geomaticsworld 2014 · back of a quiz by rics to tsa member survey firms on how they see skills...

GeomaticsWorld SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2014

Is Revit now thede facto standard

for BIM?

A standard forDiscrete Global

Grid Systems

Going for gold atHxGN Live 2014 in

Las Vegas

A new tool forlocating under-ground utilities

PPP aboard shipscould improve

satellite altimetry

Issue No 6 : Volume 22

Surveying for geographical and spatial information in the 21st century

FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION FOR PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS see page 3

Copy dates are: Editorial: 6 October Advertising: 23 OctoberNN EE XX TT II SS SS UU EE The next issue of GW will be November / December 2014.

p.05 Editorialp.06 Newsp.09 Calendarp.10 Undercurrents

p.13 Chair’s Columnp.36 Downunder currentsp.37 Products & Servicesp.39 Recruitment & Classified

Geomatics World is published bi-monthly by PV Publications Ltd on behalf of the Royal Institutionof Chartered Surveyors Geomatics Professional Groupand is distributed to group members and othersubscribing professionals.

Editor: Stephen Booth

Technical Editor: Richard Groom

Advertising: Sharon Robson

Subscriptions: Lucy Casserly

Editorial BoardIan Coddington, Pat Collins, Professor Ian Dowman,Richard Groom, Alan Haugh, James Kavanagh,Professor Jon Mills, Dr Stuart Robson, Dr Martin Smith

Overseas SourcesRoy Dale – New ZealandNick Day – USA

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September / October 2014 Geomatics World 03

Contentsp.14 PAS 128: a standard for underground utility surveying

The long-awaited specification for surveying of underground utilities was launchedrecently at the Institution of Civil Engineers.

p.16 BIM: Is Revit the de facto standard?Those in the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry are witnessing,and contributing, to a battle of the standards.

p.18 UltraCam Osprey Prime: a sensor for nadir and oblique imagingMichael Gruber and Wolfgang Walcher of Microsoft’s UltraCam business unitdescribe the qualities of the latest Osprey aerial camera.

p.22 Reduct - a new tool for locating utlitiesSarah Hurley describes another technology for tracing pipelines or ducts at any depth.

p.24 HxGN Live 2014: workflow infuses services and solutionsHxGN Live was held in Las Vegas in June for a third consecutive year. It was whereeverything came together for Hexagon AB, says Adam P. Spring.

p.27 Towards a standard for Discrete Global Grid SystemsHistorically, computational processing facilities have been expensive, data storagelimited and large volumes of geospatial data hard to come by, explains Dr GobeHobona. But today Discrete Global Grid Systems are becoming possible.

p.29 A free web-based application for displaying survey dataA new web-based application is capable of transforming and displaying OS gridcoordinates onto a range of freely available mapping resources.

p.31 KL Congress a knock outHere, the irrepressible John Brock gives his own lively account of the social side ofFIG KL, but not before telling us all about his pre-event SE Asia tour.

p.33 FIG 2014: Geodesy, Point Clouds, Hydrography and MonitoringHundreds of papers were presented at FIG Kuala Lumpur. Richard Groom haspulled them together in a review of the science and engineering orientated papers.

COVER STORYWith the EuropeanLiDAR MappingForum and SPAREurope looming, thislaser scanned imageis from theUrbanscreen artistsgroup's stunningvisual display insidean old gasometer.Read more on page6.

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Editorial


A new report should identify likely demandfor geospatial skills over at least the nextdecade. Following the gathering and analysisof the data, the report should reach somebullet point conclusions that politicians,business leaders and senior academics cangrasp quickly as agenda for action.

Chartered surveyors need to explain But it needs to be promulgated widely. Everysenior chartered surveyor should have thearguments and facts to hand to explain toclients what a professional surveyor does andwhy they’re needed to oversee the geospatialaspects of projects rather than some otherprofession or a generalist. This view is backedby one of the written-in comments to theRICS survey. The writer suggested that evenvery senior staff have limited commercialexperience with the consequence that clientsonly understand the ‘cost of everything butthe value of nothing’ and regard the surveyindustry as a commodity service rather than aprofessional one.

On the menu this issueMeanwhile, I hope you enjoy this issue. Weseem to have something for everyone. Inaddition to reviewing the new PAS 128 spec,Richard Groom has done his usual thorough jobof analyzing the FIG papers for readers,although you’ll need to go to our onlineversion to read his full report. John Brock hasdone a similar job on the FIG social scene andAdam P. Spring has covered the massive HxGNLive event in Las Vegas in June. I am alsodelighted to publish a short article by one ofLoughborough University’s MSc students on asimple web-based program for displayingsurvey data. On the high-tech side, twoexperts from Microsoft’s UltraCam businessdescribe their latest aerial camera and SarahHurley from surveyors MJ Rees describes theReduct, an interesting location technology forunderground services. Lastly, Andy McKay ofPlowman Craven poses the question, is Revitthe de facto standard? Read on.Enjoy! as everyone versed in the English

language seems to say these days except theBritish!

With the steady improvement of theUK economy many survey firms arereporting difficulty in recruiting

personnel. They have to compete withoffshore industries where higher pay luresmany graduates, even if not workingconditions. In a recent RICS survey circulatedto TSA member firms many have identified thesame skills deficiencies amongst both newrecruits and existing staff. Top of the list areknowledge and understanding of BIM,engineering and measured surveys, with selfmanagement and basic business skills closebehind. Whilst disappointing the results are not

surprising. Since the financial crash six yearsago education and training budgets have beencut not just to the bone but well into themarrow. Firms have been in survival mode. It’seasy to point the finger at schools, academiatoo. But a fundamental problem with theBritish economy was recently highlighted byKarl Donert from the European geographer’sgroup, EUROGEO. Speaking at last May’s GEO Business Donert

identified that there is no ‘geospatial’ jobcategory in Britain. “So we do not know howmany people work in geospatial occupationsor how many will be needed in future” heobserved, continuing, “Without this identity orrelevant statistics, how can we build capacity,plan university courses, or encourage potentialstudents?” A shocking indictment of UK Plc.He contrasted the UK with The

Netherlands, which has had a campaign topromote the geospatial industry, including aninspiring four-minute video you should see(don’t worry, it’s all in English!) at: http://geo-pickmeup.com/why-we-need-geographers-the-go-geo-campaign/

New reportThe conclusion seems obvious. We needchange and we need to engage withgovernment. The industry should cometogether and research a report similar to thoseproduced by ConsultingWhere’s UK MarketAssessment in 2009, the 2008 Place matters:The Location Strategy for the UK and thereport by OXERA The economic contributionof Ordnance Survey. The latter identified 15years ago that OS geographic informationunderpinned at least £100 billion worth of UKbusiness. It may well be double that today.

The UK needs todefine thegeospatial jobcategory, says oneof our Europeancolleagues. He’s onthe money therefor sure andchartered surveyorsneed to be in thevanguard.

We must engage with government

The editor welcomes yourcomments and editorialcontributions by e-mail: [email protected] by post:Geomatics WorldPV Publications Ltd2B North RoadStevenageHerts SG1 4ATUnited Kingdom

Stephen Booth, Editor

NEWS

06 Geomatics World September / October 2014

Apprenticeships andskills crisisThe Daily Telegraph reportedthat a cross-party projecthas been launched by think-tank Demos to examinevocational training across allsectors. Analysis by theConstruction IndustryTraining Board (CITB) hasfound that the industryneeds 120,000 apprenticesover the next five years tofill an emerging skills gap.The research also shows thatthe number of peoplecompleting constructionapprenticeships has plungedby almost 75% since thefinancial crisis, with just3,760 apprenticescompleting training in 2012-13, compared with 14,250four years ago.

The news comes on the

back of a quiz by RICS toTSA member survey firms onhow they see skillsdeficiencies in new recruits.Weakness was found in keyareas like GNSS, engineeringand measured surveys aswell as “self management”and basic business skills.Respondents believe thateducational establishmentsneed to pick up on thesegaps with typical pleas fromsurvey firms like “Please canwe bring back the HNC inLand Surveying.” Manyidentified weaknesses inapplied maths and reportwriting skills. Onerespondent observed thatthere is a “lack ofcommercial acumen atsenior survey level. Recentinterviews have shown verysenior staff in their current

operations have limitedcommercial experience andthis leads to clientsunderstanding the ‘cost ofeverything but the value ofnothing’. This all leads to. . .the survey industry isperceived as a commodityservice rather than aprofessional one.”

Commenting on thesurvey, James Kavanaghdirector of the RICS LandGroup, concluded, “any ofyou FIG Young Surveyorsneed a job come to the UK!”

GSA researchA recent cost benefitanalysis funded by theEuropean GNSS Agency(GSA) has shown thatsatellite technologies couldbe useful for improvingsignalling, safety and train

management on Europe’slow density rail lines. Cost /benefit ratios range from1.07 to 3.89 depending onthe type of line,characteristics and currentinfrastructure. Other areasof GSA research includeaviation, driverless taxis,agriculture, low-cost geo-referencing and cadastreplanning in Brazil, vesselmanagement in ports, and apublic transport route findercalled SMART-WAY. Visit:http://www.gsa.europa.eu/

Open ModellingInterface StandardThe Open GeospatialConsortium membership hasapproved the OpenModelling InterfaceStandard Version 2(OpenMI) as an OGC

Precise spatial data creates the perfect illusion

Do you fancy a trip to an old gasometer in the Ruhr? Well, thatmay not sound like the best invite of the year so far but there isa big surprise awaiting visitors to this vast piece of industrialheritage. The Urbanscreen artist group from Bremen in Germanyhas plunged the Gasometer into a light illusion as part of thegiant multimedia installation “320° Licht”. The precisemeasurement of space is the basis for this digital art. But this hasonly been possible thanks to survey technology provided by LeicaGeosystems. Since 2012 the company has provided the groupwith the latest laser scanners like the ScanStation P20 to makethis unusual and highly visual art mode possible.

The gasometer in Oberhausen was a landmark of the coal, ironand steel industry and is still an emblem of the region. Since 1994it has been an exhibition hall and has made a name for itself inthe world of art. But it has always been a constant challenge tofill the empty space above the actual exhibition area, with the

dome’s dimensions rising to a height of more than 100 metres andits diameter to 60 metres. However, the space provides the perfectprojection area for the media art of Urbanscreen.

The creators of the light show of the Sydney Opera House in 2012,use 21 projectors to bring shapes and moving patterns to the innerareas of the gasometer to fuse virtual art with real space. To achievethis, the images must be precisely distorted and then adjusted to theshape of the room. The virtual projection surfaces come alive as aresult of the surfaces being precisely measured by a laser scanner.Thorsten Bauer, comments: “The people at Leica Geosystems are ourheroes because they’ve developed devices that succeed intransforming enormous spaces into a digital illusion in incredibledetail,” adding, “We validate reality with the device, transfer it to thedigital world, edit it there and then bring it back to reality.”

The 320° Licht media installation will be in the Gasometer inOberhausen until 31/12/2014. More at http://www.urbanscreen.com

NEWS


standard. This standarddefines a means by whichindependently developedcomputer models ofenvironmental processes, orindeed any processes, canexchange data as they runand hence facilitate themodelling of interactingprocesses. This could changethe modelling market fromone for complete systemsinto one for componentsand services. It could makeit much easier for productsto be brought to market,widen participation anddramatically drive up therate of innovation.

US UAV integration delayGeospatial World reportsthat the FAA is unlikely tomeet its 2015 deadline forintegrating UAVs into theNational Airspace System, asthe agency grapples with anumber of significant safetyand certification issues,according to a report by theDepartment ofTransportation. The FAA ismaking some progress inmeeting UAV-related goalsspelled out in the FAAModernization and ReformAct of 2012, however thereport notes, “but theagency is significantlybehind schedule in meetingmost of them, including thegoal of achieving safeintegration by September2015”. More at:http://geospatialworld.net/News/View.aspx?ID=29354_Article#sthash.ME3AvsaK.dpuf

Maltese qualityworkshopExperts in spatial data andmap quality are beinginvited to take part in aninternational workshopbeing held at the OldUniversity, Valletta, Maltafrom 20 to 21 January2015. The workshop is co-organised byEuroGeographics QualityKnowledge ExchangeGroup, the EuropeanLocation Framework (ELF)Project, InternationalOrganization for

Standardisation (ISO), OGCand EuroSDR. Papers on arange of topics includingquality evaluation,certification and standardsare sought by theprogramme committee.Abstracts should besubmitted by 12thSeptember.

CityGML InteroperabilityExperimentThe CityGML Data QualityInteroperability Experiment(CityGML QIE) aims toprovide implementationrecommendations forCityGML data based on dataspecification and aconception of the validationworkflow. Another goal ofthe InteroperabilityExperiment is to provide asuite of essential quality-checking tools to carry outquality assurance onCityGML data. Organisationsand individuals are invited toparticipate in the activity byproviding CityGML test dataand/or test tools, definingrequirements, or carryingout tests using a variety ofdifferent test tools.Participants need not beOGC members. Theexperiment’s initiators planto start with a kick-offmeeting on 9-10 September2014 at the Kadaster officein Amsterdam. Contact:[email protected]

GGRF endorsedThe United NationsCommittee of Experts onGlobal GeospatialInformation Management(UN-GGIM) meeting at theUN Headquarters in NewYork in August endorsed adraft Resolution on theGlobal Geodetic ReferenceFrame (GGRF) as a mandate.The draft Resolution willnow pass to the Economicand Social Council(ECOSOC), UN-GGIM’sparent body and the UnitedNations’ central platform forreflection, debate, andinnovative thinking onsustainable development.

The RICS has published a report ofresearch into GNSS multipath,which was conducted by Dr KirillPalamartchouk, Prof Peter Clarkeand Dr Stuart Edwards ofNewcastle University.

Mitigation of multipath effectshas been a research area for GNSSmanufacturers for some time anda number of receivers aremarketed as ‘multipath-resistant’,but the authors question theefficiency of the currentmitigation techniques. They propose the use of dual-polarisationGNSS equipment for tracking the direct signal and the multipathsignal separately. The signal to noise ratio of the reflected signalscan then be used to weight the direct signals.

Their results improve the position RMS by an impressive factorof 2 to 3, and should enable equipment manufacturers to developreceivers with stronger multipath resistance. RICS members candownload the report from the RICS website. Topcon loanedequipment for the research.

Mitigating multipath

created. This significantaction is the third and finalstage in a formation processthat began in November2012. This endorsementconfirms the UN-GGIM:Europe’s mandate to haveincreased and closecooperation andcoordination with UN-GGIMat a global level and alsowith other existinginstitutional structures inEurope. UN-GGIM: Europewill hold its first meeting inChisinau, Moldova on 1stOctober 2014 at which timethe initial ExecutiveCommittee will be electedand a draft workprogramme agreed

Get GeoVatingGeoVation is OrdnanceSurvey’s open innovationprogramme that challengescommunities to generateinnovative ideas to solveproblems using geography,against a specifiedchallenge. These challengesare open to entrepreneurs,developers, communitygroups, government andindividuals. This year OS isworking with Land Registryto launch the nextGeoVation Challenge inSeptember 2014. It will

The intent is for ECOSOC tothen refer the Resolution tothe General Assembly laterin the year.

