Engineering surveyingshowcase2014 · any moving platform. Software offers semi-automatic object extraction features, which enables GIS metadata extraction or calculation of distances

Engineeringsurveyingshowcase2014

I S S U E T W O

FEATURES: RAIL & UAVS

Monitoring for the new Paddington Station

New railtrack measuring systems80mph handback for West Coast Mainline

The Wild-Leica StoryAerial imagery from UAVs plus safety regs

PAS128 for underground utility surveys

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LIVERPOOL · DERBY · BASINGSTOKE

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Publishers:PV Publications Ltd, 2B North Road, Stevenage, Herts SG1 4AT, Tel: +44 (0)1438 352617, Fax: +44 (0)1438 351989, e-mail: [email protected]

Editor: Stephen Booth Technical Editor: Richard Groom

Advertising sales: Sharon Robson Subscriptions: Sharon Robson© 2014 ISBN: 978-0-946779-37-6. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored inany retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express permissionof the publishers.

Printing: The Manson Group, St. Albans

Engineering Surveying Showcase is a twice-yearly window into thesurveying industry. It is published for the benefit of the industry and forthe professionals who work in it.Our mission is to show to the survey industry’s customers, clients andemployers, whether as individual surveyors, managers or other professionaldisciplines, such as engineers or architects, the latest developments andapplications in surveying technology and techniques.

Further details from:The Editor, Engineering Surveying Showcase, 2B North Road, Stevenage,Herts SG1 4AT, tel: 01438 352617, fax: 01438 351989e-mail: [email protected] visit our website at: www.pvpubs.com

COVER STORYAll of the images featured on the cover arefrom articles and features in this issue ofShowcase and reflect the wide rangingeditorial coverage.• Our thanks to Leica Geosystems, Korec,SCCS, Dreamstime.

T H I S I S S U E

Engineeringsurveyingshowcase2014 ISSUE TWO

Foreword p. 05

Fresh from the market! the latest sensors, systems and software arrivals. p. 06

Monitoring for London’s new Paddington Station 52 robotic total stations are at work 24/7. p. 11

New railtrack measuringing systems from Amberg sole agent SCCS reports. p. 12

West Coast Mainline blockade new technology speeds handback at 80 mph!. p. 14

The Wild-Leica story the 50 year history behind the developers of the T2 and much more. p. 16

Aerial imagery from UAVs photogrammetric imagery is the deliverable but there are limitations. p. 20

Regulations for UAV safety the CAA’s recommendations and mandatory requirements. p. 21

UAV services, systems & deliverables we chart the service providers, systems and software. p. 23

PAS 128 a new specification is set to transform underground utility surveys, reports Richard Groom. p. 32

Professional Services: where to find a professional survey service p. 33

CLASSIFIED p. 34

Don’t miss the next issue of Showcase with our review of sensors

and systems forGeomatics applications.Issue No 1 for 2015 isout early April 2015*

*Can’t wait?A limited number of copies are

still available of the autumn2014issue featuring UAVs: suppli-

ers, flyers and software andmore.

Call 01438 352617 for details.

To receive FREE copies of Showcase you must be one of the following:• a subscriber to Geomatics World• an RICS Geomatics Group member• a member of the Irish Institution of Surveyors (IIS) • someone who recommends or purchases surveying technology

or surveying services.To register or subscribe, go to:http://www.pvpubs.com/Showcase/Free

Showcase is published for the benefit of those who work in, or supply,the geomatics industry. Our aim is to raise awareness of the newopportunities which technology is bringing to the traditionally narrowfield of surveying.Showcase is published twice yearly (April and October) and distributedthrough print and digital editions to over 25,000 surveyors, engineers andprofessionals who use spatial data in the built environment.

The easiest way to receive Showcase is to go to our website at:http://www.pvpubs.com/Showcase/Free or call us on 01438 352617

shapingthe future

[email protected]

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This issue of Showcase reflects strongly two very busy sections of the UK market for geospatialtechnology: Rail and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs or drones as the military call them.

The three leading suppliers of hardware, Leica Geosystems, KOREC and Topcon Positioning areaddressing both these market sectors but in distinctly different ways. For Leica, the vast Crossrailproject has been an opportunity to supply robotic total stations for monitoring applications. Ourarticle on the work going on at Paddington Station makes fascinating reading. Over 50 totalstations keep watch for any deformation or movement 24 hours a day. To learn more turn topage 10.

Meanwhile, Trimble’s dealer KOREC supplied a raft of equipment to Network Rail’s contractorsworking on a track upgrade on the West Coast Mainline. This was an impressive project, whichfor the first time, enabled the contractors to hand back the track to Network Rail in a conditionto allow immediate 80 mph train running. Read the full story from page 14.

Dedicated technology for rail-track measurement and dimensional control is available from allthe leading instrument manufacturers as well as specialist companies. Trimble’s GEDO Vorsyssystem was supplied by KOREC for the Network Rail project already mentioned. There are alsospecialist suppliers in this field like the Swiss company Amberg, whose latest measurementtrolleys use an advanced inertial measurement unit and are sold in the UK by SCCS. They arefeatured on page 12.

This autumn marks an important anniversary for one of the major suppliers. The name of LeicaGeosystems and its predecessor, Wild Heerbrugg will be well known to generations of surveyorsand engineers. I am delighted to include an edited extract from a book charting the company’shistory, which Leica commissioned me to write and to publish on their behalf. It has been a trulymammoth task but I think readers will not be disappointed when they see the full edition. It islavishly illustrated with many historic photos. Copies will be available from Leica as well asShowcase’s publishers PV Publications Ltd.

While new instruments and software continue to appear each year, it is not so often that anentirely new platform for capturing geospatial data comes along. The rise of UAVs has beenpretty meteoric. They seem to be everywhere, not just in toy shops but electronics stores too.However, the UAVs we are concerned with have to be able to carry a useful payload of surveygrade sensors – camera or LiDAR. We have identified nine models that fall into this categoryand list eight companies with experience in this type of survey if you don’t want to take theplunge and buy one.

Surveying and recording the position of underground utilities is a perennial problem and onewhich regularly causes serious disruption and sometimes injury. The development by theindustry’s leading professional institutions and trade body of a standard for such surveys is to bewelcomed, even if the cost of the standard is rather exorbitant at £70 per copy. It needs to bewholeheartedly adopted by the industry and utility companies. Read Richard Groom’s review onpage 32.

Finally, I would like to thank our advertisers for supporting Showcase. Without them we wouldnot be able to publish. They will all benefit from an increased digital distribution followingrecent changes in our relations with external organisations. If you would like to be in the nextedition of Showcase please get in touch. Copy dates for the first issue of 2015 are listedopposite.

Stephen Booth, editor

FOREWORD

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The next issue ofShowcase will be spring

2015. Copy date foreditorial is 2 March. Copy

date for advertisers is 2 April for publication on

14 April.• Call +44 (0)1438 352617

for more details

Rail and a new platform

“ It needs to bewholeheartedlyadopted by the

utility companies.”

Applications in CADD Ltd p.27GEO Business 2015 p.09KOREC p.04Leica Geosystems back coverMBS Survey Software Ltd p.31McCarthy Taylor Systems Ltd p.28NRG Survey Software p.29

ADVERTISERS

Remote Aerial Surveys p.22SCCS p.13South Survey Ltd p.07Storm Geomatics Ltd p.30Topcon Positioning p.02UAV Show p.35Zoller + Fröhlich GmbH p.08

Mapping and GIS on themoveLeica Geosystems hasintroduced its nextgeneration mobile mappingplatform, the Pegasus:Two.The unit has six horizontalcameras plus optional rearview and skyward camerasplus a single high-speedterrestrial laser scanner todeliver geospatial data in a360° spherical view. Theplatform uses Novatel’s latestProPak6 high precision GNSSreceiver which tracks signalsof all available constellationsplus a low noise, 200hz IMU(inertial measurement unit).It also has an external timingoutput and trigger signal foruse with a variety ofadditional sensors, whichsynchronises time-stampingand users’ coordinate data.The Pegasus:Two comes with

a rechargeable 11 hourbattery and can be used onany moving platform.Software offers semi-automatic object extractionfeatures, which enables GISmetadata extraction orcalculation of distancesdirectly into ArcGIS.

Zeno and Viva upgradesLeica Geosystems hasreleased the Zeno CS25 Plusand CS25 GNSS Plus, the nextgeneration of its 7” tabletcomputer for GIS datacollection. By using a fasterprocessor and doubling thesize of both RAM and on-board storage, both handheldtablets offer significantlyimproved overallperformance. A higherresolution camera and fastercommunication capabilitieswill speed up asset collection

and management.Also recently announced

the Viva GNSS Unlimited seriesof GNSS receivers and smartantennas offer sensors thatcan easily be upgraded. Therange now fully supports theChinese BeiDou satellitenavigation system and caneven provide BeiDou-only orGlonass-only high-precisionpositioning. The seriesincludes a future upgrade toa GNSS board with more than500 channels to serve users’needs beyond 2020. Outagesof real-time kinematic (RTK)communication links arebridged for up to 10 minuteswith the SmartLink correctionservice delivered via satellite.

Rugged mobile Handheld Group launched thenew Nautiz X4 ruggedhandheld for mobile workers.With efficient and reliabledata collection in thetoughest environments, theIP64-rated device is one ofthe thinnest and lightesthandheld computers in therugged-device sector. Itfeatures a high-brightness,sunlight-readable resistivetouch-screen for reliablecomputing in challengingworksite environments, anintegrated u-blox GPS receiverand comes complete witheither a high-performance 1Dlaser scanner or a 2D imagerfor super-fast accuratescanning and barcodereading. It also comes with a5Mpx camera with auto focusand LED Flash.

Next-generation LiDAR Leica Geosystems andAirborne Hydrography ABhave announced theavailability of Chiroptera II, aLiDAR for topographicmapping and shallow watersurveying in depths of up to15 metres. The systemsimultaneously captures thefull waveform in both the 35kHz bathymetric channel andthe 500 kHz topographicchannel to provide high-detailmaps for environmental andcoastal monitoring,infrastructure planning, andother near-shore applications.The latest version

incorporates the Leica RCD3080-megapixel medium-formatcamera, NovAtel SPAN GNSS-IMU subsystem, LeicaMissionPro mission planning

software and Leica FlightProflight navigation software. Italso features a new scannerpackage that allowsinstallation in the LeicaPAV100 stabilised mount,providing perfect stabilisationand reducing the number offlight lines needed, especiallyin turbulent weather.

Routing for monitoringLeica Geosystems haslaunched its first wirelessrouter for continuousmonitoring, the LeicaComGate10. The router isclaimed to be the first plug-and-play router on the marketthat offers users fast and fail-safe wireless data transfer,with automatic switching to asecondary back-upcommunication type for totalsecurity. The router is fullycompatible with all LeicaGeosystems monitoringsensors and software.

New Topcon controller

Compatible with either theTopcon eGIS or MAGNETField GIS software, theTopcon FC-500 is designed tocreate smooth and speedydataflow between the fieldand office. The FC-500 hasbuilt-in wireless Bluetoothand wifi connectivity, and anoptional 3.5g cellular modem,allowing interaction fromusers in the field, to theoffice, and additionally to thecloud when used withMAGNET Enterprise.

GPS for machine controlLeica’s iCON gps 80 is acompact and rugged GNSSreceiver developed formachine control applications.It fits into any constructionmachine cabin, communicatesseamlessly with iCONtrolsolutions on site andintegrates iCON telematicsfleet management software.The future proofed GNSS

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Fresh from the market!Welcome to Showcase’s market section. Hereyou will find some of the latest launches frominstrument, system and software developerssince our spring issue. To stay up to date onthe latest developments month by month whynot take out a free digital subscription toGeomatics World:http://www.pvpubs.com/GeomaticsWorld/Subscribe

The benefits of using a GNSS with with its multi-constellationcapabilities has improved the work efficiency of Australian surveyorsPhilip Clark Land Survey Services. According to owner, Philip Clark,“The Spectra Precision SP80 is enabling us to acquire fixed solutionsfaster than previous dual constellation receivers and to maintainfixes for far longer, even in and around buildings and heavilyvegetated areas. We are now expanding the business thanks in partto purchasing this most up-to-date equipment.” Previously Clark hadexperimented with a couple of different dual-constellation receivers,which had provided the required results, but their ability to provideonly single constellation fixes, either GPS or GLONASS, resulted infrequent float solutions and lengthy fixed solution times. Not aviable solution for the firm’s methods of survey.

Down underwith the

new SP80

receiver, using xRTKtechnology, provides accuratepositionsand reliableguidance, even in theharshest environments.

SOFTWARE

Upgrade for monitoringsoftwareThe latest version of Trimble’sdeformation monitoringsoftware, 4D Control version4.3, features new optionalmonitoring appS: the HighRise, SeismoGeodetic andTrimble 4D Control SiteSetup. Data can be handledfrom a range of GNSS,optical, geotechnical, seismic,atmospheric and metrologicalsensors. Version 4.3 includesa dedicated page to supportthe functionality of the HighRise App and CompositeViews for combining charts,plots and other displays.High-frequency charts,comparative bar charts,tabular and windrose analysisas well as a new visualizationtool designated for in-placeinclinometers and tilt meterarrays, are all ways toexamine complex data andpresent findings in ameaningful way.The High Rise App is intendedto monitor high risestructures during constructionusing GNSS and inclinationsensors.

All connectedTopcon has announced a newworkflow managementsystem designed to connectsites, data, crews andequipment. Topcon EnterpriseSolution offers constantcommunication, data sharing,scheduling, updating,supporting, and accurateproductivity data in real-time,no matter where the job oroffice is located. The system isdesigned to allow usersquicker accessibility andmanagement of increasingdata volumes, therebyincreasing efficiency.Integrating data in a cloud-based environment fromTopcon’s software serviceslike Sitelink3D or MAGNETcan allow users to make time-sensitive decisions faster.

STAR*NET 8STAR*NET 8 has beenreleased and includes over3800 predefined coordinate

systems, plus a new customcoordinate system editorwhich supports datumtransformation and projectiontypes not previouslysupported. The software alsoincludes direct support forselecting .bin or .byn geoidmodels. The STAR*Leica DBXconversion utility is now ableto convert resection data, andto convert sets of angles datausing either the average ofeach set (as before) or usingall shots.

MAGNET updatesTopcon has also announcedtwo new updates for itsMAGNET Enterprise, a cloud-based solution for managingfield and office data in aweb-browser. New is MAGNETEnterprise Mobile, an app formobile devices, as well asnew project managementfunctions. The app is availableon the Apple App Store foriPhones and iPads. Customerswill also have new functionsfor coordinating andoverseeing their projectsincluding: an overviewdashboard for all activeprojects, a proposal writingand task-creation operation,task assignments, a project-specific dashboard, projectcalendar, project statusreports, and user scheduleand time-card applications.Meanwhile, MAGNET

Relay for GIS is a mobile basestation RTK broadcastingservice. The system isdesigned to allow subscribersto connect a GNSS basereceiver via a cellularconnection for high-accuracyRTK corrections.

