CHC Navigation has released LandStar8, a field surveying and mapping application for Android devices. LandStar8 is designed to be flexible and user-friendly for surveying and mapping tasks.
LandStar8 is versatile, modular and customizable for topographic tasks such as surveying, stake out, cadastral, mapping and geographic information systems (GIS). Building on the legacy of LandStar7, the new LandStar8 provides features such as a refined user interface, streamlined workflows, faster operation, and integrated cloud services.
“With LandStar8, we want to provide our users with unprecedented field experience,” said Rachel Wang, product manager of CHC Navigation’s Surveying and Engineering Division. “LandStar8’s modular design allows users to customize the interface according to their usage habits, making it easier and more efficient for field crews to work.”
Cloud connectivity is built in, for backup, data storage or remote technical support.
LandStar 8 has a simple and intuitive layout with large map windows and sharp graphics. Users can hide features they rarely use and display only those they need.
On LandStar8, users can copy coordinate settings, control and staking points from another handheld controller by scanning a QR code. Projects can be edited and sorted by history and attributes. Custom coordinate systems, geoid models and coding libraries can be updated at any time by using resource packages. LandStar8 also features a terrain calibration wizard designed specifically for non-expert users.
A proprietary MetaCAD graphics engine opens DWG and DXF base maps faster and with smoother rendering. DXF files up to 200 MB can be opened in less than 10 seconds. LandStar8 also supports opening external reference files, automatically recognizes CAD length units, and allows editing of CAD base maps directly in the field.
LandStar8 is designed around a comprehensive cloud-based architecture that supports project backup, collaborative work and data storage. Its remote support capabilities help the office helpdesk resolve user problems and provide personalized technical assistance. A “share code” feature allows users to transfer project data between desktop computers and field controllers or among field controllers quickly to further boost work efficiency.
Mason and Dixon were pioneers in bringing geodetic astronomy to the American colonies. Through the efforts of the Mason and Dixon Line Preservation Partnership, we can promote this scientific contribution along with the placement of the boundary stones.
Ask surveyors why they became engaged in the profession and why they had continued with it, most will centralize on one aspect: working outside. A career that allowed them to work outside in various environments, solving problems, and being part of a solution is typically the main answer they give.
Depending on the task at hand, a day in the field surveying can take one to several places, including urban/suburban neighborhoods, construction sites, and agricultural/wooded farmland.
View from Mason Dixon Stone #95 looking toward Maryland. (Image: Tim Burch)
My entry into surveying was no different. From residential sites, condominium surveys, boundary and topographic surveys, and construction layout, my early years in surveying covered a lot of territory. While my career eventually took me out of the field and into an office managerial role, and now into leading a professional association, it does not erase the roots of one’s surveying knowledge and experience. Opportunities to be part of the field exercises of a survey, especially a boundary survey, are typically rare and subject to time constraints.
Having spent all my life in the flat topography of Illinois and surrounded by farm fields and urban sprawl, the ability to see for miles over the various horizons was the norm. Coupling these conditions with the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) and use of GNSS technology, it makes for a great environment for the professional surveyor to go about his or her work.
However, the United States covers many areas and contains distinct types of terrain, ecosystems and demographic groups that provide challenges to the surveyor. While I assumed moving from Illinois to the mid-Atlantic region would require adaptation, an opportunity to help retrace and inventory a significant part of American history provided me with an eye-opening experience. It also helped me appreciate the legacy of our surveying forefathers.
A small title dispute
Even in the 17th and 18th centuries, disagreeing title descriptions to common lands was an issue. Reviewing two conflicting legal descriptions describing adjacent land boundaries is the basis of this survey exercise, and thus began a symbolic establishment of a famous boundary line that would lead to political and demographic ramifications in later years.
Here is the situation:
1632: King Charles I grants to Cecilius Calvert (second Lord Baltimore), a royal charter for establishing a new colony north of Virginia to a point “which lieth under the Fortieth degree of north latitude” and westward to the source of the Potomac.
1681: King Charles II (eldest son of Charles I) grants William Penn a royal charter of land between 43° N and a line extending westward from “a Circle drawn at twelve miles distance from New Castle…” to “the beginning of the fortieth degree….”
1682: King Charles II grants to William Penn an additional grant in the Delaware peninsula, which Lord Baltimore claimed.
