A Publication for Geospatial Professionals Issue 2016-2

technology&more

Measuring the Great One

Getting Ready for the Big Game

San Jos Cleans Up Using Geospatial Technology

Surveying a Mountain
Highway From Above
Technology in Motion
New Arenas for Geospatial Technology

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Welcome to Technology&more!
Dear Readers,

The familiar saying, The whole

is greater than the sum of its
parts, rings especially true in the
world of geospatial professionals.
Working in close collaboration with
other
disciplinesengineering,
construction, planning, governments and financial teams to name
a fewgeospatial professionals
provide essential information and
Ron Bisio, Vice President, Geospatial
insights. Similarly, solutions created
through a blend of technologies enable professionals to develop
comprehensive, valuable information quickly and with remarkable cost efficiency.
In this issue of Technology&more, stories from around the world
illustrate the power and flexibility of blended technologies. We
begin in Alaska, where our cover story takes us to the top of
Denali. A team of expert climbers and positioning professionals
used GNSS to produce precise new data about the highest point
in North America. We travel to California to learn how the integration of GNSS with customized software and cloud-based services
helped the City of San Jose prepare for Americas premier sporting
event. In a visit to Nepal, we learn how satellite imagery combines
with GIS and image-analysis software to aid efforts in watershed
management and ensure sustainable agriculture.
Turning to more urban environments, we take a detailed look
at the concept of smart cities. Using a broad assortment of geospatial and information management technologies, smart cities
excel at connecting citizens with city assets and services. And on
a highway project near Skopje in Macedonia, unmanned aircraft
systems (UAS) team up with GNSS and advanced photogrammetry software to produce deliverables ranging from high-resolution
orthophotos and virtual reality videos to terrain models and
volume measurements. Its a grand tour of how integrated technologies are transforming the way we workwith a lot more
stops along the way as youll see inside.
The issue wraps up with our popular Photo Contest, where we
feature images submitted by Trimble users around the world. If
youd like to share your own innovative projects or creative photos
with our readers, wed be happy to hear about it. Send us an email
at: Survey_Stories@Trimble.com. Well even write the article for
you!
Now, enjoy reading about the new opportunities that integrated
technologies are bringing to geospatial professionals in this issue
of Technology&more.
Ron Bisio
Vice President, Trimble Surveying & Geospatial

UNITED KINGDOM Pg. 4

Monitoring infrastructure
project

NEPAL Pg. 6
Creating land-cover and
change-detection maps

MACEDONIA Pg. 14
UAS Road Construction
Survey

SCOTLAND Pg. 18
Small-scale Hydro Surveys

Published by:
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Phone: 720-887-6100
Fax: 720-887-6101
Email: T&M_info@trimble.com
www.trimble.com
Editor-in-Chief: Dave Britton
Editorial Team: Lea Ann McNabb; Kelly Liberi;
Cecelia Fresh; Cody Cooper; Felicity Boag;
Michael Dix; Yiran Wang; Sophie Willhauck;
Jocelyn Delarosa; Echo Wei; Maribel Aguinaldo;
Stephanie Kirtland; Survey Technical Marketing Team
Art Director: Tom Pipinou
2016, Trimble Navigation Limited. All rights reserved. Trimble, the Globe & Triangle logo and
eCognition are trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limited or its subsidiaries, registered in United
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trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limited or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property
of their respective owners.

Cover Story
technology&more

Measuring the
Great One
F

rom as far back as 1897, Alaskas Denali mountain has been

considered to be the highest peak in North America. And
at 20,310 ft (6,190 m) above sea levela measurement
derived from a 2015 GNSS surveythat title still holds true
today.

Apart from being the highest peak in North America, the
Great One is also the third most prominent peak in the world
and is one of the Seven Summits, the elite ranking of the
highest mountains of each of the seven continents. With such
superlatives attached to it, Denali is a particular point of pride
for Alaskans.

So when published results of an Interferometric Synthetic
Aperture Radar (IFSAR)-based survey, sponsored by the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS) in 2013, indicated Denalis height was
20,237 ft (6,168 m), 83 ft (25 m) lower than the long-accepted,
published height, people took notice. That renewed interest
ultimately led to a GNSS summit expedition to definitively
resolve the true height of the mountain.

Under a Dewberry contract that received financial and
technical support from the USGS and National Geodetic Survey
(NGS), GNSS equipment support from Trimble, in-kind support
from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the critical
support of the National Park Service and Alaskan mapping,
mountaineering and resident communities, a four-person
expedition team flew to Alaska to set the height record straight.

Compiled and led by Blaine Horner, a former mountain guide
on Denali and a survey account executive with CompassData, a

geospatial data and services provider based in Centennial, Colo.,

the team included Tom Heinrichs, the director of the Geographic
Information Network of Alaska at the UAF; and Augustin Karriere
and Rhett Foster, experienced climbing guides.

Scaling for a number
After arriving in Talkeetna, Alaska, on June 15, the team flew
to Camp 1 at 2,377 m (7,800 ft) on the Kahiltna Glacier and
spent the next several days moving gear and supplies up
the mountain, eventually basing themselves at 14 Camp,
the upper-mountain main base camp at 4,328 m (14,200 ft).
The team used their time there to acclimatize, ensure their
technology and gear were functioning correctly in the sub-zero
temperatures and to cache the equipment at 17 Camp at 5,242 m
(17,200 ft), the last camp before the summit.

