This will be hard to explain, but hopefully someone will get where I'm going with this.
I have been working with an associate on a high precision horizontal observation network which surrounds a large pond on a mountain. The pond is surrounded by earthen dams, and its failure would be catastrophic. There are roughly twenty horizontal control points which are measured annually and processed to determine whether there is evidence of movement.
Perimeter of the pond is approximately 20,000 feet.
Highest quality Leica equipment is used (Professional 5000), and is expensive. My associate has 10 sets of legs, tribrachs, GZR3 adapters and GPH1P precision prisms.
Because there are more points to be observed than we have setups for, we have to move the setups around.
My question is - is there some sort of software that might be used to optimize the movement of the equipment, develop a repeatable sequence that is most efficient for time, fuel usage, etc.. Also, that might be used to analyze the costs and benefits associated with purchasing additional equipment, etc.
From engineering school, I recall that this sort of study was associated with industrial engineering, but I never got into it.
UPS and many other companies must use some sort of software to do this.
One hard part of this is to state the exact problem you're trying to solve. In very broad terms, you're looking at a complication of the classic traveling salesman problem. The complicating factors are the costs -- both current (gas, etc.) and capital (additional equipment.)
This link describes the traveling salesman problem and why it's so hard to solve: http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/tsp/
If you Google "traveling salesman problem software" a host of stuff of various quality and usability will appear. Also, Google "Hamiltonian circuits" for a bit more about defining the problem you want to solve.
Big Al, post: 328487, member: 837 wrote: This will be hard to explain, but hopefully someone will get where I'm going with this.
I have been working with an associate on a high precision horizontal observation network which surrounds a large pond on a mountain. The pond is surrounded by earthen dams, and its failure would be catastrophic. There are roughly twenty horizontal control points which are measured annually and processed to determine whether there is evidence of movement.
Perimeter of the pond is approximately 20,000 feet.
Highest quality Leica equipment is used (Professional 5000), and is expensive. My associate has 10 sets of legs, tribrachs, GZR3 adapters and GPH1P precision prisms.
Because there are more points to be observed than we have setups for, we have to move the setups around.
My question is - is there some sort of software that might be used to optimize the movement of the equipment, develop a repeatable sequence that is most efficient for time, fuel usage, etc.. Also, that might be used to analyze the costs and benefits associated with purchasing additional equipment, etc.
From engineering school, I recall that this sort of study was associated with industrial engineering, but I never got into it.
UPS and many other companies must use some sort of software to do this.
I would probably start with Wolfram Mathimatica...
Thanks for the suggestions.
I looked at the Traveling Salesman Problem website, and it does appear to be analogous, but might even be more complicated than that, as it is not just one salesman, but two (the instrument man and the rod man, so to speak).
Wolfram Mathimatica. Wow, that's interesting. I found a website describing this software, but looks like a BIG project to figure out how to apply it to this problem. Maybe it IS a big problem.
Big Al, post: 328558, member: 837 wrote: Maybe it IS a big problem.
May we safely assume that you've already eliminated the solution of changing your monitoring technology? Might a GPS approach be used to eliminate the need for line-of-sight instruments with all their associated logistical challenges?
Jim,
That's an interesting point. This is not my project, so I have not been involved in its design. Also, this monitoring strategy has been used for many years. That said, I believe that the use of a total station for this effort will yield more precise results than a GPS approach. For the sake of this discussion, I'd say it is safe to assume that changing the monitoring technology is not an option.
Al
