Trimble has introduced the the R12 GNSS receiver, a high-performance GNSS surveying solution. Powered by a new real-time kinematic (RTK) and Trimble RTX positioning engine, it features Trimble ProPoint GNSS technology that empowers land surveyors to quickly measure more points in more places than previously.
Surveyors who work in challenging GNSS environments can use the Trimble R12 receiver to help reduce both the time in the field and the need for conventional techniques such as using a total station.
The new Trimble ProPoint GNSS technology allows for flexible signal management, which helps mitigate the effects of signal degradation and provides a GNSS constellation-agnostic operation.
In head-to-head testing with the Trimble R10-2 in challenging GNSS environments such as near and among trees and built environments, the Trimble R12 receiver performed more than 30 percent better across a variety of factors, including time to achieve survey precision levels, position accuracy and measurement reliability.
“As a leader in the field of GNSS technology and innovation, Trimble dedicated many years of intensive research into developing the Trimble R12,” said Ronald Bisio, senior vice president of Trimble Geospatial. “This has culminated in a first-class solution, which enables our users to extend the reach of their systems to places where other RTK GNSS systems experience degraded performance.”
MicroSurvey has released MicroSurvey CAD 2020. MicroSurvey CAD is powered by the latest IntelliCAD 9.2 engine, providing users with unencumbered survey drafting and calculation workflows, including COGO, point tools for gridline-based projects, traverse input and adjustment, misclosure reporting, common data collector support, 3D surface representation and computation, corridor design, point cloud management and more.
MicroSurvey CAD is perpetually licensed and is powered by IntelliCAD, which is compatible with AutoCAD drawing files. With five available feature levels — Basic, Standard, Premium, Ultimate and Studio — MicroSurvey CAD gives users the choice between several tiers of features to ensure they are getting precisely the tools and price point they need.
Notable improvements in MicroSurvey CAD 2020 include:
IntelliCAD 9.2 which includes full support for AutoCAD 2018-2020 .dwg files, performance enhancements, new BIM tools, a block editor, start page, drawing cleanup tools, selection cycling, digital signatures, and much more;
Arc Labels have been drastically improved to utilize ArcAlignedText objects, which can be slid along an arc or polyline arc, in/out from the radius point, flipped upside down, and detected in the Lot Closure routine. Text on Arc also utilizes the ArcAlignedText objects to be editable as a single entity;
Upgraded CSMap Library includes over 125 new coordinate systems for Africa, Asia, Europe, Australasia and the U.S.
Details are available in the MicroSurvey CAD 2020 Release Notes.
CHC Navigation has launched its LT700H RTK Android tablet, designed to increase efficiency and productivity of the mobile field workforce in applications requiring centimeter-to-decimeter positioning accuracy.
Photo: CHC Navigation
Portable, rugged and versatile, the LT700H enables precision GIS data collection, forensic mapping, construction site layout, environmental surveys, landscaping and earthmoving jobs.
Powered by 184-channel high-performance GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou module and a superior tracking GNSS helical antenna, the LT700H provides position availability in demanding environments. Its integrated 4G modem ensures seamless communication from field-to-office and robust connectivity to GNSS real-time kinematic (RTK) networks corrections.
“With the LT700H RTK Tablet, we are offering a professional and accurate GNSS solution to any mobile applications requiring high-portability,” said George Zhao, CEO of CHC Navigation. “The LT700H enables further use of GNSS technology, from single operator to companies with large field crew.”
Combined with CHCNAV Landstar 7 field data-collection software, the LT700H has a vibrant 8-inch IPS sunlight-viewable screen that perfectly displays GIS data tables, vector and raster maps or high-resolution pictures.
The LT700H Google GMS certification guarantees compatibility with any common GIS and mapping Android applications.
Eos Locate for Collector combines three core technologies: Eos Arrow GNSS receivers, Esri Collector, and the Vivax-Metrotech vLoc Series of locator devices.
With Eos Locate for Collector, one field worker can collect both GNSS locations and locator data (such as depth below cover) for any buried asset including water, sewer, electric, cable, gas, fiber infrastructure and more. They can do so quickly, accurately and without the need for any additional field or office support.
“We are giving our Arrow GNSS customers a solution today that allows them to combine both locator data and high-accuracy locations in web maps,” Eos CTO Jean-Yves Lauture said. “This greatly simplifies their workflow by allowing one person to do underground locates and GIS mapping simultaneously.”