1685: King Charles II directed his Board of Trade and Plantations to issue an edict ordering that territory to be divide equally, the western half going to Baltimore. This order endorsed Calvert’s claim of a boundary line being 19 miles to the north and providing him claim to Philadelphia. Part of the edict placed a burden on Calvert of providing a survey to authenticate the claim, but the survey was not completed. The boundary would eventually be established 19 miles to the south.
1731-1732: Charles Calvert, the fifth Lord Baltimore, petitioned King George II for help in demarcating the final boundary. He agreed on the final boundaries; however, a commission created to study the legal claims failed to deliver instructions in which a survey would be based upon. Calvert disputed its interpretation and refused to implement the arrangements.
1730s: Ongoing conflict over the disputed land claimed by both people from Pennsylvania and Maryland resulted in Cresap’s War, named after the land agent, Thomas Cresap, hired by Calvert to settle new development. In 1736, Cresap was accused of murder, arrested by Pennsylvania officials and his housed burned was burned down.
1750: After years of bitter controversy, British Lord Chancellor Hardwicke ruled that the southern boundary of Pennsylvania should be a line running westward from the point at which the line dividing the Delaware peninsula was tangential to a circle with a radius of 12 miles from the center of Newcastle.
After 100+ years of boundary disputes and deadly confrontations, in 1760 Frederick Calvert was directed by the English monarch to accept the terms of the 1732 treaty.
Penn-Calvert Land Grant Agreement. (Image: National Archives)
The unfilled challenge, however, was to commission a survey to establish the terms of the agreed-upon boundary. Given that the final location of the Pennsylvania/Maryland border was geographically based (approximate latitude of N 39°43’20”), the surveyors chosen to establish this line would have to be knowledgeable in such calculations.
Finding qualified surveyors in the colonies turned into a bigger challenge than first considered, so the monarchy assigned two surveyors from the Royal Society (full name: Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge). Enter Jeremiah Dixon (surveyor) and Charles Mason (astronomer) — the field party charged with tackling this monumental deed.
The survey calculations of Charles Mason. (Image: National Archives)
We know them by name for the lines they established in fulfilling the requirements of the boundary agreement, but how they accomplished their task remains a mystery to most. Previous exercises using geographical position determination was used in the sailing and shipping industries with lesser degrees of accuracy. This assignment would require higher levels of accuracy and precision, hence the reason for calling upon Dixon and Mason for the task.
By using geodetic astronomy, they were able to determine accurate (for the period) geographical positions of latitude. Geodetic astronomy is the art and science for determining, by astronomical observations, the positions of points on the earth and the azimuths of the geodetic lines connecting such points. It relies on spherical astronomy, using calculations and techniques developed by the Greeks in the second century A.D.
Besides the knowledge of performing the necessary calculations, the duo would also need to possess instruments to gather the accurate astronomical information. The survey of the agreed-upon line was to be established upon a constant line of latitude. The survey procedures would require turning angles (azimuths) from their meridian westwardly with accuracy not yet utilized in the New World.
Both instruments used for the project were built by John Bird, a well-respected instrument maker in London. The equipment consisted of a zenith sector, capable of measuring to two arc seconds. No field azimuth instrument of this accuracy existed in that era. They also brought a converted telescope/level set up for surveying purposes. This transit has no divided horizontal “plate,” only a tangent screw for slow azimuth motion.
In addition to the instruments and astronomical tables from Greenwich and Paris, the duo relied on a highly precise clock for marking time by the second, which was quite advanced for the period.
Dixon and Mason spent the better part of 1766-67 establishing the agreed-upon line using astronomy via the Bird instruments and taking copious notes documenting their calculations and survey conditions.
Field notes from Jeremiah Dixon. (Image: National Archives)
The markers set along the way —stone monuments chiseled back in England with demarcations — were quite accurately established despite the primitive nature of equipment and methodology for the survey. Mason and Dixon laid out the 233-mile long “West Line” in short segments, following the latitude arc of approximately N39°43’20” for 233 miles westward.
Old line versus new technology
In 2020, the Maryland Geological Survey (MGS) and the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC), members of the Mason and Dixon Line Preservation Partnership, began a new initiative to inventory these historic markers and submit them for inclusion into the National Registry. If accepted, the monuments will be part of a program established to help protect and preserve these physical boundary markers that define the boundary between the two states.