GeoMOS AdjustmentLeica Geosystems haslaunched GeoMoS Now!, aweb-based app that enableson-the-go visualisation andanalysis of structural andground movement monitoringdata. Large amounts ofgeodetic and geotechnicaldata are now easier to handlewith simplified workflowsusing automatic configurationand distribution tools thatquickly notify users of anychanges in data for fasterresponse. Because GeoMoSNow! runs on local computersor servers, the software canbe fully integrated on theuser’s intranet server anddata can be accessed from

different locations within thecompany using only a webbrowser without additionallocal software licences orinstallations on differentcomputers.The latest version of the

GeoMoS Adjustment, thenetwork adjustment add-on forprojects where precise andreliable information onstructural movement isrequired, now makes adjusted

data available at any time viaLeica GeoMoS Web. Thecomputation processing timehas also been significantlyimproved to provide movementanalysis with adjusted data asquickly as possible.

Scanning for SketchUpTrimble has released theTrimble Scan Explorerextension for SketchUp Pro,an easy-to-use tool enabling

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Above: Leica’s GeoMos Now! is a web-enabled app formonitoring of movement providing visualisation and analysis.

users to create models from3D scanning data. Thepackage connects the high-resolution field data fromTrimble scanners withintuitive modelling software,including automated planeand edge extraction tools thatsimplify the process ofcreating, accessing andsharing precise 3D models.

eGIS for AndroidTopcon has announced theintegration of the Androidplatform to its eGIS fieldsoftware. Designed to offer asimple and quick way tocollect and maintain mappingdata with GPS at variousaccuracies, eGIS includes RTKpositioning allowing users’Android-based smartphonesand tablets to capture data.

Faro upgrades Faro has released a newversion of its laser scanningsoftware, SCENE 5.3, and scandata hosting-service, SCENEWebShare Cloud 1.5. Thesoftware, for use with theFocus3D X Series laserscanner, delivers scan

registration by eliminatingartificial targets, such asspheres and checkerboards.Users can choose from twoavailable registrationmethods: ‘Top-View’-based or‘Cloud-to-Cloud’. The formerprovides target-lesspositioning of scans ininteriors and built-up areaswithout reliable GPS pre-positioning of the individualscans. Cloud-to-Cloud registration,

allows the user to positionscans quickly and accurately,even under difficult conditions.In external locations with goodpre-positioning of the scans viathe integrated GPS receiver ofFocus3D X Series, this is themethod of choice forregistration.

BRIEFS

Leica Geosystems launched anentry level laser scanner. TheP15 is based on the ScanStationP20, and offers the same highperformance 3D scanningtechnology with highmeasurement speed andaccuracy up to a range of 40

metres. Upgrades to P20functionality are possible viaLeica Geosystems technicalservice centres.

Altus Positioning Systems haslaunched the APS-NR2 RTKsurveying receiver. Previewed atthe 2014 GEO Business event inLondon May 28-29, the APS-NR2 provides a powerfulcombination of high GNSS RTKperformance, light weight, lowpower consumption, versatileQuad-band modem, remoteweb-based access andconnectivity with Esri’s cloud-based platform.

Mini-drone manufacturersenseFly has released the eBeeRTK, a survey-grade mappingsystem. The eBee RTK worksalongside customers’ existingGNSS base stations or using avirtual base station and does notrequire any third-party software.

Hexagon Metrology hasreleased the latest version of3DReshaper 2014.Improvements include a scriptlanguage to automaterepetitive tasks as well as new

commands like unroll tunnel,stitch meshes, extractbreaking lines, etc. Thesoftware is offered as acomplimentary solution foruse with the Leica Nova MS50Multistation, a total stationcombining GNSS and laserscanning.

Datatag ID Ltd has launched asecurity system for surveyingequipment, which is endorsedby The Survey Association. Thesystem provides both overtwarnings and covert markings,supported by on-lineregistration.

Topcon’s C-63 system isdesigned to track precisecompaction with minimalequipment operation. Itfeatures GNSS technologyand graphical display toprovide real-time positioningand plan data to ensurecompaction is achieved in allrequired areas. The system’sgraphical display keeps trackof cumulative compactionthrough pass counts and usescolour-coding to indicatecompaction status.

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DESIGNED BY BRUNEL as theterminus for his GreatWestern Railway, PaddingtonStation is today set withinone of the most congestedareas of the capital. Takingshape beneath however isEurope’s largest infrastructureproject, the £15 billionCrossrail development.

The new station will be akey hub in the east westroute linking Heathrow andBerkshire in the west toCentral London, Essex andSouth East London. As workprogresses within a densely

built area of the capital, thelargest automatedmonitoring network in theworld is continuouslymeasuring the impact ofworks on the buildings in thevicinity. A 24-hourmonitoring system, using upto 52 Leica robotic totalstations and precise levels,measures changes in groundmovement caused by deepexcavation works alongsidean historic London site.

Grade 1 listed buildingConstruction on theunderground stationcontinues alongside theexisting Grade 1 listed

terminus, whilst 18m belowthe site two tunnel boringmachines (TBMs) are also inoperation. Base readingstaken prior to constructionallow the surveying teamfrom contractors CostainSkanska to define the levelof ground deformationcaused by natural daily andseasonal changes and todefine the tolerance level forground movement caused bythe excavation process.

24/7 3D monitoringmeasurementsMeticulous planning by theengineering surveyors, withsupport from Leica

DEFORMATION MONITORING

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London’s newPaddington Station– 52 robotic stations work 24/7Crossrail is currently Europe’s largestinfrastructure project. Work is progressing ata number of locations including atPaddington where a new station is beingbuilt. The largest automated monitoringnetwork in the world is continuouslymeasuring the impact on buildings in thevicinity using up to 52 Leica robotic totalstations and precise levels. Showcase reports.

Above: A depiction of the vast monitoring network coveredby the total stations surrounding the Paddington Station area.

Below: an artist’s impression on the new Paddington Station.It will be a key hub in the east west route linking Heathrowto Central and East London.

Geosystems, includedinnovative installationtechniques to positioning thenetwork of automatic totalstations to provide 24-hour,uninterrupted 3Dmeasurements to thebuildings of interest.Simultaneous, preciselevelling traverses addedanother layer of informationto provide a definitive pictureof ground movement overtime.

The integrity of the data isunder constant scrutiny as itis received and processedthrough the Leica GeoMoSmonitoring software. Out-of-tolerance measurementstrigger alerts so thatengineers can take fast,corrective action.

Accuracy and precisionSteve Thurgood, Engineering

Surveying manager forCostain Skanska JV, said,‘‘Leica GeoMoS is robust andprovides the versatility andreliability we need to dealwith the particular complexityand ever changing demandsof this – our largestmonitoring project withinSkanksa worldwide. Both theautomatic monitoring systemand manual levelling log aphenomenal amount of datawhich correlates with anastonishing degree ofaccuracy and precision.Monitoring the Paddingtonstation site is a case study inbest practice surveymethodology, combining thehighest accuracy surveyequipment with experiencedpractitioners.”

• For further informationabout Leica Geosystems

Monitoring Solutions, pleasevisit: http://www.leica-

geosystems. com/monitoring

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Above: a Leica TM30 total station on a purpose-builtmonument provides reference data for Leica GeoMoS.

IT’S A SIMPLE CONCEPT thathas solved a complexproblem for precisepositioning professionals:utilize GNSS signals andoptical measurementprecision on a single pole,with the added advantage ofa complete automated dataworkflow.

The key is Topcon’sMAGNET suite of softwaresolutions. Described as anenterprise solution for thegeomatics industry, HybridPositioning technology isdesigned to create a moreprofitable environment forany company by allowingthe use of GNSS and opticalpositioning at the sametime. Simply, HybridPositioning improves fieldmeasurement and workflowefficiency at every phase ofa project.

Connected technology,connected workflow By taking these two provensolutions – GNSS and opticalpositioning – and linkingthem through MAGNET Fieldsoftware, any project can becompleted faster and withunsurpassed efficiency. WithMAGNET providing the link,the field and office can beconnected in real time toexchange files, receive andsend messages, and compileand send measurement data,creating the most productiveworkflow solution.

Seamless integration is anessential key to Topcon’s newHybrid Positioning technology.When line-of-sight is blockedduring optical measurement, asingle touch on MAGNET’sHybrid Switch button turns tothe GNSS receiver to easilyand quickly get the needed

measurements. The integratedtechnologies are designed topresent the highest degree ofseamless integration andversatility so the task iscompleted with one set-up,with one person. Additionally,the RTK correction can beprovided through a network,traditional base-rover set up,or the new MAGNET Relayservice, an innovative functionwithin the MAGNET softwaresuite.

Four key features Hybrid Positioning technologyhas four key features – HybridLock, Hybrid Resection,Hybrid Switch and HybridLocalization. Hybrid Lockallows accurate prism lock-onby simply turning theinstrument toward the prism

location. Hybrid Resectionensures quick job site set-up,as well as establishing RTKand geodetic coordinates.Hybrid Switch ensures a quickswitchover from optical toGNSS measurement and backwith a single touch. HybridLocalization automaticallylocalizes your GNSS control toa local site grid whenrequired. It also allows web-based mapping imagery to beused in local coordinatesystems.

An added benefit is thatany combination of roboticand GNSS rover from TopconPositioning Group can beturned into a HybridPositioning solution.

• For more information go to:www.topconpositioning.co.uk

POSITIONING TECHNOLOGY

Hybrid positioningtechnology- seamlessly connecting technologies andworkflow for productivity

FAST, EXACT AND COST-EFFICIENT, AmbergTechnologies, the Swissspecialist for railway andtunnel surveying, is expandingtheir well-tried rail surveyingsystem GRP System FX withthe new Amberg IMS 1000and Amberg IMS 3000 systemconfigurations.

These configurationsprovide reliable and highlyprecise geometry informationduring the construction andmaintenance of railway tracksystems – while achievingunparalleled productivity.

High performance sensorIMS 1000 and IMS 3000measure the inner and outerrail geometry of ballast tracksand slab tracks using a new,high-performance sensordeveloped by Amberg. TheAMU1030 is an inertialmeasurement unit (IMU) usedon both versions. Measuring4000 metres of track perhour, the system’sperformance is twice as highas other devices available onthe market today.Furthermore, the systemensures that the track ismeasured reliably byproviding a typical positional

accuracy of ±1mm. “With thissystem we set a new standardfor the speed of hand-pushedmeasurement carts whilenevertheless achieving thegreatest accuracies”, explainsMarius Schäuble, ProductManager Rail at AmbergTechnologies.

The two units both featurethe new IMU but the IMS1000 has a facility forinstalling a total station torecord positions to knowncontrol points. Meanwhile thesoftware for the two railsurvey systems is captured bya laptop which processes themeasurement data, analysingthe quality of the track andreporting the deviations to adesign centreline. Correctiondata for ballast tampingmachines can also begenerated directly.

Advantages for thesystem’s users include greaterproductivity and accuracyduring track measurementthereby reducing costs,enabling efficient trackmaintenance and thuscontributing significantly tothe quality and safety ofrailway lines.

The new IMU technologyreplaces the tachymeter for

measuring track geometry andtherefore only requires a singlemeasurement cart, operatedby a single operator only. Untilnow, up to four persons wererequired for comparable trackgeometry surveys. The “TrackSprinter” also requires only alittle logistical effort and canbe used flexibly and at shortnotice. Consequently the costsfor track geometry surveyingdecrease up to 90 per centcompared to traditionalmethods.

Key benefits• 4000 metres measured per

hour• Cost reductions• Increased accuracy• Single trolley system

This new development byAmberg technologies willhave a great impact on theway that track is surveyedduring design, constructionand maintenance on the UKrail network.

RAILTRACK INSPECTION SYSTEMS

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Two new rail tracksystems from Ambergare set to revolutionisetrack measurements,explains Dave Dampier,SCCS’s Rail and TunnelConsultant.

SCCS announce another first from Amberg

Amberg’s GRP SystemSole UK distributor: SCCS

For more information Tel: 01480 [email protected]

www.sccssurvey.co.uk

Authorised Distribution & Service Partner

SCCS have been supplying and supporting Leica equipment since its

inception in 1992. As Leica Geosystems largest European distributor we

are proud to be partnered with a company whose world class products

have gained a worldwide reputation for excellence and reliability. It is with

this ethos for excellence which we at SCCS strive for with our customer

support and service, whether it is for the purchase of a staff, the repair of

a level or the hire and installation of a complete monitoring system we will

always do our best for you.

Tel: 01480 404888www.sccssurvey.co.ukwww

el: 01480 404888TTel: 01480 404888.co.uk.sccssurveywww

THERE ARE SIGNIFICANTdemands placed upon the UKrail infrastructure and clearlythe condition and geometry ofthe track itself is vital. NetworkRail’s Innovation Team iscontinually looking for newtechnology and techniques toenhance how track geometry ismeasured, designed, installed,maintained and monitored. Thiscase study highlights howinnovation, a combination ofthe forward thinking of NickMatthews and Network Rail’sTrack Innovation Team (in closecooperation with Korec andTrimble Rail), joined-upthinking, excellent projectmanagement, high qualityengineering and teamworkdelivered a first class job.

Major improvements to theWest Coast Mainline sectionbetween Warrington andPreston include the renewal ofthree miles of track and fourmajor junctions- Golborne,Bamfurlong, Wigan SpringsBranch and Balshaw Lane. By carrying out the work in

a nine-day intensive, continuousspell, Network Rail engineerswere able to complete the workaround 16 months earlier.Whilst blockades are used

infrequently and typicallytracks are returned to use at50mph, the Wigan to Prestonblockade was completed ontime with the team achievingthe UK’s first Switch andCrossing renewal handback at80mph at Wigan SpringsBranch. This was recognisedwithin the industry as asignificant engineeringachievement.Track Engineer and DPE for

the job was Colin McAteerwho together withProgramme Manager PaulMarshall spent considerabletime in advance of theblockade establishing how an80mph hand back could beachieved. As part of thisstrategy KOREC was asked tosupply four different types oftechnology: 3D TrimbleMachine Control throughBabcock & A P Webb; TrimbleGNSS and Total Station sitepositioning technology;Trimble GEDO Vorsys, a pre-measure ment system fortamping machines; and finallyImetrum’s Video Gauge, asystem for precise dynamicmeasurement of track underloading. Both Marshall and

McAteer were pro-active inthe adoption of thistechnology. “Our aim was todeliver the blockade on timewith the additional challengeof returning the line at an80mph opening speed”explains Marshall. “If we wereto achieve this, then we hadto look at innovativetechniques, at how we couldmake them work for us andfinally, because this projectwas very much a team effort,how these techniques wouldaffect other elements of theteam on site from thoseresponsible for electrificationto those supplying materials.”

