Land surveying technology, where'd we come from, and where are we going?

nate-the-surveyor · 2021-01-03T18:15:00Z

The last 50 year's have taken us from: Transit, tape, and clinometer Transit / theodolite top mount EDM Manual angle reading theodolite, and digital EDM where you have to key in slope angle, combined with slope distance, to obtain horizontal distance. Fully electronic battery powered total stations. This led to data collectors, that became affectionately called "electronic field books". SDR 22, and hp 48 were some of the first. Then along came huge L-1 GPS units, that worked better when there were enough satellites in view. This was often at night. Then REAL TIME gps came along, with an whole host of complexity, radios, wires, frequencies, and protocol. Then, this expanded, to allow Russian Satelites, and, the game was on for real.?ÿ Shots in moderate woods was allowed, if adequate time, and redundancy was allowed, to "eliminate bad fixes". Now a days, we have USA satellites, Russian satellites, European satellites, and Chinese or Asian satellites. This is just for navigation, and positioning. I have lived through these transitions. Where are we going? I think we are going to nearly full cellular coverage, in developed countries. Along with more satellites, and more satellites. Also, lidar is on some cell phones.?ÿ I think someday, we will have GPS and Lidar fully integrated, on practically all gps.?ÿ I think we will have better sonar, that can scan lake, and river bottoms, with ease. The whole world will be better understood, concerning flood plains, and BFE's. Politicians will still be lying, and surveyors will have to understand projections, scale factors, and converging angles better.?ÿ Those who ignore progress, will get passed by. Drones will become as common place as data collectors, and prism poles.?ÿ Clients will want deliverables, with aerial photography taken on the day, or week of the survey. Lidar and digital terrain models will be expected, in conjunction with the survey. Most surveys will be expected in electronic format, for integration with project goals. But, the one thing that won't change is the hunger for a good bowl of hot beans and cornbread, or a steak, at the end of a long day. We are at the end of a long era of change/progress. And We are at the beginning of a new era, where every deed is available, to the surveyor, that could possibly affect a boundary decision. Online, and readily available, to lawyers, and realtors too.?ÿ Plats will be all online. Non recording states, will eventually become recording states. We will still be setting corners, driving rebar, pipes, and stobs.?ÿ Everything that can be known, about a particular piece of property will be known. For example, you will be driving across a field, and your alarm will go off, saying "stuck vehicle alert, mud bogg ahead, turn 90 degrees left". When you price a survey, you will be able to look at a color coded map, with "get stuck areas in red" etc. The information age is upon us, and we will be expected to provide/integrate it, for the benefit/use of our clients. We will have to know expected uses, and liability could come from failure to anticipate. In 20 years, many things that are gas powered, will be electric. Not by law, but because they work better. Perhaps battery powered utv's and mowers. These are here now, but not common place. These will be more common place. An understanding of all these technologies will be needed, and put to use. And, folks will still fight, but the format, and media for the fight will be different. Good data will be known and recognised almost immediately, as will bad data. It won't take 20 years to be "discovered". Weather prediction will improve, but not by a huge margin.?ÿ Dogs still won't settle for "the internet". They will want a good walk. Where they can smell stuff, and pee. Virtual walks won't cut it with dogs. Humans will still go "to the gym". Maybe even more. But, that's enough speculation, for today. I hope you enjoy the "brave new world" of today. Nate ?ÿ

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Strictly Surveying

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micheal-daubyn-2

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@holy-cow

There are companies in Australia already doing that. The registered surveyor deals with the client, then the survey technician goes out and collects the data, the data gets sent to a draftsman in the Philippines where the plan gets drawn up for $3/hour, then back to the registered surveyor to sign off on.

Scary. Too many gaps in the chain for my liking.

Posted : January 7, 2021 4:05 pm

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Land surveying technology, where'd we come from, and where are we going?

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