Part of the inventory has been the recovery and position confirmation by volunteer surveyors from the Maryland Society of Surveyors (MSS) and the Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors (PSLS). Using a geographic information system (GIS) app designed and implemented by the Maryland Geological Survey (MGS), volunteer retracers capture significant attributes about each monument.
While reestablishing the latitude/longitude of the recovered monuments with a smartphone or handheld GPS receiver is sufficient, several volunteers have used high-accuracy surveying equipment to determine a monument’s position.
Incredibly, the variation in the location of a given monument is well within reasonable tolerances from the originally intended installation. Also, because of GNSS technology, we now know more about continental drift. Because of this additional knowledge, 250+ years of tectonic plate movement should be considered when making these positional comparisons.
It should be noted that these monuments are a critical component of the boundary between states, and therefore must be considered senior to many other survey corners set after them. We cannot get lost in the sentimental aspect of recovering the monuments and not acknowledge the fact these points are the gospel when it comes to defining these state boundaries.
A Midwesterner in a ‘foreign’ land
My surveying career, as noted above, was solely in a state that is 200 years old, based upon the PLSS, and does not carry the history of the Mason-Dixon era of line establishment. So, when I was presented with the opportunity to join fellow surveying professionals from Maryland and Pennsylvania in recovering Mason-Dixon monuments for the inventory, I found it an easy event to join.
The planned meeting spot was a local fast food place at 8 a.m. on a sunny Saturday. Being it was in a small town, there were several groups meeting for their normal Saturday coffee klatches. Hearing a group mention “surveying,” I found my opening to identify myself as a fellow surveyor. After opening pleasantries, we settled into a game plan for recovering the targeted monuments for the day.
Planning a day of stone monument recovery along the Mason-Dixon line. (Photo: Tim Burch)
We settled on our assignments and enthusiastically went about our way. My partner for the day was Eric Gladhill, a Pennsylvania professional surveyor and veteran of Mason-Dixon monument retracement. In addition to his volunteer work, he has also authored several articles and a book on his surveying experiences, so it was quickly evident that we were in for a good day.
The first monument was not difficult to get to, and seeing it nearly brought a tear to my eye. Here before me was my first sighting of a Mason-Dixon monument stone, and it was simply amazing. Standing there admiring this 250+ year old stone, hand cut and carved in England and brought here by ship to be specifically placed on this line, I could not help but realize the importance of this monument.
This line, and these stones, were the culmination of two land grants that disagreed with each other more than 400 years ago. We were standing in the same location as a large survey party once did, where they observed the stars to determine an accurate position and directed axmen to clear the untamed forest to establish this important line. While it was a warm and sunny day, it gave me a chill to know we were following in the footsteps of our surveying forefathers.
Mason Dixon Stone #98 – My first recovery! (Photo: Tim Burch)
We continued our way and recovered six more monuments, including a crown stone. Crown stones were placed at 5-mile intervals. The detail in the carvings for most of the monuments was noticeably clear, and is a testament to the craftsmanship of the era’s stonecutters.
Mason Dixon Stone #95, a crown stone. (Photo: Tim Burch)
While locating these historic monuments, were felt we were standing on hallowed ground. The location of this line was important enough that people, both indigenous and settlers, fought for the right to build their lives there.
This was also a line that would be the site of many battles during the Civil War. Observing these monuments drove home the fact that surveyors play important roles in establishing land ownership both today as well as almost 300 years ago.
Mason Dixon Stone #93, a Maryland side marking. (Photo: Tim Burch)
Mason and Dixon were pioneers in bringing geodetic astronomy to the American colonies. Their work has provided inspiration for future generations of geospatial professionals, yet most of the public does not know about that portion of their contribution. Hopefully, through the efforts of the “Mason and Dixon Line Preservation Partnership,” we can promote this scientific contribution of Mason and Dixon along with the placement of the boundary stones.
My heartfelt thanks go out to Eric along with Wayne Aubertin and Rob Kundrick (Appalachian Chapter of the Maryland Society of Surveyors) for allowing me to join them for this task. They gave me a chance to be a true surveyor again and connect the past with the future.