Single mast controlAs a long term user ofTrimble machine control,McAteer opted to use singlemast 3D GCS900 systems ondozers supplied throughBabcock & A P Webb. The

system was assisted by a100% slope sensor fitted onthe blade to control the angleof the cant so operators coulddig the formation and placeballast at ±15mm using GNSSor ±5mm with a UTS(Universal Total Station). Thesingle mast systems wouldalso be run off a singleTrimble GNSS base station tokeep costs down. Whilst all four sites were

comparatively open and freefrom any heavy tree cover orbridges that could impede thesignal, a single mast systemalso provided the facility toswitch to a total station guidedsystem as and when required.A single mast system alsoprovided more flexibility andreduced down-time whenNetwork Rail needed to switchfrom using GNSS with machinecontrol to using a total stationfor the final fine trimming. The use of the single mast

GNSS contributed consider -able time savings, but moreimportantly, provided a highquality job that enabled theballast to be placed moreaccurately in preparation forthe rail panels. “The Trimble GCS900

single mast systems deliveredprecision and accuracyallowing us to achieve ourdesign exactly as specified”,stated McAteer. “The fantasticquality of the base meant thatwe could position the railpanels within 15mm of finalposition and in fact onlyneeded to tamp once.”

Reducing tamping runsFast, accurate measurementof existing track geometry is a

key component of productivetamping operations if costlywaiting time for tampingmachines and operators is tobe avoided. Trimble’s GEDO Vorsys is a

pre-measurement system fortamper machines utilising twoTMD’s (track measurementdevices) working together, onewith a Trimble S-Series totalstation and the other with theprism and control unit. BothTMDs have sensors to measurethe gauge (distance betweenthe running edge of the rails)and the cant (superelevationof the track) which arecontinually transferredwirelessly to a Trimble controlunit (the TSC3 in this case). The Gedo Vorsys field

software running on the TSC3control unit combines the datafrom both TMD’s sensors withpositional information from thetotal station to enable real-time data to be displayed livein the field.Measurements are made

using control points positionedalong the track. Since the fulltrack design geometry isstored in the TSC3, thesoftware can calculate anddisplay the lift and slew valuesto final design, the cant andgauge information, as well asall the significant points wherethe track geometry changeslive in the field. Additionaltime can be saved by usingthe Gedo Tamp software tocreate a front offset file forthe tamper from themeasurements taken withGedo Vorsys. Network Rail had already

trialled the system and wereconfident that it wouldenable them to better controltheir tamping operations byproviding much moreinformation and improvedproductivity.“Simply, Trimble Vorsys

doubled our sampling rate andhalved our survey time,”explains McAteer. “We couldsample every 5m compared toevery 10m with pegs and weretherefore easily surveying 500-600m stretches in just 40minutes rather than the halfday plus it would have takenwith traditional methods.” A track has to be fit for

line speed and several thingsdictate the speed at which itis signed off, usually at50mph. One of the factorsthat contributed to the80mph sign-off after a single

RAIL & MACHINE CONTROL

14

Engineering Surveying Showcase October 2014

West Coast Mainline Blockade

Above: the Trimble GEDO Vorsys.

A unified approach togroundworks and tracksurveying coupled with awillingness to invest in newtechnology were key factors inNetwork Rail achieving theUK’s first Switch and Crossingrenewal handback at 80mph

tamping run was the speedraiser report generated by theVorsys system. Horizontal andvertical tolerances along withtwist and gauge parametersare all used in the calculationthat generates the final chart.McAteer cites that having thiswas of huge importance inproviding an extra level ofconfidence to the handbackengineer to open the track at80mph.

A unified process In recent years Trimble has setout to unify the rail processand under Marshall andMcAteer’s guidance, thecombination of 3D machinecontrol, site positioningsystems (GNSS and TotalStation) along with the Vorsyssoftware has proved asuccessful one. “It’s not justthe hardware that has madethis technology work for us,it’s the software as well,”states McAteer. “Ourengineers are all workingfrom the same design dataand using the same softwareinterface whether they arecarrying out a grade check oran as-built survey. Using thesame handhelds with thesame software bringsfamiliarity which means theteam can skip between tasksseamlessly. There is noadditional training requiredand that cuts site down-timeand improves the quality ofwork. The Trimble Business

Center (TBC) software has alsoplayed its part. The ballast andformation data is prepared inTBC as is the root data thatgoes into Vorsys. “TBC alsoallowed us to visualise thedesign beforehand with thedrive through function whichallowed us to spot issues onthe DTM– another great timesaver,” says McAteer.

A stand-out moment!KOREC was also able tointroduce the team to VideoGauge, a non-contactprecision measurement videomonitoring system ideal forwhen there is a need toaccurately measure dynamicdeflection at a distance, andunder train loading, all withsub mm accuracy. The systemcomprises a PC with theVideo Gauge softwaretogether with one or morehigh-resolution digital video

cameras. Recorded video datacan be stored for analysislater, or analysed live for real-time monitoring. Network Rail is required to

monitor the track after hand-back to check for any trackdisplacement that may lead tovoiding. This is usually doneby placing void meters underthe track. However due toVideo Gauge’s ability tomonitor a greater range ofmovement than a voidmeter’s alone with improvedaccuracy and because of thefreedom Video Gauge offersto monitor anything it can“see”, it was decided to trialthe system alongsidetraditional methods at twosites, Wigan Springs Branchand Balshaw Lane. At both locations the

camera was set well back fromthe track and at Balshaw Laneit recorded video from a publicfootpath adjacent to therailway so no trackside accesswas required. At WiganSprings Branch, access to thetrack was possible during ashort block which allowedtargets to be sprayed onto theside of the rails.Once the targets were

identified, the parameters tobe recorded were set in thesystem - vertical displacementin this case. Recording wasmanually started a fewseconds before the trainpassed the targets to give a“datum” status for the track.The video was allowed to runfor a few seconds after thetrain had passed to ensure

the track had returned to itsstarting position.For each video a text file

was created showing the datacaptured for each of themeasured parameters at eachtarget location. The systemcaptured the magnitude ofany movements as a numberof pixels, which were thenconverted to millimetres.“This was the first time we

had ever seen dynamicdeflection and had real-timefeedback – it was superb!”McAteer continues, “We nowknow how the track performsor deteriorates under loadand I can’t understate howgood this is for peace ofmind. The key concern whenassessing a railway line iswhether it is fit for purpose –will it carry a train at thedesignated line speed safely?We now had a clearindication that the trackwasn’t deteriorating underload which is of paramount

importance in our decision togo with an 80mph opening.”

Single supply source KOREC backed up the supplyof Trimble systems and VideoGauge with extensive supportboth before and during theblockade. “KOREC’s back-upwas invaluable and they werewith us every step of the way,”concludes McAteer. “We had asingle point of contact do dealwith any issues and that meantthey were dealt with quicklyand efficiently. The quality ofinstallation on all sites wassuperb and I, along with theBabcock engineers take greatpride in that. The Trimblesystems we used are tried andtested technology anddelivered exactly what werequired. We pushed thebarriers and thanks to acombination of great systems,great people and great teamwork we delivered the UK’sfirst ever 80mph handback.”

RAIL & MACHINE CONTROL

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Left: Video Gauge.

Below: Trimble’s singlemast 3D GCS900 system.

Paul Marshall, Programme Manager,Network Rail, LNW North Track Renewals

Working closely with the supply chain at all levels is so importantwhen trying to push boundaries and innovate to construct amodern railway system with least disruption to the public.Network Rail, working in collaboration with Babcock, A.P Webband Korec were able to explore and implement the use of thelatest technology to achieve high quality construction thatfacilitated an 80mph handback speed directly after theconstruction phase, which was a first for the UK.

Korec was a key part of the strategy, providing training andequipment for machine control, setting out and positioning of thelayouts, pre-measurement for accurate geometric tamping and thefirst time use in the UK of the ‘Imetrum’s Video Gauge’, a dynamicmeasurement system for measurement of track under load, whichwas crucial for understanding the behaviour of the track structureat the higher line speed in the days after the renewal.

TWO SMALL TOWNS INSwitzerland – Heerbrugg andAarau – have played a majorrole in the evolution ofmeasurement technology.Their two names areintertwined in the histories ofWild Heerbrugg and Kern ofAarau, two of the companiesthat now comprise LeicaGeosystems. They can tracetheir origins back nearly 200years to the founding of Kernin Aarau in 1819.

As Europe began to getback to normality after theNapoleonic wars, Jakob Kernreturned to his native landafter serving anapprenticeship as a mechanicin Germany. His workshopfirst manufacturedmathematical instruments butwith the arrival of the steam

age and the demand forsurveying instruments hemoved into optics. Kern’sinstruments were used on theconstruction of the Simplonand Gotthard tunnels underthe Alps as well as othermajor infrastructure projectsduring the 19th century.

Kern’s business grew andprospered through twocenturies, built on a reputationfor the highest possiblequality. Kern had alwaysremained a family business, somuch so that it was the fifthgeneration of the family thatwas eventually forced tomerge with Wild Heerbrugg.

Wild and the T2The second significant nameis of course Heinrich Wild, thedesigner of the renowned T2

theodolite, a mainstay ofsurveying for 90 years and inproduction for over half acentury with some 90,000produced. Today, although nolonger manufactured, thereare still thousands of Wild T2sin everyday use around theworld. So, after a hard dayssurveying when you’rerelaxing in the evening, raisea glass to Heinrich Wild.

Like Kern, Wild too servedhis apprenticeship in Germanybut with the Carl Zeisscompany. He returned toSwitzerland and the littletown of Heerbrugg in 1921to establish his business asWild Heerbrugg. He wasresponsible for manysignificant developments tosurveying and mappinginstruments before leaving in

1935 to join Kern where hecontinued to design andimprove many instruments.

Meanwhile, WildHeerbrugg carried on growingand in the 1930s launchedthe world’s first stereo plotter– a device that was indemand by both sides in theSecond World War as photo-reconnaissance came of ageand invading armiesdemanded maps quickly.Together with Wild’s aerialand close-range terrestrialcameras, these vast opto-mechanical stereo plottersremained the mainstay ofmap production organisationsand photogrammetricapplications until the digitalage made them redundant.

The UK burgeonsThe immediate post war yearspresented many opportunitiesfor companies like WildHeerbrugg as Europe re-builtand expanded itsinfrastructure. In Britain bythe 1960s work was in fullswing on many majorprojects. The M1 had beencompleted in 1959 andduring the next decade over

THE WILD-LEICA STORY

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The Wild-Leica storyThis year Leica Geosystems marks 50 years of trading in the UK. Tocelebrate the company commissioned editor Stephen Booth toauthor a history of the company in the UK. Below he presents anabridged version for Showcase readers.

Below:HM The Queen is shown Wild instruments atthe opening of Ordnance Survey’s new headquartersin 1969. Right (top) Jack Simpson, Wild’s first UKMD, right (bottom) his successor Brian Snelling

Before the Wild T2 (belowright) theodolites werecumbersome, complex anddifficult to set up, especiallyhalf way up a mountain!

600 miles were added to themotorway network. Trunkroads too were improvingrapidly. Journeys that oncetook 8 hours shrunk in somecases to half that. Everywhereyou looked Britain seemed tobe busy with construction:bridges, underground railways(the Victoria Line), iron & steelworks, nuclear power stations,sewerage schemes and oilplatforms. In addition, newtowns were establishedincluding one in Buckingham -shire that was to play asignificant role in our story.

Wild Heerbrugg decided toestablish a UK branch in 1964.Previously distributed in the UKby drawing office suppliers HallHarding, Wild’s worldrenowned instruments wouldnow be sold directly. Thebusiness began in ChurchStreet, Maidstone Kent inAugust 1964 under thedirectorship of Major Jack(“Stiffy”) Simpson, previouslythe company’s UKrepresentative servicing blue-chip customers like MilitarySurvey, academia and GreatBritain’s mapping organisationOrdnance Survey, whoseactivities at that time extendedway beyond our shoresthrough the Directorate ofOverseas Surveys.

Leadership honed in battleJack Simpson led the companyfor 12 years; and a leader hecertainly was. Like so manysenior people back then MajorSimpson had been tested andnot found wanting in theSecond World War. He foughtat Arnhem in 1944 (vividlyrecorded in Cornelius Ryan’sfilm “A Bridge Too Far”) andwas one of only four soldiers

from that battle to escape andreturn to England. He wasawarded the Military Cross.

The choice of Kent as abase for Wild Heerbrugg UKmade good business sense.The recently built M2motorway was nearby withgood links to the Channelports for importingequipment as well as toLondon, then enjoying aconstruction boom. Withintwo years a sales managerwas needed and BrianSnelling joined, later tosucceed Jack as MD.

In May 1969 WildHeerbrugg UK was honouredto be invited to the opening byHM The Queen of OrdnanceSurvey’s new headquarters inSouthampton. Her Majesty andthe Duke of Edinburgh wereshown a variety of Wildequipment by MD JackSimpson including the newlyintroduced Wild DI10Distomat, T4 UniversalTheodolite and N3 precisionlevel.

Precision technologyBefore the days of lasers and

total stations, in the righthands a Wild precision leveland theodolite was an idealway of maintaining accuracy.One customer in the aviationbusiness, where everythinghas to be rigorously checkedin line with ministryspecifications and accuraciesto a few thou, used threeWild N3 precision levels forre-jigging helicopter fuselagesand precision aircraftcomponents. They found thecombination with a Wild T2theodolite enabled them to“achieve otherwise impossibleaccuracies.”

Service to the power ofthreeThe writer once asked asurveyor what three things helooked for in a total station.His reply was, ‘Service, serviceand service’. In construction,despite the operator’s care (orlack of it!), surveyingequipment does not alwaysfare well. Instrumentsoccasionally get dropped oreven hit by moving machines.It was therefore an earlypriority for Wild UK to

establish a repair andmaintenance facility to savethe expense and time ofreturning instruments to thefactory in Switzerland. Oneimage from an earlynewsletter shows a selectionof battered and dentedinstrument cases with theircontents all requiring a healthcheck at the Chatham servicedepartment.

Rapid technological changeThe 1970s and 80s were atime of rapid technologicaldevelopment. Surveyinginstruments in 1964 still reliedentirely on mechanical andoptical engineering principles.But the first EDMs like theWild DI10 Distomat, usedelectronics for their operationand it was a logical furtherstep to incorporate electronicsin a theodolite so the twocould communicate with eachother. What was missing wassome way of recording thereadings. The answer was theWild GEOMEM data memory.The days of the surveyor’sfield book were nownumbered. By the late 1970sdistance measurement anddata recording had all mergedinto the Wild Tachymat TC1,the first modern total station,incorporating angle anddistance measurement and ameans of recording. It was aninstrument that surveyorscould only have dreamedabout in the first half of the20th century.

Launched in 1977, the TC1remained in production until1983 when it was succeededby the TC2000. With greateraccuracy, better battery lifeand functionality, the TC2000along with the TC1600 wereto become a mainstay ofprofessional surveyors and site


17


Right: The Wild DI10Distomat was a major step

forward in distancemeasurement. Coupled to aT2 it was an embryonic total

station.

