Category Archives: Surveying
3D Straight Down
Seeing down manholes in detail is an innovation made possible with 3D scanning. [Above image: Deploying the camera system down a manhole to access the Hooksett, New Hampshire sewer system. No breaching of the hole happened, which is a serious OSHA consideration. (The GibbetMount shown here has a steel casing that’s since been upgraded to...
Preserving History, One Monument at a Time
From editor Scott Martin: The original purpose of this guest article by Michael McGee, PLS, et al, was to protect the integrity of this historical monument and its position, which were imperiled by plans to make improvements to the Washington Square Park. Michael and several others, including Dave Doyle, NGS retired geodetic surveyor, quickly researched...
Examining Captivate
Above: A crew chief with BL Companies of Connecticut begins his day working with Captivate. The evolution of 3D surveying field software and Leica Geosystems’ Captivate might surprise you. Editor’s Note: Captivate has been widely implemented among Leica Geosystems users for several years now. In many ways it was a dramatic leap for Leica Geosystems—going...
Mine Surveying
Advancements in this discipline reflect changes in productivity and data flow for surveying. Mine surveyors are responsible for maintaining an accurate plan of the mine as a whole, and they update maps of the surface layout to account for new buildings and other structures. They also survey the underground mine workings in order to keep...
Surveyors Are Like Musicians
Don’t underestimate the value of talent. All 26+ years that I worked in the geospatial industry were with survey instrument manufacturers (Trimble and Leica Geosystems, plus start-up Cyra Technologies). But it was only in the most recent years of my time in the laser scanning segment that a major realization hit me about the full...
Close Enough for Government Work
Image above: High-tension measurement: Credit NOAA National Geodetic Survey. We have all heard it, most likely have even said it. I have. And we probably meant it as a negative, implying sloppy work. However, researching the origin of the saying revealed that it was born during World War II and meant excellence, as in: if...