At 6:30 AM on June 24, Horner and Karriere set off from 14
Camp and took the standard West Buttress route to 17 Camp
to dig up the stored survey equipment, which included one
Trimble R10 GNSS receiver, one Trimble NetR9 GNSS receiver,
a Trimble Zephyr Model 2 antenna, two sets of batteries and
an avalanche probe. The two began their climb about 9:30 and
by 3:30 that afternoon, Horner and Karriere were standing on
top of a serene and surprisingly warm Denali.

Horners first task was to find the highest point on the summit.
Moving about 50 cm (19.7 in) northeast from that point, he
hammered a 1-m range pole 86 cm (34 in) into the snow
pack, leveled the top of the range pole from that point and
installed the Zephyr Model 2 antenna on the pole. He dug a
small pit at the poles base and placed the NetR9 and its battery
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The CompassData summit survey team. L-R: Blaine Horner, Rhett Foster, Augustin (Udi) Karriere and Tom Heinrichs.

inside, connected the two and immediately began acquiring

static data. At a 2.5-m (8.2-ft) distance southeast of the NetR9,
Horner pounded another 1-m range pole down 56 cm (22 in)
and leveled that to the top of the other range pole, ensuring
that both GNSS units were at the same elevation. He mounted
the R10 on the range pole, dug a small pit for its battery and
connected the antenna to the battery, initiating the R10s data
collection. Both pits were then backfilled with snow to protect
the gear from the elements.

While the two GNSS receivers were collecting data, Horner used
a 10-pound, steel avalanche probe to penetrate the snow pack
around the two instruments in an effort to estimate the snow
pack deptha value never before measured. Around the R10
he was able to probe to a depth of 394 cm (155 in) and near
the NetR9 he went to 415 cm (163 in) before hitting definitive
resistance. However, Horner cannot state with 100 percent
certainty that he hit rock.

One hour after summiting, Horner and Karriere descended, leaving
the two GNSS instruments to collect data for the next 18 hours.
In addition to the summit survey, the team established a third
survey site at Windy Corner, a flatter area at 4,084 m (13,400 ft), to
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Blaine Horner checks the survey gear that was cached at 17 Camp at
17,200 feet.

both collect data in parallel with the summit collection and to

help establish a baseline for researchers to determine Denalis
velocity of change over time.

Prior to summit day, Horner had gone to Windy Corner, found
exposed bedrock and placed a second R10 on the rock several
hundred meters away from the main high-traffic trail. Located
about 2 km (6,560 ft) below the peak, the R10 recorded continual
observations for six days total, the last two coinciding with the
summit survey, enabling them to strengthen the elevation
measurement. During the summit climb, Heinrichs and Foster
checked the GNSS instrument to ensure it was logging data.

Survey says?
To ensure consistency and confidence in computing the new
height of Denali, the expedition partners created their own
data-redundancy triangleexperts from CompassData, UAF
and the NGS would process the same GNSS data independently
using their own software solutions.

Philipp Hummel, a professional land surveyor and CompassDatas technical director, led the GNSS data processing using
the Trimble Business Center software suite of geospatial data
analysis, processing and editing tools.

Based on nearly 18 hours of observations, Hummel first
calculated independent network adjustments for the R10
summit data and NetR9 summit data based on ten permanent
CORS stations located 40-150 km (25-93 mi) away from Denali.
He used the Windy Corner data as another reference point to
strengthen the geometry of the network. Hummel says the
results of the two independent calculations were accurate
enough that he could combine the summit data and the
Windy Corner data together, and process one single network
adjustment using Trimble Business Center. The result was a
network adjustment with an accuracy of plus/minus 5 mm.

By mid-August, all three expedition partners had processed the
GNSS data and compared their results. And all of them were
within 3 cm (1.2 in) of each other. Based on comprehensive
analysis and review of their methods and results, CompassData,
UAF, NGS and the USGS determined a final above-sea-level
height for Denali of 20,310 ft (6,190 m) (NAVD88), just 10 ft (3 m)
lower than the 1950s survey. The new, top-of-snow elevation
was officially recognized by the USGS in September. The survey
information can be accessed through NGS Online Positioning
User Service.

While measuring at 20,000 feet isnt every day survey work,
successfully climbing Denali to determine its elevation does
finally put to rest any lingering questions about the height of
the highest peak in North Americafor a while at least.

Udi Karriere levels the two range poles to ensure both the R9 and R10
are at the same elevation.

Survey team member Tom Heinrichs approaches Windy Corner at

13,400 feet.

The survey gear on the summit: NetR9s Zephry-2 antenna (R)

and R10 (L).

See feature in American Surveyors November 2015 issue:

http://amerisurv.com/emag/
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Delivering the
Three Rs of
Monitoring

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A massive infrastructure project uses geospatial technologies

to streamline essential construction processes

ts been a long time coming. First envisioned shortly after

World War II, Crossrail is a 118-km long (73-mi) railway serving
the greater London area. Under construction since 2009,
the 15-billion ($24-billion) project will provide passenger
transportation for commuters and suburban residents and
include direct passenger connections to Britains Network Rail.

requirements for the monitoring system were clear: It needed

to be robust, reliable and repeatable to provide total confidence
for those depending on it. Working with Monitoring Surveyor
Pawel Owsianka, Giles developed a unique two-pronged
approach to provide the required confidence. An optical
system using total stations and monitoring software would
monitor horizontal displacement. Simultaneously, several
hundred wireless tilt meters attached directly to the track
would monitor cant and twist. The two systems could provide
constant checks for each other while reducing the number of
trackside optical instruments.