Far right: The Wild TC1 totalstation finally enabled

surveyors to measure angles,distances and importantly,

store the results

Production of the T2 in full swing at Heerbrugg. Inset:champagne corks popped in 1956 to mark the 50,000th T2.

engineers throughout the1980s and well into the 1990sbefore being superseded bythe Leica TPS 300/900 andFlexline series in 1998.

Significant newtechnologies appearTwo decades after Wild setup in the UK the world was avery different place. Theoffice PC had arrived andthere was an air of digitalinnovation throughoutbusiness and industry.Suddenly everyone wastalking about computers andmicroprocessors. It was a timewhen computers weredefinitely saying “Yes”.

Several significanttechnologies that we rely ontoday for measurement firstemerged in the late 1980s. In1986 the DIOR 3002 reflector -less EDM was announced.Suddenly it was possible tomeasure to points withoutvisiting or touching them. Adecade later and thetechnology was available acrossmuch of Leica’s total stationrange. Reflectorless technology

was to pave the way for severalimportant applications includingLongdin & Browning’s ClearCone mobile road surveyingsystem and ultimately, the rapid3D scene-capturing laserscanners of today.

Navigation and positioningby satellitesThe next development was ofeven more fundamentalimpact; one that touches somany aspects of our daily livestoday. Navigation, tracking,location, positioning, mobilephones. . . all now rely on GPS(or GNSS as it is correctlycalled today).

In the early 1980s Wildhad been watching theemergence of the firstsatellite receivers forsurveying. Because of therelatively few satellites inorbit and weight of theequipment, applications wererestricted mainly to longdistance baselinemeasurement – an essentialfor accurate mapping andlinear projects. In 1984 Wildannounced a partnership with

US receiver developerMagnavox. The first Wildreceivers were launched thefollowing year.

Computers and electronicsMany older surveyors willrecall that when they startedout a computer was not anelectronic device but a humanbeing; indeed, a veryimportant one who usuallypresided with much authorityover log tables, Peter’s tables,mechanical calculators andyoung surveyors who failed tobook their readings clearly inthe correct form.

Electronics began to impingeon the surveying world fromthe mid 1960s onwardsthrough instruments like theDistomats. But it was the 1970swhen people became fullyaware of the potential thatcomputers held for survey.

With the arrival of theWild’s first fully electronictotal station, the TC1 in 1977the way ahead was open todevelop the transfer ofmeasured data into a digitalmapping system or to CAD.

At that time is was estimatedthat a computer system coulddo design work in 8 hoursthat a traditional draftsmanand drawing office wouldtake 90 hours. Clearly therewere big savings to be madeeven if the kit washorrendously expensive.Typically a drawing plotterusing ink-pen technologycould cost £20,000 or more.

Several pioneering surveycompanies were active in thisfield, especially for roadalignment and terrainmodelling. Systems like MOSSand BIPS were early pioneers.But one system, CADACSdeveloped by a Polishsurveyor Joe Cieslewicz, wasused for the planning andsetting out of a certain newtown in Buckinghamshire thatwas to play a significant partin the Wild-Leica story.

On the move againIn 1987 Wild became part ofthe Wild-Leitz Group, whichincluded the world renownedLeica 35mm camera. A yearlater the group was joined bythe venerable instrumentmanufacturers Kern of Aarau,whose EDMs andphotogrammetric systems andtheodolite based coordinatemeasurement system were tolead to the Leica Laser Trackersystem. Several of Kern’stechnologies were state ofthe art and were regarded atthe time as being the equal ofWild’s. The new group’sportfolio now included theKern Mekometer, a superaccurate EDM that tookdistance measurement to newlevels of accuracy andprecision and could be usedfor reference and calibrationof existing instruments.

By the late 1980s Wild’sChatham headquarters werebursting at the seams and thehunt was on for a new base.The rapidly expanding newtown of Milton Keynes inBuckinghamshire – located inthe heart of England with easylinks to the M1 motorway –was ideally placed to servicecustomers. The move came inSeptember 1989 to theKnowlhill area and into newlybuilt award-winning premises.

Following a brief periodtrading as Wild-Leitz, thename of the company namesettled to Leica although theWild name continued for


18


Technology was powering ahead in the 1980s. Far left:Wild’s first GPS receiver the WM101 was reminiscent of aghetto blaster! Centre: the first reflectorless EDM the DIOR3002 and data logger. Above: The Kern Mekometer.

Right: The Wild GPS System200, launched to much

razzamatazz at Heathrow,was the companies first field

survey GPS system.It was soon joined by theWild CR233controller.

awhile as a brand. Thecompany was now poised forrapid advancement across itsvarious businesses. It was atime that would see a numberof world firsts in the fields ofvision, measurement andanalysis. It was also time for anew man at the helm. BrianSnelling retired in 1987 anddied peacefully last year. Hissuccessor, Neil Vancans wasinitially sales director beforebecoming in 1992 managingdirector of Leica UK Ltd.

New technologiesNew technologies whichappeared at this time includedthe Wild NA2000 bar-codereading digital level (1990) andthe Disto (1993). At the timethe Disto was launched Leicawas nervous of the likelyuptake as the cost was severaltimes that of otherwisecompeting ultrasoundmeasurers. They needn’t haveworried. Surveyors loved it. Forthe first time they had anaccurate and reliable handheldEDM, even if the first modelswere the size of a house brick!

GPS too became morepractical for day-to-day surveyapplications, driven by Leica’sspectacular launch of their firstGPS field survey receiver, theWild GPS System 200.Hundreds of surveyors andengineers remember the dryice and carefully scripted “NewEra” roadshows that markedits arrival. But what surveyorswere waiting for wascompletion of the GPS satelliteconstellation which becamefully operational in 1995. In2006 GPS surveying (by nowincreasingly known as GNSS)took a further step forwardwith the launch of Leica’sSmartNet service based onOrdnance Survey’s network ofcontinuously operating staticreceivers. The service nowenabled users to survey withonly one GNSS receiver. Real-time kinematic (RTK) surveyinghad arrived and Leica’scompetitors soon followed.

Meanwhile the totalstation had advanced rapidly,driven by competition fromrival manufacturers. Followingthe Wild TCI, the mainstay ofthe 1980s and early 1990swere the TC1600 andTC2000 models whichincluded much easier datarecording and transfer to thegrowing number of office

CAD and terrain modellingsystems. These models weresucceeded in 1998 by the TPS300/1100 models whichadded features likereflectorless EDM, laserplummets, colour touchscreens and with the launchin 2005 of the SmartStation,GPS. These developments ledto the “MergeTech”technology of today, seen inthe Leica MS50 NovaMultistation which includes alaser scanning option.

The rise of the machinesAnother technology, or ratheran application, that has comeof age is machine control. Oncelasers became commerciallyavailable several companiesbegan using them to maintainline and level for constructionmachinery. But it has only beensince the arrival of GNSS that ithas been possible to introducevery fine control to machineslike pavers, graders, bull dozersand excavators.

From the late 1980s staticrotating lasers like the WildLNA30 were used as areference for machines. Butwith the availability of GNSSmuch more sophisticatedmachine control has becomeavailable. With the acquisitionin 2006 of Scanlaser by Leica’sparent Hexagon, the companywas able to develop a wholerange of machine controlsolutions. Today thosesolutions mainly rely on surveytechnologies like the Leica iConrange that underscores thecompany’s vision of the “fullyconnected construction site”.

An EDM on what?Probably the most significanttechnology of all that was toemerge in the 1990s was

laser scanning. Pioneered by anumber of companies on bothsides of the Atlantic, CyraTechnologies’ Cyrax 2400scanner first appeared in theUK in 1999 at the World ofSurveying show at theMotorcycle Museum. At thetime, one wag described it as“like an EDM on steroids!”He wasn’t far wrong andLeica (by now callingthemselves Leica Geosystems)were so impressed theyinvested in Cyra and boughtthe company two years later.That move heralded thedevelopment of a line ofscanners under the HDSbranding. High definitionsurveying had arrived and thepoint cloud is increasinglytoday the deliverable surveycompanies give to clients.

The futureThe late 1980s and early 90ssaw the rise of the multi-national global company.Although Wild Heerbrugg hadmany companies around theworld, including in the UK, itstill had something of thefriendly Swiss family business itbegan life as in the 1920s. In1998 Leica became part of theInvestec group and by the earlyyears of the 21st century theWild name was no more and

Leica Geosystems, now led byMark Concannon and JohnFraser, was part of the multi-national €3bn turnoverHexagon Group.

Today Leica Geosystemsproduces not only totalstations, GNSS receivers andlaser scanners but airbornesystems like the ADS and ALSseries of LiDARs and digitalsensors, terrestrial mappingsystems like Pegasus and hasrecently begun exploiting thepotential of UAVs throughthe acquisition of the Swisscompany Aibotix.

These measurementtechnologies play a part in somany industries and sectors.Agriculture, environmentalmonitoring, remote sensingand security can all be addedto Leica’s core business ofsupporting infrastructuredevelopment throughbuilding and civil engineeringas well as playing a key rolein systems like BIM, GIS andfacility management.

Let us conclude by statingthat predicting wheremeasurement technologieswill go over the next 50 yearsis beyond the crystal ballgazing of this history. But onething is certain, LeicaGeosystems or its successorswill be at the forefront.


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Two revolutionary products from the 1990s. Above left: theWild NA2000 digital level. Above right: The Leica Disto.

Above: With the arrival of the laser scanner thepoint cloud has increasingly become the deliverable.

Colour touch screens, survey as you goand laser scanning the total station hascome along way since the Wild TC1.Where will it be in another 25 years?

Up until 2000, to map an areaof more than about 50 Ha thetechnology of choice wasphotogrammetry. Overlappingvertical aerial photography wastaken using specially adaptedlight aircraft with heavy,expensive, calibrated metriccameras. This enabledphotogrammetrists to buildvirtual 3D models. Surveyorswould survey on the groundthe coordinates and heights ofpoints visible on the models, sothat they could be rotated andscaled to the nationalcoordinate reference system.The advent of precise GPS (andlatterly multi-constellationGNSS) and inertial motionsensors meant that less groundcontrol was needed and digitalphotography enabledautomated model generationwith pixel matching software;but the technique has remainedfundamentally unchanged.

Then, around the turn ofthe millennium, along cameLiDAR as a practical alternativefor producing digital groundmodels. This technologydepended upon GPS andinertial sensors in the aircraftto determine the preciseposition and attitude of theplane. A laser scanner would

scan the ground to produce acloud of 3D points. Other thanthe 3D coordinates, there islittle intelligence that can begleaned from a LiDAR point,but it is possible to recordobservations to the first,intermediate and last pointsthat the LiDAR hits on its waydown from the plane. The firstreturn might be from the treecanopy, the second could befrom a tree trunk and the thirdcould be from the ground.Using this, and sophisticatedfiltering algorithms, it ispossible to produce a ‘bareearth’ digital terrain model.Under ideal conditions, theheight accuracy can get downto a few centimetres and amuch lower cost thanphotogrammetry.

Fixed wing UAsNow there is a new kid onthe block. Over the pastcouple of years unmannedaircraft (UA) have beendeveloped for taking aerialphotography. They can easilybe carried around in the bootof a car and launched andlanded from small areas ofopen grassland.

The enabling technologicalbreakthrough is not the

aircraft, but the softwareused to build thephotogrammetric models.Innovative companies haveproduced software that cantake a bundle of overlappingconsumer-grade images andproduce 3D models cheaplyand largely automatically. Theresult is that it is no longernecessary to take thephotography with a heavy,calibrated camera becauseUAs can carry small, mass-produced high resolutioncameras, such as you mightfind in a mobile phone. Theseare light and can be carriedby light aircraft – most weighless than a kilogram.

Camera calibration istreated as an unknown by theprocessing software, which issolved at the same time as the3D model is built, but to dothis requires photography with80 to 90% overlap. Theprocess depends uponredundant image data so,given the small amount oftime needed to cover an area,it makes sense to fly it twicewith the second set of flightlines perpendicular to the first.UAs also carry rudimentaryGPS positioning and MEMSinertial sensors. These

observations also go into themix as a means of letting theprogram know roughly whereeach image is located beforethe processing begins, as wellas contributing to thegeoreferencing of the product.

Most aerial photography iscarried out using small UAswith a weight, includingpayload of less than 20 kg.Operation of UAs is governedby Civil Aviation Authority(CAA) regulations in Britain, ascovered in the neighbouringarticle. The UA operator mustobtain a ‘Permission’ from theCAA in order to be legally ableto perform ‘aerial work’.Clients should request sight ofthe operator Permission foraerial work whencommissioning surveys.

Whilst on the subject ofsafety, it is good practice foroperators to keep a log of allflights and record all incidents.It is important for the industrythat crashes are recorded so asto learn from mistakes, andinform risk assessments.Feedback should be sent tothe relevant parties – such asthe UA manufacturer. Clientsshould request thisinformation before engagingthe operator.

UAs - a new marketPhotogrammetry from UAaerial photography does notreplace traditionalphotogrammetry of largeareas, but makes remotesensing of suitable smallersites a practical and economicalternative (or supplement) toground-based surveying.Georeferencing that relies onthe GPS observations fromthe sensor on the UA will onlybe accurate to a metre or twoin plan and worse in height.To obtain higher accuracy it isnecessary to observe groundcontrol points. These shouldbe 3D coordinated points,typically markings on a flatsurface, such as parking baylines on tarmac, but inpractice it is difficult to findpoints on flat ground that arewell defined in plan, so mostsurveys will be controlledusing premarks. These shouldbe of a size and colour (whichshould be matt) that can beeasily identified on thephotography. Shiny objectsthat cause glare tend to

UAV’s & PHOTOGRAMMETRY

20


Aerial imagery from UAVs – a new dawn for photogrammetry?

Aerial photography taken from unmanned aircraft is the technologyof the moment, with many equipment and software developers andservice companies getting in on the act. Richard Groom reviews thestate of the technology, provides some advice for clients and on page21 opposite sets out the regulator’s rules.

Photogrammetric softwarecan now take a bundle of

overlapping consumer-gradeimages and produce accurate

3D models.

continued on page 22

UAV’S & PHOTOGRAMMETRY

21


flight from ‘onboard’ the aircraft. Thevideo stream can be viewed on ahandheld device such as a smartphoneor special visors and goggles. It shouldbe pointed out, however, that such‘first person views’ are not consideredsuitable for collision avoidancepurposes and hence the aircraft muststill be visually observed by the pilotduring its flight in order to complywith the law.

If the flight is to be conductedwithin ‘Controlled’ airspace, or withinthe Aerodrome Traffic Zone ATZ of anairfield (the dimensions of an airfieldATZs vary, but have encompassed theairspace within either a 2 nm or a2.5 nm radius of the airfield)permission to fly an aircraft with amass of more than 7 kg must beobtained from the Air Traffic Control(ATC) unit/authority and the flightmust be operated in accordance withthat permission and any additionalrestrictions required by ATC.