A new surveying and mapping textbook is now available on the OPEN Textbook network.
Written in English, the book provides an academic introduction to the field of surveying and mapping. It is based on handouts and readers written for the third-year course “Surveying and Mapping” in the civil engineering bachelor’s program at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands.
The textbook covers a wide range of measurement techniques, from land surveying using GPS/GNSS and remote sensing to the associated data processing, the underlying coordinate reference systems, and the analysis and visualization of the acquired geospatial information.
Although a few parts of the book are specific to The Netherlands, for the most part the material is applicable globally.
Surveying and Mapping
Authors: Christian Tiberius, Hans van der Marel, René Reudink and Freek van Leijen / Delft University of Technology / The Netherlands
Many have debated how the surveying profession has morphed into something less than what our predecessors would have called surveying.
In earlier times, the surveyor was an honored figure in the community and held in high regard, like the local doctor and clergy. Surveyors had the final word on boundaries and the limits of a family’s land holdings, so they were treated like royalty.
Measuring devices were simple yet complicated enough for only the trained person to understand how boundary lines were determined. Surveyors during those times depended much on natural monumentation and terrestrial features; these items made for solid and definable boundaries. Measurements along these features were to be completed only by surveyors and their means of determining distances.
Much has changed since those centuries past, including the reputation of the surveying profession. No longer are we mentioned in the same breath as doctors, clergy and lawyers. Even engineers are seen as “more professional” than surveyors. Many have debated how the surveying profession has been degraded from the noble status it once enjoyed and morphed into something less than what our predecessors would call surveying.
There are many layers to each of the previously described professions, but they all have several things in common: each one relies on data collection, analysis, and professional opinion. Each of these steps requires a specific skill set that includes education and experience. Nowhere in this process does it allow for advancing technology to completely replace any of these steps.
The evolution of technology and associated tools may help improve the profession, but it will not replace the knowledge necessary to be considered a true professional. Data collection within most professions is the biggest beneficiary of technology; surveying is a testament to these advancements. The breakdown, however, is the availability of the technology to the public and turning non-practitioners into low budget pseudo-surveyors.
Here is the abridged version of the definition of “professional” according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online:
professional (adjective)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession
: engaged in one of the learned professions
: characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession professional (noun)
: one who is professional
: one who engages in a pursuit or activity professionally
Similar professions have several examples of how the collection of data is a separate process and experience level from its analysis. Consider the following:
MRI technicians train for their jobs through education, interning and experience. They know how to place patients within the equipment, shield them, apply the rays, and produce the scans as required by their job description. In simple terms, they are data collectors of patients’ medical conditions. Technicians do not analyze the scans nor offer any opinion on the prognoses of the patients. They are, however, relied upon to obtain the proper scans correctly and efficiently for review by doctors.
Staff accountants or clerks are typically charged with data entry, maintaining ledgers and journals, and verifying data/entry accuracies. Often, clerks organize invoices, statements, and other receivables for input into clients’ accounts. Much of the work for this position is electronic and relies on the employees to be savvy with spreadsheets and able to import various data formats and spot suspect data. Once this work is completed, it become the responsibility of certified public accountants (CPAs) to review and certify the information. The key role here, however, is the accurate compilation of the accounting data.
Paralegals play a key role in doing the heavy lifting of data collection for lawyers. Paralegals perform client and case research, interview witnesses, handle discovery of case information, and draft many of the documents needed by lawyers. They are tasked with assembling exhibits, delivering and filing necessary court documents, and helping with trial preparation. While they cannot express legal opinions on any case matter, it is the paralegals’ work that lawyers use to develop case strategies. Once again, the data collection is the key to the success of the lawyers’ work.
Professional surveyors are no different from doctors, accountants, and lawyers in these examples. They rely on data collection obtained by experienced staff trained to operate sophisticated instruments and data collectors.
Field technicians often serve as surveyors’ eyes, so specific training is necessary to ensure that they can accurately locate the required information. Technicians, however, cannot offer legal opinions on the location of land and parcel boundaries.
This function is solely on the shoulders of land surveyors, who are licensed specifically in that jurisdiction to apply legal principles and case law to boundary issues.