The new line includes 42 km (26 mi) of new tunnels beneath

central London. A critical part of constructing the tunnels is
understanding how the work affects existing rail lines near
the sites. Using blended geospatial technologies, a Crossrail
construction contractor created a monitoring solution to
provide timely, accurate information for project stakeholders.

To provide optical monitoring, Giles selected 10 Trimble S8

total stations equipped with Trimble VISION technology. The
instruments were installed at regular intervals along Network Rail
and DLR tracks and controlled by Trimble 4D Control software
(T4D) running on a central server. The team attached small prism
targets directly to the tracks at 3-m (10-ft) intervals. Each total
station had line-of-sight to up to 60 of the rail-mounted prisms.

Protecting the Rails

The contractor, Morgan Sindall plc, was awarded a roughly
100-million ($160-million) contract to link new Crossrail tunnels
to the Network Rail infrastructure in the London Borough of
Newham. The work includes construction of a tunnel portal and
a new elevated Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station.

Providing Flexibility and Consistency

The core of the monitoring system was in the T4D software,
which the team used to create customized operation and
analyses, including remotely managing the 10 total stations,
all measurement cycles and communications.

The contract required Morgan Sindall to provide 24-hour

monitoring to measure the impact of its cut-and-cover tunnel
construction along an 860 m (2,800 ft) stretch of Network Rail
and DLR track. The monitoring was needed to reliably detect
movement and enable project teams to avoid the possibility of
compromising passenger safety or project schedules.

The system provided 24-hour coverage using a preprogrammed hourly cycle. Each instruments cycle began
with readings to fixed reference targets before measuring
to the prisms attached to the rails. The T4D software

Morgan Sindall assigned Chief Land Surveyor Nick Giles

to handle surveying and monitoring on the project. The
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Left to right, Chris Hind, DLR; Pawel Owsianka, Morgan Sindall; Nick Giles, Morgan
Sindall and Darius Rindeika, DLR, collaborated on the monitoring efforts.

One of more than 600 prisms attached to the track. The Trimble software
combined optical measurements with data from tilt sensors.
Measurement data for
a single prism reveals
changes in three
dimensions. Each prism
was measured on an
hourly cycle.

collected and recorded the data in an SQL database. From

there, technicians could extract data to create maps, charts
and graphs needed for meetings and client reports.

of the Morgan Sindall team. They monitored the affected

prism through subsequent cycles and no further movement
was detected over the next three months. Network Rail was
advised of the 8-mm alarm from the outset, but because
no action was necessary, Morgan Sindalls filtering process
prevented distraction to other parties. Later, when a second
alarm was triggered at 15 mm, the monitoring team
immediately alerted Network Rail and stakeholders with
full confidence that the alarm was genuine. The track was
realigned in less than 12 hours.

As part of creating the customized system, Giles defined

alerts that would be issued when the software detected
changes or motions that exceeded specific levels. The alerts,
sent by email or text messaging, enabled rapid reaction to
changes in the field. The team created customized alarm
triggers to provide information including tolerances for
displacement, with pre-programmed alert levels at 8 mm,
15 mm and 20 mm (0.3, 0.6, 0.8 in). Other sets of alarms
monitored instrument maintenance and detected damage
to an instrument or prism or if the line-of-sight to a prism
became obstructed.

Producing Information from Data

Morgan Sindall produced a daily monitoring report detailing
any recorded movement (including a graph if an alarm had
been triggered) as well as reports for weekly Review Panel
meetings. Additionally, all the data was uploaded in Crossrails
preferred format to the underground construction information
management system (UCIMS). The customized reports enabled
Morgan Sindall to quickly observe and analyze trends and present
their findings in formats preferred by project stakeholders.

By using the T4D filtering to manage who received the

alarms, Owsianka established a new level of security. If
an alarm were triggered, an email alert was sent to three
selected members of the Morgan Sindall monitoring team.
One of the members could then immediately log onto the
systemeven from homeand analyze the data to decide
if action and further alerts were necessary. Typically, an
initial alarm was triggered if measurements revealed prism
movement of 8 mm. The data was compared to the tilt
sensor system and the prism was then watched over the
next three monitoring cycles to detect any changes.

Giles is happy with the system performance. Managing the

monitoring in-house has brought us innumerable benefits
including satisfied clients and stakeholders, he said. Should
significant movement in the track occur, there is no ambiguity
and trains can be stopped immediately. Morgan Sindall
has delivered on the requirements for a robust, reliable and
repeatable system.

Giles described an example of the systems performance.

An alarm triggered at 8 mm, alerting the three members

Read feature in Rail Engineer UKs February issue: www.railengineer.uk

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technology&more

Counting
Crowns
Automatically

n Nepals remote mountainous region of Jumla, around 90

percent of farmers rely on agriculture production but their
landholdings are so small, its challenging to harvest sufficient
food. Often families collect firewood, herbs and other ecosystem
goods to augment their income and food resources. This land-tomouth existence has led to livestock overgrazing, water overuse
and tree loss.
Intent on improving Jumlas plight, Nepals Ministry of
Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) launched the three-year
High Mountain Agribusiness and Livelihood Improvement
(HIMALI) project in 2010. Specifically targeting two watersheds,
one of which was Jumlas Lorpa watershed, HIMALIs goals
were to help design effective local watershed management
plans to strengthen and ensure the sustainability of the regions
agribusiness industry.

