO Awards
Government to Citizen | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Page 5Significance
New technology has been developed and applied in a new way, directly and tangibly
improving Pennsylvania’s tech-related economic development, historical preservation,
tourism-related economic development and educational efforts.
Benefit
Beneficial outcomes of this work have been significant. A sample includes:
The creation of GigaPan Systems LLC, a spin-out of Carnegie Mellon to
commercialize this technology; it employs seven commonwealth citizens and had
more than 20 million visits to its website last year. (This success story is highly
visible worldwide and will be leveraged by state officials in marketing Pennsylvania
as a great location for tech companies.)
The development of infrastructure using Google Application Programming Interface
that allows other destination marketing organizations to consistently share and
display tourism data on Google Earth.
A 10% increase in the number of unique users visiting Pennsylvania’s online travel
marketing sites and a 1% increase in hotel bookings in the highlighted region.
The provision of 16 GigaPan systems to 12 Pennsylvania high schools and training
for 40 students to lead activities and teach their peers how to use the systems.
The development and documentation of an extensive catalog of historically
significant American locations.
The ability to share Pennsylvania’s unique cultural heritage with millions of people
across the globe (including every seventh grader in America who is writing a paper
on the Civil War!), even if they never set foot in the commonwealth.
Google Earth, GigaPan and the Civil War 2010 NASCIO Awards
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