To obtain an operating permission,an operator has to prove a sufficientlevel of competence and anunderstanding of the safetyimplications – the CAA will ask to seean up-to-date operations manual forthe requested activities and evidencethat its pilot is sufficiently competent.These requirements are aimed at theprotection of people and property,which are not involved in the activityand are considered proportionate tothe scale of activity taking place. Withregard to pilot qualifications, in orderto grant a permission, the CAA wouldneed some proof of the pilot’s overallairmanship skills and awareness andhis/her ability to operate the aircraftsafely. This is not a ‘Civil PilotsLicence’, but it is an independentassessment of an individual’sknowledge and operating capabilities.Two companies currently perform thisassessment on behalf of the CAA:

• EuroUSC (www.eurousc.com ) –their assessment is called the Basicnational UAS certificate (BNUC-S)

• Resource UAS (www.resource-uas.co.uk ) – their assessment iscalled the ‘Remote PilotQualification-Small (RPQ-S)

CAA permission is not necessarilyrequired for each individual flight, butthe details of what is and is notpermitted will be listed on eachindividual operator’s permission.

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT, irrespective oftheir size, are still classified as aircraft.The person in charge of operating thecontrols of an unmanned aircraft isreferred to as the pilot. The CivilAviation Authority (CAA) will notallow unmanned aircraft to present orcreate a greater hazard to anyone (oranything) than the equivalentoperations of manned aviation. TheCAA oversight of unmanned aircraft isbased solely on safety considerations.It does not regulate any wider issues,such as privacy or nuisance.

Small unmanned aircraftAircraft of 20 kg or less are classifiedas small unmanned aircraft. They donot require any specific CAAairworthiness certification butoperators should remember that thepilot is at all times legally responsiblefor the safe operation of the aircraft.

Anyone operating a smallunmanned aircraft for aerial work (i.e.for which he/she is receivingremuneration) requires permission tooperate from the CAA. Operators ofsmall unmanned aircraft being used forsurveillance or data acquisition whichinvolves flying close to people orobjects also require permission fromthe CAA, whether or not they areundertaking aerial work. Specifically,this means flight over or within 150metres of any congested area, over orwithin 150 metres of an organisedopen-air assembly of more than 1,000persons, or flight within 50 metres ofany person, vessel, vehicle or structurethat is not under the control of thepilot. ‘Congested Area’ means, inrelation to a city, town or settlement,any area which is substantially used forresidential, commercial, industrial orrecreational purposes.

Pilots must maintain direct unaidedvisual contact with the aircraft at alltimes; within the UK, such ‘visual lineof sight’ operations are normallyaccepted to a maximum distance of500 m horizontally and 400 ft verticallyfrom the pilot. In this context,‘unaided’ does permit the use ofcorrective spectacles. Flight beyondthese distances can be permitted, butthe operator is required to provideexplicit proof that this can beconducted safely.

Some unmanned aircraft have afacility to provide the user with a videostream of the flight from an attachedcamera, which gives a view of the

UAs between 20 kg and 150 kgLarger unmanned aircraft are required tocomply with the full requirements of theAir Navigation Order under UKregulations in the same way as anyother manned aircraft operation. Thisincludes the requirement for aCertificate of Airworthiness, a properlylicensed pilot, the ability to comply withthe rules of the air, etc. However, theCAA may be prepared to exempt anaircraft operation from some of theserequirements if a suitable safety case canbe offered in respect of the level ofairworthiness assurance and theintended flights. The CAA may issue anexemption on the basis of its owninvestigations or by recommend ationfrom an organisation approved underBCAR A8-22. Currently only oneorganisation has received such approval

Larger unmanned aircraft whichneed to be flown at extended rangesfrom their pilot are currently beingtested for military and civilianapplications. The airworthinessrequirements for these largerunmanned aircraft are equally asstringent as those required for theequivalent manned aircraft. To ensuresafety, these tests are flown in‘segregated’ airspace, which isessentially closed to other aircraft.

If large unmanned aircraft are to beallowed to operate in ‘non-segregated’airspace (in the presence of otheraircraft), a ‘detect and avoid’ capability,which replicates a traditional pilot’sability to look out of the aircraft, willbe required. This technology will benecessary for unmanned aircraft tosafely integrate in shared airspace withmanned aircraft, such as light aircraftand fast military jets. Until unmannedaircraft have the ability to intuitivelyavoid other airspace users, in the sameway as manned aircraft should, thenthey will not be allowed to operateoutside of ‘segregated’ airspace.

The Regulations related to all flyingoperations within the UK are containedwithin CAP393 Air Navigation: TheOrder and the Regulations (ANO2009). Additional requirements for UAsare published in CAP722. For moreinformation, visitwww.caa.co.uk/cap393,www.caa.co.uk/cap722 andwww.caa.co.uk/uas

• Acknowledgement: Thanks to GerryCorbett, CAA, for his comments on thisarticle.

Regulations for Safety

I

UAV’s & PHOTOGRAMMETRY

22


confuse the pixel matchingprocess and result in blurring.

UA aerial photography canbe used to produce a digitalsurface model. This is not abare earth model becauseonly the objects in the imagecan be modelled. UnlikeLiDAR, the ground level willonly be recorded if it can beseen on the imagery. If thesupplier is offering a bareearth model, it is worthinvestigating the quality of

the filtering algorithms thatthey propose to use. For thisreason UA photography hasbeen very popular forsurveying unvegetatedsurfaces such as quarries.Indeed, the technique isuseful for surveying otherhazardous sites, such aswaste tips where there areissues with safety forsurveyors working on the siteor in gaining access to it.

Orthoimagery is producedby draping the images overthe surface model to give asingle georeferenced photo-realistic image. Orthoimagescan be valuable for recordingthe surface features for recordpurposes and regular flightscan be a useful and economicmeans of recording progresson development sites.

WindUAs are affected by wind intwo ways. Firstly if the wind istoo strong the aircraft motormight not be able to gainground when flying into thewind. Secondly, turbulence cancause blurring of the imagesand also result in overlaps that

are either larger or smaller thanplanned. This effect will be lesssignificant on larger aircraft. It isworth bearing in mind thatflying is weather dependentand that contractors locatedclose to the site will be moreable to make use of goodweather windows.

Wind also affects the take-off and landing. UAs land ontheir belly with the result thatthe fuselage has a limitedlifespan before needingreplacement. Naturally, theharder the landing the morewear and tear on the aircraftbody. This can be asignificant cost.

MulticoptersUAs can also be used forinspection in difficult places.Helicopters are used for thispurpose as they are easier forthe operator to control, theyare generally heavier thanfixed wing aircraft and cancarry larger payloads. Usinghigh resolution cameras orvideo, they are regularly usedfor inspection work on oil rigfacilities, power line towersand other locations that may

Multicopter devices canreach many otherwiseinaccessible locations andpayloads can now includesensors like a laser scanner.

be inaccessible or dangerous.Helicopters are not generallyconsidered ideal for mappingbecause they have a shorterrange but they do have theadvantage of being able tocarry a heavier payload.Recent developments haveseen helicopter UAs carryinglaser scanners, asdemonstrated recently by 4D-IT using a multicoptercarrying a Faro laser scanner.Meanwhile, Leica Geosystemsare promoting their use tocarry better quality camerasand multispectral sensors.

As a final point, operatorsshould take careful note thatthe collection of images ofidentifiable individuals, eveninadvertently, when usingcameras mounted on a smallunmanned surveillanceaircraft, will be subject to theData Protection Act in theUK. This Act containsrequirements concerning thecollection, storage and use ofsuch images.

See the latest UAVs in ourSystems & Deliverablescharts, pages 23-26

UAVs: SYSTEMS & DELIVERABLES

23

Eng

inee

rin

g S

urv

eyin

g S

ho

wca

se O

cto

ber

20

14

UK-based companies offering a mapping/ inspection service using UA imagery

Rich

ard Allitt A

ssoc

iates Ltd

Helen McK

enzie

pilot@

remotea

erial

surveys.co

.uk

0144

4 40

1840

Hayw

ards

Hea

th, W

est

Sussex

No

4 Fello

w of the

Institu

te of C

ivil

Engine

ers

Skyjib 8, Skyjib

Sup

er 6,

Skyjib XM

6, A

eron

avics

BOT,

DJI P

hantom

06/02/20

14

Yes

Yes

Yes

Photog

raph

y, video

,multis

pectral imag

ing,

thermal im

aging

Remote Ae

rial S

urveys (R

AS) is

an exciting

ven

ture by Richard

Allitt A

ssociates L

td w

hich

combine

s the

latest adv

ances

in Unm

anne

d Ae

rial V

ehicles

(UAV

s) with

inno

vative uses of

imag

ing eq

uipm

ent to pe

rform

a wide rang

e of aerial surveys.

Our e

xpertise in su

rveying,

environ

men

tal con

sulta

ncy,

GIS

and remote sensing mak

e us

the pe

rfect cho

ice fo

r fulfilling

your aerial survey ne

eds.

Geo

dime Ltd

Myfan

wy Fish

er

info@ge

odim

e.co

.uk

0190

3 74

1035

West S

ussex

No

1 Aibo

tix X6 V2

Yes

Yes

Yes

3D visu

alisa

tions

Yes

In add

ition

to st

anda

rd In

additio

n to st

anda

rdph

otog

raph

y, the varie

ty of

sensors in ou

r rep

ertoire

allows o

ur sk

illed surveyors

to provid

e ge

o-referenced

multispe

ctral o

rthop

hotos

for a

gricu

ltural p

rodu

ction

optim

isatio

n, w

ith fu

rther

uses in

sectors including

safety assessm

ent,

archae

olog

y an

den

viron

men

tal m

onito

ring.

Future A

erial

Inno

vatio

nsAn

drew

Blogg

andrew

@future

aeria

l.com

0791

9 89

8259

Brist

ol

No

2 Msc

Ebee

, Que

st, D

JIPh

antom, C

inestar 8

and Fa

lcon x8

2011

Yes

Yes

Yes

Preo

fessiona

l Film

ing

Yes

FAi a

re amon

gst t

hemos

t exp

erienc

edUA

V pilots in

the UK

,working

on large

scale projects acros

sthe UK

, Europ

e an

dAf

rica.

exeG

esIS SDM

Ltd

Jon Yo

ung

jony

@esdm

.co.uk

0187

4 71

1145

Brecon

/ Linc

oln

No

2 PhD

& / N

ationa

l UAS

qualificatio

n

Sens

efly

Swinglet 16M

pixe

l

Nov

-11

Yes

Yes

Yes

Adva

nced

data proc

essin

g an

ddigital p

ublication.

Orth

orectifica

tion for m

aps

and plan

s, G

IS and

CAD

, 3D

Digital S

urface M

odels,

Volume an

d stoc

kpile

calcu

latio

n. Fly

throug

h vide

os,

Online map

s, N

ear Infrared

imag

ery.

Yes

exeG

esIS is a re

spected spatial

data cap

ture and

man

agem

ent

compa

ny w

ith 30+

staff an

d we

have bee

n serving priva

te,

public an

d charita

ble sectors for

20 yea

rs. O

ur com

preh

ensiv

ean

d compe

titive

UAV

servic

eop

erates righ

t across the UK

and we ha

ve successfully

completed

hun

dred

s of

commercia

l flig

hts for d

ozen

s of

clien

ts. F

urther in

form

ation at

www.esdm.co

.uk/ap

s

DIGITAL

MAP

PING

AND

SURV

EY LTD

Kevin Sa

unde

rske

vin.saun

ders@

dman

ds.co.uk

0776

5 25

2915

Swan

sea &

Warwick

No

2 EURO

-s, M

Sc, B

NUC

Ebee

2011

Yes

Yes

Yes

Vege

tatio

n remov

al,

Groun

d mod

ellin

g,Ve

ctor data capture,

Volume calcu

latio

ns

Yes

DM&S

are an experien-

ced team

provid

ing

adv-an

ced map

ping

and da

ta ca

pture

optio

ns. W

e use cutting

edge UAV

tech-nolog

yan

d experience to be

one of th

e more

advanced se

rvice

pro-

viders in this market.

DM&S

are va

stly e

xperi-

enced an

d ha

ve w

orked

all over the globe on a

variety of projec

ts.

SLS CO

ASTW

AYSU

RVEY

S

Northwich

No

3 CAA/

IAA

eBee/Que

st/Versad

rone

/DJI Ph

antom

/Sab

re Systems

2012

Yes

Yes

Yes

Offs

hore

Yes

SLS Co

astw

aySu

rveys are ba

sed

in th

e UK

and

Ireland

but

operate across th

eworld w

ith UAV

pilots w

ho are

also Cha

rtered

Land

Surveyors

and Ge

ospa

tial

Engine

ers

www.co

astw

aysurveys.c

o.uk

Cybe

rhaw

k Inno

vatio

ns Lim

ited

Stua

rt Th

omas

info@thecyb

erha

wk.co

m

0150

6 59

2187

Livingston, Rea

ding

, Abe

rdeen, Sta-

vang

er, A

bu Dha

bi, K

uala Lum

pur

No

14 BEng

, MSc, C

Eng, M

BA

Cybe

rhaw

k multi-rotor v

ehicles &

Cybe

rhaw

k fix

ed-w

ing ve

hicle

s

2008

Yes

Yes

Yes

Topo

grap

hic S

urveys, O

blique Aerial

Imag

es, A

erial Pan

oram

ic Im

ages,

Route Surveys, Co

nditio

n Surveys,

Aerial Therm

al imag

ery, Ae

rial H

DVideo, Live Flare inspectio

n (Onsho

rean

d Offsh

ore), W

ind Turbine an

dMet M

ast inspection

(Onsho

re and

Offsh

ore), T

ransmission Tower

inspectio

n, Chimney s

tack in

spectio

n.

Yes

CAA

and IAA

approv

ed and

worldwide insu

red. O

ver 7

000

UAV fligh

ts to

date. Exp

erienc

e in

UAV su

rvey and

insp

ectio

n in

Europe

, Middle Ea

st and

Asia

.La

rgest c

ommercia

l UAV

service

prov

ider in

Europ

e with

35 full

time em

ploy

ees inclu

ding

Lan

dSu

rveyors an

d Insp

ectio

nEn

gine

ers. M

embe

rs of U

AVS.

FPAL

and

Ach

illes re

gistered

.

Blom

Hans

-Dieter A

rnold

hans

-dieter.a

rnold@

blom

-deu

tsch

land

.de

+49

251

384

9 60

0Stuttgart, German

yan

d Ch

edda

r, UK

No

2 Pilot

PAMS

(Smartplane

s.se)

2009

Yes

Yes

Yes

Emerge

ncy Re

spon

se,

Mon

itorin

g

Yes

Blom

are one

of the

early

pione

ers of U

AVmap

ping

and

now

have

ove

r 5 yea

rsex

perie

nce of

operations

and

applica

tions

Logo

Company name

Contact name

Contact email address

Contact phone number

Base location

Member of The Survey

Association?