. . . and a call forcommon standardsThe Committee of Expertsalso called for the adoptionof common standards, sothat geospatial data can beseamlessly shared and usedaround the world. Theirguide, entitled Guide to theRole of Standards inGeospatial InformationManagement, lays down invery simple terms, some ofthe guidelines necessary forthe adoption of commonstandards. The Committeeof Experts recognises thatdifferent countries are atdifferent stages on thejourney towardsstandardisation and soendorses a phasedimplementation – astructure laid out in theGuide.

and now UN-GGIM:EuropeOn 7th August 2014, theEuropean RegionalCommittee of the UnitedNations Global GeospatialInformation Management(UN-GGIM: Europe) was

NEWS


focus on improvingcommunity resilience withregard to long-standinghousing issues. OS will inviteideas, to be submittedonline, that providesolutions to well identifiedproblem statements. Visit:https://www.geovation.org.uk/

South China SeaBorderlines newsletter fromThe International BoundariesResearch Unit (IBRU) atDurham University gives thelatest news on borderdisputes currentlyproceeding through thecourts. The Philippinesstarted proceedings againstChina in January 2013 andsubmitted its ‘Memorial’ inMarch 2014. The court hasissued a deadline of 15December for China tosubmit its ‘Counter-Memorial’. However, Chinarejected the Philippinesinitial notification ofproceedings and it seemsunlikely that it willparticipate in the process.Vietnam is reported to beconsidering a similar moveagainst China. Visitwww.durham.ac.uk/ibru/news

Wrong move for GalileoThe European Space Agency(Esa) has confirmed that thelatest two satellites for its 26-

satellite Galileo constellationare in incorrect orbits. Theagency is examining theimplications but declined tocomment on whether theirtrajectories could becorrected. “They have beenplaced on a lower orbit thanexpected. Teams are studyingthe impact this could have onthe satellites”, commented aspokesman. Meanwhile, thefifth and sixth satelliteslaunched from French Guianaon Friday are under control.

BUSINESS NEWS

SCCS adds echo sounderrangeFollowing discussions atGeoBusiness 2014, leadingLeica Geosystems distributorSCCS is to representOhmex’s SonarMite range ofhydrographic echo soundersfor Leica users in the UK.SonarMite is the world’s firstsurvey grade echo sounderto be truly portable and touse Bluetooth technology tocommunicate directly withthe Leica Viva controller.SCCS are offering acomprehensive range ofsupply, service and hirerental for the echosounders.

The single beam echosounder fits on to a detail

pole and effectively acts as arod extension, providing aneasy-to-use survey methodfor rivers, lakes and estuaries.The instrument is alreadyused extensively in the UK forriver surveys in conjunctionwith Leica robotic totalstations and bespoke 4Sitesoftware from AiC.

US county permit forTrimble UAVTrimble has announced thatMesa County in Coloradohas received a Certificate ofAuthorization (COA) thatwill allow the Public WorksDepartment to operate itsTrimble UX5 Aerial ImagingSolution throughout thecounty. Mesa County hasreceived multiple COA’ssince 2008 from the FAA forpublic safety purposes. Thisis the first COA that will beused specifically for aerialmapping on surveying andengineering projects, inpartnership with the PublicWorks Department.

NM buys Leica camerasNetwork Mapping Grouphas selected three sets of itslatest Leica RCD30 aerialmedium format 80MPxcameras as a multi-anglecolour and near infraredcamera system to captureinfrastructure assets withthe highest quality. Thesesystems have been added toan existing airborne sensorsuite to execute high-qualityhelicopter-based corridormapping. The cameras havebeen integrated successfullywith NM’s new LiDAR sensorto create a data capturesystem for delivering thecompany’s NM-ARROWprogram to electricalutilities.

Search for MH370The Australian TransportSafety Bureau (ATSB) hasawarded Fugro an additionalcontract for the deploymentof two specialist vessels,equipment and expertise inthe deep-water search forthe missing Malaysia Airlinesflight 370 (MH370). Fugro

Equator and FugroDiscovery, both are fittedwith specialist deep towsurvey systems, will bemobilised. Since June, theFugro Equator has beeninvolved in a bathymetricsurvey of the search area.

Fugro and ATSB expectthe Fugro Discovery to beginthe deep tow search in lateSeptember with FugroEquator joining shortlythereafter. The search isexpected to take up totwelve months but will endif the missing aircraft isfound. The AustralianGovernment has allocatedAUS $ 60 million to theATSB to carry out the searchfor MH370.

DigitalGlobeIn the wake of WorldView-3, which was launched on13th August, DigitalGlobe,has announced plans toaccelerate the launch ofWorldView-4 (previouslynamed GeoEye-2) to mid-2016 to meet demand fromthe company’s direct accessand other commercialcustomers. A significantcatalyst for this increasedopportunity was the USDepartment of Commerce’srecent decision to allowDigitalGlobe to sell imagerywith resolution of up to 25cm. WordlView-3 will besupplying imagery at 31 cmresolution.

Getmapping+BlueskyawardAerial mapping companiesGetmapping and Blueskyhave been awarded a multi-million pound three-yearcontract for the supply ofgeographic data to centralUK governmentorganisations. The contract,awarded by the Departmentfor Environment, Food andRural Affairs (DEFRA), covershigh resolution aerialphotography, detailed 3Dheight models and colourinfrared imagery for thewhole of England, Walesand Scotland. Under thenew Aerial Photography for

SPOT 7 launched

Airbus Defence and Space has published the first imagesobtained from the SPOT 7 satellite only three days after itslaunch on 30 June. SPOT 6 and SPOT 7 are phased at 180 degreesin the same orbit, and together with the very-high-resolutiontwin satellites, Pléiades 1A and 1B, will offer a high level of detailacross wide areas and a highly reactive image programmingservice. The image featured shows part of Reunion Island in theIndian Ocean, east of Madagascar.

NEWS


Great Britain (APGB)contract Getmapping andBluesky can also providetraining, consultancy andworkshops to contractmembers.

Technology centre startsTopcon has announced theground breaking of itsTechnology Innovation Districtin Concordia, Italy. The projectscope consists of a 169,000square metre campus, ofwhich nearly 45,000 willfunction as head-offices forTopcon-affiliated organisations,Tierra and Infomobility. Theplans include constructingoffices, logistics facilities andconstruction and agriculturalmachine control testing areas.The remainder of the land willbe dedicated to technicalbusiness services and activitiescommercially connected toTopcon. The initial phase isexpected to be completed bythe latter part of 2015, withthe entire project finishedwithin four years

BRIEFS

UAV trends and technologywill be amongst the focalpoints at INTERGEO, theworld’s leading trade fair andconference for geodesy,geoinformation and landmanagement, in Berlin onOctober 7-9, 2014. Other geotopics on the agenda areexpected to be open data, theEU INSPIRE initiative, geodatafor infrastructures and ofcourse the latest technologydevelopments for geo datacapture.

Hexagon has acquiredGeodata Diffusion, aprovider of network RTKcorrection services throughits Orphéon network ofGNSS permanent stations.The Orphéon networkcovers the whole of Franceand its overseas territories.

Topcon has announced a newGerman distribution company- Topcon DeutschlandPositioning GmbH (TDP) by

EE VENTS CALENDARVENTS CALENDAR 20142014• SEMINARS • CONFERENCES • EXHIBITIONS • COURSES• SEMINARS • CONFERENCES • EXHIBITIONS • COURSES

RSPSoc 2014 Annual Conference2-5 September, Aberystwyth:http://rspsoc.aber.ac.uk/en/

Training Days: Total Stations8 & 9 September, Stevenagewww.pvpubs.com/Training

Training Days: GPS/GNSS10 September, Stevenagewww.pvpubs.com/Training

AGI - BIG Data30 September, Londonwww.agi.org.uk

Location Intelligence World 20147-8 October London UKwww.locationintelligenceconference.com

20th Intergeo 20147-9 October, Berlin Messehttp://www.intergeo.de/

AGI - Policy9 October Cardiffwww.agi.org.uk

Training Days: Total Stations13 & 14 October, Stevenagewww.pvpubs.com/Training

Training Days: GIS Data Collection15 October, Stevenagewww.pvpubs.com/Training

Trimble Dimensions 20143-5 November, Las Vegas, Mirage Hotelwww.trimbledimensions.com

GEO Comm: The changing face of Geo11-13 November, nr Warwickwww.agi.org.uk

Training Days: Total Stations24 & 25 November, Stevenagewww.pvpubs.com/Training

Training Days: GPS/GNSS26 November, Stevenagewww.pvpubs.com/Training

European LiDAR Mapping Forum 20148-10 December, Amsterdam, Hollandwww.sparpointgroup.com/europe/

GW welcomes advance details of events of interest to the Geomatics community.Details to: [email protected]

joining IBS GmbH with TopconDeutschland GmbH.

Over 85 million squarekilometres of fresh basemapimagery from AirbusDefense & Space will beavailable from the end ofSeptember 2014 in ArcGISOnline. The move providesaccess to select sets of thecompany’s imagery includingnear global coverage fromthe SPOTMaps 2.5mseamless mosaic product aswell as very high resolution50cm Pleiades imagery overmajor cities worldwide.

RCAHMS National Collectionof Aerial Photography (NCAP)became the official custodianof 1.5 million aerialphotographs created for theDirectorate of OverseasSurveys (DOS) in late 2012.More at:http://ncap.org.uk/feature/directorate-overseas-surveys-dos forinformation and videointerviews about the collection.

Graduation Day for the TSASurveying Course was heldon Friday 25th July 2014, atThe Survey School atWorcester. TSA President,Graham Mills, presentedDaniel Whitby of MaltbyLand Surveys with the BestStudent Award. Daniel alsoreceived the Leica shieldfrom Tim Badley. MatthewUllett of Siteline Ltd wonBest Assignment. Twentyfour students graduatedfrom Courses 32 and 33.

The annual general meeting ofthe Defence Surveyors’Association takes place onThursday 11th September atHermitage. Between the AGMand dinner, Gordon Corriganwill give a talk on ‘The GreatWar’. Contact Tony Keeley –01635 204244

Japan’s Daichi-2 (ALOS-2)was launched on May 24thand has captured initial L-Band Radar images duringits verification stage.DAICHI-2 observation data isexpected to contribute to

understanding damagesfrom disasters, monitoringdeforestation, and to moreefficiently understandingfarming areas.

The University of Edinburgh isintroducing a new MScprogramme in EarthObservation andGeoinformation Managementin September 2014. Thisprogramme sits alongside theSchool of Geosciences’s MSc inGIS and draws on a criticalmass of staff and significantresearch expertise in the areaof Earth observation andremote sensing.

Ordnance Survey’s annualreport reveals that theorganisation has a 51%stake in Astigan Ltd which isresearching new ways ofremote data collection. Thecompany was set up inFebruary 2014 and includesas a director Andrew Elson,who holds a recent patentfor launching a high altitudeUAV.

PEOPLE

Development managerfor TopconChris Emery joins Topcon

Corporation as Europeanbusiness developmentmanager for monitoring.Emery will be responsible forsupporting the expansionand growth of Topconmonitoring businessactivities, working closelywith the subsidiarycompanies and distributors.

New UN-GGIM BureauThe new Bureau to lead theUnited Nations Committeeof Experts on GlobalGeospatial InformationManagement (UN-GGIM)has been elected by theMember States. The electiontook place during the fourthsession of the UN-GGIMfrom 6-8 August 2014 atthe United NationsHeadquarters in New York.

Below: New UN-GGIM Bureau (leftto right: Dr Li Pengde, Co-Chairfrom China, Dr Eduardo Sojo, Co-Chair from Mexico, Dr VanessaLawrence CB, Co-Chair from UnitedKingdom, Mr Sultan MohamedAlya, Rapporteur from Ethiopia)

Undercurrents


rules, Burroughs machines, Comptometers,right up to the first electronic models with theirbright red diodes. But what took my breathaway was a much older machine, a differenceengine. A difference engine, according toWikipedia, “is an automatic mechanicalcalculator designed to tabulate polynomialfunctions. The name derives from the methodof divided differences, a way to interpolate ortabulate functions by using a small set ofpolynomial coefficients. Both logarithmic andtrigonometric functions, functions commonlyused by both navigators and scientists, can beapproximated by polynomials, so a differenceengine can compute many useful sets ofnumbers.” Whew! Now we’ve got that out ofthe way.

The museum has several difference enginesincluding a re-creation of the first one byCharles Babbage (half of whose brain is ondisplay in the museum. Who’s got the otherhalf?). But what took my fancy was by one PerGeorg Scheutz of Stockholm. What a beautifulpiece of engineering, all polished brass andsteel cogs, shafts and levers set within a castiron frame.

Whilst at the Science Museum I was alsointerested to see an exhibition devoted toJames Lovelock, the environmentalist whoseGaia hypothesis argues that the Earth is a self-regulating entity with the capacity to keep ourplanet healthy by controlling theinterconnections of the chemical and physicalenvironment. Lovelock is something of amaverick. In his youth he did not show muchpromise. The exhibition has some of his schoolreports and, like mine, would not have madehis parents happy. But interestingly, he did notgo to university but attributes his later successto just that; he believed it made him less of aspecialist. The exhibition has lots of hisnotebooks which are littered with doodles anddrawings around the equations. What a fertilemind! So impressed was Mrs Thatcher with hisideas she invited him to dinner at DowningStreet. It does make you think that perhapswe’re all getting too focused on our little bitof the world and ignoring the bigger picture.

What is it cornerNow I know that some of our readers regardthis column as the fount of all knowledge onthings that are, or might be, to do withsurveying. We try our best but sometimeseven we are stumped. Reader Phil Smart came

The Editor, who’s writing a history of LeicaGeosystems in the UK, has been quizzingme about my early experiences with EDM. I

operated several in the 1960s but believe I wasthe first private surveyor person to buy the WildDI10 Distancer. Launched at the FIG Congress inLondon in 1969, it was the first practical EDMthat really worked. Its predecessors wereincredibly heavy and required a backpack (theAGA 6 weighed over 18 kgs without the carbatteries needed for power); and in the case ofthe Tellurometer, you needed a device at eachend of the line to be measured.

I found the DI10 was accurate and reliable,and Wild had worked out a way of connectingit to a T2 by the time it was commerciallyavailable. We were on the way to the totalstation.

Buying the DI10 really got me started as anindependent surveyor although work for theDI10 was slow at first. I was even in demand byWild at Chatham to demonstrate the device toother would-be purchasers.

By the mid 1970s my business was lookingfor opportunities overseas and the Middle Eastat that time seemed to offer good prospects.But where do you start? I knew that Qatar, thenjust beginning to enjoy an oil boom, looked likea good prospect. But if I went out there howcould I get an introduction to likely contacts? By

a bizarre coincidence the landlord of apub in Putney I used to frequentactually knew members of the rulingfamily (the landlord worked at a topLondon hotel and used to take thesheikh and his family on tours of thecapital). He typed me a letter ofintroduction, which I still have.

He wasn’t half brainyI’ve always been fascinated bycalculating devices. In my early daysas a surveyor, in addition to sliderules, I operated Brunsvigas, Facitsand the wonderful little hand-cranked Curta. In the early 1970showever our calculations were madea whole lot easier with the arrival ofthe HP35. Now the Science Museumin South Kensington, London where Iwhiled away many an hour or threeas a lad, has a brilliant collection ofcalculating devices and machines.

From the humble abacus, amultitude of differently shaped slide

Difference engines,sheikhs, Brunsvigasand an interestingletter. . .

It’s quite simple really by Malcolm Draper, Rentalength

Below: Babbage and halfbrain. Bottom: Also spottedin the Science Museum thisbeautiful set of Kerninstruments.

there until we went into drive them out.

It’s quite simple,really.

MiscellanyI see there’s a “SpatialBig Data Roadshow” inDublin coming up. Thevenue is the GuinnessStorehouse, whichshould attract plenty ofthirsty surveyors.

I’ve had quite a flurryof amusingphotographs, somefrom the US and othersnearer home. Let’s startwith this one. Full marksto this guy. I really don’tbelieve a woman wouldbe so stupid for makingthis load absolutely secure until. . . well, wouldyou tell him or just stand back and watch whathappens?

I also like this honest statement. . .

Undercurrents


across this odd device in a museum inGuernsey. He wonders if it’s something to dowith gunnery. He may be right. It bears thetrademark of Carl Zeiss Jena (just visible nearthe centre). However, it must be an oddmuseum if they don’t label their exhibits!Nevertheless, we shall try. Having consultedtwo gurus (thank you Arthur Allan and JimSmith) so far we can confidently say. . . wehaven’t a clue! The instrument in front of thewooden handled device is of course a polarcoordinatograph. Any more suggestions fromreaders most welcome.