“This is a big step forward for utility organizations who need to gain better visibility of their infrastructure,” said Doug Morgenthaler, Esri program manager. “With today’s technology, utilities can already see where new assets are being put in the ground. The challenge historically has been figuring out where existing assets are.”
Eos Locate for Collector not only streamlines underground-asset mapping, but also improves office production times. It eliminates the need to manually combine datasets from the locator and GPS devices within ArcGIS.
“Seeing all that information from utility locators and GPS receivers packaged directly into a GIS application is exceptional,” Vivax-Metrotech Eastern Regional Sales Manager Kelvin Cherrington said. “This solution will help utilities create maps of their underground assets with a much more modern and efficient methodology.”
Indiana American Water Early Adoption
Earlier this year, Indiana American Water approached Eos to seek a solution that consolidated their utility-locate workflow with their Arrow and Collector field work.
“We had the manpower to put paint down,” said Todd Chapman, Indiana American Water Senior GIS Analyst. “But we would need to hire another person to map the locations with our Arrow Gold GNSS receivers.”
Chapman estimates Eos Locate for Collector will cut their field time in half as well as enable the creation of extremely accurate buried-infrastructure maps in ArcGIS.
“Previously, we were seeing that our old water mains could be off by up to 20 feet,” Chapman said. “With the new Eos Locate for Collector, we’re seeing that it’s accurate to under an inch.”
The initial release of Eos Locate for Collector runs on Apple’s iOS iPhones and iPads and supports the vLoc Series from Vivax Metrotech. Future releases of Eos Locate for Collector will support additional locator models including the vScan series.
With accurate digital twins of their buried infrastructure, utilities across sectors can expect improvements to safety, damage prevention, field efficiency and regulatory compliance.
“Not only does this mean quicker responses to 811 tickets and fewer liabilities during field digs,” Lauture said. “But it also constitutes a major step forward toward the highly efficient future of 3D asset management and viable augmented-reality workflows.”
Lidar USA is partnering with Innoflight Technology, a manufacturer specializing in UAV systems for surveying, mapping and inspection.
As a result of the partnership, Lidar USA is offering the Galaxy 950 platform to carry any of its sensors while consistently providing flight times over 30 minutes.
Based in Somerville, Alabama, Lidar USA specializes in the design and integration of economical lidar sensors.
Innoflight and Lidar USA’s partnership is another step for both companies to offer turn-key solutions focused on quickly and safely acquiring high-quality data.
Innoflight designed the Galaxy 950 to simplify the flying aspect of remote sensing with UAVs. The helicopter includes a parachute, automatic takeoff and landing, and extended visual-line-of-sight capabilities to maximize productive time.
For corridor/electric utility line projects, the Galaxy 950 pairs well with the recently announced CL-90 by Teledyne Optech. As the first integration partner of the new compact lidar system, Lidar USA is offering maximum productivity at UAV flight ceilings while achieving improved canopy penetration and exceptional downward point density.
“Lidar USA and Innoflight Technology are both committed to customer success, and this partnership provides the whole package for lidar mapping solutions with UAV,” said Jeff Fagerman, CEO of Lidar USA. “Innoflight’s Galaxy 950 offers exceptional performance in safety, flight duration, and ease of use, which is what our customers need for their projects.”
The Galaxy 950 is now available from Lidar USA as an integrated package with any of their scanning systems.
The New Handheld Is Designed for Data Collection for Land Surveying and Geospatial Information Systems (GIS)
Photo: Geneq
Geneq Inc. has added a new data collector to its SXPad product line. The rugged SXPad 1500 data collector features a full alphanumeric QWERTY keypad and long-range Bluetooth, and was designed to meet the rigorous IP67 standard to deal with challenging field conditions.
The SXPad 1500 and its 5-inch sunlight-readable touchscreen can be connected to any GNSS receiver or compatible robotic total station to ensure the success of all survey projects.
Driven by a 1-GHz processor and the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, the field collector is a high-performance device designed to provide the power needed to work with maps and large data sets in the field, as well as many software solutions.
With its integrated cellular modem and Wi-Fi standard, the SXPad 1500 offers wireless connectivity for internet access and GIS data transfer. This feature will be helpful for setting parameters and configuring the SXblue PREMIER and F90 or any real-time kinematic (RTK)-compatible GNSS receiver.