Given Jumlas geographic isolation, the project presented the
opportunity to debut a new geospatial approach for producing
land-cover and change-detection maps in remote mountain
valleys. Using a combination of satellite imagery and advanced
land-classification technology, project managers produced
two land-cover maps that not only showed Jumlas vegetation
changes over time, they provided the visual truth to debunk
some long-held, local beliefs that Jumlas forests were not being
lost to deforestation.

Readying a New Approach
The responsibility of collecting the needed intelligence and
identifying solutions for the HIMALI project fell to Kathmandus
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
(ICIMOD), a regional knowledge center serving the eight
countries of the Hindu Kush Himalayas.

In order for ICIMOD to identify and recommend solutions,
project managers needed to better understand Lorpas present
vegetation and how its land coverspecifically the forestshad
changed over time.

We needed to inventory the forest cover down to the treecrown level and map that over time, detail we couldnt possibly
gather with traditional surveys, says Kabir Uddin, a GIS and
Remote Sensing Analyst with ICIMOD. The most cost-effective
and accurate way to acquire this information was with satellite
imagery and object-based image analysis (OBIA) software.

Top to bottom: Considered the birthplace of the Nepali language,

Jumla is known for its biodiversity and spectacular scenery.
Analyzing agricultural crops in Lorpa. Photo: Mr. Madhav Dhakal
An ICIMOD team manually validated the accuracy of the 2011
classification maps of the Lorpa watersheds tree canopy. Photo: Mr.
Dhakal

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Left to right: eCognition analyzed QuickBird and Ikonos satellite imagery and automatically delineated individual tree crowns into five size categories. To
validate the accuracy of eCognitions automatic tree crown detection, a team chose random sections and manually digitized each visible crown in ArcGIS.
Field teams manually assessed the vegetation at 60 randomly chosen sites and compared those findings to the land classification map. Photo credit:
Mr. Madhav Dhakal

Having used Trimbles eCognition OBIA technology for a

number of land-cover mapping projects, Uddin and his team
chose the image-analysis and land-classification software
to create accurate land-classification maps for the Lorpa
watershed.

Sobering Truths
The original plan was to map the watershed over a 10-year
period; however, acquiring cloud-free or snow-free optical
satellite imagery of the region proved most difficult. So Uddins
team had to settle for a five-year interval instead.

Uddin first defined the landscape characteristics of the 13-k2
(5-mi2) watershed area and then spent about two months
compiling and preparing the core datasets.

A team acquired one 2006 QuickBird satellite image and one
Ikonos image from 2011 for the change-detection land-cover
maps. They also obtained a digital elevation model (DEM) from
the shuttle radar topography mission for topographic detail
as well as vector data such as buildings, roads and contours.
Because QuickBird and Ikonos have different resolutions, they
integrated the ancillary data with each orthorectified satellite
scene to create two separate rule sets within their Trimble
eCognition software.

The data-processing team calculated multiple indexes to help
separate vegetation from non-vegetation areasdetail later
integrated into the classification process. They then wrote
customized rules and built two eCognition rule sets to distinguish
and map 10 land-cover classes. Specific to the forest cover
classes, they instructed the software to automatically delineate
individual tree crowns into five size categories. Once the rule sets
were complete, eCognition ran the workflows in 30 minutes to
produce land-cover maps for 2006 and 2011 showing the fiveyear change in the Lorpas vegetation.

To validate the accuracy of eCognitions automatic tree crown
detection, the ICIMOD team chose ten 1-hectare (2.5-acre)
sections at random on each pan-sharpened QuickBird and Ikonos
image and manually digitized each visible crown in ArcGIS. They
then compared their delineations with the softwares and found

the 2011 tree-crown classification was 99 percent accurate; the

accuracy for 2006 was 97 percent.

The maps showed the Lorpa watershed suffered, a tree canopy
loss of 12 percent between 2006 and 2011. That equates to a
reduction of about 90 trees per month, the majority of which are
those with the largest crown areas of 100 m2 (1,076 ft2).

To measure the accuracy of the 2011 map results a small
ICIMOD field team manually assessed the vegetation at 60
randomly chosen sites and compared those findings to the land
classification map. The overall accuracy was 93 percent.

The accuracy not only validated the viability of the eCognition
approach, it revealed straightforward truths to officials. Many
officials were under the false impression that forest degradation
had been improved in recent years because of successful
community forestry programs. The imagery of Lorpa definitively
proved otherwise.

However, as sobering as the realization was, the authorities are
using the detail of the maps to help devise forestry-specific
management programs for the watershed areaa critical part
of successfully improving the agribusiness in the region and the
livelihoods of its people.

The classification datasets are also enabling HIMALI managers
to better understand the regions roots of historic deforestation
and watershed erosion. With that knowledge, they can prioritize
investment areas and develop community-centric strategies to
help the villages organically grow healthier agribusinesses
both for the benefit of their own livelihoods and the wellness of
the environment.

This geospatial and image analysis approach enables us to
cost-effectively assess the ground view and map it repeatedly,
says Uddin. That approach can help increase the awareness
of the problems, support the development of appropriate
management plans, and provide a low-cost means to monitor
the success.
See feature in APOGEO Spatials March issue: www.apogeospatial.com
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technology&more

TerraFlex Helps San Jos Ready

for Big Game Bash

San Jos City Hall

Using advanced geospatial technology, the City of San Jos

conducted a mammoth cleanup campaign in record time

n February 7, 2016, some 115 million football

fans turned on their TVs to watch the golden
anniversary of Americas favorite sporting
eventthe Big Game. In the San Francisco Bay Area,
a lucky 70,000 fans viewed the event from seats in the
new $1.2 billion stadium in Santa Clara.

officials embarked on an intensive cleanup campaign

that included identifying and eliminating illegal
dumping sites.
With more than 1 million Bay Area visitors expected,
San Jos is preparing to be a major hub of activity, said
San Jos Council Member Raul Peralez, prior to the
game. One of our objectives is to leverage Big Game
opportunities such as the cleanup campaign to create
lasting benefits for a cleaner, safer city. Our hope is that
even after the game leaves, our residents and visitors will
continue to see the benefits from the program for years
to come.