Judicial conundrumNow here’s another puzzle, fortunately wedon’t have to resolve this one. In a Texas towna bar owner began construction of anextension. In response, the local SouthernBaptist Church started a campaign to blockthe bar from expanding - petitions, prayers,etc. About a week before the grand re-opening, a bolt of lightning struck the bar andrazed it to the ground.

The church folk were rather smug,bragging about ‘the power of prayer’ and‘Divine intervention’. The angry bar ownerdecided to sue the church on the grounds thatthe church “Was ultimately responsible for thedemise of his building, through direct actionsor indirect means.” Of course, the churchvehemently denied all responsibility or anyconnection to the building’s demise. The judgeread carefully through the plaintiff’s complaintand the defendant’s reply.

He then opened the hearing by saying: “Idon’t know how I’m going to decide this, butit appears from the paperwork that what wehave here is a bar owner who now believes inthe power of prayer, and an entire churchcongregation that does not.”

ClarificationAre you puzzled by the complex web ofMiddle Eastern relationships that Britain andthe US are involved in? Well, help is at handfor novices. I received the following from oneof my contacts.

Are you confused by what is going on inthe Middle East? Let me explain.

We support the Iraqi government in the fightagainst IS (formerly known as ISIS). We don’t likeIS, but IS is supported by Saudi Arabia who wedo like. We don’t like Assad in Syria. We supportthe fight against him, but IS is also fightingagainst him.We don’t like Iran, but Iran supportsthe Iraqi government in its fight against IS. Sosome of our friends support our enemies, someenemies are now our friends, and some of ourenemies are fighting against our other enemies,who we want to lose, but we don’t want ourenemies who are fighting our enemies to win. Ifthe people we want to defeat are defeated, theycould be replaced by people we like even less.And all this was started by us invading a countryto drive out terrorists who were not actually

Got a tale to tell?Please send letters forpublication by e-mailto the Editor: [email protected] contactUndercurrents, instrictest confidence ifyou wish (we promiseto change names,places, etc toprotect the guilty!),via e-mail:[email protected]

What is it? Answers please.

Now this contest I like. My money’s on thebeer rather than the Budweiser.

www.intergeo.de

7 – 9 October 2014 Berlin, Exhibition Grounds

along with

3rd National INSPIRE Conference 2014imaGIne-2 Conference

Host: DVW e.V.Conference organiser: DVW GmbHTrade fair organiser: HINTE GmbH

Sponsors:


Geomatics PGB Chair

The past summer period in the UK wasmarked by several international sportingevents and although I did not see “La

Tour de France” starting in Leeds, I wasfortunate enough to get tickets to see theCommonwealth Games in Glasgow. I went tosee some of the athletics and was pleased tosee a total station being guided to measurethe length of the throws in some of the fieldevents. It struck me as to who had the betterjob: the official using the total station or thosewho were driving the radio controlled cars tobring the thrown device back to the athletes?I think I know which one I would have chosen.

However, this does raise the question in mymind: do we as surveyors sell ourselves short inthe public’s eyes by not publicising our part inthis type of event? After all, engineeringsurveyors would have been involved in settingout the track & field stadium and the track, andare then surely involved in the actual staging.

Get into a class of your ownWith some meetings not being held in thesummer months it allows time for a little morereading. Having read the London & South EastSurveyor journal I was pleased to see a wholepage inspiring report explaining about “Classof your own (COYO),” set up by a landsurveyor Alison Watson, to engage schoolchildren with the built environment using themoniker for the programme of “DesignEngineer Construct.” Moreover the success ofthis concept needs inputs from all of us, toencourage our businesses to support andsponsor or “adopt” schools in our local area.Further details can be found onhttp://www.designengineerconstruct. The RICSis also happy to “match make” as over 80schools have indicated they want to take part.Of course such activity is also great forclocking up time for your CPD.

Continuing on my reading theme, it wasgreat to see one of our number recognised inthe RICS magazine Modus, Nigel Casswellworking on the Crossrail project in Londonshowed others within RICS what a diverserange of skills our Geomatics members have.

Step up southern surveyorsThe International Property Measurement

Do we sellourselves short inthe public’s eyes?Chris Preston,chair of theGeomaticsProfessional GroupBoard reflects on asummer of sport inwhich surveyingand measurementplayed a major role.

Step up and get in the public eye

Chris Preston welcomes your comments andthoughts so please email to the followingaddress [email protected]

. . . marked by areluctance to getinvolved by landsurveyors in someparts of theglobe. . .

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’’

Standard (IPMS) is now out for consultationand really does seem to be an importantdocument that will be used all around theglobe, judging by the number of organisationsgetting involved. The consultations thoughhave been marked by a reluctance to getinvolved by land surveyors in some parts ofthe globe, notably the southern hemisphere.So come on you Aussies, Kiwis and SouthAfricans, how about some input from youtoo? After all, this standard is likely to be theguide that all property measurements globallywill be based upon in the future so please addyour views to the melting pot.

For those of you still trying to gain a fewhours more CPD try searching out the Businessskills podcasts available on the RICS website:http://www.rics.org/uk/search-results/?sq=podcasts&so=Relevance

Apps for surveyorsI know that many of us now use iPads for ourwork and leisure pursuits and I am alwaysamazed by the range of apps that areavailable. I have seen the followingrecommended for surveyors:

Plan Grid for viewing and annotating drawingson site.

CamCard for getting business card details intoMS Outlook.

Unroll.me for unsubscribing to e-mails.

Planimeter for measuring boundaries andareas of plans.

OMTrack for snagging site works and markingup drawings.

I am sure there are plenty more so why notshare your favourites with your colleagues viaGW?

Utility survey spec


first made a site reconnaissance. Many wouldcontest this, because the detection processshould make use of all the availablesupporting evidence – i.e. utility marker postsetc.

Site reconnaissance includes theidentification of utility inspection covers butnot lifting them to record pipe sizes andinverts or cable ducting information, whichcomes under survey type ‘A’. Verification was,in earlier specifications, confined to thevalidation of critical utilities by digging trialholes to prove their position. Lifting of coversto inspect and measure utilities should comeat a much earlier stage in the process – andpossibly even be included in the topographicalsurvey specification.

This means that, for example, a surveyinvolving the lifting of drainage covers andidentification of connections using dye is notcovered by the specification, although theresults could conceivably be presented inaccordance with PAS 128 by attributing thecovers as type ‘A’ and the connections as type‘C’ surveys.

Quality attributesThe specification calls for each segment ofeach utility to be attributed with a qualitylevel which may consist of up to threecharacters, in accordance with a table. Thefirst character is ‘D’ to ‘A’ to indicate thesurvey type, secondly a digit ‘4’ to ‘1’ toindicate the quality of detection and finally a‘P’ to indicate if the survey data (GPR) hasbeen recorded and has been post-processed,rather than interpreted in the field and notstored.

Three nigglesThere are three other concerns with thisspecification. Firstly, under ‘Desktop study’,the specification calls for the surveyor to“identify known utility owners within thespecified survey area”. But it is possible tocommission third party companies to carry outthese searches and they typically offer severaloptions which might, for example, excludesome utility companies that charge forsearches, in order to reduce the cost. Yet,frequently, the only way to find out whetheror not a utility crosses a site is to search for it,so it is arguable that all searches should becomprehensive.

Secondly, the PAS includes a section(Section 10) on surveying the position of

PAS 128 is the result of two years’ workwhich has been led by the BritishStandards Institution and sponsored by

thirteen organisations including companies,consultants and institutions. Between themthey poured £65,000 into the enterprise.Geoff French and Scott Steedman, the Directorof Standards at BSI, introduced two speakers,Ian Bush and Andy Rhoades.

A troubled courseBush, who is vice president of CICES anddirector of BIM at Black and Veatch took theaudience through the development of thespecification and its troubled course throughfour drafts. It went out for consultationtwice and attracted over five hundredcomments on the first pass and over sixhundred on the second, at a point in theprocess when it should by rights have beencut and dried.

PAS is short for publicly available standardbut, as we shall see later, this is not all that itmight imply. The standard was born at anevent arranged by BSI in January 2012 atwhich the participants agreed that aspecification was needed that was aimed atpractitioners - not clients. PAS 128 is theresult of a fast-track process, which wasprogrammed to take eighteen months, but infact took two years. BSI facilitated and it wasdrafted in accordance with BSI’s rules by ateam of four, in conjunction with a steeringgroup of interested parties. The Institution ofCivil Engineers (ICE) was approached to bethe main sponsors and the task was handedover to the joint ICE/CICES GeospatialEngineering panel.

Not quite hierarchicalReaders will probably be familiar with the TSAspecification and guidelines, which werepublished in 2009 and PAS128 has manysimilarities. Both documents take a hierarchicalapproach to the types of survey forunderground services detection. The surveytypes specified in PAS 128 are:

‘D’: Desktop study•‘C’: ‘Site reconnaissance’•‘B’: Detection (particularly using•electromagnetic and GPR techniques)‘A’: Verification•

But the process is not entirely hierarchicalbecause, according to PAS 128, it is possibleto carry out a Type ‘B’ survey without having

The long-awaitedspecification forsurveying ofundergroundutilities waslaunched recentlyat the Institution ofCivil Engineers.There was quite afanfare: the eventeven attracted thepresident of theICE, Geoff French,reports RichardGroom.

PAS 128: a standard for undergroundutility surveyingBy Richard Groom

Utility survey spec


lightning struck and the pipeline fractured,the airport could have been closed for manymonths and the environmental consequenceswould have been horrific. In anotherincident, a contractor carrying out roadplaning, damaged shallow cables, whichhappened to supply the north runwaycentreline lights, and severed an 11kV cablethat plunged the north side of the airportinto darkness.

Just the startThe speakers argued that PAS 128 is animportant part of the solution, but that ithas to be supported by trainingprogrammes and accreditation ofunderground utilities surveyors.Interestingly, they ruled out accreditation ofcompanies, but arguably this could comefrom company membership of TSA, orregulation by RICS.

PAS 128 has been endorsed enthusiasticallyby the RICS, CICES and TSA and there is nodoubt that it is a significant step forward. Itwill be reviewed at two-yearly intervals, whenthe rough edges can be smoothed.

One final point: if you assumed thatpublicly available specifications would befree of charge, you would be wrong. PAS128 is for sale from the BSI website at £70per copy.

the detected utilities. This is basicallytopographical surveying and in this respectPAS 128 is weak. It is particularlydisappointing that this part of thespecification fails to refer to the RICSmeasured survey specification, which willbe published shortly. It also leaves open thepossibility that a company specialising inunderground services detection, butwithout qualified topographic surveyors,will offer to carry out extensivetopographical survey work on the back ofan underground utilities survey. We knowthis practice goes on and PAS 128 shouldnot encourage it.

Thirdly, for ease of use, the specificationwould have benefitted from a proforma surveybrief for the client to complete, but it isunderstood that TSA will be writing a suitabledocument for this purpose.

Horrific consequencesAndy Rhoades is head of services protectionat Heathrow Airport. He was able to draw adirect relationship between the quality ofunderground services information and thenumber of utility strikes experienced at theairport. To reinforce the importance of goodquality records, he related a story about acontractor installing a lightning rod within ametre of a live high pressure fuel main. Had

Thespecification callsfor each segmentof each utility tobe attributed witha quality level...

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’’

Was it thetechnology thatdrove BIM or theneed within theindustry?

‘‘

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BIM


format (.dgn) is in high demand by PlowmanCraven’s clients in the infrastructure sector,whilst Autodesk’s native format (.dwg) is byfar the most common for our measuredbuilding services work. Both Bentley andAutodesk have developed or have acquiredtools to handle and manipulate survey datasuch as point clouds in their various softwareapplications; and Bentley has acquired PointTools (a highly regarded point cloudmanipulation facility) within its designsoftware. Autodesk meanwhile, has recentlyreleased ReCap which is also a very powerfulpoint cloud modification tool.

As a business, we need to respond to clientdemands. Whilst over 80% of our BIMenquiries request Revit deliverables, only 5-10% of enquiries require a Bentley format, beit AECOsim or .dgn. Less than 5% of enquiriesseek other platforms such as ArchiCAD andVectorworks. It should be noted that thesetwo latter platforms do not, as yet, supportpoint cloud format.

Choosing the preferred deliverablePlowman Craven built its BIM SurveySpecification based heavily on Revit. Thisapproach was largely due to the fact that, atthe time of its conception, we considered thatRevit was the market leader in the UK for BIM(buildings). We believe it still is. Does thismean it becomes the industry standard?Definitely not, but the way we see it, andbased on our client enquiries, it is currently byfar the preferred deliverable for a BIM survey.Conversely to this, the Rail and Infrastructuresectors which are rapidly adopting BIM,appear to prefer Bentley software.

It is an interesting discussion when wethink back to what came first. Was it thetechnology that drove BIM or the need withinthe industry? We believe the answer is notclear cut. In business, we are always lookingfor ways to progress and improve efficiencies,and in a commercial sense that translates tosaving money. As computing technology hasadvanced at an alarming rate, countlessopportunities and industries have spawnedfrom it. The AEC industry has evolved with itto a degree but, relatively speaking, it is farbehind the advancement of other industrieslike manufacturing, aeronautics, automotive,electronics and gaming.

Getting any type of building designed andbuilt is a multi-disciplinary process. Each teamor profession has a preferred way of workingand this includes the software and technologythey use. Therefore the coordination of

In a similar vein to the VHS versus Betamaxwar in the 1970s and 80s, will we eventuallysee a format win the race due to superior

marketing tactics by its proponents, regardlessof its superiority from a technical point ofview? Perhaps, but with the digital revolutioncombined with more competition, open sourceplatforms, and not to mention BIM’s corevalue of collaboration, there are many otherfactors at play.

BIM is evolving and encompasses muchmore than just 3D parametric modelling. Weare now hearing buzzwords such as 4D, 5D,6D and clash detection but, when it comes tosoftware, “interoperability” is a highlydiscussed topic and an integral key to thefuture of BIM. The market is awash with allsorts of ‘BIM compliant’ software addressingspecific requirements throughout the industry,however this article aims to explore theemergence of a de facto standard forarchitects, engineers and contractors, all ofwhom are surveyors’ clients.

Multi platform approachAs a quality service provider that must remainopen and flexible to our clients and industrydemands, Plowman Craven cannot afford tochoose just one platform and ignore others.Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD was the first parametricarchitectural design tool to hit the market,followed later by Revit from Charles RiversSoftware. Autodesk, with a reputation ofacquiring existing platforms or software andabsorbing them into its various design ‘suites’,purchased Revit over a decade ago. Throughheavy marketing and development, Revit hasrevolutionised the world of BIM with its visualprogramming capability by adding a fourthdimension: time.

There appears to be a culture within theAEC environment of people and practicessticking to their chosen or preferred softwaremanufacturer; hence opting for the BIMsolution it provides. Whilst Autodesk’s nativeAutoCAD format (.dwg) became the industrystandard for the 2D environment, it was onlynatural for subscribers to Autodesk softwareto step up into the BIM world by using Revit.

Bentley, Autodesk’s closest competitor,currently has over 500 software applicationswhich are all very niche for specificenvironments yet, it was only recently that westarted to hear about its BIM solutions.AECOsim is Bentley’s latest BIM offeringwrapped up into one package which is nowbeing heavily marketed.

It is worth pointing out that Bentley’s native

For BIM-savvyprofessionalsinteroperability iscurrently a hottopic. Those in thearchitectural,engineering andconstruction (AEC)industry arewitnessing, andcontributing, to abattle of thestandards. AndyMcKay of PlowmanCraven which hasits own standard(see above and GWMay/June 2014)sketches out thebattle lines.

BIM: Is Revit the de facto standard?By Andy McKay

BIM


We have seen the surveyor’s role become alot more involved in the BIM process, includingconsultative input from feasibility stage rightthrough to the operation and maintenance ofa building. But, for construction and throughfacilities management, Revit is likely not to bethe preferred software. We are seeingNavisworks models becoming more and morewidely used and defined as the coordinationtool and hand-over requirement.