The SXPad 1500 has a GNSS internal module that delivers adequate performance for certain GIS field data collections.
Equipped with an internal memory of 1 GB (memory can be expanded to 16 GB with an SD card), the SXPad 1500 provides enough storage space for data recording. Users will benefit from its high-performance lithium battery allowing uninterrupted field operation for up to 8 hours.
This powerful new capability assists organizations in the engineering, environmental consulting, construction and public utilities sectors that use custom mobile data collection apps built with Flowfinity to survey and inspect work sites.
The Zeno GG04 plus is a rugged, flexible and easy-to-use smart antenna from Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon. It uses RTK technology and Precise Point Positioning (PPP) to make high-accuracy data collection possible in real-time even in demanding locations without the need for a mobile data connection.
Photo: Flowfinity
The combination of state-of-the-art Zeno GNSS technology with the workflow automation features in Flowfinity Actions is a game-changing update that will save hours in the field while providing location data accurate to five decimal places for analysis in the office.
“This is an exciting update for any organization that needs to record accurate site survey data as part of their digital mobile workflows,” said Larry Wilson, VP Sales & Marketing, Flowfinity. “Field users in engineering and related industries can now collect some of the most precise GNSS readings possible and have that info available in their existing Flowfinity applications. This opens up significant opportunities to become more efficient on-site.”
All Flowfinity applications deployed on Android and iOS devices can now leverage the Leica Geosystems antenna to achieve 5 decimal place accuracy for GNSS location data.
For example, if an environmental consulting firm needs survey quality GNSS data to be collected and submitted during site inspections, they can now deploy field workers with Leica GG04 plus Smart Antennas to record data directly into their Flowfinity mobile applications, rather than performing manual data entry or relying on much less precise data from internal mobile device sensors.
Flowfinity is used across industries including environmental services, engineering, construction, municipal governments and utilities for driving efficiency and streamlining operational workflows.
Bentley is a global provider of comprehensive software and digital twin cloud services for advancing the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure, and Topcon is a leader in positioning technology for the survey and construction industries.
The companies made the announcement at The Year in Infrastructure Conference, held Oct. 21 in Singapore.
Digital Construction Works has a global staff of digital construction experts and provides digital automation, integration and “twinning” services around a portfolio of fit-for-purpose software and cloud services from Topcon, Bentley, and other software vendors. The venture was created to realize the “breakthrough potential of constructioneering” for industrializing construction, according to a press release.
Bentley Systems and Topcon joined forces in 2016 to jointly develop enhanced integration between their respective MAGNET and ProjectWise cloud services so that engineering and construction workflows could be integrated for improved project quality and performance.
Since then, Bentley and Topcon have continuously introduced innovations in surveying, reality modeling, scheduling and logistics, work packaging, machine control, and progressive assurance for construction.
In 2017, they opened Constructioneering Academies, including at Topcon’s “sandbox” facilities, for construction professionals to experience new digital best practices, first-hand. During 2018, the companies assimilated Bentley’s SYNCHRO and Topcon’s ClearEdge3D acquisitions into constructioneering offerings.
Digital Construction Works is chartered to embed its experts within constructors’ major project teams to advance and optimize constructioneering processes for delivering better design-build outcomes.
Through its digital integration services, to connect and automate constructors’ existing processes with constructioneering, Digital Construction Works can make the best projects better while also helping to institutionalize these digital workflows throughout a constructor’s full project portfolio, the companies said.
At the same time, experiences gained by Digital Construction Works will help guide Bentley Systems and Topcon in prioritizing their constructioneering software development investments.
Digital Construction Works is led by CEO Ted Lamboo, previously senior vice president of strategic partnerships for Bentley Systems, and COO Jason Hallett, formerly vice president of digital construction and business development for Topcon.
Greg Bentley, CEO of Bentley Systems, said, “When we and Topcon recognized the opportunity for constructioneering to finally industrialize capital project delivery, we committed respectively to completing its software requirements. Indeed, our new software capabilities make possible construction digital twins—converging digital context, digital components, and digital chronology. What remains, in going digital for infrastructure construction, is for constructors’ people and processes to take advantage of the technology. We and Topcon have now in turn committed many of our best resources, professionals experienced in both construction and software, to serve shoulder-to-shoulder, in virtual hardhats, to innovatively advance the required digital integration. The Digital Construction Works joint venture has the full management and capital commitments of both our companies, multiplying its unique strengths for helping to realize constructioneering’s potential to close the world’s infrastructure gap.”
