Category Archives: Surveying

Ray O'Connor

Topcon Positioning System’s Ray O’Connor on Infrastructure

Topcon Positioning System’s president and CEO, Ray O’Connor, speaks to xyHt about the U.S.’s infrastructure needs and how to meet them.  Ray O’Connor, president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems, has many passions: producing advanced measurement and automation equipment and software, family, golf, and the subject of infrastructure—more specifically, the lack of long-term infrastructure planning. Putting...

certifications Surveying has been practiced for millennia, but licensing in U.S. states has been around for a little over a century; a substantial amount of foundational surveying was in the pre-licensing era. Many developed countries do not have licensing but have variations on education and certification. The best model best works, and what model would best serve the profession and the public, moving forward? (Image: 1846-1854 Colton Solar Compass, National Museum of American History)

Certifications or Licensing? Part 6

Part 6 of 6: Building a Surveyor Professional Certification Program Editor’s Note: What will regulation, certification, and licensing of the surveying profession look like in the near and distant future? Surveying is and always has been molded by external influences: markets, technologies, economic conditions, demographics, and competition from outside of the profession. Other professionals, consumers,...

Stockpile AR Site View

Mainstreaming Augmented Reality: No Headset Required, Part 1

Augmented reality technology is rapidly evolving into the mainstream; now you can employ and enjoy AR on your smartphone. Let’s start with Apple’s ARKit, a software developers’ kit (SDK) for augmented reality. Apps developed on this platform will work with all iPhones and iPads that use the A9 or A10 processor and are running iOS...

A survey vehicle equipped for motorized trig leveling.

Motorized Trig Leveling

In Denmark, a new approach is boosting productivity in maintaining precise vertical data. EDITOR’S NOTE: Conventional surveying wisdom holds that differential and spirit leveling—and, specifically, digital—are superior to trigonometric leveling. But, with today’s improved instruments, software, and methods (developed over several decades of testing by many parties), results have shown that trig leveling can, if...

Disaster Relief Fund for Surveyors

Surveyors helping surveyors. The National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) Foundation Disaster Relief Fund is offering financial assistance for surveyors affected by the recent, multiple,and devastating, disasters—and seeks donations. Click here to see before and after images of Hurricane Harvey, courtesy of Woolpert; the ArcGIS Disaster Response Map showing the wildfires; and the National Hurricane...

5 gis commons certifications

Certifications or Licensing? Part 5

Part 5 of 6: Proposing a National Program for Surveyor Education and Certification Editor’s note: What will regulation, certification, and licensing of the surveying profession look like in the near and distant future? Surveying is and always has been molded by external influences: markets, technologies, economic conditions, demographics, and competition from outside of the profession....