N° of qualified UA pilots

Highest qualification of

permanent staff member?

List of UAs operated

Date started UA mapping

Inspection services

offered?

Orthophotography and

DSM service offered?

DTM service offered?

Other UA services

offered?

Full survey report

provided as standard?

Additional information

(relevant facts not

included elsewhere in

the table)


24

Eng

inee

rin

g S

urv

eyin

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ho

wca

se O

cto

ber

20

14

Trimble

UX5

Fixe

d Wing

Insp

ectio

n /

map

ping

/Su

rveying

~ 2.2 Kg

~ 0.3 Kg

Laun

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Glid

e, belly

land

ing

1m 114 x 72

x 20

cm Varie

s

110 Km

/h

65 km/h

Lithium Polym

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50 m

ins

Topcon

Siriu

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solutio

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laun

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autopilot s

upp-

orted /fu

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x 44

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120 km

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45 m

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aeria

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0.6 kg

130-15

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precise

autono

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0.96

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regu

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flights

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45 m

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Aeronavics Ltd

(formerly Droidworx)

SkyJib-sev

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odels

MultiR

otor

Bind

'N Fly: N

ZD 13,99

5.00

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.00 Re

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NZD 23

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kg

2.5 kg

- 7.5 kg

VTOL - R

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r auton

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sfly

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p to 60 km

/h fo

rman

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LiPo

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Aeronavics Ltd


XM-6 Ti-Q

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Bind

'N Fly: N

ZD 8,999

.00

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ZD 11,07

5.00

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14,950

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30 km/h fo

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p to 60 km

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Aeronavics Ltd


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.00

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/h fo

rman

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LiPo

Battery

40 m

ins

Aibotix GmbH

X6 Hexa

copter

Pricing

starts

at � €

33'000

depe

nding on

con

figuration

Insp

ectio

n, M

apping

,Su

rveying

3,4 kg

2.0 kg

Fully auton

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take

off

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omou

s ve

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land

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1.05

m

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x 110

0 x 43

0 mm

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ove

40 km/h

36 km/h

Lithium-polym

er 5,000

–10

,000

mA

rech

arge

able

30 m

ins

Manufacturer

Model

Type

Purchase cost

Primary use

Weight without

camera

Payload

Launch Mechanism

Landing

Mechanism

Wingspan

Size of carrying

case

Average number of

flights before

replacement of

aircraft body, under

normal usage

Cost of replacement

aircraft body

Maximum oper-

ating speed (Km/h)

Maximum wind

speed for flying

operations (Km/h)

Power Source (eg:

battery type /

rechargeable /

specialist)

Maximum flight

duration


25

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SONY Nex

5R -

16.1 M

pix

No

SONY Nex

5R

Infra

red

Yes

Yes

Trim

ble Ac

cess

Aerial Imag

ing

Mod

ule

Pana

sonic GX1

.16

MPx

No

yes NIR

RTK GPS

MEM

S

MAV

inci

Desktop

Cano

n IXUS

127

,16

MP

thermoM

AP,

Cano

n S1

10, …

Thermal, N

ear

infra

red (N

IR)

Nav

igation-grad

eGPS

MEM

S

eMotion 2,

inclu

ded with

the

UA Get abs

olute

accu

racy dow

nto 3cm

- with

out

Groun

d Co

ntrol

Points

http://www.se

nse

fly.co

m/abo

ut/

whe

re-to

-buy.htm

l

+41

215

520

445

Cano

n S1

10 N

IR,

12MP

Cano

n S1

10 Red

Edge

, multiS

PEC

4C Multi sp

ectra

l, red

edge

Nav

igation-grad

eGPS

MEM

S

eMotion 2,

inclu

ded with

the

UA Precision

agric

ulture:

• Plan

t stre

ss

assessmen

t• Ch

loroph

yll

indicatio

n• Tree

cla

ssificatio

n• Biom

ass

indicatio

n• Nitrog

en

reco

mmen

datio

n• Growth

mon

itorin

g…

http://www.sen

sefly

.com

/abo

ut/

whe

re-to

-buy

.htm

l

+41 21

5 52

0445

Cano

n IXUS

127

,16

MP

thermoM

AP,

Cano

n S1

10, …

Thermal, N

ear

infra

red (N

IR)

Nav

igation-grad

eGPS

MEM

S

eMotion 2,

inclu

ded with

the

UA • Ve

ry steep

and

precise

land

ing

• 3D

flight

plan

ning

• Multip

le drone

s op

eration

• Co

llisio

n av

oida

nce

• Ea

sy data

man

agem

ent

• Au

tomatic

safety

features

• 3D

imag

e proc

essin

gso

ftware

http://www.sen

sefly

.com

/abo

ut/

whe

re-to

-buy

.htm

l

+41 21

5 52

0445

Yes

Laser s

cann

er, Infrared - a

nysens

ors with

in th

e pa

yload

capa

bility

Depe

nding on

cam

era - e

gna

vigation-grad

e GPS

/precise

GPS

/ no

t recorde

d

eg M

EMS / n

ot re

corded

Supp

lied with

the UA

The SkyJibs a

re th

eAe

rona

vics' Sign

ature Pro

Camera Sh

ips -

purpo

sefully

and carefully designe

d to

deliver an ultra

-stro

ngairfram

e pa

ckag

e with

maxim

um perform

ance and

reliable infligh

t cha

racteristics

.A feature pa

cked

craft to be

prou

d of. T

he Ti-Q

R Serie

scombine

s state-of-the

-art

aerospace an

d indu

stria

lgrad

e materials to perfection

and offers easy pa

ck dow

nqu

ick re

lease compo

nents a

swell a

s adv

anced vib

ratio

nda

mpe

ning

techno

logy.

Yes

Laser s

cann

er, Infrared - a

nysens

ors with

in th

e pa

yload

capa

bility

Depe

nding on

cam

era - e

gna

viga

tion-grad

e GPS

/precise

GPS

/ no

t recorde

d

eg M

EMS / n

ot re

corded

Supp

lied with

the UA

Extensive R&

D ha

s be

eninvested

in th

e Fu

nctio

nal

Desig

n an

d Co

smetic

Appe

alof th

e Ae

rona

vics XM – Ti-Q

RSe

ries, re

sulting

in a practica

lyet b

eautifu

l and

high-

perfo

rman

ce craft. The

Quick

Release ea

sy pack do

wn

features in

con

junc

tion with

adva

nced

vibratio

nda

mpe

ning

tech

nology

mak

esthis craft the

professiona

llevel o

ption for tho

se th

at are

using Mirrorless DSLR's or HD

camco

rders an

d are look

ing

for q

uality, versatility

and

beau

ty.

Yes

Laser s

cann

er, Infrared -

any sens

ors with

in th

epa

yload

cap

ability

Depe

nding on

cam

era - e

gna

vigation-grad

e GP

S /

precise

GPS

/ no

t recorde

d

eg M

EMS / n

ot re

corded

Supp

lied with

the UA

The Ae

rona

vics BOT is

aco

mpa

ct in

dustria

l grade

aeria

l rob

ot designe

d for a

wide va

riety of a

pplications

inclu

ding

agricu

lture, s

ports

filming, jo

urna

lists in

the

field, s

ecurity

and

indu

stria

lus

es. F

itted

with

15inc

hprop

ellers and

indu

stria

lmotors, und

er 5kg

max

imum

take

-off weigh

tan

d fligh

t tim

es of u

p to 40

minutes. It’s

an ex

tremely

sturdy

craft with

ultra-

stab

le flight cha

racterist

icsev

en in

windy

and

turbulen

t con

ditio

ns.

Non

e su

pplie

d as stand

ard

and cu

stom

er can

provide

.Re

commen

ded cameras:

Nikon

D80

0 for H

igh

Reso

lutio

n Insp

ectio

ns. N

ikon

Coolpix A

or Son

y Alph

a 7R

for H

igh Re

solutio

n Map

ping

.

Yes. Can

on, O

lympu

s, N

ikon

,So

ny, G

oPro and

others.

Infra

red, M

ultis

pectral

naviga

tion-grad

e DG

PS

Not necessary.

Supp

lied with

AiproFlight

fligh

t plann

ning

softw

are

The Aibo

t X6 Un

man

ned

Aeria

l Veh

icle (U

AV)

represen

ts a new

gen

eration

of flyin

g robo

ts, s

uppo

rting

indu

stria

l ins

pection an

d ae

rial

map

ping

app

lications

. With

its

protected an

d aw

ard-winning

desig

n, th

e latest m

ulti-rotor

tech

nology

and

a high de

gree

of ro

botic

s, it is

easy to fly or

can ex

ecute a miss

ion

autono

mou

sly. C

ombine

d with

a va

riety of p

lug an

d play

sens

ors, th

e Aibo

t X6 go

eswhe

re you

can

not go

and

sees w

here you

can

not s

ee.

Mathias M

otz

mathias.m

otz@

leica

-ge

osystems.co

m

+41

797

661

362

Camera supplied

with UA (make,

model and MPx)

Can other camera

models be

deployed?

Other sensors that

can be deployed

Recorded position

of photo centres

Recorded aircraft

tilts for each photo

Flight planning and

control software

Additional

information (facts

not covered

elsewhere in table

entry)

Supplier Name (or

logo)

Contact name

Email Address

Telephone


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Software for mapping from UA aerial photography

Trim

ble Inph

o UA

SMaster

Trim

ble

Yes

Depe

nding on

groun

d sample

dista

nce of in

put imag

ery a

ndon

compu

ter p

erform

ance,

and processin

g pa

rameters

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Win7 64

bit, 3G

Hz m

ulti-

core com

puter (proc

esses

supp

ort u

p to 16 co

res pe

rlicen

se), 8G

B RA

M, N

VIDIA

Qua

dro grap

hics card

Trim

ble / T

rimble

Disit

ributor

POR

first yea

r inc

lude

d in

SW-purch

ase

full ph

otog

rammetric

workflow, e

xpert lev

eltools (Q

A an

d stereo

edit)

as w

ell a

s black-bo

x mod

e.Ope

n for n

on-Trim

ble UA

Stype

s

Trim

ble

Tor-E

rik D

jupo

stedtorerik_d

jupo

[email protected]

m

Trim

ble Bu

isness Ce

ntre

Trim

ble

Yes

~30

mins

Yes

Yes/No

Yes

Yes

No

No

MS Win 7 and 8 (64-bit

version

s only

), Du

alcore 1.80

GHz C

PU, 2

GB RA

M, 5

GB

HD sp

ace DirectX

9 graph

icscard w

ith 512

MB mem

ory

Trim

ble Distrib

utor

POR

Specifically designe

d to

interact w

ith other surve

ysens

ors su

ch as TS

, GNSS

receivers an

d othe

r vision

instrumen

ts

KORE

C

Pix4

Dmap

per

Pix4

D

Yes

30 -

90 m

ins, dep

ending

on ha

rdware

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Minim

um re

quire

men

ts: W

indo

ws 64

bit / Vist

a, 7, 8

,Se

rver / 2-Co

re CPU

/ 4G

B RA

MRe

commen

ded:

6-Co

re CPU

i7 or X

eon / 3

2GB RA

M

Free

access to perso

nal s

uppo

rt inclu

ded in softw

are

/ Exten

sive on

line Kn

owledg

e Ba

se

€26

0 / €

2'60

0 / €

6'50

0

Inclu

ded for free for firs

t yea

r, then

10%

Pix4

Dmap

per include

s follo

wing ed

iting

tools to kee

pfull control o

f projects:r

ayClou

d ed

itor c

ombining

3D

point c

loud

with

the original im

ages to

:- vie

w, a

ssess,

interpret a

nd im

prov

e the qu

ality and

accuracy of

results- m

easure, v

ectorize, classify and

perform

GIS

and CA

D funtionn

alities dire

ctly in th

e softw

are- In

dex

Calcu

lator to crea

te and

customize

inde

x map

s such

as DVI, N

DVI, SA

VI- M

osaic ed

itor for sea

mlin

e ed

iting

Pix4

D

Enso

MOSA

IC U

AV

Mos

aicM

ill Ltd

Yes

2 hrs

Yes,

possibility to

view

and ed

it in 3D display

Yes, te

xt file

Yes

Yes, radial and

tang

-en

tial d

istortio

n, affinity

and un

orthog

onality

Yes

Yes

No

Win7 / W

in8,

Stan

dard PC

any on

-line

dev

ice

startin

g fro

m €70

0

15%

full ph

otog

rammetric

suite

, also

corrid

orlin

es and

rolling

shutter a

ndhy

perspe

ctral s

enso

rs

Mos

aicM

ill Ltd.

APS

Men

ci So

ftware

Yes

~30

mins,

depe

nding on

compu

ter

perfo

rman

ce

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Win7 / W

in8,

Stan

dard PC

Yes

€45

00

€50

0

very user interface,

high

qua

lity results

in autom

atic

process. High

Accuracy. F

ree

remote licen

ce fo

rtrial

Men

ci So

ftware

Fran

cesca Ce

ccaron

ifra

ncesca.ce

ccaron

i@men

ci.co

m39

057 53

8396

0

Agiso

ft Ph

otoS

can

Professio

nal

AgiSoft L

LC

Yes

approx

. 30 mins

Yes

Yes

Yes

Calibrates rad

ial and

tang

entia

l lens

disto

rtion

s autom

atica

lly

Yes

No

No

Windo

ws/MacOS/Linu

x; CPU

: Intel Core i7

3GHz

or e

quivalen

t;32

GB RA

M

Free

cus

tomer sup

port

inclu

ded

$349

9

Non

e

Free

30-da

y trial;

Clos

e-rang

e im

agery

proc

essin

g capa

bility

AgiSoft L

LC

Smart3DC

apture

Adva

nced

Acute3

D

Yes

30 m

ins

Yes

Yes

Yes

Calibrates rad

ial a

ndtang

entia

l len

sdistortio

nsau

tomatica

lly

Yes

No

NO

Microsoft W

indow

s XP/Vista

/7/8 64-bit.- RA

M >4G

B-GP

U NV

IDIA /A

MD/Intel

compatible with OpenG

L 3.2

dedic

ated m

emory >

1GB.

Yes, by em

ail o

r pho

ne

Starts from

€25

00/yea

r or

€50

00 as pe

rman

ent -

Free

30-da

y trial

For p

erman

ent, starts

from €10

00/yea

r

Full-3D

mesh, scalability,

CAD

interope

rability, G

ISinterope

rability, Free

View

er, W

eb pub

lishing

Acute3

D

Logo

Software Package Name

Software Company Name

Produces Digital Surface

Model and ortho imagery?

Time to process DSM of 100

models of 3cm resolution

imagery with 80% overlap

Produces Digital Terrain

Model?

Produces full photogrammetric

computation report?

Calibrates camera principal

distance during processing?

Calibrates camera lens

distortions during

processing?