Nevertheless, regardless of the softwareutilised, we all know that every project isunique and that delivery requirements varyconstantly. In order to best advise our clients,geomatics professionals have not only got tobe aware of the multitude of softwareapplications, but they also have to understandwhich is the most appropriate to apply toachieve the best possible results.

information between these entities is no easyfeat and the most simple, universally acceptedmethod is what prevails. Whilst a 2D drawingpackage has historically been the defaultcoordination and hand-over deliverable, BIMchanges this not just from 2D to 3D, but alsoin how the information is presented andstored within these models. This is whyinteroperability is currently such a hot topicamongst BIM-savvy professionals.

It is the combined data sharing andcollaboration principle that is driving BIMsoftware to be interoperable with otherplatforms. We have started to see Autodeskand Bentley share features such as directexport formats in later releases, and evenvarious plug-ins that help with someinteroperability issues.

The perfect collaborative solution?Autodesk Navisworks and Bentley’s iModel canboth handle many formats of software tocoordinate models, however they are still along way from creating a perfect collaborativesolution. This is where the development ofIndustry Foundation Classes (IFC) comes intoplay - to enable various formatted models tobe able to ‘talk’ to each other better. IFC isbeing constantly developed and managed byan international organisation calledBuildingSMART, in which their primary aim isto improve the exchange of informationbetween software applications used in theconstruction industry.

Whilst IFC is not a perfect, seamlesssolution yet, it is gaining momentum and hasnow been registered as an officialInternational Standard. As this is a softwareneutral solution, the Danish government hasnow made the use of IFC mandatory on allpublic building projects. Could this besomething we see mandated here in the UKand globally? If so, we could predict thedevelopment of IFC to rapidly accelerate, andall BIM software developers refine theirplatforms to be more IFC compatible.

Whilst IFC develops a feasible solution tothe interoperability challenge, this does nothowever alter the essential requirement for asurvey BIM-ready model, and that is the powerto modify and/or demolish the existing model.Currently, this can only be done in the nativesoftware it was produced in because IFC,Navisworks and iModels are locked/fixedformats. Even though we may start to seesurveyors being required to deliver IFCformats, it will still need to be produced in thelead designer’s native format.

Whilst the change in culture is still evolvingand finding its way, a ‘preferred’ BIM formatwill surely be recognised before too long, if ithasn’t already. For the survey industry, thismeans supplying the designers and contractorswith information in their preferred format. Asfar as Plowman Craven’s BIM enquiries andprojects are concerned, this is clearly Revit.

About the authorAndy McKay is BIM Managerat Plowman Craven, Email:[email protected]

Each individualcone is calibratedby. . . alaboratorycalibration inorder to computethe parameters ofthe interiorgeometry of thecone as well asthe lensdistortions.

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Osprey camera


extent covers an area of 2800 × 2800 metres.The focal length of the four oblique camera

heads is 120 mm and fits well to the specs ofthe nadir camera subsystem. At the 45°viewing angle the object distance is 1414metres and the GSD varies between 7 cm and10 cm in the image centre of the obliqueimages. The oblique cones are equipped with60 Mpx CCD sensor arrays at a 6 µm pixel sizeand Bayer Pattern colour filters. The positionsof the CCD sensor for the left and rightlooking heads are in portrait mode and slightlyoff centred. This gives more cross-trackoverlap but keeps the outermost footprintextent the same for all four oblique cameraheads.

Camera calibrationEach individual cone is calibrated by means ofa laboratory calibration in order to computethe parameters of the interior geometry of thecone as well as the lens distortions. Thisprocedure is based on a set of photos taken ofa three-dimensional target which is built up inthe calibration laboratory. This target has alarge number of well surveyed target pointscovering a field of view of 110°. In order toallow for the larger field of view of the newsensor, the target was expanded. Additionalcontrol points are available to cover theoblique cameras to the left and to the right.Tilting the camera by 90° also enablescalibration of the forward and backwardsensors.

The most specific characteristic of thecalibration procedure is the simultaneous

UltraCam Osprey Prime is the secondgeneration oblique aerial sensor fromMicrosoft’s UltraCam business unit. It

was first introduced at the ASPRS in Louisville,Kentucky in March 2014. The design goal – tocombine a high quality metric nadir cameraand large 45° oblique sensor heads – wasmodified slightly from the UltraCam Osprey, itspredecessor. The upgraded nadir subsystemproduces a panchromatic high-resolutionimage, a true-colour RGB image and a near-infrared image. The four oblique true-colourcamera heads are now mounted at an off-nadir angle of 45° and deliver images from allfour directions – forward, backward, left andright with respect to the flight path.

The most important design change is thefocal length of the sensor system and the newarrangement of the oblique camera cones. Thenew nadir and oblique lenses show longerfocal lengths namely 80 mm for nadir and 120mm for the oblique camera heads. Thus aerialmissions can be conducted from a higherflying level to provide the same groundsampling distance. From an altitude of 1000metres the camera acquires a nadir groundpixel of 7.5 cm. The other importantimprovement comes from a newer generationCCD detector array which is used for theoblique camera heads and delivers 60 Mpx atstunning quality. Fast read-out of the detectorarrays means that the camera can achieve a1.8 sec interval between frames, increasingthe productivity of the flight mission.

Camera designThe nadir part of the cameracollects a high-resolutionpanchromatic image, true colourand near infrared images. The45° oblique cameras aredesigned as single cones andassembled in their viewingdirection so that optical prismsare not required.

Productivity increases in theair is one design goal. Using anoverlap of 60% in flightdirection and 40% betweenflight-lines the flight planshows a base length of 225metres and a line spacing of525 metres which givesadequate overlap between theoblique footprints. At a flyingaltitude of 1000 metres and anadir GSD of 7.5 cm the nadirlooking image’s outermost

Michael Gruber andWolfgang Walcherof Microsoft’sUltraCam businessunit describe thequalities of thelatest Osprey aerialcamera.

UltraCam Osprey Prime: a sensor for nadir andoblique imaging

Below: UltraCam Osprey prime (left) and cone layout on thebottom of the camera body (right). The four cones of the nadircamera are mounted in the vertical direction, whereas the four

oblique cones are easily distinguishable due to their inclinedmounting position.

Osprey camera


In the spring of 2014 the first UltraCamOsprey Prime images were acquired forMicrosoft-internal mapping projects. Resultsfrom aero-triangulation, surface modellingand ortho image production were analysedand three dimensional photo-texturedmodels of urban environments wereproduced. The success of these missionsshows the usability and high quality ofUltraCam Osprey prime images. This showsthe high potential of the UltraCam OspreyPrime, the well-balanced design and thebenefit of the high-quality metric nadirsensor component.

Email: {michgrub, wwalcher} @microsoft.com

calibration of the nadir and the obliquecamera cones. The quality and reliability of thecalibration procedure for nadir camera headsis well proven. The nadir cone calibrationprovides the foundation for calibration of theoblique camera heads and therefore theexterior orientation parameters of those nadircones are introduced into the setup for theoblique camera orientation parametercomputation. This approach improves theredundancy of the adjustment as well as thequality of the eccentricity parameters.

The calibration procedure for the obliquecameras is based on a large number of imagestaken from 84 shot positions which are acombination of three camera stations and 28different rotation angles. Thus a highlyredundant set of image positions can beautomatically measured and introduced into aleast squares bundle adjustment procedure.The entire set of measured image positionsconsists of approximately 10,000 positionstaken from the panchromatic nadir cameracomponent and almost the same number ofimage positions from the four oblique cameraheads. The quality of the calibration procedureis at the sub-pixel level.

The calibration procedure for the UltraCamOsprey Prime camera also includes radiometriccalibration of the individual camera heads. Thecolour performance of the nadir colour coneand the four oblique cameras are derived andthe respective colour correction matrices arecomputed. For complete calibration we alsodetermine the behaviour of the individualshutters, offset and gain values of all CCDsensor arrays, as well as the lens vignetting atall supported aperture settings.

Image qualityThe sensor technology of the new 60 MpxCCD sensor arrays supports a dynamic rangecapable of delivering a digital signal at 12+ bitlevel. Thus each colour band of the resultingimages can resolve more than 4000 distinctintensity levels.

Above: The extendedcalibration laboratory inGraz, Austria and its 3DStructure is the basis for

calibration all camera headsof the UltraCam Osprey (leftand right oblique and nadir.

Below: Cropped portion of a backward view of the historical city ofGraz, Austria, taken in June 2014 from 1300m flight altitude. Thehorizontal ground resolution cross-track is about 10 cm.

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Locating underground utilities


As an alternative, which is typically used inlarge sewers where man-entry may bepossible, the system’s wheel sets can beconfigured to follow the pipe invert.The inertial measurement system within

Reduct contains a range of sensors includinggyroscopes and accelerometers. Together,these form the Orientation Measurement Unit(OMU). This is fully automatic and samples ata rate of up to 100 Hz; the sensor data is thencalibrated with precise start and end co-ordinates to calculate gyro alignment andchanges in X, Y and Z directions. Thecalibrated accuracy of the OMU is 15cm inXYZ over a 500m distance between twopoints, assuming ideal mapping conditions.

Case Study: Reading StationReading is one of the busiest parts of Britain’srail network. Redevelopment work todecongest and improve passenger journeysbegan in 2010 and included the constructionof new track and platforms, a new passengerfootbridge, a viaduct to the west of Readingand widening of the rail bridges. The project isscheduled for completion in summer 2015.In spring 2012, M J Rees& Co was

appointed to locate a section of sewerrunning underneath the track and platforms. Itwas thought that the sewer followed astraight line and varied in size from 1050 mmdiameter to 1100mm × 800mm (oval). Therewere also issues with the flow. The red line in

While some utilities are relatively easilytraced, there are limitations to alltraditional non-intrusive location

methods, including electromagnetic location(EML) and ground penetrating radar (GPR),such that data has to be issued withappropriate disclaimers, advising againstreliance on the ‘surveyed’ position of buriedassets, without further (intrusive)investigations.In 2012, to complement its EML and GPR

capability, MJ Rees and Co introduced thegyro technology Reduct, to assist its work inhigh risk environments. The equipment is ableto provide XYZ co-ordinates of the pipeline orsewer for its entire length from accurately co-ordinated start and end points regardless ofthe depth of asset, surrounding groundcondition or pipe material. Furthermore, noaccess is required to the ground above theservice, as is the case with a radio sonde orGPR.

How does the technology work?Reduct is normally configured with acentralising wheel set. In this mode ofoperation the gyro is aligned to the pipe bythe wheels which are ‘spring-loaded’, to placethe system in a known position relative to thepipe diameter – See Figure 1. Using a range ofinterchangeable wheel sets, the system isadjustable to fit internal pipe diameters from90mm – 1500mm.

Surveyors arefamiliar withelectromagneticlocation andground penetratingradar for tracingundergroundutilities. Here, SarahHurley fromsurveyors M J Reesand Companydescribes anothertechnology fortracing pipelines orducts at any depth.

Reduct - a new tool for locatingutlities

Right: Figure 1,Reduct with spring-

loaded wheels, sothat the sensors

follow the centre ofthe pipe.

Locating underground utilities


the sewer was a 640mm diameter structure,not variable as had been historically recorded.In addition, several low points were

mapped that revealed why the sewer inquestion did not flow properly.

ConclusionsEven over short distances, sewers and other•utility routes can have significant deviationsfrom the straight line.The same technology can, and has been,•used for gas pipes, water pipes, telecomsducts and horizontal directional drillingroutes.The process of detecting, verifying and•locating buried assets is a highly skilledtask, one that should be entrusted toexperienced and qualified surveyors.

For more information visit: www.mjrees.co.uk

Figure 2 shows the line of the sewer fromservice records.M J Rees & Co prepared the risk assessment

and method statement (RAMS) and liaisedwith the asset owners to put in place allnecessary permits to work. The sewer wascleaned, after which M J Rees’ surveyorstransferred coordinates from the existingReading station redevelopment survey controlnetwork from the surface into the chambersof the manholes. The alignment survey wasundertaken between the coordinated pointsusing the Reduct DR-HDD-4.2 Survey System.The water level in the sewer was reduced

prior to cleaning and with a safe system ofwork established and approved, the surveywas completed to specification in a couple ofhours.The sewer run was measured four times;

twice in each direction. All runs were valid andshowed a high degree of repeatability. XYZresults were checked and then plotted in CADonto the existing topographical survey andchecked against the piling design, as shown inblack in Figure 2Departures from the expected sewer

alignment of up to 0.8m resulted in the needto adjust the piling locations. This phase ofthe construction then went ahead, withconfidence and without infringing on thesewer easement. The survey also showed that

Departures fromthe expectedsewer alignmentof up to 0.8mresulted in theneed to adjustthe pilinglocations.

‘‘

’’

Left: Figure 2,Comparison of the actualroute and that derivedfrom records.

Hexagon Live


built information derived from point cloud data- real world conditions for a building orstructure. Navigating between what Hexagonviewed as the digital world and real world iswhat makes BIM a powerful projectmanagement strategy. Information use nowgoes beyond standalone 2D plan drawings.Overall, the HDS training sessions

highlighted that P15 and P20 scannersolutions guarantee high resolution datacollection at industry leading speeds. Sessionslike Rayburn’s lay the foundation for numerousCyclone related announcements made atHxGN Live 2014. Like Intergraph Imaginesoftware (which used to fall under SecurityGovernment and Infrastructure - S,G&I), thisincluded the use of solutions provided byAustralian company Euclideon. Theirtechnology has been integrated into severalcloud based viewers and was demonstrated atthe conference in order to show how tomanage large datasets. HDS hardware andsoftware solutions therefore continue to meetthe demands of Hexagon’s worldwide usercommunity.

The keynotesThe opening keynote was entitled TheDisruptive Power of Transformation. Hexagonhas reshaped itself around information andcommunication technologies (ICT). This wasachieved via its Smart Content Program (SCP)and GeoCaaS service. Outlined by presidentand CEO Ola Rollén, SCP was part of abusiness model “moving from product centricto workflow solutions.” It also set the tone fora genuinely Live event based aroundintelligent and autonomous systems, a moveaway from technology isolation in favour oftechnology convergence and more efficientdesign and manufacture processes.Information capture and distribution lifecycleswere also explored in the days that followed.

This year’s HxGN Live was another milestoneevent for Hexagon as a company. It was assignificant as its first conference back in

2011 in Orlando, Florida. Seamless integrationbetween Intergraph and Hexagon - rival serviceand solution providers until Q4 2010 - hadbecome second nature for all Hexagonemployees. Numbers for the high definitionsurvey (HDS) sessions were also at a record highof 800 attendees. This figure was up by 100people from the 700 users that attended in2013. HxGN Live in Hong Kong was announcedfor November 18th-20th, 2015.

Point cloud a standard for BIM and CIMThe Leica Geosystems training day showedthat scanning based solutions continue toevolve. For example, sessions for hybridsystems like the Nova MS50, the multi stationinstrument that combines total stationtechnology with GNSS and scanning, tookplace for the first time. Interactions betweenusers and seasoned HDS trainers like GuyCutting also indicated the point cloud wasnow an industry standard. This was especiallythe case in emerging application markets likeBuilding Information Modelling (BIM) and CivilInformation Modelling (CIM).

Scan to BIM Joshua Rayburn, an HDS manager for part ofthe NAFTA region, presented scan to BIM usinga Leica P15 laser scanner. This hands-onsession began with scans collected in thetraining room. Point cloud information wasthen used to demonstrate a scan to BIMworkflow, where data was processed inCyclone and Cloudworx for AutoCAD. Decisionmaking processes were being informed by as-

HxGN Live washeld in Las Vegasin June for a thirdconsecutive year. Itwas whereeverything cametogether forHexagon AB.Synergy, BIM andconsumer-drivenstories were justsome of thethemes explored bythe 3500 peoplewho attended inthe vast MGMGrand hotel. AndLeica Geosystemsis a focal point thatcontinues to bringeverything togetherfor its Swedishparent, observesour reporter AdamP. Spring.

