Category Archives: Energy/Utilities
Another Curveball: Coronavirus and Geospatial
Out of the blue, we’re facing another curveball. The current global concern (COVID-19, aka the Coronavirus) was generally not anticipated, and the situation changes daily. It was hoped that, by the time this is published, the situation would have calmed dramatically—but sadly it has taken a turn for the worse. Thus far disruptions have only...
Outlook 2020’s 40 Under 40
The following is xyHt’s 2020 collection of 40 under 40: profiles of motivated and accomplished young professionals under 40 years of age. Click on each name to view their profiles below. Kwabena Obeng Asiam Researcher & Lecturer – Leibniz University Published PhD candidate in land administration; FIG Young Surveyors Ghana Evaluating the evidence and making...
The Evolution of Using Lidar
Above: Gary Rust (left) and Anthony Whitlock from Springs Utilities pose with their LiDAR USA HiWay Mapper HD. The history of a Colorado utility systematically deploying lidar technology reveals lidar’s journey as an asset. Located at the base of Pikes Peak on the front range of the Colorado Rockies, Colorado Springs Utilities is a city-owned...
RFID Crazy
Above image: A Berntsen RFID reader is being used in conjunction with a smart phone. RFID-enabled infrastructure marking could become a cornerstone for a connected infrastructure management world. Imagine if all public works engineers and utility company crew chiefs were equipped with a mobile device that could easily and accurately identify every piece of infrastructure...
Who Does SUE?
Subsurface utility engineering lies at the intersection of surveying and engineering. Over the years I have had many discussions with folks in the broader engineering and survey world about subsurface utility engineering (SUE) regarding both the practice and the terminology. One of the main discussions has been whether the practice aligns more closely with engineering...
AI-enabled UAS Inspection
AI provides UAS users with biased analytics, the ability to analyze data for insights, and the knowledge of when to act. Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the center of controversies regarding jobs and employment. Will AI take away all our jobs? While some jobs will indeed change or disappear as they have always and will...