Orientates photogrammetric

models to 3D ground control

points?

Orientates photogrammetric

models to plan only or height

only ground control points?

Software hosted on line?

User's recommended

operating system and

hardware specification

Customer support?

One-off cost

Annual maintenance cost

Additional information

Supplier Name

Contact

Email Address

Telephone

SOFTWARE FOR GEOMATICS

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Applications in CADDApplications in CADD Ltd (AiC) is one of the UK’s leading suppliers ofMapping & Modelling, Design and Data Capture software, withinnovative products n4ce and 4Site.n4ce provides “Field to Finish” model and CAD solutions. From data

processing using least squares network adjustments, to feature andmodel creation using coded points to final presentation drawings. Formore advanced users applications are available for river & rail surveys,geological modelling and alignments. A project tree allows viewing andaccess to various data types stored in projects, with ripple-througheffects, dual editing in both sheets and graphics views, backcloths andhot key interaction. Add ease of use and you have a powerful solutionto meet your needs and budget. A true geomatics software toolbox!4Site is for the field engineer or surveyor who needs to capture and

process data directly into a DWG drawing format, using a total station orGNNS receiver as a digitiser. A Code Table converts survey measurementsinto CAD detail, which appears in front of your very eyes! Setting out issimplified as working drawings can be taken into the field. Specialistapplications are available for Hydrographic, Rail and Building Surveys.n4ce and 4Site store data in a single unified environment withautomatic backups for those occasions when things go wrong.

CONTACT:Dr John Strodachs, Applications in CADD Ltd21 Britannia Street, Shepshed, Leicestershire LE129AE United Kingdomt: +44 (0)1509 504501 f: +44 (0)1509 600079e: [email protected] w: www.appsincadd.co.uk

CadcorpCadcorp is a British software development company focused ongeographic information system (GIS) and web mapping software. Itoffers a complete suite of products - the Cadcorp Spatial InformationSystem® (Cadcorp SIS®) - addressing all phases of spatial informationmanagement. Cadcorp SIS is well-suited to addressing one of the major challenges

facing the geomatics sector: how to integrate the use of CAD and GIS.Both domains deal with spatial data, yet they were developed as solutionsto different problems. CAD software was developed for the design ofman-made structures that had yet to be built. GIS by contrast wasdeveloped primarily to represent existing phenomena, both natural andartificial. The result is that CAD and GIS usually differ in terms of datamodels, data formats, coordinate systems, and attribution levels.

Cadcorp addresses this conundrum by providing unsurpassedcapabilities to share spatial data between the two domains, offeringboth file- and server-based sharing of spatial data. Cadcorp SIS can read over 160 different CAD and GIS file, database

and image formats natively without translation. We also include aneasy-to-use DXF Exporter tool in our desktop software at no extracharge. This allows CAD users to quickly and easily extract OSMasterMap® and other business data from the organisation’s spatialdata store for use in their CAD software.You can explore the spatial data-sharing capabilities of Cadcorp

software by downloading Map Express - Cadcorp’s free-to-use GIS.http://www.cadcorp.com/products/free-mapping-software

Contact:Cadcorp, Sterling Court, Norton Road, Stevenage, Herts. SG1 2JYt: +44 (0) 1438 747996 f: +44 (0) 1438 747997e: [email protected] w: www.cadcorp.com

Cardinal SystemsThree components make up Cardinal’s newest package - Vr MappingAerial Triangulation software. Vr AirTrig is the base package and isrequired. VrAirTrig - Interactive software for measuring control and tiepoints in blocks of imagery. Vr AutoTiePoint - Adds automaticgeneration of tie points in blocks of imagery. This module vastlyreduces the man hours required to triangulate a block of imagery.VrBundle – Adds Adjustment with the ability to adjust difficultgeometries including UAV, oblique, high oblique, close range,coincident cameras, without GPS or other camera position estimates.Other modules are VrLiDAR integrates LiDAR into VrMapping software.This package allows the display and editing ofLiDAR point data in 2Dand in true three-dimensional stereo. The four configurations availablein VrLiDAR enable vector entities to be collected and edited using theextensive VrOne/VrTwo mapping tools. Within the 3D ViewPointenvironment, this vector data can be collected and edited over rawpoint clouds. Our products currently include VrOne, VrTwo, VrLiDAR,VrOrtho, VrMosaic, VrBalance, VrAirTrig, VrAdjust, VrVolumes andVrLite. We offer in-depth, comprehensive training in your offices or atour training facility in Florida and provide prompt and thoroughsupport services.

Carlson SoftwareFounded over 30 years ago, Carlson Software specializes in CADdesignsoftware, field data collection, survey, and machine controlproducts.Industries using the software include land surveying, civil engineering,construction, and mining worldwide, providing one source technologysolutions from data collection to design to construction. Carlson Software’srenowned dedication to customer service is unique in the industry.Developing user-friendly, technically advanced software for land

surveying “doing what surveyors needed it to do” is how CarlsonSoftware got its start. By encouraging a customer feedback Carlsongets invaluable data that is used to develop annual releasesalwayschock-full of customer-driven new features.SuvCE provides the surveyor or Engineer with all the tools needed

for sitework, both data collection and setting out. Powerful Field toFinish functions ensure that the data collected is complete andaccurate with the survey being drawn on screen as work progresses.

Welcome to our feature on Softwarefor Geomatics. All the companies listedproduce relevant software forgeomatics applications and are listedfollowing our invitation for details. Ifwe missed you, apologies. Drop us anemail and we’ll get you in next time.


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SurvCE interfaces to a wide range of Total Stations and GNSSReceivers. When combined with Carlson’s rugged data collectorsSurvCE provides a complete solution for all field survey tasks.Carlson Survey provides a full tool kit for surveyors with everything

from network least squares to surface modeling. Users get the abilityto work seamlessly between the office and the field and they canestablish company-wide design styles to ease and speed their work.Carlson Survey runs on AutoCAD® or Intellicad so produces datadirectly in DWG or DXF and many other formats.

Leica GeosystemsWith easy data processing and a seamless workflow for fast, reliableresults, Leica Geosystems announces Leica Infinity, the office softwarefor easy management, visualization, processing and georeferencing ofcombined total station, imaging and scanning data from the LeicaNova MS50 MultiStation. Part of an extensive portfolio of software thatcom-pletes the Leica Nova solution, Leica Infinity provides users withcustom deliverables and helps them make informed decisions. With a simple user interface, optimized data organization and dynamic

data visualization, Leica Infinity gives a perfect project overview andensures streamlined workflows. Scan data can be inspected, cleaned upautomatically to remove outliers and re-calculated together with the totalstation set-ups. Multiple scans can be combined for the creation ofinformation-rich surfaces. The instant access to raw data at all times allows users to combine and

cross-check scans against processed or archived data and survey resultswith only a couple of clicks in order to make the right decisions. LeicaInfinity offers all the tools to document and report on individual steps andfinal results before data can be exported for further processing to a broadchoice of CAD software packages.

ContactLeica Geosystems - Part of HexagonLeica Geosystems, Hexagon House, Michigan Drive, Tongwell, MiltonKeynes, MK15 8HT t: +44 (0) 01908 513400

w: http://www.leica-geosystems.co.uk or myWorld @ Leica Geosystems

LFM Software LtdLFM is a powerful 3D laser scanning software package, which is relevantthroughout the laser data and asset lifecycle. LFM is hardware andsoftware vendor neutral. It accepts data from all 3D laser scanners andexports to 3D integrated plant design systems CAD and Review platforms.LFM’s philosophy lies on two main principles:

• open system, without restrictions. LFM aims to be neutral at bothends: neutral with respect to capture devices, and neutral withrespect to CAD and modelling technologies. Only one softwaresolution is required even when there are multiple hardware systems.

• Relevant throughout the entire plant lifecycle. LFM software allowsseamless use of the data from capture, to initial processing, andregistration, through to final delivery to the client.

The LFM software suite includes LFM Server enables users to accessand work with preregistered 3D laser-scan data from any scannervendor, to clash detect a proposed design against as-built data, and tointerface with CAD packages from AVEVA, Autodesk, Bentley orIntergraph. LFM Server in Gateway mode offers unparalleledconnectivity to terrestrial 3D scanners. It can also import other types ofdata from mobile, hand-held or aerial scanners and enables dataexport in open, industry-standard formats.LFM Modeller enables users to produce intelligent 3D models from

as-built laser-scan data with only a few clicks, and to export themodels into a wide range of 3D CAD systems.LFM NetView enables users to securely access remote 3D laser-scan

data. More than an online viewing package, it provides tools thatenable users to work collaboratively with laser-scan data over theInternet. LFM NetView is innovative in its approach to sharing 3D laser-scan data online, as it connects back to the master LFM Server dataset.This ensures that the full resolution of 3D laser-scan data is available tothe remote user, avoiding any loss of resolution incurred by thetransfer of compressed data over the Internet.


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LSSLSS is a land survey processing and digital terrain modelling packagewritten and supported in the UK and which will read data fromvirtually all survey instruments to create a fully editable and contouredplan on screen with user-definable symbols and line types, annotationand comprehensive quality assurance. If data comes from sources otherthan survey equipment, LSS will import data from DXF, GENIO, CSV,LandXML and others. There are three LSS products, LSS Solo, Vista andElite. Users pay an annual licence fee which includes technical supportand software updates. Many survey users start off with LSS Solo andupgrade to a higher, more feature-rich version at a later date and paythe difference in annual fee (pro-rata’d if part way through the year).Because the software uses a USB dongle, it can be installed on severalcomputers and the dongle moved or shared across a network. Runs onWindows PCs and tablets (including Win8).Training courses are heldonce a month at McCarthy Taylor Systems offices, plus week longevents at various locations throughout the UK every year. Onlinediscounts are available for software and training bundles.LSS Solo will download from and upload to EDM and GPS

equipment (including Leica, Trimble, Topcon and Sokkia), produce a 3Dcontoured survey or building elevation with efficient editing of levels,line styles, annotation and the addition of points via a set of quality-assured CAD-Pro commands. It will handle 2D, crossing links and non-terrain data. It will do traverse adjustments and then export thefinished plan back to the survey instrument, AutoCAD in either 3D or2D, MX as a GENIO file or LandXML. £250 a year.LSS Vista includes everything in Solo, plus Interface with Leica Nova

MultiStation, as well as plan plotting, volumes between models,sections, design, even export to machine control systems (export thecomplete formation-level model) and more. It also features real-timevirtual tours, draping of raster images onto DTMs and free distributionof the model to third parties using the included 3D viewer, LSS 3DVantage. It also provides terrain extraction from UAV surveys andsampling of very large datasets. £500 a year. LSS Elite is in use across a wide range of industries. A comprehensive

range of advanced volume options, isopachytes, plus slope andearthworks designs, restoration and topsoil stripping, tools for thecreation of restoration models, line of sight and visibility analysis (ZVIand ZTV). Rail survey overlap adjustment and gauge reporting. Add tothis list everything in Solo and Vista and they combine to make Elite apackage used by many of the leading civil engineering, construction,consultancy, mineral extraction, landscape architecture andengineering surveying organisations in the UK. £750 a year. Education for teaching and non-commercial research use. £250 a

year for a ten-user network system (including dongle).PASSPORT for non-commercial collision investigation. The package

includes the Elite system and inclusive training tokens.

CONTACTMcCarthy Taylor Systems Ltd, Aerial View, Acorn House, Shab Hill,Birdlip, Gloucestershire GL4 8JXt: 01452 864244 e: [email protected] w: www.dtmsoftware.com

MBSMBS Survey Software Ltd is an independent software house providingsolutions for the built environment. We have over 400 users benefitingfrom the continued development of our building, hydrographic andRights of Light software packages. Uniquely, the software is developedby leading practitioners which means it is thoroughly tested on realjobs. You can be confident that the software meets the criticalrequirements for quick and cost efficient surveying for both thepracticing measurement professional surveyor.MBS Floor Plans allows for real time graphical capture of all the

elements required for the production of scale drawings of floor plans.By running on Windows tablet PCs, the surveyor can input spatial datadirectly from a Total Station, a hand held laser measuring device or asteel tape.MBS Elevations enables the surveyor to survey building elevations

with a reflectorless Total Station and view the resultant elevationgraphically as it is being measured.MBS RXS Tools is a 3D modelling application for the processing on

river channel surveys. Written within AutoCAD, this suite of toolsenables processing, manipulation, editing and presenting of datausually required for inshore hydrographic surveys, with all majorhydrographic exports supported.MBS Waldram Tools Ranginui is a specific suite of tools designed to

deal with the common daylight/sunlight issues highlighted as part ofthe planning process and the less common issues surrounding Rightsof Light.

ContactMBS Survey Software Ltd27 Old Gloucester StreetLondon WC1N 3AX t: 020 7404 9029 e: [email protected] w: www.surveymbs.com

NRGNRG has been developed in the UK by practising engineering surveyorsfor over 20 years. A number of specialist add-on modules are alsoavailable as well as CoGeo, a low cost group of tools, which includesover 32 functions such as traverse adjustment, least squaresadjustment and a digital level book from £99.DTM / Map: a versatile survey processing and ground modelling

package, it works entirely with raw survey data processing ‘on the fly’.It allows input of borehole information and models the substrata. Ittakes design data from a host of sources and not only calculatesvolumes but will separate materials and measurement items, calculatebenching etc. and produce detailed schedules to MMHW & CESMMRender: a standalone rendering module that will produce driv-

throughs and fly-overs. It shares the code library with DTM Map butuses the photo images for line and point styles and surfaces, giving theuser an easy route to developing stunning visualisations for bothsurveys and proposed developments.Cross Sections: developed initially for calculating volumes by cross

section, this module provides the storage, editing and printing of crosssections along with area calculations and volumes. Unique to NRG is itsability to combine unlimited surfaces and ‘dip’ files making it ideal forroadworks and railways.Design: Alignment design, supporting data from a wide range of

sources, easily attaching road or railway details to create digitalmodels, cross sections and setting out information.


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Drainage: a contractor’s package for taking off materials, supervisingconstruction and measuring to the method of measurement. It includesseveral functions such as clash detection which make it an essentialtool for drainage contractors. It works seamlessly with DTM Map anddesign giving the user fast analysis of ‘what if’ scenarios as well astracking the as-built.Monitoring: a real-time monitoring package, designed to collect

spatial data from a range of sources, including survey instrumentscontrolled over RS232 or web-based links. A wide range ofvisualisation tools are included as well as customisable control over thereporting, prediction and warning functions of the system.Tunnelling: a volume and ‘wriggle’ package, developed to check the

clearances of an as-built tunnel, by whatever method, bore or blast, itcan cater for complex shapes, even allow for a series of headings orbenches at the same time. Overbreak and underbreak calculations arepresented in easily auditable cross sectional format.

