In 50 yrs:
RTK will be the way most surveyors survey. There will be absolute coverage. Accuracy will be incredible. 1-4MM will be normal. Multipath will still be an issue, but you will still get REAL accuracy numbers, as in it will tell you a much better error estimate.
The data collectors will be directly hooked to the office, while working.
And, we still won't fish enough!
Nate
It won't take fifty years!
I think we will never see these accuracies but will see faster nationalizations and maybe some performance under certain canopies.
I think land based positioning will take over because of costs and other things. One example is at:
http://mining.leica-geosystems.com/products/Jassist/Jps/
But you are right... we will still not fish or hunt or have enough fun. Seems like surveying is a love that you just cannot get enough of and seems to get in the way of just having fun.
>
> The data collectors will be directly hooked to the office, while working.
>
We are already there. Both Trimble and Leica have this capability and our crews use it everyday to transmit data back and forth to the office.
"We are already there. Both Trimble and Leica have this capability and our crews use it everyday to transmit data back and forth to the office."
great. What was that survey contract addendum related to the price difference if the client wanted to help? Is there a corollary here?
Just before reading your link I was about to say that I expect to see some type of local (or ground based) radio system working in sync with gps that will overcome the problem of canopy. I hadn't thought of systems like this which could do away with the necessity for gps altogether. This might be the future.
It doesn't replace gps, it just assists it. It doesn't use a world wide reference like gps does so it will never replace gps.
> Just before reading your link I was about to say that I expect to see some type of local (or ground based) radio system working in sync with gps that will overcome the problem of canopy. I hadn't thought of systems like this which could do away with the necessity for gps altogether. This might be the future.
The use of VRS tied to state plane, and the other fancy things will cause certain groups to lobby politicians to attempt a change in boundary surveying procedures so that anybody can do it because of all of the simplicity in obtaining accuracy, and we will have a harder and harder time explaining to the public that it is more to boundaries than precision.
RTK may be one of the tools of the land surveyors, but other
technologies will evolve.
Close range aerial photography techniques will gather the majority of data.
The need for a real-time GIS will drive communication systems along with
more advanced GPS and other surveying tools.
In 50 years, I will be near death. Who knows what new technology will exist. 50 years ago, there were no RTK or lasers to shoot distance. We read verniers with magnifying glasses....well, I didn't but, you know, someone did.
I remember when computers and internet came on the scene. Sputnick was put launched in 1958. The first man on the moon was within the last 50 years. So much stuff can happen in 50 years. Within 50 years, we developed and retired a space program!
50 years from now.....whew....who knows what may be happening.
Low cost handheld cloud point scanners
I don't think the surveying profession slash trade slash industry will exist in its current form 50 years from now.
"slash industry"
I remember our beloved Texan taking our beloved Oklahoman to task, and rightfully so, for speaking of our efforts as an "industry."
He spoke hilariously of "survey factories" as I recall.
Deral, at the time, was in the thrall of P.O.B and whatshername, having danced with her at some conference.
Anyway, Kent rose to the occasion and called B.S.
Don
"slash industry"
I was just being inclusive of all our brethren.
Wm Powell and Myrna Loy are on now in After the Thin Man (1936).
