Eric D. Colburn, PLS

Professional Land Surveyor News

Professional Land Surveyor News: First China-Made Unmanned Aerial Photography Systems Delivered

People’s Daily Online reports that on April 15 the first batch of 17 light, fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial photography systems was delivered in Beijing, China to the surveying and mapping departments of 16 provinces and municipalities.

Chinese surveying and mapping departments have begun to extensively apply UAV aerial photography systems for the first time. Previously, the use of UAV aerial photography was employed during disaster relief efforts, like in the aftermath of the Wenchuan earthquake.

China sees UAVs as providing the following:

• Improving emergency support service capacity relating to surveying and mapping.
• Allows for rapidly taking HD photos within small areas that are hard for general aerial flights.
• Play an important role in developing a Digital China.
• Facilitate monitoring of geographic information.
• Improving social-management efficiency (I’m not sure what this means? Sounds scary, though it probably refers to managing development).

“Xu Deming, vice-minister of the Ministry of Land and Resources and director general of the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM), said that acting as a powerful supplement to traditional aerial photography, the UAV aerial photography system is characterized by its flexibility, high efficiency, accuracy, low cost and wide application scope.”

Professional Land Surveyor Source – People’s Daily Online

China Has a Plan

SBSM plans on increasing its use of these light, fixed-wing UAV aerial photography systems throughout China this year. The UAV systems, according to SBSM, provide for easy and efficient methods of surveying and mapping to obtain the following types information and data:

• Development of digital cities.
• National emergency disaster relief.
• National land-monitoring.
• Development of new rural areas.

Professional Land Surveyor Source

• People’s Daily Online

Mt. Everest from Space. Photo Credit: NASA

China and Nepal Agree to Disagree on Height of Mount Everest

I came across an interesting article at the end of last week about how China and Nepal agreed to disagree on the exact height of Mount Everest. The Nepalese and Chinese governments negotiated last week to solve the 150 year old question, but in the end could not come to a unified conclusion regarding the height of the world’s highest peak.  The crux of the disagreement, apparently, is an age old problem to professional land surveyors, cartographers and governments alike – Where is here? Or more seriously, what defines the top of a mountain?

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China Compass (Beidou) Constellation Planned by End of 2010. Source: InsideGNSS.com

Here’s an article I found China Daily about the Chinese Compass, or Beidou (Big Dipper) Global Navigation Satellite System which is expected to challenge our U.S. developed GPS, the EU’s GPS and Russia’s GPS.

This Compass GPS is planning on providing regional service to China with 12 satellites in 2011. By the year 2020 China plans to employ a total of 35 satellites in this Compass navigation satellite system.

Also reported is that all four Global Navigation Satellite Systems are negotiating compatibility amongst their civilian-use technologies.

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