What I really wanted to see was more detail about how the Segway and the robotic wagon worked out! Interesting article, BUT nothing really news breaking other than those two items... In fact, It kind of seemed more of a thinly disguised Trimble Ad, but maybe that is just my cynical view! I have long siad if I had an extra $5K or so to blow sometime I would buy a Segway, first time I have seen an article where one was used in surveying, but not much detail.
I have used the 400 version of his ATV, very good machines, nice ride, lots of responsive power, good in four wheel drive, reliable, etc. No complaints about the Can Am products at all.
SHG
> In fact, It kind of seemed more of a thinly disguised Trimble Ad, but maybe that is just my cynical view!
I had a rule when I was editing Professional Surveyor: you get to call out the name of the manufacturer once for each piece of equipment, after that I replaced it with a generic term (First use "Trimble R8 Rover", after that it was just "the rover")
ATV is really useful for traversing along Forest Roads. I-man (that was me this week) drives the truck. Target setter (that was my partner, also licensed) drives the ATV, sets traverse points, running backsight and foresight. We have 3 tribrach/targest in use so that I take the instrument down off the tripod and put up my next backsight. Put the instrument in the truck, drive down to the next station. The truck does not have to turn around. This really speeds things up especially on long sights. ATVer goes down and gets the last backsight and drives it up to the next foresight while I take down the target at the instrument station and set up the instrument (tripod already there).
In the winter we borrow an ATV from the Forest if we need to work on roads that are closed to truck travel. They don't want us tearing up the roads with the truck and I don't want to get stuck down at the bottom of a steep, wet, clayey road.
