Eric D. Colburn, PLS

Here’s a cool video of the Vienna City Hall (Rathaus) based on LIDAR data, Orthophoto, Terrestial images and Cadastral map. Nice music, too! Read the rest of this entry →

FARO Technologies Spherically Mounted Retroreflector (SMR)

FARO Introduces World’s Most Accurate Break Resistant SMR as Part of Expanded Line of Laser Tracker

FARO Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: FARO), the world’s leading provider of portable 3D measurement and imaging solutions, announced the release of the world’s most accurate break resistant spherically mounted retroreflector (SMR) as a part of their newly expanded line of laser tracker targets.

SMRs offer Accuracy, Durability, and Affordability

FARO’s new break resistant SMRs offer the accuracy, durability, and affordability needed in today’s Read the rest of this entry →

PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR SURVEY

In this week’s PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR SURVEY I’m asking the question:

Post Great Recession-Are Jobs Going to Come Back?

I’ve been thinking lately about what the jobs situation in the land surveying industry will look like as as a full recovery takes hold and the Great Recession, hopefully, comes to an end. Lately I’ve heard several experts talk about jobs and the economy discussing how this will not only be a jobless recovery, but that in certain fields some jobs will never come back. In many respects, I believe this will be true for professional land surveyors and all land surveying technicians.

The times They Have A Changed!

Regardless of the current economic conditions and times, although significant, if you look at the history of land surveying there is one very important truism: As technology has increased the number of surveyors to complete the work has decreased. If you’ve been surveying for any amount of time, think back to how many people worked on your field crew and how many people it took in the office to get that work done. If you go way back, was it four or more people on your field crew and nearly an equal amount in the office? If you go back to when I started in the mid 1980′s, there where three field crew members and at least two to three surveyors or drafters working in the office (this doesn’t include clerical workers).

However, shortly after I started surveying the Total Station with built-in EDM became commonly used, and the field crews were reduced to two people. Over time, the office became the same way, in that personnel was reduced as software like AutoCAD was adopted. Where it was common to have an office survey technician do basic reductions and control plotting, a drafter plotted field notes and prepared plans, and a professional land surveyor calculated boundaries and provided professional oversight, it didn’t take long after automated drafting and surveying software took hold that the work it formerly took many people to complete could now be completed by one person. And now, with Robotic Total Stations and GPS, it’s becoming more commonplace to only have only one person working in the field.

But here’s the rub: Before the Great Recession hit, many professional land surveyors had not moved to use systems, both in the office and in the field, to increase productivity and reduce the total amount of employees required to complete their surveys. Since then, how the times they have a changed! With a lack of work and with no cash flow, many firms have been forced to cut to the bone and work with skeleton crews. Some, like myself, had invested in “Solo-Surveyor” equipment like Robotic Total Stations and GPS, so they could work with as little as one person (if there was work at all).

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Professional Land Surveyor News

MAPPS Seeks Legislation in Congress to Authorize “Imagery for the Nation” “Making America Prosperous (MAP) Act” Would Create National Geospatial Image Maps

A bill to authorize the program known within the geospatial community as “Imagery for the Nation” is being presented for introduction in Congress, MAPPS announced today.

“‘Map it once, use it many times’ is not only a mantra in the geospatial community, but it is technologically feasible through the use of satellite and aerial imagery and geographic information systems. To save tax dollars, create private sector jobs, and provide baseline geographic data for economic development and a variety of other applications beneficial to government programs and private business and investment, MAPPS is urging Congress to authorize and fund a program of geospatial image maps of the United States through a bill known as the Making America Prosperous Act, or MAP Act,” said Jeff Lovin, PS,CP, (Woolpert, Inc, Dayton, OH) MAPPS President.

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Microsurvey's Point Cloud CAD 2010

Leica Geosystems and MicroSurvey Extend Software Partnership

(Houston, 8 February 2010) Based on rapid growth of High-Definition Surveying™ (HDS™) in civil/survey mapping applications, Leica Geosystems, the market leader in laser scanning products, and MicroSurvey Software Inc., a leader in mapping software, announced plans at SPAR 2010 for Leica Geosystems to resell MicroSurvey’s new PointCloud CAD mapping software on a global basis.