There is one in every crowd — the North Carolina lawsuit
For those who are not paying attention, we are solidly in the 21st century and fully engulfed in the proliferation of geospatial data. Surveyors remain at the forefront of these technological advances with a plethora of tools and techniques being introduced on a regular basis.
These tools and associated software are much advanced compared to their earlier surveying instrument counterparts, but through extensive programming and easy-to-use interfaces, this equipment may seem simple to use to the layperson. The elder surveying generation likes to refer to newer technicians as button pushers, because the users perform no true calculations.
Yes, there are necessary checks and balances even with the new equipment, but the knowledge to operate these instruments is user-friendly and intuitive. So what happens when the technology is used by someone who is not a surveyor?
Among the hazards of making these newer tools and software widely available is how they are used by the non-professional public. As many surveyors have already read about in the news and social media, a UAV operator in North Carolina has filed suit against the NC Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors.
The board previously ordered the operator to discontinue his UAV flights that engaged in mapping, surveying and photogrammetry services. The operator had been providing images to realtors and homeowners that depicted graphical lines representing property lines, but also included a disclaimer that the product was not intended for surveying purposes. The board ruled he was surveying without a license. The operator is now suing the board and accusing them of violating his First Amendment rights of free speech.
This case is a high-tech example of what surveyors have faced in the past with overzealous owners of metal detectors. Many instances of low-budget outfits and even fence installers have been brought before state licensing boards because they misrepresented surveying services.
It should also be noted that survey field crews who use their equipment during off hours to help family or friends with property location without their licensed supervisor’s knowledge face the same consequences. While the “corner finders” are somewhat harmless and get a slap on the wrist from licensing boards, it is the high-tech offenders who are creating much of the harm to the public.
These situations with unlicensed surveying practices have greatly increased simply because of the available technology and low cost of entry. While GNSS receivers, robotic total stations, and associated data collectors are still quite expensive, new remote-sensing applications are being produced using consumer-grade equipment and advancing software. As technology continues to increase based upon miniaturization and capability, the costs also continue to decrease based upon volume of sales.
Leading the charge into non-licensed use of new technology is the UAV and the new standard use of GPS technology within its guidance system of reasonably priced units. Hobby planes and helicopters have been around for years but required lots of skill and space to fly and were quite expensive. The invention of the multi-rotor UAV with integrated GPS has created an easy-to-fly vehicle with lots of capability.
Couple this new vehicle with a high-resolution camera for photos and video; now it allows amateurs to be aerial cinematographers. Image storage space is not an issue due to increased SD card capacity and speed.
A well-built UAV with all these capabilities is now very affordable and available everywhere. This revolution has led to larger format platforms with more rotors and heavier payloads for more sophisticated cameras and sensors. Once you have the photos and video, now you must do something with them.
The advancement of software technology for processing photos, video, and remote sensing modules has become the hottest ticket in site modeling. The combination of the UAV’s capability and the software’s output enables trained pilots and software technicians to provide orthometric-based imagery. This imagery was previously completed by airplanes and cameras costing hundreds of thousands of dollars and processed by technicians on high-end computers using years of skill and experience.
This entire operation can now be completed by one person with less than a $5,000 initial investment. This is a far cry from the funding needed in years past to outfit a survey vehicle with the necessary equipment and personnel to do this same project.
Enter the FAA and new rules for flying unmanned aircraft. After much consideration, the FAA instituted guidelines for flying UAVs along with requiring a pilot’s certification to fly for commercial purposes. They also specified limits to UAV sizes and payloads, and limited flights to 400 feet above the ground.
Many companies have purchased UAVs to provide aerial photos of their own facilities and projects, but fail to realize that publishing their images or videos qualifies them as a commercial user. Unfortunately, these regulations are much like driving a car without a license or insurance — it is only against the law if one is caught.
The iPhone 12 Pro’s lidar scanner
Another technology that will be catching on soon is lidar imagery from smartphones. The Apple iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max contain sensors capable of capturing lidar data that is easily imported into computer drafting software. Several phone apps are also available for integrating this data into survey drawings. Geospatial data is literally at your fingertips.
50 states, 50 rulebooks
Rules and policies are put in place to regulate various professions and surveying is no different. The goal of these rules is simply to protect the public. Unlawful practice by non-licensed and/or non-qualified persons is a detriment to public safety.