San Jos, with its fine restaurants and attractions,

understood the fiscal implications of having the 50th
anniversary held at the new $1.2-billion stadium in
neighboring Santa Clara. Last years game in Phoenix
brought in over $700 million, said Kim Walesh, Director
of Economic Development for the City of San Jos. The
city anticipated a stronger economic impact since it
was the 50th anniversary game and the whole Bay Area
would be hosting it.

Cleaning Up the City

Planning for the cleanup started barely three
months before the February game; funds werent
approved until late December. Given the urgency,
city officials tapped San Jos State Universitys (SJSU)
CommUniverCity, a decade-old organization that
partners with underserved communities in central San
Jos to help create healthier, more vibrant communities,
while providing students with experience solving
neighborhood issues. CommUniverCity is a partnership
between the Community, SJSU, and the City of San
Jos. Since its founding, CommUniverCity has logged
more than 246,000 hours of community service, valued
at $5.5 million and involving some 14,600 students.

Like any good host, San Jos expected to look its best
when the crowds arrived. The city was the site of the Super
Bowl Opening Night Fueled by Gatorade show at SAP
Center downtown, where fans, players and thousands of
media from around the world would gather. Downtown
San Jos also offered a SoFA Winter Market, Ice Skating
Under the Palms, Winter at Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park and
Super San Pedro Square.
The last thing San Jos wanted visitors to see was
trash, a major problem in big cities. So San Jos
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SJSU graduate or upper-division undergraduate

students act as project coordinators to help develop
and administer service programs under city and
faculty supervision. Once funding for the cleanup
was approved, CommUniverCity assembled a
team of approximately 18 individuals, including
CommUniverCity staff, City employees, and SJSU
faculty and students.
TerraFlex is a Key Player
With the Big Game looming, project leaders knew they
had to act fast. To speed things up, they chose Trimble
TerraFlex field data capture software, a cloud-based
solution for managing and streamlining data collection
from a mobile device.
TerraFlex enabled us to quickly and effectively
assess the study area, said CommUniverCity Project
Coordinator Galadriel Burr. Once the data was
exported into GIS, we were then able to perform data
analysis and create maps for the haulers in charge of
illegal dumping removal.

CommUniverCity workers discuss data collection day schedule.

The city had already identified key hotspots as part

of a pilot program to reduce illegal dumping, which
helped CommUniverCity map out four square miles
of potential sites. Project leaders used TerraFlex to
create data collection forms with fields for features and
conditions such as location of trash (sidewalk, median,
fence line); type of trash (shopping cart, furniture,
clothing); accessibility; and whether it was electronic or
hazardous material.
Workers used their smart phones equipped with TerraFlex software.

Training the field workers was quick because TerraFlex

is simple to navigate and supports iOS, Android and
select tablet devices running Windows 7/Windows 8,
which allowed workers to use their personal phones
while collecting data. Everything is centralized in a single
device so there is no need for GPS, a camera or printed
maps. When a user opens a form, TerraFlex marks the
location on an internal map. Workers then verify the
location, fill in the fields on the form and capture at
least one geo-referenced photo. If workers are in spotty
communication areas, the app is still fully functional and
automatically synchronizes the data as soon as they are
online again.
For the cleanup campaign, project leaders wanted
minimal dropdowns on the form, yet still to have the
ability to add fields as needed, which was no problem
since templates can be edited and immediately rolled

Project workers located trash throughout the city, collecting the data
quickly and efficiently.

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out to workers to ensure continued data integrity. Data

collection was quick, efficient and accurate because there
were no handwritten notes to transcribe.
The city budgeted for up to two workers (one staff, one
student) per car and student supervision for the project;
thanks to TerraFlex, CommUniverCity needed only twoa
driver and a navigator/spotter. To expedite data collection,
however, each car had two spotters. Four cars were in the
field each day.
Scoring Field Goals
On December 28, 2015, CommUniverCity launched the
data collection. Dumping sites had been divided into
three areas, with three days allotted to complete the
documentation. Workers were in the field for an average
of six hours each day.

TerraFlex trash site overview map.

By noon on the first day, they had identified nearly 200

dumping sites. By the end of the second day, some 400
additional sites had been documented, and by the end of the
project nearly 800 sites were identified.
Before and after trash site.

As the data was collected, it was automatically synced to

a central server. This boosted productivity since workers
didnt have to return to the office for manual entry. Data
was transferred to the cloud for easy access and to keep all
project members in the field and in the office up to date on
the cleanup progress.
Once the dumping sites were identified, CommUniverCity
created maps so that GreenTeam, the Citys solid waste
contractor, could easily find the sites and clean up the illegal
dumping materials. Project leaders could also filter, sort and
export additional data by form attributes, which provided
critical information to city officials on the type of trash being
dumped or the amount of materials collected.
Because data was centralized and organized, the city
could later conduct more detailed analysis by area and
demographics. Since this project was the first phase of a more
comprehensive cleanup campaign, such detailed analysis
would be critical: San Jos plans to use the data captured as
a baseline for future assessments and community outreach,
with the goal to eventually help deter illegal dumping and
efficiently clean up illegally dumped materials.
With Trimble TerraFlex, the city not only collected the data
quickly and accurately, but more importantly, it will continue to
leverage this data to ensure a cleaner, safer city today and in the
future. Using TerraFlex, San Jos has scored a real touchdown.
See feature in POBs March issue: www.pobonline.com
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TerraFlex Illegal Dump Site form.