Ray O’Connor, president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems, said, “What Topcon and Bentley Systems initiated in recent years was done in the spirit of changing mindsets and processes on how we approach construction, and that collaboration has led to the development of this joint venture. The creation of Digital Construction Works perfectly aligns with our focus of helping the industry succeed in meeting infrastructure demands through technological innovations. Through the new organization, companies will have the opportunity to integrate hardware and software capabilities to more quickly and efficiently adopt new technology for more rapid productivity improvements. With customized services to address the individual needs of an organization, widespread adoption and technology improvements can be more readily realized. We are excited to take this journey with Bentley Systems in moving the industry forward.”
The new GSAGNSS Market Report is now available for download. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the GNSS market and the global industry, as well as a focus on EGNSS differentiators and synergies with Copernicus, according to the publisher, the European GNSS Agency (GSA).
Areas covered include:
A general overview of the GNSS market and a global industry overview.
Analysis of macro-trends affecting GNSS, including climate change and the circular economy, big data, artificial intelligence, the silver economy, cyber security and the sharing economy.
A review of the main GNSS market segments in detail, including trends and developments, forecasts for future shipments, revenues and the GNSS installed base, and a look into GNSS user requirements.
GNSS in Space. This year, the report features the “Editor’s Special: GNSS for NewSpace,” a section that introduces GNSS receivers in satellites and their relation to the evolving space sector.
GNSS market monitoring is a key activity of the GSA. Market monitoring supports GNSS stakeholders in their planning and decision-making, and offers a clear tool to understand GNSS trends and evolutions.
Since its launch in 2010, the GSAGNSS Market Report has become the go-to-source for information on the dynamic, global GNSS market segments and applications.
Haiti Outreach is on a mission to bring clean drinking water to 100% of Haitian communes. The non-profit organization is using EOS Positioning Systems’ Arrow Gold GNSS receivers to transform how water access is addressed.
In the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation, poverty and corruption have stifled development. But Haiti Outreach is using geospatial software and donations to ensure every household has access to clean drinking water. Their technology includes mWater, EPANET, and Arrow Gold with Atlas.
In this video, you’ll hear from Haiti Outreach Director Neil Van Dine and Eos Positioning Systems CTO Jean-Yves Lauture on the importance of combining spatial strategy with a human element.
In Haiti 95% of unprotected springs are contaminated with E. coli, with 48% of water infrastructure across 50 communes delivering water contaminated with E.coli (Haiti Outreach 2018 study). For 22 years, a nonprofit called Haiti Outreach has tried to increase access to clean water by drilling wells for Haitian communities (called communes).
Haiti Outreach tried drilling new wells, but that didn’t solve the problem. The answer is education. “It’s all about creating a transformation in the way we think,” Van Dine said. “Water is free, but somebody has to maintain the well, replace parts, and so on in the long term. All those things cost money.”
Achieving a 50-cents per household fee for maintenance, Haiti Outreach still needed to know if everyone in Haiti had access to clean drinking water. The organization needed to know the location of every household in relation to water sources. They also needed to know if these water sources were clean, contaminated, functioning or broken.
Outreach decided to use the open-source hydraulic-modeling software EPANET, from the U.S. government, and hired mWater to build an integration. By running population-density overlays in mWater, it was possible to identify where there were enough households (25) to create a revenue stream to support a new well. With 100 households, the revenue could support a new in-home water-distribution network.
Photo: Haiti Outreach
They also used Android phones and Arrow Gold with Atlas. By pairing the Arrow Gold with Atlas, they were able to get decimeter accuracy. (Atlas is a satellite-based differential correction service.)
“The Android phones got about 10 meters of accuracy on their own,” Haiti Outreach fieldwork coordinator Micki Johns said. “But the Arrow Gold with Atlas got us within that decimeter range.”
Data collected in mWater went into EPANET to simulate water pressure and flow.
Haiti Outreach used the findings to develop a community action plan (CAP). The CAP prioritized cleaning contaminated sources and ranked contaminated sources by the highest number of people who would benefit from a decontamination.