The question is often raised about professional surveying licensure and the ability to practice in multiple states. Each state differs in statutory rules regarding boundary surveys. The colonial states (and Texas) follow a metes-and-bounds standard while the remaining states generally adopt a PLSS rule. Local surveying methods, terrain challenges and early settlers often affected the statutes enacted by each state, therefore variations in licensing must be applied to applicants.
However, the guiding principles for land surveyors remain the same in all states to protect the public. Boundary establishment and retracement is the sole responsibility of licensed land surveyors.
The tools of the trade are a completely different matter. Controlling the surveying services would be easier if the equipment and supplies necessary to do the work were only available to licensees, but the free market will never let that happen. If a company has $30,000 and wants a robotic total station but has no surveying license, the dealer will not stop the sale. When we drop the price tag to an $800 UAV purchase for performing aerial photography, no one bats an eye. As the cost of equipment continues to fall, the number of unlicensed users will climb.
Photo: Francesco Scatena/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
‘Men have become the tools of their tools’ (Henry David Thoreau)
The point of this topic is that surveying is not about the tools necessary to complete the task. Surveyors carried out their work for thousands of years before electronic instruments and can continue to do so if they choose. The advancement of the equipment and the technology has made it easier for surveyors to do their work, but the true meaning of the task lies within the profession.
Boundary analysis and determination is the responsibility of land surveyors. Data collection for that analysis can be completed by technicians using a variety of measuring tools. The team works together to complete the surveying process.
Anyone can buy the tools; that, however, does not make them qualified to use them properly. It is not reasonable for one to buy a scalpel and offer brain surgery with a disclaimer. Ask any surveyor; there are some boundary retracements that are the equivalent of brain surgery. And we do not get to put a disclaimer on it.
The webinars, GeoBits, which are based on the organization’s GeoBytes webinar series, will be free and recorded.
The first webinar, titled “The First GeoBit: Career Opportunities in Land Surveying,” will take place at 2 p.m. Eastern time on April 30. This webinar, hosted by licensed land surveyor Ryan Swingley, will discuss career opportunities in land surveying. Swingley will explain what surveying is and how it affects the physical world around us. The webinar, designed for kids in the eighth to twelvth grades, will cover different career segments in land surveying and the future job outlook. Register for it here.
The second webinar, titled “The Second GeoBit: Studying Population Change using Interactive Mapping Tools,” will take place at 2 p.m. Eastern time on May 5. The webinar, hosted by geographer Joseph Kerski, will Explore how to examine patterns of population change, migration and demography with interactive web maps and web mapping applications. During the webinar, designed for middle school students, Kerski will investigate how 2D and 3D maps can be accessed, modified and turned into online presentations. Register for it here.
The third webinar, titled “The Third GeoBit: Product Management, 3D and maps,” will take place at 2 p.m. Eastern time on May 8. Hosted by Esri Group Product Manager Chris Andrews, the webinar will cover product management and how to guide the development of a product from concept to sale to use by a real-world person to accomplish work. Register for this webinar, targeted for middle school students, here.
Established in 1934, the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing is a scientific association serving over 2,000 professional members around the world, providing its members professional development through education and networking experiences, professional certification, publications, scholarships, and other services.
Topcon Positioning Group announces the release of the latest addition to its ES total station series in the Americas, the ES-60. Featuring advanced reflectorless capabilities and an upgraded data-transfer functionality — the new ES-60 is designed to provide an entry-level total station option with a fast and powerful EDM.
“The ES-60 is an excellent solution for customers looking for the dependability and accuracy of the ES series in an entry-level package,” said Ray Kerwin, director of global surveying products. “Incorporating all the time-honored expectations of the ES series along with a reflectorless EDM of up to 350 m, and 4000 m with a prism — the instrument also offers a USB option for quick and easy data transfer.”
The ES-60 offers 2- and 5-arc second accuracies. “It’s ideal for land surveying, topography, construction layout, foundations and exterior job sites as well as as-built projects,” said Kerwin.
Additional features include 10,000 points of memory, a battery life of up to 15 hours, dual axis compensation, a waterproof design and a laser pointer.