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technology&more

Smart Cities: Guided by People,

Powered by Information
Weve all heard the buzzword smart city. Which brings up the question,
What is a smart city, and what makes it smarter than others?

ne of the key characteristics of a smart city is the ability

to make effective connections among its citizens,
assets and services. The smart city does this by using
technology to support and improve the interaction among
people and government. In doing so, a city enhances its citizens
well-being as well as the citys overall performance and efficiency.
Smart cities use information and technology to support a
diverse array of assets and activities. Roads and buildings,
infrastructure and public safety utilize a variety of technologies
to increase productivity and quality. Non-physical functions
such as permitting, planning and administration also use
technology to streamline processes and manage costs. City
leaders can draw information from multiple sources, enabling
them to make better decisions and optimize the use of physical,
human and fiscal resources.
Effective city management begins with knowing the location
and condition of its physical assets. Trimble solutions enable
cities to gather and manage authoritative data about their
built and natural environments and then apply the data for
productive actions and workflows. The information processes
of smart cities can be broken into three main areas: Gathering
and managing data; processing and analysis; and putting the
resulting information to work in efficient, collaborative ways.
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Gathering and Managing Data

With large geographic areas filled with structures and utilities,
cities face a significant challenge in capturing data with
sufficient detail. Trimble solutions for geospatial data enable
cities to build and operate flexible, accurate databases.
Information can be gathered using blended technologies for
imaging, positioning and specialized information management.
For example, local governments in Italys Padua region began
work to modernize the existing system of streetlights to increase
efficiency, battle climate change and reduce light pollution. To
develop the plan, they needed to create an inventory of the
areas streetlights. Using a Trimble solution of vehicle-mounted
sensors, handheld devices and analytical software, contractors
cut in half the number of field technicians needed for the project
and reduced the time required for data collection by 20 percent.
In a three-month period, the team captured position and
attribute data on more than 7,400 individual fixtures. In addition
to faster and more precise data collection, the solution enabled
field technicians to work safely while reducing disruption to
traffic and commerce.
The streetlight inventory was delivered to GIS and engineering
design systems, where it provided planners with comprehensive
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The city of Padua used Trimble software to develop a precise inventory of its streetlight system to increase energy efficiency and cut pollution.

information to develop new, energy efficient lighting for streets

and public areas.
Transforming Big Data to Smart Data
Massive data sets offer enticing opportunities for cities. But big
data is not valuable until it is put to use. To develop information
suitable for specific needs and municipal functions, cities can
use centralized tools for data management and utilization.
Instead of separate data sets and applications (commonly
known as data silos), important data can be efficiently shared
and reused across functional lines.
This approach is illustrated in a large Asian city, where
geospatial information formed the basis for coordinated work
by multiple municipal functions. In the citys large, densely
populated environment, unapproved vertical building activity
can often occur. The illegal buildings might be built higher
than approved plans, or be extended after initial construction
was completed. The illegal structures can present serious
safety issues as well as cheat the city out of legitimate building
fees and revenues from property taxes.

Collaborating with and Serving the Citizens

A key part of smart cities lies in effective interaction among
government, citizens and businesses. The goal is to engage
citizens by listening, analyzing and showing how their feedback
affects plans and policies. In doing so, government establishes
public trust and stronger communities through social inclusion.
By using modern approaches to connect city assets and
services to residents, citizen involvement and satisfaction
can be significantly improved. Web-based solutions provide
easy access to many administrative and technical functions,
streamlining transactions and increasing citizen participation in
planning and operations. City residents can use online tools to
report location-based safety and maintenance issues and track
responses and corrective measures.
One example of this is the Finnish city of Jyvskyl, which
implemented Trimble eGovernment solutions for permitting,
reservations and citizen engagement. The solution enabled
Jyvskyl to integrate cross-department workflows with

Stemming from the need to identify unpermitted building in

the city, the project used authoritative data produced from
aerial and terrestrial sources. The Citys code compliance team
used Trimble eCognition software to analyze the data and identify
instances where buildings had been illegally constructed.
When the analysis software flagged an infraction, it could
be quickly located, verified and then shared with other
stakeholders, effectively transforming big data to smart
data. The work brought together multiple city agencies
that could use the analysis for inspections and safety
mitigation and to reclaim the lost revenues. Because the
geospatial database is updated annually, the city has a
tool to conduct regular analyses to detect and address the
issues of illegal vertical builds.
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Building height information is created from aerial photos using

Trimble eCognition software; the software can use data from
multiple sources including aircraft or satellite images.
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Authoritative data can be delivered in flexible platforms and formats. Web-based

solutions support remote access and efficient communication among crossdisciplinary teams.

Web-based services enable citizens to provide input to

city operations and planning. Direct reports of safety or
maintenance issues reduce costs and improve response time.

location-based information that reduced time and complexity

in permit processes. By cutting the time from approval to
construction, Jyvskyl could lessen risk to developers and
make the city more attractive for business.