HxGN Live 2014: workflow infusesservices and solutions

Right: The Pegasus Twocombines several Hexagon

solutions in order tocreate a mobile mapping

add-on for vehicles.

Right: The T2 is a portable cartbased laser scanning solution that

continues to evolve aroundinfrastructure based applications.

Hexagon Live


Results for site monitoring activities andvarious surface analysis tests were particularlyimpressive.The variety of applications outlined in

Douthett’s and Moller’s presentations teasedout an important point about the Nova MS50.It had become a powerful gateway technologyfor users who might be unfamiliar with laserscanning. It had, no doubt, opened doors forthe Leica Geosystems HDS brand since itsrelease – such as applications where users mayotherwise be resistant to change.

Market growthUser diversity and an increased number of firsttime attendees demonstrated that interests ingeospatial information were growing. In order tocapitalise on it, Ola Rollén likened the approachHexagon was taking to the Apple iTunes model.His Content as a Service (CaaS) strategy tookadvantage of data integration, marketconsolidation and the long-term value of whathe sees as actionable information. In otherwords, the non-linear workflow was here to stay.Customer feedback on architectural,

engineering and construction (AEC) work inthe US revealed that the NAFTA region was infull economic recovery. The amount of workHexagon users were getting in comparison toprevious years was certainly a shopfloorindicator. Texas based companies like LanmarServices had, as its CTO Larry Kleinkemper putit, “never been busier.” BIM and CIM werereshaping the way spatial information wasbeing used in the “new world”. Clients werealso having more of a say in decision makingprocesses.

The power of BIMLeica Geosystems was well placed within

Geosystems, Geospatial and MetrologyJeurgen Dold, president of HexagonGeosystems, discussed market growth anddata integration in his Leica Geosystemskeynote. Whether it was investment in themining sector or emerging unmanned aerialvehicle (UAV) applications, Dold confidentlyvoiced his approach to change: “We need tocreate places where multiple datasets arecoming together from multiple data providers.So, we can then take those and createinformation layers - to create this informationfor more and more users.”It was also the first time Mladen Stojic had

attended HxGN Live as president of HexagonGeospatial. Intergraph’s geospatial portfoliohad been rebranded at the end of 2013, anda new branch of the Hexagon family wascreated. In his inaugural keynote, Stojicdemonstrated why he was the person toshape its future: “Our goal is to transform theindustry and, ultimately, transform thegeospatial economy associated with capturingcontent, producing content, providing contentas a service and using that content insolutions.” Transforming industry was also at the heart

of the Hexagon Metrology keynote. NorbertHanke’s team were ahead of the curve in asector where quality control and productionlifecycle are primary considerations. KenWoodbine, PC-DMIS developer, used themetrology management system (MMS) - acollaboration between Hexagon Metrologyand Intergraph - to discuss integrated data. Heexplained how MMS continues to expand theconcept of product lifecycle management(PLM) in the metrology world: “It aligns withseveral current software megatrends like bigdata, cloud computing and the Internet ofThings.”

Nova MS50Last year the Nova MS50 MultiStation washeralded in via a champagne reception in theLeica Geosystems keynote. One year later,numerous presentations highlighted why itsHeerbrugg design team felt a great sense ofpride toward their creation. In the HDSsessions, for example, Sean Douthett of DavidEvans and Associates showed how MS50 datacould be integrated with ScanStation C10,P20 and HDS 6000 point cloud information.The range at which data could be collectedwas a notable consideration for Douthett asan MS50 user. High resolution data captureover 150 metres was a key selling point inscan-data fuelled social circles.

Hans Moller, lead surveyor at Bechtel Oil,Gas, & Chemicals, also discussed theadvantages of an MS50 based workflow. Setin Australia, the story he told was driven bypoint cloud data for industrial sized containersfrom the Curtis Island natural gas processingfacility. The MS50 provided high quality dataas both a total station and laser scanner.

It had become apowerful gatewaytechnology forusers who mightbe unfamiliarwith laserscanning.

‘‘

’’

Above: Low cost 3Dprinting can now be usedas part of a BIM workflowto help inform AEC baseddesign processes(Photograph Courtesy ofRemco Takken)

Hexagon Live


MiningHexagon has repositioned itself within themining industry over the last year. Design,exploration and operation are the keycomponents of its onsite workflow. Its miningsoftware and fleet management markets havebeen merged in order to make Hexagon thenumber one services and solutions provider inthe mining sector. In other words, MineSight,Leica Mining, SAFEmine and Devex werebrought together in order to “leap frog” thecompetition. In the Leica Geosystems keynoteentitled Dirt, Diamonds and Data, president ofHexagon Mining, Guilherme Bastos outline his360 plan for the future: “ We cover minesurveying, mine planning and scheduling, real-time management for open pit andunderground mines, process automation, 3Dvisualisation and safety.”Mining infrastructure and asset

management are set to have a noticeableimpact on future streams of income forHexagon. Acquisition of the UAV companyAibotix (an ideal solution for data capture inopen pit mine mapping), complimentedmotion extraction based solutions likeSAFEmine. This all-in-one traffic safety andcollision avoidance solution was already beingused on the ground to make open mineenvironments safer.

Gold to goThe Golden Nugget casino is located indowntown Las Vegas. It is the largest casinoon Fremont Street and has featured in filmslike Diamonds Are Forever. In 2011, a newchapter was added to its history when a Goldto go vending machine was installed in itsGold Tower Lobby. Prices are updated everyten minutes and 24 carat gold bars are sold in1, 5 and 10 gram sizes. Boxes of gold coinscan also be purchased. Las Vegas is one of 20 locations where

Gold to go vending machines can be found.They are also in other parts of North America,the Middle East and Europe. For example,Westfield Shopping Centre in West Londonhad a Gold to go machine installed in 2011.The business aspiration of Germany based TG-Gold-Markt is to have 500 Gold to gomachines in operation around the world.

SummaryHexagon AB was pragmatically transparentabout its immediate and long-term goals atHxGN Live 2014. The mantra of a worldshaped by an evolving information flow, whichhad been presented to its customers, was nowa fundamental part of its day-to-day businessoperations. Divisions like P,P&M - outlined ashaving sizeable growth potential in the capitalmarkets day presentation - provided insightinto what to expect at the next HxGN Liveevent. User stories will not only be told in LasVegas in 2015. They will also be presented inHong Kong.

Hexagon to reap the benefits of BIM relatedapplications. The HDS brand had clearlymatured, and the idea of 2D plan drawings asthe baseline dataset had clearly become athing of the past. For example, scan to BIMcould be used to describe how as-builtconditions were documented through a pointcloud. This had also translated over into thework environments of Intergraph Process,Power and Marine (P,P&M) users. Hence, therise of the term CIM, civil informationmanagement.Data integration was also promoted in BIM

work cycles through integrated project delivery(IPD), which helps ultilise the talents of allproject team members to obtain the bestresults possible. Cathi Hayes, BIM manager atLeica Geosystems, reiterated this throughouther “Field Trip” sessions - even pointing outthat BIM and IPD are intricately linked to oneanother. Market and user outcomes seemedlimitless to anyone sitting in the Hayessessions held in 2014.

SynergySynergy between all parts of the Hexagonfamily was discussed throughout HxGN Live2014. Jack Ickes, President of the geospatialsolutions division at Leica Geosystems,demonstrated how a ScanStation P20 scannerwas combined with acquired solutions likeGeoCue. This created the Pegasus Two, apowerful mapping solution new to the Leicaportfolio. A cart-based system was alsoshowcased. Called the T2 (that title is boundto send a frisson through old hands and loversof the ubiquitous Wild T2 theodolite, whichsold 90,000 over 70 years for Wild, Leica’spredecessor company), it includes a Velodynesensor. Future developments based around thegrowing relationship between P,P&M and LeicaGeosystems were hinted at too.

Above: The Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas is one of20 places in the world that has a Gold to Go machine.

Adam P. Spring is aconsultant and visiting lecturerin Applied Technologies andReality Capture in theDepartment of Archaeology,University of Plymouth. He hasfeatured in numerous academicand research publications. Inaddition to reselling 3DMAnalyst, he has been aconsultant for Autodesk andLeica Geosystems. For moreinformation, visithttp://remotely-interested.com/. You canfollow Adam on Twitter at@ThatInterested

About the author


Discrete Global Grid Systems

were presented. Researchers from SouthernOregon University presented an approach on theuse of Central Place Indexing (CPI) for optimalrepresentation of vector locations using fixed-width multi-precision quantization. Apresentation from researchers at China Universityof Mining and Technology described an adaptiveintegration model based on spherical degeneratequad-tree grids for integrating vector data anddigital elevation models.

A separate presentation from researchers atChina University of Mining and Technologydescribed an approach for creating globalhierarchical and equal-area grids. A series ofadditional presentations described earlyresearch into global 3D grids. The breadth andscope of the presentations suggests thatDGGS is finding applications in visualisationand data fusion. The approaches presented atthe ISPRS conference, however, are only asample of the DGGS applications that haveemerged over the past decade. Recognisingthe increase in the number and variety ofDGGS applications, the geospatial communityestablished a new working group within theOpen Geospatial Consortium (OGC) todevelop a standard for DGGS.

The OGC is an international consortium ofmore than 470 companies, governmentagencies, research and academicorganizations that participates in a consensusprocess to develop geospatial standards. Byvirtue of being open and publicly available,OGC standards have informed specificationsof other standardisation bodies such as theInternational Organisation for Standardisation(ISO). At the recent International Geoscienceand Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS),Peterson et al explained that the goal of theworking group is not to identify a singlediscrete global grid, but to increase awarenessof the advantages of DGGS in general, todefine their qualities, to make theminteroperable with other data sources, and tostandardise their operation. The DGGSworking group within the OGC is expected toconsider approaches adopted by variousgeospatial technologies, for example, thePYXIS WorldView browser, AustralianGeoscience Data Cube (AGDC), SouthernOregon University’s DGGRID software and anumber of global grid systems used inmeteorology. Our own interest in DGGS atEnvitia has emerged from recent researchconducted by our consultants in the area ofthe visualisation of uncertainty and also intext mining.

In addition to considering approaches taken

The advent of cloud computing, crowd-sourcing and Big Data has meant thatgeospatial data users are increasingly

faced with the challenge of how to organiseor visualise vast amounts of data to supporttheir daily operations. One way through whichthe geospatial community is addressing thischallenge is through the use of Discrete GlobalGrid Systems (DGGS).

What is a DGGS?A DGGS is a tessellation of regions that form apartition of the Earth’s surface, where eachregion forms a cell that can contain smallercells at finer resolutions. Cell regions may varyin shape and size, from irregular shapes basedon attributes such as population, to regularshapes of evenly distributed vertices. Figure 1shows an example of such a discrete globalgrid over the entire Globe. In a review of theliterature, Sahr et al listed shapes applied invarious DGGS as including triangles, squares,hexagons and diamonds. If the grids are madeof regular planar polygons, the resolution canbe described in terms of the aperture of theDGGS, where the aperture is the ratio of theareas of a planar polygon cell at twoconsecutive resolutions.

The Standardisation EffortAt the 2013 International Society forPhotogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS)conference on Global Spatial Grids and Cloud-based Services, a variety of applications of DGGS

Historically,computationalprocessing facilitieswere expensive,affordable datastorage was limitedand large volumesof geospatial datawere hard to comeby unless oneworked for a spaceagency,meteorologicalservices or a largetechnology firm.But today newtechnologies andways of workingare making thiseasier, argues DrGobe Hobona. Andthe RICS need toget involved.

Towards a standard for DiscreteGlobal Grid Systems

Right: Figure 1,A multi-aperture

hexagonalDGGS

however, some work to be done to get to thatpoint as some OGC specifications can takefrom a few months to a year to reach approvalas standards, depending on the size of thetask and the commitment of the workinggroup members. As the DGGS standardisationeffort within the OGC only began in the firstquarter of this year (2014), there is a greatopportunity for members of the RoyalInstitution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) toparticipate and influence the direction thestandard will take.

AcknowledgementsThe author is grateful for the feedbackreceived from OGC staff and members of theDGGS standards working group.

Referenceshttp://www.smos.esa.int/ISEA/gdggs03.pdfhttp://www.int-arch-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/XL-4-W2/http://www.opengeospatial.org/pressroom/pressreleases/1980

About the AuthorGobe Hobona holds a PhD in Geomatics and aBSc (Hons.) in Geographic Information Sciencefrom Newcastle University. He is theConsultancy Team Leader at Envitia Ltd., amember of the OGC.

by software implementations, standardisationwill need to consider relationships to existingstandards such as ISO 19112 and the MilitaryGrid Reference System (MGRS). ISO 19112defines the conceptual schema for spatialreferences based on geographic identifiers; thestandard enables producers of data to definespatial reference systems using geographicidentifiers and assists users in understandingthe spatial references used in datasets.Whereas, MGRS is a georeferencing approachused by NATO to simplify the specification ofpositions through use of an alphanumericidentifier derived from Universal TransverseMercator (UTM) coordinates.

BenefitsThe potential benefits of DGGSstandardisation to geomatics professionals willdepend on the extent of the specification thatis being developed in the OGC. A key benefitalready becoming evident is the ability toorganise various types of informationunambiguously within discrete cells over theentire Earth’s surface such that they can beprocessed in parallel. Being able to organiseinformation in such a way, consistentlybetween different geospatial technologies,may help to bring the related approaches incloud computing and Big Data closer to avariety of Geomatics practices. There is

A key benefit. .. is the ability toorganise varioustypes ofinformation. . .within discretecells over theentire Earth’ssurface such thatthey can beprocessed inparallel.

‘‘

’’

Discrete Global Grid Systems


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surveyplot

... users oftendon’t require thefull functionalityof a GIS forsimplevisualisation.

‘‘

’’

re-triangulation of the UK, which wasundertaken between 1936 and 1953, beforethe introduction of electromagnetic distancemeasurement or GPS surveying equipment.These inherent errors in OSGB36 cause issueswhen using survey grade GPS technology andwhen transforming coordinates betweenWGS84/ETRS89 coordinate systems andOSGB36. OSTN02 was introduced to ‘correct’,or more strictly distort, transformed data backto the original and slightly distorted OSGB36framework. Ordnance Survey provides adetailed description of the OSTN02 transform,which was used to write the program code forsurveyplot.co.uk.

TestingSurveyplot.co.uk’s components have beentested individually to confirm accuracy. Firstly,the OSTN02 conversion implementation waschecked against a range of values providedby OS, confirming it produced the samevalues to 3 decimal places. Secondly, 44visible OS trig pillars were measured in bothGoogle and Bing imagery, comparingobserved against actual pillar locations.Overall, this revealed an accuracy of ±2.1mrelative to the Google imagery and ±1.7mwith the Bing imagery, at the 95%confidence interval.Finally, both mapping services were

directly compared to a full photogrammetricquality orthophoto covering LoughboroughUniversity campus and surrounding area. AGPS survey of easily identifiable ground

Developed to fulfil Loughborough’sMEng degree in Civil Engineeringunder the guidance of Prof Jim

Chandler, the web applicationsurveyplot.co.uk is available free of chargeand is ideal for displaying detailed landsurveys, or any other geometric information,without the need for expensive specialistsoftware. Although this can currently clearlybe achieved using commercial GIS software,users often don’t require the fullfunctionality of a GIS for simple visualisation.In addition, the application allows sharing ofthe visualisation link, easily enabling othersto view.