Ubisense Group plc, an enterprise location-intelligence solution company, has released version 2 of myWorld Inspection & Survey. Version 2 of the software offers a host of new features to transform the way utility and telecommunications teams conduct inspections and surveys.
myWorld Inspection & Survey enables field workers to collect inspection data on any mobile device, eliminating paper-based processes and is a dramatic improvement on first-generation software solutions, Ubisense said. Users now have the flexibility to run the system on iOS, Android or Windows and dynamically push both data and application code updates, significantly reducing IT management costs, UbiSense said.
Based on discussions with existing customers, Ubisense has also incorporated a range of new workflow and data capture features to make day to day inspections and management even easier. Users of myWorld Inspection & Survey are now able to:
Carry out multiple surveys concurrently, significantly improving productivity.
Assign multiple crews or surveyors to a single survey or inspection order, enabling support of a wider range of existing business processes without requiring any product customization.
Support for “dual pass” surveys, in which each survey item needs to be visited twice in order for the survey to be regarded as complete.
Enhanced map filtering, to allow users to only display items relevant to the survey(s) that they are currently working on.
Process checks to automatically turn off surveying when the vehicle speed exceeds a specified value, avoiding accidentally marking something as surveyed incorrectly.
“We know that our customers want the flexibility to use any device in the field,” said Peter Batty, Geospatial CTO at Ubisense. “We allow them to run iOS, Android or Windows with a single application giving them more flexibility in device selection and future proofing their hardware decisions.”
MicroSurvey Software has released MicroSurvey CAD 2016, the newest generation of its desktop survey and design program for land surveyors and civil engineers. Powered by a new IntelliCAD 8.1a engine and enhanced with a suite of new point-cloud management tools, the software makes high-impact drafting and design fast and intuitive, the company said.
Users on multi-core computers will experience up to 300 percent faster performance compared to previous versions, which substantially improves productivity. Navigation has been enhanced through a new ribbon interface with high-resolution icons that provide easy access to frequently used tools. The newest version of the software is also able to open and export DGN files, handle annotation scaling, and publish drawings as DWF/DWFX, PNG and JPG files.
Point Clouds. The new release includes significant enhancements for working with point clouds. The Ultimate and Studio versions of the software are now powered by the same point-cloud engine that drives Leica Cyclone and CloudWorx software, making it possible to directly import Leica Cyclone and Leica JetStream databases using Cyclone dialogs.
Users can view panoramic photographs captured by the laser scanner and snap to points directly from the photographs in a TruSpace window. Point-cloud data is now displayed directly within the CAD model space.
MicroSurvey CAD is compatible with field data from all major total stations and data collectors and is fully compatible with AutoCAD; 64-bit and 32-bit versions are available.
Handheld Group, a manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, has launched the Nautiz X8 rugged PDA. The Nautiz X8 is a handheld computer with superior processing power, screen performance and battery life, the company said. It is built for tough field conditions primarily in GIS, land surveying, public safety, forestry and the military.
The Nautiz X8 is built to enable efficient and reliable data collection in tough environments. It has an IP67 ingress protection rating, which means it offers complete protection against dust and sand and can withstand immersion in water. It also meets stringent MIL-STD-810G military test standards for overall durability and resistance to humidity, shock, vibration, drops, salt and extreme temperatures.
The Nautiz X8 features a high-performance Texas Instruments 4470 dual-core 1.5 GHz processor. It has 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of iNAND Flash and a 5200 mAh Li-ion battery that lasts up to 12 hours on a single charge. It comes with a choice of operating systems — Android 4.2.2 or Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5.3.
The device has a large 4.7-inch ultra-bright capacitive multi-touch screen with chemically strengthened Asahi Dragontrail glass, offering users brightness and protection in any field condition. The unit has an ergonomic design and weighs 490 grams (17.3 ounces).
The Nautiz X8 has a dedicated u-blox GPS receiver, Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11b/g/n WLAN functionality, as well as connectivity through GSM/UMTS or CDMA phone data transmission. A built-in 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash lets users capture visual data quickly and easily. This handheld also features an open architecture and an extension cap system that allows for additional hardware connections such as sensors, radios and other add-ons.
Orders for the new Nautiz X8 can be placed immediately. First deliveries will begin in November.
The Nautiz X8 rugged handheld will be shown first at WEFTEC in New Orleans, followed by InterGeo in Berlin.