Jyvskyl used the Trimble Feedback system to share concepts

and solicit public comment. Based on input from citizens, the
finished development plan was environmentally sustainable
and closely aligned with community needs and values.

For recreational needs, the citys My Jyvskylprogram provides

citizens with Web-based access to city services through an
interactive geospatial tool. One component allows residents
to reserve boat moorings and pay rental fees in a single visit
to the site. The application combines geospatial information,
resident data, reservations and financial transactions. Jyvskyl
is a true smart city. They use more than 17 Trimble technologies
to collect, process, model, analyze, approve, collaborate and
share service work and information.

First Steps to a Smart City

Cities dont become smart overnight. The overall goalmoving
from reactive management to proactive strategiesmay best
be achieved by identifying the opportunities within various city
functions and implementing carefully chosen technological
solutions. The work to convert big data into smart data often
begins with geospatial technologies.

To encourage citizen interaction, Jyvskyl uses Trimble solutions

to gather public input on new projects and community needs.
After implementing the new approaches, the city reported a
43-percent increase in citizen participation year-over-year. For
example, in planning for redevelopment of an old paper mill,

For mass data collection, Trimble technologies enable

cities to gather geospatial data using methods that provide
efficient operation at the point of collection, to process and
develop information, and to deliver it to a variety of users,
observers and decision-makers. The solutions can operate
independently, giving cities flexibility in choosing how,
when and where to implement new tools and services.
Information from geospatial systems and process
management can be combined and applied throughout
the broader enterprise to enable automated processing,
centralized data management, analysis, communication
and collaboration. In addition to managing physical assets
and resources, cities use Trimble technologies to streamline
administrative processes that serve their citizens. By providing
easy interactive channels for communication and responses,
Trimble solutions enable cities to foster improved productivity
and community satisfaction.
The bottom line? Trimble enables governments to improve
administrative processes and communication with connected,
automated, and authoritative location-based technologies.

Using online services, citizens in Jyvskyl, Finland can reserve

parking spaces and boat moorings.

Click here for short video on Trimble/Esri workflows:

http://infogeospatial.trimble.com/Esri_Workflows_2015.html
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Surveying a
Mountain Highway
with UAS

n the steep canyons of the Republic of Macedonia, AKTOR

ADT, an international construction company based in
Athens, Greece, is building a highway that will traverse
a natural gorge, cross the Vardar River, and help complete
Corridor X, the most important north-south route through the
country. Due to the areas very challenging geomorphology,
the survey project is being undertaken with great regard for
the environmental conditions.

make aerial surveying very challenging. It is a quite demanding

project, said AKTOR ADT Civil Engineer Konstantinos Simou.
Our quantity surveys and 3D geometry need to be accurate
within a few centimeters. Anyone who tried to achieve this
with conventional methods [e.g., land surveying] would realize
that monitoring a project of this scale is expensive. However,
using UAS we manage to have a full view of the activities and
the progress in near real-time.

The effort, which requires construction of millions of cubic

meters of earthworks as well as heavy structures, includes two
twin tunnels, six bridges, more than 100 culverts, five overpasses,
seven underpasses, two interchanges, high embankments and
deep cuts. As a result, it requires regular monitoring of the
amount of material removed, landslides and other variables, and
progress-reporting to government ministries.

According to Papastamos, the areas mountains and very rough

surface can cause sudden air turbulance, and the narrow
passages make landings extremely difficult. Additionally, the
limited line-of-sight minimizes the range of the radio link. In
spite of the challenges, AVIATOP has been able to conduct the
UAS aerial survey by closely monitoring wind conditions and
carefully choosing takeoff and landing zonesthanks to the
UX5s excellent performance.

To conduct the survey, AKTOR ADT has contracted with

AVIATOP pc, which employs unmanned aircraft systems
(UAS) to provide aerial mapping and surveying services.
The firm is using a Trimble UX5 UAS to fly over the project
corridor and collect data every two months. Equipped with a
high-resolution camera, the UX5 captures images needed to
measure the slope edges of cuts and fills and the surface of
the roadway. George Papastamos, a surveying engineer and
AVIATOPs founder and CEO, is the lead on the project.
The Challenges
The highways path snakes through deep gorges, with a
6-percent grade and crossing bridges up to 90 m (300 ft) in
height. Following a river, the gorges corridors produce winds
with speeds greater than 90 km/hr (60 mph). These conditions
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The First Five Flights

In order to clear the tops of the hills along the projects path,
Papastamos flies the UAS just above the edges, which yields a
ground sample distance (GSD) of about 10 cm (4 in). Because
each survey requires at least six flights and Papastamos needs
to find a suitable landing area for each one, each aerial survey
takes two to three days, with each flight lasting 30 to 40 minutes.
The very rough terrain also requires densely-spaced ground
control points (GCPs). Papastamos sets them every 250 m
(820 ft) on each side of the flight area using Trimble R6 and
R8 GNSS receivers and re-uses them. In areas with sharp
elevation differences, he installs as many as needed to
produce a correct model.
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Aerial images capture construction progress and high-level project overviews.

