Category Archives: Surveying
The Surprising HP Z2
A CAD designer reviews the HP Z2 workstation Editor’s note: Unless you’re looking in specific computer trade publications, you might not run across reviews of new PCs or workstations. The halcyon days of PC development in past decades and the battles for “bigger and more powerful” have given way to steady (but relentless) improvements. So,...
Equipment Theft
We’re battling surveying and mapping equipment theft in South Florida and we need your help. Data collection is the foundation from which maps are made, and a majority of this data has its origins in the field. Unfortunately, criminals repeatedly target the equipment used by surveyors and mappers due to the instruments’ value and relative...
Unmanned Lidar in the Air
A discourse on UAV lidar from the perspectives of a vendor and a user. IS A UAV LIDAR SYSTEM REALISTIC? While UAV lidar is definitely a breakthrough for vendors and users alike, is it enough? Can UAV photogrammetry deliver what is really needed by the surveyor and engineer? Indeed it can, but only in part....
Organic Integration of UAS in the Pacific Northwest
A mapping and design firm in the Pacific Northwest implements UAS in diverse urban and rural environments. Editor’s Note: Integration (or not) of UAS by geospatial firms runs the gamut from outright dismissal of the technology, to firms taking a wait-and-see stance, to companies subcontracting out UAS services. Then there are those, like the mapping and...
Destiny: I Was Meant to Be a Surveyor
Even though I didn’t realize it at the time, I had two experiences in my youth with direct links to me becoming a surveyor. Were they omens or simply coincidences? There’s no way of knowing, but I like to think they were part of my early survey indoctrination. My father was a high school teacher,...
Wind, Water, and Fire: Hurricane Response in the Geospatial Community
Response, recovery, and rebuilding in the aftermath of hurricanes Harvey and Irma and the unprecedented wildfire season in the West may be the largest combined U.S. disaster response to date. The impacts to Texas, Florida, the broader Gulf Coast region, and many western states will require large national and international effort. We are all involved;...