Adding dataSurvey coordinates are in a simple CSV fileformat (Point Identifier, +3 ordinates) to beuploaded, in either the UK National Grid orWGS84/ETRS89 coordinate systems. TheOSTN02 transformation is used, enablingdisplay on maps using both systems. Google,Bing, Ordnance Survey and OpenStreet mapsand imagery can all be used as a backdrop.KML files can also be downloaded forsubsequent use in either Google Earth orother GIS systems. When plotting points theycan be displayed either individually oroptionally as a ‘group’. Grouping enableslines or shaded areas to be shown, which isideal for visualising and distinguishingbuildings or roads.The OS National Grid system (OSGB36)

contains inherent accuracies arising from the

A web-basedapplication,developed atLoughboroughUniversity iscapable oftransforming anddisplaying OS gridcoordinates onto arange of freelyavailable mappingresources,including: GoogleEarth/Bing/ OSmaps andOpenStreetMap.

www.surveyplot.co.uk– a free web-based application for displaying survey data

Left: A simpleexample survey with aroad and buildings.

of suppliers with perhaps a wider qualityrange. Google’s imagery appears to begenerally of a higher resolution andcontains less shadowing, grain andartefacts across the UK, giving animpression of higher quality. However, thisdoes not appear to be fully justified in apositional sense.

In summary, surveyplot.co.uk provides a simplevisualisation tool for surveyors, providing aquick way to overlay UK National Gridinformation on a variety of web mappingservices. The site is now live and all feedbackis welcome.Note: Although detailed testing has

demonstrated accuracy of the web-basedapplication, it should be noted that accuracycan't be guaranteed.

References:Ordnance Survey, “A guide to coordinatesystems in Great Britain An introduction tomapping coordinate systems and the use ofGPS datasets with Ordnance Surveymapping,” pp. 1–46, 2008.

W. Walcher, F. Leberl, and M. Gruber, “TheMicrosoft Global Ortho Program,” ISPRS Ann.Photogramm., vol. I, no. September, pp.53–58, 2012.

control was used, again comparing observedagainst actual ground coordinates. Theresults demonstrated the importance of reliefdisplacement, as the orthophoto yielded a farhigher accuracy, additionally validating theaccuracy of the Google/Bing imagery in theprevious test.The discrepancies between transformed

positions and their apparent image locationscan be attributed to two sources, of increasingsignificance:

Separation between the ETRS89 and•WGS84 terrestrial reference frameworks.ETRS89 is essentially WGS84 frozen to theEurasian plate in 1989, as small movementsin the tectonic plates cause the twosystems to diverge at a rate ofapproximately 2.5 cm per annum.Ordnance Survey therefore recommendusage of ETRS89 coordinates, by linkingsurveys directly to either active or passiveOS points.

The remaining error can be attributed to•the Google/Bing imagery not being fullycorrected for relief displacement. Bingimagery was found to have a higherpositional accuracy, which is thought to bedue to homogenous collection methods aspart of project 'global ortho'. In contrast,Google procures its imagery from a number

surveyplot


Matt Harrison graduated thissummer with a CivilEngineering MEng degree (1stclass) from LoughboroughUniversity. He currently worksas a research and developmentengineer for SAS International,a building interior designer andmanufacturer based in London.

About the author

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Kuala Lumpa FIG Conference

environmental concern that FIG holds for ourworld. Well done troops.

Opening and PlenaryThe official opening ceremony heard theMalaysian prime minister Abdul Razak showa noticeable affinity with his nation’ssurveyors as well as an acute awareness forthe essential done work by his professionals.The procurement of the country’s top manfor this ceremony sheds much credit on theLOC upon whom praise can be showered.The PM seemed to be most grateful for thegift of a polished brass historic theodolite,taking a peep through to the joy of theaudience.At the first Plenary Session vice president

Chrissy Potsiou chaired the FIG Task Force onHousing and Property, highlighting LandReform in Africa and the Global Land ToolNetwork - an initiative of UN Habitat.

Culture and social eventsOn Tuesday night the FIG Foundation stageda wonderful Malaysian cultural eveningwhere visitors were invited to shape RoyalSelangor pewter dishes punching their ownname into the base with the first 100participants being made a gift for theirefforts. Other arts and crafts on show forparticipation were Batik designs in brightcolours, wooden and wicker creations alongwith a tasty selection of traditional dishesand desserts. After the formal speechesrefreshments flowed freely to the greatdelight of all who came along especially theAussies! Under the leadership of US FIGstalwart John Hohol the event raised essentialfunds to assist worthy recipients indeveloping countries to live their dreams ofbecoming surveyors. A special congresssponsorship of eight young surveyors fromplaces such as the USA, Africa and Moroccoconfirmed another generous award of FIGFoundation funds to enhance worldsurveying.Technical sessions on Wednesday were

many and varied, allowing me to sit in on agroup of Scandanavian surveyors elaboratingabout the cadastral systems from Sweden,Denmark, Norway and Iceland. Head surveyorfrom Iceland Ms. Margret Hauksdottir waspleased to hear that I had visited her countryin 2000 having met their President ÓlafurRagnar Grimsson who is still in the job 14years later. On the way out of this session Iwas kindly invited to join the Finns at theircocktail party in the Sky Bar at the top floor of

En route to KL via Xi’an I spent two nightsso I could explore the world renownedTerracotta Warriors found by three

farmers in 1974. I even met one of these menat the awesome complex showing off thisamazing find from the First Emperor fromaround 220 BC. Next, a quick visit to theremarkable 12thc. Angkor Wat and AngkorThom in Cambodia, an extensive stone Khmerempire complex of cities through theenveloping jungle.Arriving at the Novotel City Centre Hotel

on Sunday afternoon gave me just enoughtime to get ready for the WelcomeReception held at the Convention Centre.Special guest greeting us to KL was theminister for trade. On Monday morning Iwas IIHSM rep at the FIG General Assemblyfulfilling this duty by giving a brief report ofthe activities of the history team for the lastfour years since the last congress at Sydneyin 2010.FIG Working Weeks in 2015 and 2016 are

to be hosted by Bulgaria and New Zealand,each showing the audience why everyoneshould join them to share their hospitality andculture.Set up by energetic Congress Director

Azmi with the Forest Research InstituteMalaysia (FRIM), vice president RudolfStaiger led an avid group of eco-conscioussurveyors to plant 100 trees in an excursioncalled the Carbon Offset Tour into theMalaysian jungle to illustrate the

Readers of the lastissue of GW(July/August 2014)will already havestudied JamesKavanagh’s worldcup oriented reportand RichardGroom’s moresober technicalreview. Here theirrepressible JohnBrock gives his ownlively account ofthe social side ofFIG KL, but notbefore telling us allabout his pre-eventSE Asia tour.

FIG KL is tankard full of fun!

Below: Standing firm if not tall with the silent army ofTerracotta warriors.

of China: The World’s Greatest BoundaryMonument”, which had also just beenawarded FIG Article of the Month in June thisyear.The second day was rather better

attended with a hundred or so. I hadagreed to give a presentation for LeonieNewnham, whose scheduled Israelipresenter did not attend due to visaproblems. Among the history presenterswere our chairman Jan De Graeve talking onMercator and Murad III’s globes,Cambodian resident Finn Jouni Anttonenamusing the crowd with his surveying inDonald Duck and Mickey Mouse cartoonsand Galina Kovalevskaya from MoscowUniversity on the History of RussianSurveying. Two of our Malaysian hosts,Azhari and Zaki gave us illustrated tales ofthe levelling and first order survey controlon their peninsula, finishing up with AussieKelly Henderson bringing us up to datewith the project to put Colonel WilliamLight’s Town Plan of Adelaide onto theUNESCO World Heritage List.

Winners and losersElections for various positions and events tookpriority at the GA on Saturday with the FIGpresidency of Chrissy Potsiu ratified by thegathering of members. The first vicepresidency vote was a strong victory inimpressive style to Prof. Rudolf Staiger withthe second selection going to a hard fought4th round of ballots in favour of the UK’s ownDiane Dumashie over Mikael Lilje by just fourvotes. Finland was victorious over Vietnam and

Nepal to host the 2017 Working Week as wellas a majority acceptance of Turkey to stagethe XXVI Congress in Istanbul during 2018.Following the summing up of the activities ofa great week came the Farewell Reception puton by the hosts of next year’s Working Weekin Sofia, Bulgaria which promises to be awonderful experience for all of thoseattending. Leaving a little early from theseexcellent refreshments my taxi driver broke allspeed records to travel the over 70 kilometresto get me to the airport.Congratulations must be extended to all

responsible for bringing off this brilliant eventwith special appreciation to the FIG ladiesLouise, Hanni and Claudia whose continualdiligence to needs and details made our visitso rewarding and enjoyable. Well done mustbe offered to FIG President CheeHai Teo andvice president Rudolf Staiger for theirapparently effortless control of formalproceedings and protocols. Congress directorsAzmi and Hassan together with their fantasticteam must be enthusiastically praised formaking this congress one to remember foryears to come in FIG History. Extra specialkudos must go to the 330 attendees fromNigeria for such loyal support to FIG.

the Impiana Hotel, at which much optimismwas expressed for winning the 2017 WorkingWeek.Straight from there my Welsh mate Gethin

Roberts and I were fortunate to join theCommission 7 dinner at the “Rabbit in theHole” restaurant where Craig Hancock hadonce again arranged the best valuegathering of the FIG week. Myself andcompatriots Viktor and Inara Sikais were alsoable to see our NSW Rugby League team winback the State of Origin trophy for the firsttime in nine years from arch rivalsQueensland.This year I did not need to take my proton

energy pill to venture forth outside the DMZto purchase a local songkok traditional hatfor the Gala Dinner because after asking thelocal tailor across the road from myaccommodation he rather incredulouslyplucked one from his cupboard so that myresplendence for the formal evening couldbe complete. The stunningly gorgeousviolinist main act Dr. Joanne Yeoh in a star-spangled dress, which other Aussiesreckoned had survived a shark attack due tothe large piece cut out of the left side. Shewas superb and the fantastic singer withaccompanying band provided sensationalentertainment for the large crowd who wereindividually provided with food and drink bytheir own private waitresses/waiters. Theten-course Malaysian banquet was trulydelicious.

History SymposiaThe IIHSM was asked to conduct one of itscustomary History Symposia during the formalcongress week on the Friday but it onlyattracted about 20 attendees due to varyingfactors which I will not go into. Regardless ofthe disappointing numbers, the audience weremost receptive to my paper “The Great Wall

Above: Two Eugene’s and a gal make a party!

Finland wasvictorious overVietnam andNepal to host the2017 WorkingWeek as well asa majorityacceptance ofTurkey to stagethe XXVICongress inIstanbul. . .

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Kuala Lumpa FIG Conference



FIG 2014 review

Aerogravity datacontains signals,both at longwavelengthsprimarily detectedby satellitegravimeters.

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the accuracy of the local geoid in Indonesia.Terrestrial gravity data, SRTM30 plus data andfive GOCE GGMs were used.

Moving platesSeveral papers in sessions TS07A, TS08A andTS11A discuss the analysis of tectonic platemovement using GNSS and the developmentof deformation models to relate the geodeticreferences system to tectonic movements sincethe epoch when they were defined.Sanlioglu and Kara (TS09B) compare auto-

regressive and auto-regressive moving averagemodels for computing GNSS time series. Theirtheory comes from analysis of commercialactivity, for which there are four components:trends, cyclical fluctuations, seasonalfluctuations and irregular events. It isinteresting reading for those involved inmonitoring and the authors apply thetechnique to analysis of CORS data in Turkey.Spatial filtering techniques are also the subjectof Yusfania et al’s paper (TS11A) for theBengkulu earthquake in Sumatra in 2007.They calculate strain compression andextension values through the event.Pahlevi and Pangastuti (TS07A) describe

Indonesia’s Geospatial Reference System 2013,which uses a deformation model to cater forcoordinate changes with time. The horizontalcomponent is realised by a network ofpermanently operating and periodic geodeticobservation stations. The deformation vectorswill be updated following sudden changescaused by earthquakes. The vertical referencesystem is under development. Use of the newreference system is mandatory and servicescan be accessed via a website. The full articleis well worth reading.Chile’s new reference system is realised via

a network of 66 continuously operatingGNSS stations (Rivas (TS07A)). The coordinatereference system is based upon theGeocentric Reference System for theAmericas (SIRGAS). In 2002, the NationalGeodetic Network SIRGAS CHILE 2002.0 wasset up and by 2010 there were fourteencontinuous and 500 passive stations with20mm accuracy. On 27th February 2010there was a massive earthquake whichcaused horizontal movement of up to fivemetres. Following the earthquake, many newcontinuous stations were established andrevealed interesting information concerningthe movement associated with theearthquake. When the area had stabilised itwas decided to re-measure the wholenetwork. For the future it is intended to

The hot geodetic topics were developmentof geoid models, continuously operatingreceiver (CORS) networks and monitoring

for tectonic movement.

Gravity and geoid modelsRoman et al’s paper (TS01A) reviewed progresswith the development of a geoid modelcovering the USA. The overall objective is todevelop a model with centimetre-level accuracyto serve as a regional datum. The target date is2022 and work is now going on to detectbiases in the land-based gravity measurements.Aerogravity data contains signals, both at longwavelengths primarily detected by satellitegravimeters. They reflect large gravity featuresas well as shorter wavelength data observed bysurface gravimeters and detect local anomalies.The authors have used this data to detect andcorrect inconsistencies in the terrestrial data.The Aerogravity campaign is called GRAV-D. Itcovers the whole of the continental USA andextends 150 km into Canada and Mexico.GEONET is Japan’s network of continuously

observing GNSS stations. Since 2011 it hascomprised 1300 stations. In fact it wasoperating just before the devastatingearthquake of 2011. Miyahara et al (TS01A)describe how, in addition to producing‘standard’ geodetic products, the network hasbeen used for crustal deformation monitoringin near real time. Initial estimates ofdeformation are available within a couple ofminutes for large events. In conjunction withthe Japanese gravity geoid model(JGEOID2008), the GNSS COGR data from 850stations has been used to established theJapanese hybrid geoid model (GSIGEO2011).Following the earthquake, Japan’s GeospatialInformation Authority (GSI) re-observed thelevelling of all affected stations. GSI alsocomputed heights for the country’s legacytriangulation stations.Abd-ElMotall (TS02A) merges local and

global gravity data to produce an ultra high-degree reference geopotential model and thento compute a gravimetric model of Egypt. Hethen fits the model to GPS / levelled pointswith improved results over other techniques.Uzodinma et al (TS03A) have tested the

accuracy of the EGM2000 geoid model over a23 ha micro-environment at Enugu in Nigeria bycomparison with GPS/ levelled control points.The differences are huge, suggesting thatEGM2008-based geoid heights on their own donot yield sufficient accuracy over small areas.Triarahmadhana (TS03A) evaluates the

effect of the GOCE Global Geoid Model on

Hundreds of paperswere presented atFIG Kuala Lumpur.Here our technicaleditor RichardGroom pulls themtogether in areview of thescience andengineeringorientated papers.All of the paperscan be found onthe FIG website viathe reference atthe end of thisarticle.

FIG 2014: Geodesy, Point Clouds, Hydrographyand Monitoring

In Sweden, each municipality hashistorically been self-governing and developedtheir own height systems. Kempe et al (TS07A)describe how these datums are being relatedto the new national spirit-levelled RH 2000national height system and the benefits forthe municipalities that will come from unifiedheighting. This includes facilities to helpmunicipalities make the transition from theirold distorted height networks to RH2000, byconnection to the new network, analysis oferrors and inclusion of additional observations.

Sea surface heightsPangastuti and Pahlevi (TS02A) describe atechnique of determining the sea surfaceheight around Bali from Geo/GM satelliteradar altimetry data, using “waveformretracking” of corrupted waveforms in shallowwater to improve the computation of gravityanomalies around the island.

GNSS – what nextVan Cranenbroeck et al (TS11E) presented apaper taking a critical look at GNSS RTK andtackling a number of questions concerning thebusiness case for this infrastructure,considering current technology as well aspossible future development of PPP (precisepoint positioning) and processing in the cloud.This affects users as well as infrastructureoperators and therefore well worth reading.Sato et al (TS03B) introduce the Asia

Oceania Multi-GNSS DemonstrationCampaign. The campaign has threefunctions: the establishment of a multi-GNSS monitoring network, multi-GNSSapplication demonstrations and annualregional workshops. They have chosen thearea because multi-GNSS comprising GPS,GLONASS, COMPASS, QZSS and IRNSS willbe in operation in this area before other

develop a velocity model to providecontinuity.

