Insensa-GIS, a new open-source software tool was presented in a workshop at the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (Germany) by Dennis Biber, the developer of the software, and Lisa Freudenberger. The software has been recently released as a beta-version and can be downloaded from http://www.insensa.org.
Insensa-GIS has been initially designed for spatial index development and sensitivity analysis but provides many other functions for statistical analysis of geographical data in different formats. Furthermore, it allows displaying maps, graphs and statistical outputs.
In the workshop, different staff members from Eberswalde University were invited to take the first steps to working with Insensa-GIS. While some of the participants had already worked intensively with GIS data, others were less experienced. Despite their different knowledge states, all of them were able to work with the software independently within a very short time.
The clearly arranged graphical interface and the intuitive handling of the software make it a very easy to work with geographical data in Insensa-GIS. The software is designed as open-source software and allows a user-friendly integration of plugins. This makes it very easy to extend the functionality of the software and to adapt it for individual needs and purposes. The homepage also offers a forum for developers and users to exchange ideas and make suggestions for further functions that could be useful and integrated in Insensa-GIS.
The specific purpose of the software offers the possibility to create weighted indices based on different indicators. Lisa Freudenberger is using the software for example to develop spatial priority-indices for nature conservation planning. Different mathematical procedures can be used to create an index and standardized sensitivity analysis procedures to assess the robustness of the created index to weighting variations and indicator selection. „Insensa-GIS is an interesting open source software, especially impressing by its speed and usability. The software is completed by the integrated sensitivity analysis and the possibility to import self-made plugins.“ said Philipp Arndt, one of the workshop participants.
Have a look at the Insensa-GIS homepage http://www.insensa.org to get more information about the software and to download it for free. (Lisa Freudenberger)