My last column highlighted the next phase of the National Geodetic Survey’s (NGS) GPS on Bench Marks program; that is, the development of the 2022 transformation model. It provided web links to material explaining the new GPS on Bench Marks program. NGS continues to update this site so I would encourage users to periodically check the site for updates. At the time of this column, the site was updated on Sept. 13. See the box titled “GPS on Bench Mark Web Page.”
This column is going to focus on the newly released beta version of NCAT 2.0, which includes the new beta version of VERTCON 3.0. See the box titled “NGS Product Updates.”
On Sept. 24, NGS sent an NGS News Update through its data delivery system. See the box titled “NGS News Announcement of VERTCON 3.0.”
NGS News Announcement of VERTCON 3.0
Image: National Geodetic Survey
As a side note, anyone can sign up for NGS News announcements by clicking on the button titled “Subscribe for email notifications” on the left side of NGS Home Page. See the box titled “Subscribe for NGS Email Notifications “
First, NGS published a technical document that provides a brief history of previous versions of the VERTCON model and the technical details of the new beta VERTCON 3.0 model. The report is titled “NOAA Technical Report NOS NGS 68,The VERTCON 3.0 Project” and can be downloaded here.
NGS decided to update the existing VERTCON tool with two primary purposes in mind:
to support as many of the vertical datums of the NSRS as possible, and
to prepare users for the new North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022 (NAPGD2022).
NGS plans include incorporating the new VERTCON 3.0 model into its integrated products and services. See the box titled “Excerpt from NOAA Technical Report NOS NGS 68, The VERTCON 3.0 Project: Motivation for VERTCON 3.0.”
As a matter of fact, the beta version of VERTCON 3.0 is included in an updated beta version of the NGS Coordinate Conversion and Datum Transformation Tool (NCAT). This column will provide examples converting NGVD 29 heights to NAVD 88 heights using the new beta versions of NCAT and VERTCON.
Excerpt from NOAA Technical Report NOS NGS 68, The VERTCON 3.0 Project: Motivation for VERTCON 3.0
The greatest driver for VERTCON 3.0 was the pending release of NAPGD2022, expected in late 2022. As part of that release, NGS intends to release grids to transform between existing vertical datums and NAPGD2022. As the build software used to create all previous versions of VERTCON was no longer available, it was decided (like NADCON; see Smith and Bilich, 2017) to completely recreate the entire suite of VERTCON build software.
However, unlike horizontal datums, the history of vertical datums at NGS is, as mentioned earlier, quite limited. As a transformation can only exist if two datums are released in a region, this limits what expansion to VERTCON 2.1 might be possible. Nonetheless, most regions at least had “Local Tidal” heights published by NGS as well as some other official vertical datum of the NSRS, so a decision to support transformation in these regions was made.
Knowing that such a re-build would replace VERTCON 2.1, the new project and its build software were designated from the beginning as “VERTCON 3.0”.
Other expected advantages with this project were the chance to update documentation and the delivery of the transformations, through incorporation into newly integrated products and services like the NGS Coordinate Conversion and Datum Transformation Tool (NCAT, available at https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/NCAT/) and VDatum (available at https://vdatum.noaa.gov/).
Users can access the VERTCON 3.0 model by clicking on the VERTCON 3.0 link on NGS Home Page. It will direct the user to this website.
See box titled “VERTCON 3.0 Web Site.” The user can also download the Technical Report from this site.
Clicking on the “Access Tool” button” connects the user to the Beta NCAT website. See box titled “Beta NCAT Website.” Two links have been highlighted in the box: “About Conversion Tool” and “Horizontal+height.”
The default values for the beta NCAT are “Horizontal” and “Geodetic lat-lon.” If the user wants to use the VERTCON 3.0 option, he or she must click on the button “Horizontal+height.”
Clicking on the “About Conversion Tool” provides a brief description of the tool. I’ve highlighted a section in the description that should be pointed out to users. See the box titled “NCAT Brief Description” and the statement below.
“Please note that, although either orthometric or ellipsoidal heights can be used as inputs to NCAT, at this time NCAT does not convert between orthometric and ellipsoidal heights. Only orthometric-to-orthometric and ellipsoidal-to-ellipsoidal height transformations are currently possible in NCAT.”