The new PointCloud CAD software was developed by MicroSurvey using Leica Geosystems’ point cloud engine (pcE) technology to efficiently manage large laser scan data sets from any scanner or aerial Lidar as users process point cloud data into mapping elements in the software’s final deliverables. The product is planned to be available from Leica Geosystems Feb. 15, 2010.

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Professional Land Surveyor News

Trimble Introduces New Additions to its Optical Total Station Portfolio

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 12, 2010 — Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB) introduced today a wide range of new additions to its innovative portfolio of optical survey systems, giving surveyors a comprehensive selection of solutions for surveying and engineering applications.

“Surveying firms require flexible and integrated solutions to stay competitive. This is why Trimble’s Connected Site solutions are becoming the industry standard in Integrated Surveying techniques,” said Chris Gibson, vice president for Trimble’s Surveying Division. “One of our key objectives is to deliver versatile and scalable solutions that enable surveyors to quickly adapt to new market conditions.”

Trimble S8 Total Station

Originally introduced in 2007, the Trimble® S8 Total Station is Trimble’s most advanced Autolock® and Robotic total station. New 0.5″? accuracy models have been added for demanding engineering projects such as monitoring, precision build, and high-speed railway applications that require the highest levels of accuracy available.

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PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR SURVEY

In this week’s PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR SURVEY I’m asking the question: Do You Use Laser Scanning?

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This Professional Land Surveyor Survey has been brought to you by EricColburn.com, The Professional Land Surveyor Source.

3D Laser Scanner Combines Phase and Time of Flight Technologies
for Fast and Accurate Data Capture

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 29, 2009 — Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) introduced today the Trimble® CX 3D laser scanner with Trimble’s proprietary WAVEPULSE™ technology. WAVEPULSE combines the high short-range accuracy of phase-shift technology with the low-noise sensitivity and high-distance characteristics of time-of-flight technology. The result is high-precision measurements over the full operating range that provides the clean 3D data needed for industrial plant scanning applications—allowing the user to realize increased productivity and reduced operating costs. And by requiring fewer setups and enabling faster processing time in an industrial plant environment, the Trimble CX solution can contribute to improved worker safety.

Built for Efficiency in the Plant

The Trimble CX solution is built for efficient data capture in the plant. With reliable scanning at 50,000 points per second and an 80 meter range with a 360 degree x 300 degree field of view, the solution provides widespread and efficient data capture from a single setup. A rugged design, IP54 rating and protective housing for the rotating laser allow the scanner to deliver continuous and reliable results even in difficult industrial environments. An integrated camera collects additional image information that can improve the visualization, post-processing and communication of the captured data.

The Trimble CX is supported by Trimble Access™ software for Spatial Imaging, which runs on the Trimble Tablet rugged PC. Powerful and built for industrial conditions, the Trimble Tablet combines a large, daylight readable display, IP67 environmental rating and long battery life that can easily withstand the demands of plant environments. With intuitive and streamlined Trimble Access Software, capturing data with the Trimble CX requires a very short learning curve. Data can be seamlessly transferred to Trimble’s 3D scanning office software packages: Trimble RealWorks™ and Trimble LASERGen™ software.
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How cool is this!

3D laser scanners were used in the new Radiohead music video of their song “House Of Cards”. I remember the first time I saw a demonstration of a 3D laser scanner, where the conference room and a mans upper torso and head were scanned, and thinking “this is really cool!” – Apparently it’s Rock and Roll cool!

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Topcons new fully Integrated 3D Laser and Digital Imagery Mobile Mapping System for GIS data collection, the IP-S2.

IP-S2 features:

• High definition mobile 3D mapping
• Dual frequency GNSS tracking
• High Accuracy 6-Axis IMU Integration
• Odometry inputs from on-board vehicle CAN bus or wheel encoders
• Supports multiple laser scanner models for operator and application flexibility

Watch the Topcon P-S2 3D Laser and Digital Imagery Mobile Mapping System for GIS Data Collection:

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