Australia’s new datumDonnelly et al (TS07A) describe thedevelopment of Australia’s new dynamicgeodetic datum, which has been developed inorder to handle regional crustal deformationincluding continental drift of 70 mm per yearand rotation of the tectonic plate by using adeformation model. The authors justify thenew datum due to the growth in the demandfor high accuracy absolute positioning by usersgoing far beyond the world of surveying andthe need to correct widespread distortions inthe previous datum. The datum will be alignedto APREF, the regional realisation of ITRF. Theobjective is for the datum to be fully threedimensional and to support ±20mmpositioning at the 95% confidence level. It isplanned that the new datum will beintroduced firstly as a new static datum withepoch 2020, with the fully dynamic datum inplace after that date.

Sweden upgradesLilje (TS08A) celebrates twenty years ofSweden’s national CORS network, SWEPOS,and ten years of network RTK. Sweden usesthe VRS method to deliver corrections. Anotable feature of the Swedish network is thatit consists of two classes of CORS. Class Astations are mounted on substantial stableconcrete monuments, whilst class B stationsare mounted on existing structures, such asbuildings. SWEPOS is now moving into itsthird generation, which will see upgradedreceivers and closer spacing (around 35 km)between stations. This is being made inresponse to users who are looking for highervertical accuracy for setting out and machinecontrol.

FIG 2014 review


The objective isfor the datum tobe fully threedimensional andto support±20mmpositioning at the95% confidencelevel.

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Above & Left: Cruise vessel AIDAblu used inthe sea surface height study and escort craftOceanodroma, which was used forcalibration of cruise vessel’s squat (Reinkingand Harting).

Reinking and Harting (TS10J)advocate the use of precise pointpositioning to determine sea surfaceheights. They argue that there are60,000 ships sailing the oceans andthat if only a small proportion of

them carried the equipment asignificant amount of additional datawould result, which could be used toincrease the sensitivity of satellitealtimetry over short wavelengths andto validate altimetry biases.

FIG 2014 review


For those of uswho dislike blackboxes, thissounds like goodnews.

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photogrammetry as well as from laserscanning, and use various platforms.

Power line clearancesTham (TS04B) describes a laser scanningsystem for identification of non-conformingelectrical conductor spans which could startbushfires in Australia. On days of extreme firedanger the risk of electricity infrastructurecausing bushfires is at its highest, throughconductor to conductor and conductor tovegetation sparks. Tham uses PLS-CAD powerline design software to check the clearances.Initially he has collected data using a staticscanner but has now turned his attention tomobile laser scanning and intends toautomate the data processing and analysis. Hesees MLS as preferable over helicoptermounted scanning because the latter does notpick up thin wires sufficiently clearly.

Scanning v UAVFriedli and Theiler (TS05B) compare long rangelaser scanning with UAV photogrammetry forsurveying of archaeological sites in Peru. Theproduct was a 10cm grid DTMs of the sites.The results are much as expected: terrestrialscanning is better for surveying vertical andsloping surfaces and seeing throughvegetation, whilst UAV photography is betterfor horizontal surfaces on the top of hills andbare surfaces. For the laser scanning, they usefiltering techniques to reduce the size of thepoint clouds. One of these is an Anoctree filterwhich is applied after merging the pointclouds and removes points from the cloud togenerate a cloud of constant density.Conversely, they interpolate where necessary.

parts of the world.Harima et al (TS03B) have been using the

LEX augmentation signal broadcast by Japan’sQuasi-Zentith Satellite System (QZSS). LEXbroadcasts at 2kbps, which allows fortransmission of augmentation messages aimedat centimetre-level precise point positioning.One such message is “Multi-GNSS AdvancedDemonstration of Orbit and Clock Analysis”(MADOCA). They obtain centimetre-levelpositioning after 2 hours of convergence usingstatic PPP and decimetre-level accuracy after1.5 hours of kinematic PPP.Afifi and El Rabbany combine GPS and

Galileo single-frequency observables for PPP.They find that sub decimetre-level PPP ispossible and that the addition of Galileoimproves convergence time by 30%.Stocker and Duetschler (TS01B) describe a

means of increasing the accuracy of in-builtsmartphone GPS receiver by connection to anexternal antenna, yielding an accuracy of 5cm.They describe how the system can be used fornavigation and for GIS data collection.

New receiverKowalewski et al (TS09B) describe a project todevelop a new GNSS receiver. Their company,navXperience GmbH already producesantennas and they are now intending toproduce a receiver which allows the user toaccess all the signals and use their ownsoftware. For those of us who dislike blackboxes, this sounds like good news. Currently,the authors argue that the GNSS market iscontrolled by the established manufacturerswith proprietary hardware and firmware,which has inflated the price of the equipment– a situation that is good for themanufacturers’ shareholders but bad foreveryone else.

POINT CLOUDS:Nowadays point clouds are produced from

Left: A statue at the Palace of Versailles.You can learn more about this enormousproject, described by Varea, by going tothe next page of this report which isonline athttp://www.pvpubs.com/DigitalEdition/GeomaticsWorld

Continue reading onlineYou can continue reading this report by going toGeomatics World's Digital Extras which is online athttp://www.pvpubs.com/DigitalEdition/GeomaticsWorld

Downunder currents


presentation on the evolution of theborderlines of Australia’s states all of whichare still in dispute at this point of time!

Tree Planting & Cocktail PartyThe tenure of our greatest Governor (2ndlongest serving after Sir Roden Cutler who wasone day short of 15 years at the end of hisreign) is coming to an end this year. Kerima-Gae and I have been lucky enough to showour warmest appreciation at two separateevents where Prof. Dame Marie Bashir and herhusband Sir Nicholas Shehadie were specialguests. Patron of both Parramatta & DistrictHistorical Society and the Institution ofSurveyors NSW, Her Excellency planted anEnglish oak sapling propagated from one ofthe original trees growing at HambledonCottage (1824) planted from seeds broughtback from England by John Macarthur’s sonEdward in 1817.

At the end of July the ISNSW Board showedits gratitude to our great patron and herequally dedicated husband at a cocktail partyon floor 36 atop the Shangri-la Hotel at TheRocks. Aptly named the Altitude Restaurantthe event was a wonderful reflection of justhow much affection the ISNSW holds for thisexceptional lady and her equally distinguishedhusband.

Tribute luncheon to league greatHaving played in the 1971 E grade side(under 16’s) for Cabramatta it was the firstyear that Rugby League great GrahamMurray had played for this historic FirstGrade feeder club. Other top graders in theside present were Australian rep GeoffGerard (the first player to reach 300 gamesat the highest level), Ted Sulkowicz andKevin Webb. Our side from 43 years agofeatured at the fund raising luncheon tributeto Muzza (who died one year ago) at whichGraham’s wife Mandy and daughter Karaspoke emotionally about their husband andfather. At this event I bought a signed NSWBlues 2014 State of Origin jersey in a framewhich I re-donated a week later to a MotorNeurone Disease fund-raising breakfast atAustralian and Parramatta Rugby Leaguelegend Mick Cronin’s pub at Gerringong (onthe coast south of Sydney). After a silentauction the jumper fetched over $ 1,000.00for the charity which thrilled me.

Just lately I have been busy flying toQueensland to show my 50 Years of TVSuperstar Surveyors DVD to the North

Coast (NSW) Group who held their two-dayseminar at the Greenmount Beach ResortCoolangatta where my parents honeymoonedin 1949, closely followed by an invited talk Igave at the Penrith Library west of Sydney onsurveyor George Evans. But right before thesecommitments we were on Norfolk Islandagain.

FIG Norfolk IslandWithout doubt my favourite place on earth isNorfolk Island where the mood is alwaysfriendly with a distinct historical ambience, sowhat better spot to hold a Surveyors HistoryConference!

For five special days 50 delegates weredazzled by the content and quality of themorning talks then thrilled by a diverseselection of activities that included anhistorical island and cemetery tours by thebest guides on NI; a VIP Reception at theoldest Government House still used foradministration on Australian territory hostedby the newly appointed Administrator, TheHon. Gary Hardgrave; a dinner thatprogressed through three local homesteads;the unique play “Trial of the Fifteen” with anisland banquet joined by some of the cast; anadapted “History in the Making” tour by localhistory guru “Onion” Evans that took in twobroad arrows carved into the verandah of theAdministrator’s office block, which was aGunter’s chain baseline check; and a “just forus” run down of the NI Government actuallyin the Legislative Assembly by Speaker of theHouse, The Hon. David Buffett. The eventsended with a sumptuous island fish fry put onby the local Lions Club at the old Surgeon’sQuarters that houses a vast historic photodisplay of NI’s past including a picture of thefirst landing of an aeroplane in 1932 (beforethe 1942 wartime airstrip was built!).

With 14 speakers being non-surveyors itwas wonderful to hear what others actuallythink of us and our contribution to thedevelopment of our planet including Kerima-Gae’s “Surveyors Through The Eyes of a Non-Surveyor”, which was more like a “BrockyRoast” highlighting some of my colourful ifnot eccentric antics whilst on tour with her,much to the uproarious delight of the crowd.With FIG International Institution for theHistory of Surveying and MeasurementChairman Prof. Jan De Graeve joining us fromBrussels and former Surveyor-General ofVictoria John Parker made a memorable

A warm welcomewas on hand forthe 50 delegateswho attended thefirst Pacific SurveyConference onAustralia’s remoteisland territory,reports ourcorrespondentbefore he was offagain on his travelsfor more diningand some treeplanting.

The Norfolk Island Surveyors Conference

• John Brock is a Registered Surveyor inAustralia and is a stalwart of FIG and itsPermanent Institution for the Art and History ofSurveying.

Below: Dame Marie BashirGovernor of New SouthWales plants an English oak.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES


Leica Geosystems has launched GeoMoS Now!, a web-basedapplication that enables on-the-go visualisation and analysis ofstructural and ground movement monitoring data. Large amountsof geodetic and geotechnical data are now easier to handle withsimplified workflows using automatic configuration anddistribution tools that quickly notify users of any changes in datafor faster, more informed responses. Because Leica GeoMoS Now!runs on local computers or servers on premises, the software canbe fully integrated on the user’s company Intranet server anddata can be accessed from different locations within the companyusing only a web browser without any need for additional localsoftware licences or installations on different computers.

GeoMoS Now!

Topcon releasesMAGNET Relay for GISTopcon has announced theaddition of MAGNET Relay forGIS to its suite of cloud-basedsoftware. As a component ofMAGNET Field GIS, Relay GIS isa mobile base station RTKbroadcasting service. The systemis designed to allow subscribersto connect a GNSS basereceiver via a cellularconnection for high-accuracyRTK corrections.

Promap adds OSTerrain 5 and Terrain50Landmark Information Group hasintroduced Ordnance Survey’sTerrain 5 and Terrain 50 heightdatasets in its Promap digitalmapping and data tool. Thedatasets provide nationalcoverage and enable access todetailed modelling of significantlandscape and infrastructurefeatures. Both datasets areavailable as a set of contours,along with spot heights and

mean high and low watermarks,as well as a gridded DigitalTerrain Model (DTM)representing the bare groundsurface (5m grid or 5m contourinterval). The DTM product is alsoavailable as a 3D PDF thatallows visualisation of the bareearth model without the need foradditional processing orspecialist software.

Appitrack forNottingham tramlinesA pioneering, mechanisedsystem for track construction,developed by Alstom Transportand Leica Geosystems, isdriving the speedy, highaccuracy delivery of two newtram lines for NottinghamExpress Transit (NET).Construction work featuresAppitrack (Automatic Plate andPin Insertion), an automatedsystem designed to lay concreteslab track and insert baseplates with speed, certainty andto millimetre accuracy. LeicaViva TS15 total stations and

Leica PaveSmart3D softwareposition, guide and control theconcrete paver and base plateinsertion vehicle as theyprogress in convoy.The new tram routes,

operational by early 2015, willgive more people inNottingham access to clean,convenient and comfortablepublic transport in a city that isamongst the least cardependent centres in the UK.The expanded tram networkwill have the capacity to carry23 million passengers a yeartravelling in and around theEast Midlands capital forbusiness, leisure and study.

Topcon releasesScanMaster v3.0Faro’s ScanMaster v3.0 bringsefficient workflow forpractitioners using third-partyscanners. Enhanced cloud-to-cloud registration is expected tosignificantly reduce the need toplace targets - even in the mostchallenging work environments.Additional features include: Farofile import options, ASTM E57file import and exportoperations, point cloud library(PCD) file import and exportfunctionality, cleanup and regionselection tools, volumecalculation and automatic edgeset extraction.

GrasshopperPoint Grey has announced theintroduction of the Grasshopper3GigE Vision PoE camera family,an extension to the existingGrasshopper3 USB3 Visionproduct line. The Grasshopper3GS3-PGE-23S6 models usecolour and monochrome versionsof the 1/1.2" Sony IMX174Exmor global shutter CMOSsensor and offer imageresolution of 1920×1200 pixelsand frame rates of up to 46 persecond.

New version ofGlobeSpotter CycloMedia Technology, hasannounced version 2.9 ofGlobeSpotter. Following a usersurvey, a large number ofchanges were implemented tothe user interface. Some keyfeatures of the update include

improvements to the mainscreen. Text and buttons werereduced to make theapplication faster and simplerto use, and an option to storesettings online was added tomaintain consistency inappearance for users,regardless of where they openthe application.

New Topcon controller

Compatible with either theTopcon eGIS or MAGNET FieldGIS software, the FC-500 isdesigned to create smooth andspeedy dataflow between thefield and office. The FC-500 hasbuilt-in wireless Bluetooth andwifi connectivity, and an optional3.5g cellular modem, allowinginteraction from users in thefield, to the office, andadditionally to the cloud whenused with MAGNET Enterprise.

eGIS for AndroidTopcon has announced theintegration of the Androidplatform to its eGIS fieldsoftware system. eGIS isdesigned to offer a simple andquick way to collect andmaintain mapping data withGPS at various accuracies,including RTK (Real TimeKinematic). With theintroduction of the eGIS forAndroid app, operators can usetheir Android-basedsmartphones and tablets tocapture data.

Fast habitat mappingProteus FZC, a provider ofsatellite-derived mapping andclassification services, haslaunched a fast-turnaroundhabitat mapping solutiondesigned specifically for

Environmental ImpactAssessments (EIAs). Throughthe service, Proteus delivershigh-resolution classificationmaps of terrestrial areasonshore and of the seafloor inshallow-water marineenvironments.

OS Detail 3D databundleLandmark Information Grouphas incorporated OrdnanceSurvey’s Building HeightAttribute data as part of a new3D Data Bundle, whichcombines OS MasterMap, OSTerrain 5 height data with theOS Building Height Attributeinformation. The bindle providesa full 3D representation of boththe natural and built topographyof a site and is ideal fordevelopers, planners, surveyorsand architects who want toreview accurate site data as partof the survey and due-diligenceprocess. The model is alsosuitable for 3D printing.

Persistent changemonitoringBlackBridge has announced astrategic partnership with MDAInformation Systems (MDA), tointroduce a new changemonitoring solution. RapidEyePersistent Change Monitoring(RapidEye PCM) incorporatesBlackBridge’s RapidEye imageryinto MDA’s Persistent ChangeMonitoring (PCM) technology.RapidEye PCM makes for fastand simple updates tocartographic datasets. It appliesMDA’s patented changedetection technology that usesscale- and sensor-independentalgorithms to compare a stack ofimages over time and quicklyidentify areas with lastingchanges. By identifying onlylasting changes, such as newconstruction or permanentinfrastructure changes, RapidEyePCM saves up to 90% of theeffort and cost required than ifthe same area were scannedmanually.