What this means is that you can convert, at this time, stations located in the Conterminous United States and Alaska from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88, and from NAVD 88 to NGVD 29. In order to convert from one orthometric height system to another, you have to click on another button. I’ve highlighted the button in the box titled “Single Point Conversion – Horizontal+height.” Clicking on the button “Horizontal+height” initiates another set of buttons under the section titled “select a height.” There are two options ellipsoid or orthometric. The ellipsoid button is the default option. If you want to convert a height from the NGVD 29 datum to the NAVD 88 datum the user needs to select the button titled “orthometric.”
Single Point Conversion – Horizontal+height
Image: National Geodetic Survey
The box titled “Select a Height Option” is a screenshot of the site after the user clicks the “Orthometric height option. The user can now select the input and output vertical datums. The input and output datum options are highlighted in the box.
Select a Height Option
Image: National Geodetic Survey
Once you select the input and output vertical datums, you need to input the latitude and longitude of the station, select the reference frame, and input an orthometric height value to be converted. You must enter an orthometric height that you want to be converted. The box titled “Converting from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88 – Input Parameters” provides an example for station RU 36 (PID FA1337) located in Rutherford County, North Carolina.
Converting from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88 – Input Parameters
Image: National Geodetic Survey
After you enter your input parameters, click on the button titled “Convert.” The box titled “Converting from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88 – Output Solution” provides the output from Beta NCAT tool. The input height and output heights are highlighted in the box. The solution also provides an estimate of the accuracy of the value (SigOrthoht).
Converting from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88 – Output Solution
Image: National Geodetic Survey
The published information for RU 36 (PID FA1337) is listed in the box titled “Published Information for Station RU 36.” The NGVD 29 height converted to a NAVD 88 orthometric height from the Beta NCAT tool agrees with the superceded NAVD 88 height to within a couple of millimeters (281.753 m minus 281.755 m = -0.002 m). Saying that, the station was superseded with a GNSS-derived orthometric height and the difference is a little larger, 281.79 m minus 281.753 m = 0.037 meters. I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with the conversion model, I’m only highlighting that, in this case, it agrees with the NAVD 88 leveling-derived heights even though that station has been superceded by a GNSS-derived orthometric height. Users should be aware of this.
Published Information for Station RU 36
Data: National Geodetic Survey
Also, it should be noted that the current version of VERTCON is based on published NAVD 88 heights as of a certain date. If a station has been readjusted since VERTCON 3.0 was generated, then the difference between the modeled value and the published value may be different. The actual difference will depend on how much the newly published orthometric height differs from the previously published orthometric height. If a single station’s height changed due to being disturbed by a local phenomenon such as road construction equipment, then the VERTCON value should still be valid.
However, if the heights of several stations in a region changed due to a regional phenomenon such as crustal movement and/or a large adjustment distribution correction due to a regional vertical control network adjustment, then the VERTCON values may not provide the best estimate of the difference between the two datums.
An example of this is provided in the boxes titled “Published Information for Station R 1036” and “Converting from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88 – Output Solution for Station R 1036.” Station R 1036’s NAVD 88 height was updated in September 2019 ,which was after the creation of the VERTCON model. This means that the latest published NAVD 88 height (6.269 m) would not have been used in the model. The newly adjusted NAVD 88 height and the superseded height differ by –23.7 cm (6.269 m – 6.506 m). In this case, this is not an isolated change of a single station’s published height. The adjusted heights of the stations in the region have all changed due to apparent crustal movement and/or a large distribution correction due to a vertical network adjustment.
Published Information for Station R 1036
Data: National Geodetic Survey
The box titled “Converting from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88 – Output Solution for Station R 1036” provides the converted NAVD 88 height using the NCAT tool. The converted NGVD 29 to NAVD 88 value differs by 23.5 cm (6.504 m minus 6.269 m). Which is expected because the newly published height and superseded height differ by 23.7 cm. It agrees to within 2 mm of the previously published NAVD 88 height (6.506 m minus 6.504 m = 0.002 m). Once again, this is not implying that there is something wrong with the VERTCON model. It’s only to note the limitations of the model. Users need to remember that it is a model and it does not produce geodetic quality coordinate values.
Converting from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88 – Output Solution for Station R 1036
Image: National Geodetic Survey
Users can also convert from other vertical datums published by NGS. These datums include:
Puerto Rico Vertical Datum of 2002 (PRVD 02)
American Samoa Vertical Datum of 2002 (ASVD 02)
Northern Mariana Vertical Datum of 2003 (NMVD 03)
Guam Vertical Datum of 2004 (GUVD 04)
An example of converting a station with a PRVD 02 orthometric height to a Local Tide (LT) value is provided is the boxes titled “Converting from PRVD 02 to Local Tide (LT) – Input Parameters“ and “Converting from PRVD 02 to LT – Output Solution for Station 11 R RESET.”
