All posts by Gavin Schrock

Mapping What Lies Beneath

The tools and resources for mapping underground infrastructure are rapidly evolving, but to keep up we must change our mindset of underground utility mapping.

BIM, a Basilica, and a Balloon

An award-winning digital twin project is interesting on many levels, and not just because it features one of the world’s most famous landmarks.  Shown above: The AI-driven camera-based solution Italferr developed to capture the upper dome and galleries. Source: Italferr Davide Porzio, CDE manager, BIM coordinator, Italferr S.P.A. speaks enthusiastically about building a  digital twin...

Preparing for the Effects of Solar Cycle 25 on GNSS Applications

As we head into the peak period for the current solar cycle, high-precision users can use space weather status and prediction resources to help plan field operations. Plus, receiver manufacturers have developed advanced mitigation solutions. Solar Cycle 25, so named as the 25th of the 11-year (approximate) cycles since 1755, when extensive recording of the...

What’s Inside Your GNSS Rover? Part 3

The third and final installment of a look at the inner workings of high-precision surveying rovers. In parts one and two, which appeared in the two previous issues, we focused on antennas, amplification, housing, channels, boards, and gates. This installment continues with signal matching, positioning engines, and additional components.  Matching Signals To distill the observed...

What’s Inside Your GNSS Rover? Part 2

The second installment of a three-part look at the inner workings of high-precision surveying rovers. In Part One of this series (xyHt magazine, September 2023 issue) we focused on the antenna, amplification, and housing elements of rovers. This installment continues with channels, boards, and gates.  Channels There is a lot of misunderstanding about what receiver...

What’s Inside Your GNSS Rover? Part 1

The venerable GNSS rover, has evolved into an essential part of a surveyor’s toolkit, although some mystery remains as to what that magic box does and how it does it. To demystify this, we engaged GNSS engineers to help craft this three-part “explainer” series. Part one  The work of a surveyor requires a lot of...