New long-range scanner

Maptek has announced the I-Site 8820 long-range laser scannerwith a 20% increase in range, twice the data acquisition speed,25% improvement in range accuracy and a new modular design.The I-Site 8820 is a modular system which can be configured tomatch site survey requirements. All the controls are built-in and thelaser scanner is light enough to be carried single-handed. It alsofeatures an integrated high resolution panoramic digital camerafor geotechnical and geological mapping and an in-built surveygrade telescope for traditional back-sight workflow.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES


COURSE DATES?– Total Stations: 8th & 9th September 2014– GPS/GNSS: 10th September 2014– Total Stations: 13th & 14th October 2014– GIS Data Collection: 15 October 2014– Total Stations: 24th & 25th November 2014– GPS/GNSS: 26th November 2014

WHO?All courses are conducted by Chris Little Training and include comprehensive notes,practical as well classroom teaching, tea, coffee and refreshments throughout the day.

HOW MUCH?All courses cost £169.50 + VAT. Discounts available for three or more attendees.

WHERE?Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre (direct access from Stevenage Station). Plenty of parking nearby.

Call +44 (0)1438 352617 for bookings & more informationAttendees receive a certificate of participation plus copies of industry publications including the digital book,Being an Intelligent Client – a guide to successful commissioning and managing of land and engineering surveys.

Note: Numbers limited to eight persons per course. We reserve the right to cancel if there are insufficient reservations.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING DAYS 2014With the economy improving day by day. . .are you investing enough in training and new skills?

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We are an established Chartered Surveying Companywith a progressive Land Surveying Department.

A Land Surveyor is sought to become part of our Londonbased team specialising in Measured Building and

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Candidates should have a minimum of five years practicalexperience and a knowledge of Leica Instruments, AutoCAD, LSS and MBS would be an advantage.

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LAND SURVEYOR

Leica Geosystems DirectTour 2014 22 years on the road

Event Invitation

Learn how to shape your future.

http://facts.leica-geosystems.com/DirectTour2014

7th October – University College, Dublin8th October – Cork Institute of Technology9th October – University of Ulster13th October – Aberdeen University14th October – Heriot-Watt University15th October – University of Birmingham16th October – University of Leeds17th October – University of Bolton20th October – Downing College, Cambridge21st October – University of Reading22nd October – Imperial College, London23rd October – University of Portsmouth24th October – University of Bristol

Leica GeosystemsDirectTour 201422 years on the road

Leica GeosystemsDirectTour 201422 years on the road

22 years on the road

22 years on the road

Event InvitationWe’re back on the road again!

Join us at a venue near you for the Leica GeosystemsDirectTour 2014.

An excellent opportunity to meet and engage with

Event InvitationWe’re back on the road again!

Join us at a venue near you for the Leica Geosystems


Join us at a venue near you for the Leica Geosystems



For more information contact [email protected] and to





An excellent opportunity to meet and engage withuniversity students and potential future employees,discover the latest in Imaging and 3D data collectionfor all applications, discuss new technologies, andnetwork with peers and key industry figures.

The Leica DirectTour will present new customer trainingprograms to EDUCATE and develop business, EXCHANGEinformation to explore new application opportunitiesand ENGAGE in group and one-to-one demonstrations.

An excellent opportunity to meet and engage withuniversity students and potential future employees,discover the latest in Imaging and 3D data collectionfor all applications, discuss new technologies, andnetwork with peers and key industry figures.


An excellent opportunity to meet and engage withuniversity students and potential future employees,discover the latest in Imaging and 3D data collectionfor all applications, discuss new technologies, and


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Geomatics Worldyour

Digital Extras forSeptember / October 2014 issue

FIG 2014: Geodesy, Point Clouds,Hydrography and Monitoring

black box that tends to be digitalphotogrammetric processing; Strecha (TS09A)gives an insight and compares the accuracy ofPix4D with LiDAR.

Wan Mohd et al (TS10E) examine theheight accuracy of digital terrain modelsderived from various sources. The compareIfSAR, LiDAR and ASTER digital terrain anddigital surface models, digital topographicmapping – although it is not disclosed howthe latter is produced.

Sadikin et al (TS10E) consider the use ofUAVs for cadastral mapping of individual landparcels. In Indonesia, residential areas have tobe mapped at 1:1000 scale, at which scalehigh resolution imagery is required over thesmall areas of each parcel. They look atvarious technologies including Balloons andKites as well as fixed wing and rotor UAVs andcome to the conclusion that quadrotors arethe answer. However, they fix the position ofthe quadcopter using a robotic total stationobserving in reflectorless mode to the aircraft.The photography product is a mosaic ratherthan a model, in which the stability of thequadcopter minimises distortion due to tilt.

Amon et al (TS11B) have used a LiDARscanner developed by Riegl for UAV platforms.Known as the VUX-1, it weighs less than 4 kg,has a measurement rate of 500,000 pps,accuracy of 25 mm and stores data onto aninternal 240 Gb SSD card. GNSS and IMUunits can be added to the scanner – withincreased weight. The paper does not providehard figures concerning the accuracy of pointclouds observed in this way.

Stal et al (TS11B) have used a hectacopterto survey sixteen structures at Mayan sites toproduce 3D models. Aerial and terrestrialimages were combined to produce models ofthe structures. Ground control was observedusing a total station. The paper includesexplanations of structure from motion andmulti-view stereo, which are useful.

Erenoglu et al (TS11B) have used aerialphotography from an octacopter UAV

HeritageYakar and Ulvi (TS05B) describe a survey ofKizkalesi castle in Turkey using laser scanning. Itis located on an island 500m from the mainland.Control was observed by traversing around thesite and coordination of paper targets fixed tothe castle. The point cloud resolution was 15mmfrom twenty five scan positions to produce acloud of 30 million points.

Varea (TS05B) describes a huge project tosurvey the Palace of Versailles. The work wascarried out for Google as part of its GoogleArt Project. He used the Faro Focus 3d 120 forthe interior and for statues and fountains inthe gardens. A hundred thousand scanningstations were needed to complete the project.

Road repairSeredovich and Altyntsev (TS05B) describe asystem to identify and measure cracks andholes in road surfaces using mobile laserscanning with digital imaging. They describetwo methods, firstly analysis of the laserreturn signal and digital imagery and thesecondly of DSMs of the road surface. Theauthors also point out the value of comparingmulti-temporal data to identify changes.

Modelling surfacesTang and Majid (TS05B) describe a technique formodelling surfaces using Adaptive Moving LeastSquares (AMLS), which reconstructs the surfacesusing a Delaunay/Voronoi based algorithm. Theyhave tested it with the result that the smoothsurface generated was within 0.17mm to0.4mm of the scanned points. However, theirexamples are all small objects, such as vases.

TLS+LiDARBorkowski et al (TS08K) examine the accuracyof 3D building models created from acombination of terrestrial and aerial LiDAR. Inparticular they discuss how to register the twopoint clouds and examine modelling accuracyagainst the point clouds.

For those interested in seeing inside the

FIG 2014 review


Rokhmana (TS11B) has used UAV technology for surveying small islands off the Indonesiancoast. Mapping of the islands is important because they are used as baselines from which

to derive maritime boundaries. Heuses a fixed-wing remote-controlled plane with point andshoot camera with GPS phototagging powered by a Li-Ionbattery for eight hours ofoperation. Flight planning wasmade using Ardupilot Controlleropen source software. Landingswere made into a net, to avoiddamage to the UAV. Saga-GIS wasused to filter the DSM to produceDTMs, using slope-based criteria.

Left: Landing the UAV in a net.

FIG 2014 review


integration. Techniques used include ground-based microwave interferometry (GBMI), digitalimage correlation (DIC), digital inclinometers andprecise levelling. The paper makes a comparisonbetween GBMI and DIC – the agreementbetween the two techniques is impressive.

Roberts et al (TS08E) describe a GNSS-based monitoring system installed on theSevern Suspension Bridge with analysis andresults from a short period of data and Babicet al (TS04B) present a case study deformationsurvey carried out using laser scanning of aheat exchanger in an oil refinery.

Data fusionData fusion is the subject of VanCranenbroeck’s paper (TS07E). He refers to theintegration of geotechnical and geodeticsensors for structural deformation monitoringand provides as a case study, the monitoringof the old sports palace at the City Life projectin Milan. It was monitored using a totalstation and geotechnical sensors. Thegeotechnical sensors indicated no movementbut the geodetic sensor indicated uplift.Thanks to the combination of sensors he wasable to conclude that the building wasuplifted as a whole due to deep injections ofconcrete during construction.

Wireless sensor networksXu et al (TS08E) consider the use of wirelesssensor networks for dynamic deformationmonitoring using high frequency sampling.The paper looks at issues such as hardwareand software selection, clock synchronisation,data compression and data loss and considersthe processing of vibration monitoring data.There is no doubt that sensor networks willplay an important part in the future of

platform for geological mapping in Turkeyusing a Canon EOS-M mirror-less camera,which was calibrated using PhotoModeller.Photos were taken manually from a height of70m and the DSM was processed inPhotoModeler Scanner software. The imageswere also classified using the RGB valuesreflected by the different rock types.

Xiaodong (TS07E) looks at use of an “L-estimator” method to compute close-rangephotogrammetric data containing gross errorsand compares with conventional least squares,which is an “M-estimator” method.

Hamruni (TS02E) describes how verticalUltraCamD and vertical and oblique Pictometryimagery can be used to produce photo-realisticbuilding models along with the possibility ofmerging the data with terrestrial imagery. Theauthor compares the accuracy of aerialtriangulation and modelling using differentcombinations of data, the completeness ofmodels and quality of texturing.

HYDROGRAPHY:Scheider et al (TS06J), examine in detail thepositioning of vessels for multibeambathymetry surveys of inland waterways inGermany. They provide a useful summary ofthe possibilities for GNSS positioning IMU andMEMS compass as a heading sensor. Thesystem can also accept data from propellersand can include water level observation as apseudo measurement, which could be a usefulindependent measurement of sensor positionin the Z dimension.

Dapo et al (TS07J) used a sub-bottomprofiler to measure the depth of sedimentalong 96 km of the River Bosut in Croatia. Theriver has historically been modified for floodprevention purposes but over time this hascaused siltation and a loss of river capacity.They used a Syquest StrataBox sub-bottomprofiler running on 10 kHz, which canpenetrate 40m below the river bed. Theinstrument is able to detect layers of materialwith different acoustic impedance and thusdifferentiate between sediment layers. Thedata was analysed, cleaned, processed andvectorised using SonarWiz software and thenimported into AutoCAD Civil 3D for modellingof the sediment layers. The method waschecked using geomechanical core samplingto determine the composition of thesediments and also to check the depth.

MONITORING:

BridgesGikas et al (TS07E) describe a monitoring systemfor a single span cable-stayed bridge, which isintended to test and calibrate finite elementmodelling of the bridge deck, cables and pylonsunder static and dynamic loads. It consists offour independent systems providingcomplementary data. The system can also beused to assess optimum sensor placement and

De Wulf et al (TS07J)tackle the task of mappingthe intertidal zone todetect archaeologicalfeatures in Belgium. Theyprovide a table comparingthe various techniquesand conclude that mobileterrestrial laser scanningmounted on an ARGOamphibious vehicle showsthe greatest promise.Airborne laser scanningcomes up with the samevertical accuracy andresolution as mobile laserscanning but the authorsreject it on the grounds ofexpense and because it isaffected by windconditions, which areparticularly difficult on theBelgian coast.

Above: ARGO vehicle with mounted withsensors (De Wulf).

Language (UML) or by using a feature catalogue,the data has to include the fourth dimension tocover the evolution of features andcomprehensive metadata has to be recorded. Forspatial data encoding, GML has to be used. Thesurveys are based upon WGS84 and EGM96. Allinteractions with the data which affect its qualityhave to be recorded within the metadata.Surveying software is generally not able to dealwith this although Esri’s ArcGIS for Aviation andBentley’s Bentley Airport Data Model haveadopted it already.

BIM from the European viewpointClemen et al (TS08K) write about BIM. It’s asubject much talked-about in the UK and theirEuropean viewpoint makes interesting reading.In particular, they see BIM as being able to offer‘views’ of the building data, perhaps analogousto views of relational databases. Thus, forexample, we have views for 2D graphical data,inventories of rooms or a virtual 3D model. Thisseems to differ from the concept of ‘data drops’.

GPRFor underground utilities surveyors, Bell (TS11E)examines the use of arrays of GPR equipment forsurveying underground. He considers whatobjects can be detected as well as productivityissues in the field by looking at multiple arraysand at combined GPR and laser scanning surveysas well as advances in post-processing software.

Collaborative positioningCollaborative positioning may be a newconcept to many. Kealy et al (TS01B) explainthat it is a way to improve the navigation andpositioning performance of a range ofpositioning techniques in places where GNSSwill not work on its own. They introduce theconcept of “the point of diminishing marginalutility for positioning”. Traditionally allpossible observations are used to determineposition, but the authors suggest selecting theoptimal set of measurements rather thantrying to use all signals of opportunity.

VANET is a collaborative positioning systemthat involves vehicles sharing the data fromtheir sensors with neighbouring vehicles alongwith observations of distance between thevehicles. The computation can also incorporate‘rules@, such as the need for the vehicle to beon a road, using digital map data.

Toth et al (TS01B) investigated the use ofMicrosoft Kinect sensors for indoorpositioning. It uses both active and passivesensors. Its attraction is its widespread use asa games machine but it is restricted forsurveying use by its short range and limitedaccuracy. The authors describe how, to someextent, accuracy can be improved through useof redundant observations and present theresults for an experimental system.

Conference papers are published at:http://www.fig.net/pub/fig2014/techprog.htm

monitoring and this paperis useful for articulatingthe issues and solutionswhen dealing with highfrequency data.

Slopes and faultsLau et al (TS08C) report onresearch into the use ofterrestrial laser scanning forslope deformationmonitoring andexamination of the resultsfrom using different scanresolutions, whilst Zeybeket al (TS10B) use periodicGNSS to monitor slopes

prone to landslide in Turkey and Sadarviana etal (TS11A) describe the results of five GNSSobservation campaigns between 2002 and2005 to monitor slopes in the Ciloto landslidezone of West Java. For the latter study, therewere fifteen monitoring points within the sliparea and two reference stations on stableground. The types of slip can be determinedfrom the direction of the movement vectors. Inthe case of Ciloto, movement has not beenconsistent at each campaign, indicating thatrotational and translation slip faces are present.

Meier et al (TS09E) consider how tomonitor a geological fault in a rock that couldpotentially be used for storage of radioactivewaste. They use broadband seismography andhydrostatic levelling for the study to detectsub-micron displacements.

InSARLuo et al (TS10B) have studied the L’Aquilaearthquake using InSAR by analysing scenesfrom ENVISAT ASAR taken between October2008 and September 2009 and in so doingreveal ground movements before during andafter the earthquake.

APPLICATIONS AND INNOVATIONS:

Airfield obstruction surveysSchroth (TS07H) considers how to achieveaeronautical data quality (ADQ). ADQ is a newrequirement of the International Civil AviationOrganisation (ICAO) and has to beimplemented by 2017. Surveyors areresponsible for capturing and maintainingobstacle, terrain and airport terrain data. ADQdemands structured electronic data with adefined accuracy, resolution and integrity.Documentation for personnel, equipment andsoftware is required to support thisthroughout the work flow from the surveyorto airport authorities and on to national airtraffic control organisations.

In Europe the exchange of all aeronauticaldata and information is based upon theAeronautical Information Exchange Model(AIXM). For the AIXM, all common data has tobe provided using the Unified Modelling

. . . a way toimprove thenavigation andpositioningperformance of arange ofpositioningtechniques inplaces whereGNSS will notwork on its own.

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FIG 2014 review


Above: Pixels displacementfield (line of sight) overL'Aquila earthquake zonebetween 6th Oct 2008 and21st Sept 2009.

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