Converting from PRVD 02 to Local Tide (LT) – Input Parameters
Image: National Geodetic Survey
Converting from PRVD 02 to LT – Output Solution for Station 11 R RESET
Image: National Geodetic Survey
Notice that the difference between the PRVD 02 and converted LT value differ by 0.062 m but the accuracy estimate is +/- 0.102 m.
In my opinion, the VERTCON model and the NCAT tool are extremely helpful tools to the surveying and mapping community. NGS is developing these models and tools to support the implementation of the North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022 (NAPGD2022). I would encourage all users to download the technical report and perform a couple of conversions in your area of interest.
NGS would like individuals to use the beta products and services and provide feedback. What do you like about the tool and its features? What would you like changed or added to the service? I hope everyone will try the beta version and contact NGS with their comments.
NGS is in a listening mode and wants to develop models and tools to assist users in their transition to the new reference frames in 2022. This is your opportunity to let NGS know what you need (desire) to implement the new reference frames.
Real-time network availability grows in appeal, extent
State of the GNSS Industry respondents who identified themselves as being from the survey sector constituted 28% of the total, roughly corresponding to the percentage of the magazine’s readership.
In similar results to 2018’s study, the most promising and practical way to gain the increased accuracy that survey and other high-precision applications demands, the choice was “dual-frequency, dual- or multi-constellation GNSS,” followed by “real-time kinematic.” The newest application in the survey, ”real-time network (RTN) availability,” came in a close third. GNSS receivers with inertial correction devices or remote sensing capability, while increasing in product exposure and advertising, continue to remain low on the respondent’s agenda.
While not surprising that dual-frequency, dual- or multi-constellation GNSS would remain on top of the list with RTK capability coming in second, what is surprising is how RTN availability is a primary choice of many of those answering the poll questions. Coverage of RTN networks is expanding, so many surveyors must be taking advantage of them, seeing the value of not relying on a base station RTK setup.
With the advancements in 5G cellphone coverage, it would not be startling to see this category increase significantly in the coming years. I also foresee an increase in precise point positioning (PPP) usage with UAV implementation because the cost of entry is quite reasonable.
What is the most promising and practical way to gain the increased accuracy that survey and other high-precision applications continue to demand? (Chart: GPS World)
The Role of Drones. This year’s question on what role drones (UAVs) will play in the next three years for the survey sector was expanded to include the broad range of remote-sensing modules being added to the aerial vehicles — and based upon the responses, rightly so.
More than 32% of the poll-takers replied that UAVs with remote-sensor capability will perform up to 50% of our field survey tasks. Those who feel that drone technology will only perform one-tenth of the survey tasks fell to 35%, down from 42% in 2018.
However, those who felt UAVs will perform up to half of survey tasks rose significantly, from 9% last year to 23% this year. Bringing up the bottom were those who felt drones will perform 80% of field tasks along with gradually phasing out field surveyors, coming in at 5% each.
What role will drones (UAVs) play during the next three years in the survey sector? (Chart: GPS World)
The expansion of remote-sensing methods (photogrammetric, lidar, hyperspectral, etc.) now available on UAVs has increased the viability for more data collection by autonomous and pilot-controlled methods. Increases in software capability, ease-of-use and storage capacity is leading to more surveying and mapping implementation in everyday tasks.
The overall increase in those who see UAVs becoming more prevalent in a surveying department’s service offerings should not be surprising as more firms adopt the newer technology to maintain a competitive edge. We will continue to watch this trend, noting how the surveying profession both adapts to emerging technology and how that will affect the workforce. The rise from 1.3% to 5% of those who feel traditional tasks by field surveyors will begin to disappear is not troublesome, but may be a sign of changes in our near future.
The surveying industry continues to embrace GNSS and UAV technology along with the advancements happening on nearly a daily basis. More professionals are upgrading to remain current with the market trends, so staying in tune with the technological advancements is a major key to success.
TIM BURCH is a professional land surveyor and secretary on the board of directors, National Society of Professional Surveyors.