ContactNRG Surveys Ltd, Castle View, Station Road, Llanfairfechan, ConwyNorth Wales LL33 0ANt: 01248 681240 e: [email protected] w: www.nrgsurveys.co.uk

SCC - Atlas ComputersSCC is a geomatics package in its third decade of continuous develop -ment. Native 64bit and 32bit versions and multi-core optimisation makebest use of modern computers and surveying equipment to give yourcompany the competitive edge. Solutions include:PointCloud: Viewing, edit, and analyse point clouds of up to 4 billion

points in real time. Automatically extract high quality line work forplans and elevations, sections. Compute volumes direct from thecloud. Trace features using a range of methods, and much more.Input from a wide range of formats, including Leica MS50 Scanstation.Rail and tunnels: Cant and gauge checking, string overlap

comparisons, formation adjustment, wriggle surveys, lift and sluecomputation, and integration with Amberg trolleys and scanlasermachine control. Compare tunnel differences and deformation anddevelop isopachytes from scans.Rivers and water: Rapid processing of river surveys with output to

EACSD / ISIS / HECRAS. Canal processing for BW-MOC software. Flowline computation with confluence counting and annotation, beachsurveys using vehicle mounted GPS.Design: Horizontal and vertical alignments, with templates to create

surfaces. Support for multiple surfaces, widening, and interfacingbetween surfaces. Polygonal design with cut & fill balancing.Sections & volumes: Multi-surface cross sections, profiles, parallel

sections. Cut and paste between plan and section. Volumes by areasand ground types, using isopachytes, grids and sections. Survey & adjustment: Download from any total stations, scanners,

GPS and levels. Create and edit contoured models and maps. Leastsquares analysis. Geodetic and local transformations. Output to CAD(DWG, DGN and DXF formats), MX/MOSS, Civil 3D, 3D studio, GIS(shape files), LandXML.Visualisation: 3D viewer with an extensive library of common 3D

objects and road markings, direct output to Google Earth.

Free trial version available.

CONTACT

Atlas Computers Ltd15 Moyville Lawns, Taylors Lane, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16,Republic of Irelandt (Ireland): +353 (0) 1 4958714/5/6 [email protected] (Ireland)t (UK): 01480 404888 [email protected] (SCCS, UK)www.atlascomputers.ie

South Survey Ltd, official UK suppliers of Microsurvey SoftwareOver the last 30 years, MicroSurvey has developed a core set ofsoftware tools to help surveyors, civil engineers, construction layoutprofessionals, and mapping specialists conquer their workflowchallenges in the most efficient manner possible.Offering one of the most complete survey design and mapping

product lines in the industry, MicroSurvey covers software for theoffice as well as for the field; supporting hundreds of instruments andhandheld devices. The staff values and listens to its customers, andMicroSurvey supports what it builds. Using a special “vote-based”system, development efforts for new features is largely determined bythe numerous professionals using the software.FieldGenius gives you a competitive advantage in the field. With

code-free line work, smart points, and an updated stakeout interfaceand workflow, you will be amazed as to how much faster you can getthe job done.MicroSurvey CAD is a drafting program built specifically for surveyors.

With a tiered approach to features, you can customize the exactfeature level and price. Fully compatible with DWG files, MicroSurveyCAD gets you precisely what you need.Complete survey drafting,COGO, DTM, Traversing, Volumes, Contouring, point cloudmanipulation and data collection interfacing are included.STAR*NET 8 is latest version of the network adjustment program. An

easy-to-use Windows package that adjusts 1D/2D/3D survey networksusing rigorous Least Squares techniques. It handles networkscontaining conventional, level, and GPS observations with up to10,000 adjustable stations. STAR*NET 8 now has a DBX converteravailable for all Leica users to input data straight into the programFor those who just need a DWG/DXF CAD program to import theirsurveys we offer GtarCAD 8

Trial versions are available to download from our website

CONTACTt: 01200 429870 w: www.surveyorsequipment.co.uk

Storm GeoRiverStorm GeoRiver is a standalone, cloud licensed river channel surveyprocessing exchange. All processing of raw survey data can becompleted with little manual handling and the software can alsoimport and export data from Tuflow, ISIS, Mike11, Hec-Ras, XYZ andEACSD v3.2. All the standard DXF drawings and photo files can beexportedtoo; aimed at both the surveyor and engineer. Storm GeoRivermaps river information from the field into digital data files. Exactstructure details, bed geometry and surface types can be exported intothe new Environment Agency EACSDv3.2 format.

site descriptions. Integrated controller cameras can be utilised to CaptureReality by storing unlimited photo notes with each measured point.

CONTACT:Topcon GB Ltd, Unit 9-11 Mersey House, The Match Works, SpekeGarston, Liverpool, L19 2PHt:: +44(0)845 450 4300 e: [email protected]: www.topconpositioning.co.uk

Trimble TerraFlex Now GIS managers can create and deploy fast, efficient forms for fielddata collection across a range of standard, mobile devices. Eliminatepaper forms, no matter what kind of geospatial field work your teams aredoing. With Trimble TerraFlex™, all of your field crews can deliver trustedand standardized geospatial data for fast integration into your GIS.Android, iOS, or Windows Embedded Handheld? Because BYOD

initiatives are driving new demands for universal field systems, cloud-based Trimble TerraFlex has you covered.With multiple field workers and countless field activities, you need

to keep it all organized. TerraFlex gives you the flexibility to assignusers to individual projects and manage the data coming in. Field datais automatically

ContactKorec Groupt: 0845 603 1214 e: [email protected]: www.korecgroup.comw: www.trimble-terraflex.com

Stay up to date with the latest systems andsoftware developments by readingGeomaticsWorldhttp://www.pvpubs.com/GeomaticsWorld/Subscribe


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Storm GeoRiver improves the efficiency of processing whileenhancing the integrity and completeness of the data compared toother survey processing software. Storm GeoRiver is a flexible,economic software package with benefits to both the river surveyorand the hydraulic engineer.

CONTACTStorm Geomatics Ltd, Unit 28,, Ditchford Farm, Nr. Moreton-in-MarshGloucestershire GL56 9RDt: 01608664910 w: www.storm-geomatics.com

Topcon MAGNETTopcon’s MAGNET solutions are cloud-based services which allow thesmooth and immediate transfer of all of your important positioningdata, from the field to office for on-the-fly processing, or sending outnew setting-out schedules from the office to the field.Experience true real-time streaming of all site information to and

from any work-site with MAGNET Enterprise. With the ability to streamreal-time site measurements for office personnel to work on, as well asvarious views on all company asset information. Always be in touchwith what’s going on! Log-in to a safe and secure account from anyMAGNET software package for processing, visualisation and reporting.MAGNET Office is a powerful and intuitive processing, design and

drafting software suite that meets the demands of modern surveyorsand designers. The core values are the ability to work with the largestvariety of file formats, intuitive session visualisation and planning byactivating the satellite background imagery and the integratedAutoCAD 360 cloud surfing. This allows other users to get involved, tovisualise field measurements and perform CAD tasks on line-work fromanywhere in the world. Unique, intuitive and user-customisable field application software that

enables users to collect survey mapping data and perform setting out,utilising total stations, GNSS equipment and digital levels. MAGNET Field’s quick codes data collection feature allows for personalon-screen buttons and single screen tap to log position attributes and

UTILITY SURVEY SPECIFICATION

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PAS 128 is the result of twoyears’ work which has been ledby the British StandardsInstitution and sponsored bythirteen organisations includingcompanies, consultants andinstitutions. Between them theypoured £65,000 into theenterprise. For the event, GeoffFrench and Scott Steedman, theDirector of Standards at BSI,introduced two speakers; IanBush, vice president of theChartered Institution of CivilEngineering Surveyors (CICES)and director of BIM at Blackand Veatch and Andy Rhoades,Head of Services Protection atHeathrow Airport.

A troubled courseBush took the audiencethrough the development ofthe specification and itstroubled course through fourdrafts. It went out forconsultation twice andattracted over five hundredcomments on the first passand over six hundred on thesecond, at a point in theprocess when it should byrights have been cut and dried.

PAS is short for publiclyavailable standard but, as weshall see later, this is not allthat it might imply. The PASwas born at an event arrangedby the British StandardsInstitution (BSI) in January2012 at which the participantsagreed that a specification wasneeded that was aimed atpractitioners - not clients. PAS128 is the result of a fast-trackprocess, which wasprogrammed to take eighteenmonths, but in fact took twoyears. BSI facilitated and it wasdrafted in accordance with theorganisation’s rules by a teamof four, in conjunction with asteering group of interestedparties. The ICE was

approached to be the mainsponsors and the task washanded over to the jointICE/CICES GeospatialEngineering panel.

Not quite hierarchicalReaders may already befamiliar with the The SurveyAssociation’s specification andguidelines, which werepublished in 2009; PAS 128has many similarities. Bothdocuments take a hierarchicalapproach to the types ofsurvey for undergroundservices detection. The surveytypes specified in PAS 128 are:

D: Desktop study

C: Site reconnaissance

B: Detection (particularly usingelectromagnetic and GPRtechniques)

A: VerificationBut the process is not entirelyhierarchical because, accordingto PAS 128, it is possible tocarry out a Type ‘B’ surveywithout having first made asite reconnaissance. Manywould contest this, becausethe detection process shouldmake use of all the availablesupporting evidence – e.g.utility marker posts etc.

Site reconnaissance includesthe identification of utilityinspection covers but notlifting them to record pipesizes and inverts or cableducting information, whichcomes under survey type ‘A’.Verification was, in earlierspecifications, confined to thevalidation of critical utilities bydigging trial holes to provetheir position. Lifting of coversto inspect and measure utilitiesshould, arguably, come at amuch earlier stage in theprocess – and possibly even beincluded in the topographical

survey specification.This means that, for

example, a survey involvingthe lifting of drainage coversand identification ofconnections using dye is notcovered by the specification,although the results couldconceivably be presented inaccordance with PAS 128 byattributing the covers as type‘A’ and the connections astype ‘C’ surveys.

Attributed segmentsThe specification calls foreach segment of each utilityto be attributed with a qualitylevel which may consist of upto three characters, inaccordance with a table. Thefirst character is ‘D’ to ‘A’ toindicate the survey type,secondly a digit ‘4’ to ‘1’ toindicate the quality ofdetection and finally a ‘P’ toindicate if the survey data(GPR) has been recorded andhas been post-processed,rather than interpreted in thefield and not stored.

Comprehensive searchingThere are three concerns withthis specification. Firstly under‘Desktop study’, thespecification calls for thesurveyor to “identify knownutility owners within thespecified survey area”. It ispossible to commission thirdparty companies to carry outthese searches and, to controlcosts, they typically offerseveral options which might,for example, exclude someutility companies that chargefor searches. Yet, frequently,the only way to find outwhether or not a utility crossesa site is to search for it, so it isarguable that all searchesshould be comprehensive.

Secondly, the PAS includesa section (Section 10) onsurveying the position of thedetected utilities. This isbasically topographicalsurveying and in this respectPAS 128 is weak. It isparticularly disappointing thatthis part of the specificationfails to refer to the RICSmeasured survey specification,which will be published bythe end of October. The goodnews, however, is that theRICS spec has been written tochime with PAS 128.

PAS 128 also leaves openthe possibility that a companyspecialising in underground

services detection, butwithout qualified topographicsurveyors, could carry outextensive topographicalsurvey work on the back ofan underground utilitiessurvey. We know this practicegoes on and PAS 128 shouldnot encourage it.

Thirdly, for ease of use,the specification would havebenefited from a proformasurvey brief for the client tocomplete, but it is understoodthat TSA will be writing asuitable document for thispurpose.

Horrific consequencesAndy Rhoades was able todraw a direct relationshipbetween the quality ofunderground servicesinformation and the number ofutility strikes experienced atHeathrow airport. To reinforcethe importance of good qualityrecords, he related a storyabout a contractor installing alightning rod within a metre ofa live high pressure fuel main.Had lightning struck and thepipeline fractured, the airportcould have been closed formany months and theenvironmental consequenceswould have been horrific. Inanother incident, a contractorcarrying out road planing,damaged shallow cables thathappened to supply the northrunway centreline lights, andsevered an 11kV cable thatplunged the north side of theairport into darkness.

PAS128 is just the startThe speakers argued that PAS128 is an important part of thesolution, but that it has to besupported by trainingprogrammes and accreditationof underground utilitiessurveyors. Interestingly, theyruled out accreditation ofcompanies, but arguably thiscould come from companymembership of TSA, orregulation by RICS.

PAS 128 has been endorsedenthusiastically by the RICS,CICES and TSA and there is nodoubt that it is a significant stepforward. It will be reviewed attwo-yearly intervals, when therough edges can be smoothed.

One final point: if youassumed that publicly availablespecifications would be free ofcharge, you would be wrong.PAS 128 is for sale from theBSI website at £70 per copy.

PAS 128: a standard forunderground utilitysurveyingThe summer saw the launch at the Institution ofCivil Engineers of a specification that is set totransform underground utilities surveying. Therewas quite a fanfare: the event even attracted theICE’s President, Geoff French. But just what is PAS128 and what use is it? Richard Groom reports.

TECHNICAL SERVICES

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AERIALPHOTOGRAMMETRY

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2 Queens Road, Haywards HeathWest Sussex RH16 1EBContact: Richard MaltbyTel: 01444 416 246E-mail: [email protected]

We estimate that Showcase reaches over 6,500 sur veyors, engineers and other professionals who work in geomatics, usegeomatics technology or commission geomatic specialists. To advertise in Show case’s Classified sect ion, call +44 (0)1438 352617.

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Telephone number: 0207 731 0304Email address: [email protected]

Website: www.ara-survey.co.uk

A l a n R h o d e s A s s o c i a t e s

KOREC’s growth is built on forging relationships with market leaders and niche system providers, along with in-house software development.

Job descriptionKOREC’s geospatial imaging division is seeking to recruit a mobile mapping vehicle operator & data processor to be based at Huntingdon. The purpose of the role is to primarily assist with the data capture and post-processing of highly accurate, geo-referenced spatial data from a moving vehicle and transform it into information-rich 3D infrastructure models and asset information. Post-processing involves point cloud registration, GNSS post-processing, data quality control routines and 3D vector data export.

Key duties• Acquire and process geo-referenced spatial data using Trimble land mobile systems• Assist with project planning for optimising data capture efficiency• Assist with all stages of mobile mapping projects from preplanning to final data deliveries

LocationThe role is based at the geospatial imaging division in Huntingdon. However, due to the nature of the work, frequent travel throughout the UK can be expected with occasional overnight stays.

Desired skills and experience• Strong computer skills• Good knowledge of Microsoft Access and Excel• Very high accuracy and attention to details• Excellent organisational skills

ApplicationsPlease email cv to [email protected] to apply.

For full job requirements, see www.korecgroup.com/jobs/mobile-mapping-vehicle-operator-data-processor/

Mobile mapping vehicle operator & data processor

www.korecgroup.com

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Documents

Engineering surveyingshowcase2014 · any moving platform. Software offers semi-automatic object extraction features, which enables GIS metadata extraction or calculation of distances