The Deliverables
Project deliverables include georeferenced orthophotos
of the project, aerial videos, a 3D surface model, profile
sections, quantity surveys, horizontal plans and virtual
reality videos. To produce the required information,
AVIATOP uses the collected point cloud data and break
lines, as well as situation maps of areas where material can
be deposited, and locations of planned access roads and
stream or utility diversions.

narrow and difficult areas and to pay close attention to weather

and lighting conditions.
Simou explained that by providing clarity and transparency, the
UAS survey enabled AKTOR ADT to reinforce the trust and the
confidence of all the stakeholders and the public. It also saved
time for the companys top managers, because the videos
minimized their need to visit the project in person. From my
experience, I estimate that a UAS survey is at least three times
cheaper than a conventional survey and eight to ten times faster
for large-scale projects, he said. In addition, we are getting all
the other productsorthophotos, a dense 3D model, videos,
and virtual realityas well as the ability to zoom in on any area
and get details up to a 1-2 cm (0.4-0.8 in) resolution.

The survey so far shows that AKTOR ADT has been removing about
500,000 cubic meters (650,000 cubic yards) of dirt every month.
Lessons Learned
Using the UAS, we are able to document the progress of our
project month-by-month with photographs, Simou said. The
virtual reality videos we produce and publish via the local
media have greatly helped to inform the public that the project
is progressing and their money is not wasted.

Given that the project requires repeating the UAS survey every
two months until completion, thats a lot of savings.
Project technicians use UAS imagery to create flyover videos. Click
here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCuBI_PZPoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6JNBk14Kpk

This project taught us how to optimize the installation of

benchmarks to get accurate results in such a rough area, says
Papastamos. It also taught us how to land the aircraft in very

See feature in Geoinformatics October 2015 issue:

www.geoinformatics.com

Long shadows from the incomplete bridge piers indicate the size of the project.
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The
Technological
Powerhouse

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Geospatial professionals can use

blended technologies to add new
value to services and deliverables.

ew technologies are interesting and exciting. Most

geospatial professionals are deeply interested in
the technologies they use to gather and manage
data. At professional conferences and exhibitions, people
discuss technology at great length. They want to know
how it works, what it can do and when and where to use it.
Its important to keep in mind technology is simply a
means to an end. The focus should not be on the newest
tools but on what users need to accomplish their tasks. To
do this, we first must understand how people work. What
information do they need? Where and how do they use it?
What is the end result? And how can we use technology
to make their work easier?
The solution often lies in a technological ecosystema
combination of core technologies to gather and manage
data combined with software and tools for processing,
analysis and delivery. These solutions support the needs of
and actions for large portions of an organization.
Technological ecosystems can be described at two levels.
One level, technology fusion, combines sometimesdissimilar technologies in a way that produces faster
operation and more powerful deliverables. A second
approachlargely driven by the Internet and informationsavvy consumersis the blending and sharing of
information to support workflows and decision processes.
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Technology Fusion
To a physicist, fusion combines atomic nuclei to produce a
different element while releasing more energy than went
into creating the fusion in the first place. We can use an
analogous description for fused technologies. Data from
multiple sources is combined to produce new types of
information. In an outcome described by Aristotle, the
value of the combined information exceeds the value of
the information from the individual sources.
The data sources can be based on very different
technologies. For example, the Trimble MX8 mobile
mapping system fuses data from GNSS, lidar, inertial
sensors, imaging and vehicle speed and odometry sensors
to capture georeferenced points and images of streets and
other sites.
Fused technologies such as mobile mapping or aerial
imagery gather an immense amount of information in a
single visit or mission and use comprehensive software to
merge (or fuse) the different types of data. The merging
process, often fully automated, handles tasks formerly
relegated to highly specialized software and technicians.
Information captured by multiple technologies is not
always simultaneous. For example, a field GIS technician
uses GNSS to capture the location of a manhole. Because of
safety or training considerations, the GIS technician doesnt
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Above: Advanced software combines data from multiple sources to

produce sophistocated deliverables and analyses.
Trimble mobile mapping solutions produce precise, detailed terrestrial
data over large areas.

open the manhole, but can collect photos and other context
information along with its location. Later, a different crew
enters the manhole to inspect its contents and condition.
This information is combined with the position data to feed
a GIS or utility management system.

to operations and facilities management. Throughout the

project, cloud-based software and services enable the
architect and project stakeholders to access and act upon
the information with the confidence that it is correct and
up-to-date.

We often see new combinations of technologies that can

produce ever-larger volumes of data. But these systems can
only deliver data. The value of the data is not realized until
it is converted to information and put to work, which brings
us to the second aspect of the technological ecosystem.

Its possible to list dozens of applications and industries

that benefit from integrated technologies and geospatial
information. Some stand to benefit more than others.
The Big Winners
Technological ecosystems enable organizations to make
thorough and efficient use of their information. Companies
that stand to benefit the most from integrated technologies
are those with highly complex workflows. By definition,
fused technologies combine or eliminate steps in the value
chain or workflow. An operation with many pieces and
processes stands to benefit from reducing and streamlining
its work. With their long, complex workflows that often
involve multiple disciplines, industries such as agriculture,
energy and natural resources, utilities, transportation, civil
infrastructure and construction are prime candidates to
benefit from integrated geospatial solutions.

Information, Platforms and Interconnection

Most end users dont look at geospatial information from a
technology standpoint. They are looking to solve a problem
or make a decision and need information to do so. In some
cases, they receive information automatically via their
organizations normal workflows or processes. In others, the
users must make a conscious decision and effort to obtain
the needed information.
Technologies to produce blended information can even
provide new content and value. For instance, an architect may
not care if data for a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) comes from
RTK GNSS or optical survey methods, or even from an aerial
imaging rover. But in a blended system, the terrain model can
be combined with panoramic images from an imaging rover
to produce a photorealistic 3D model that is overlaid onto
accurate maps of utilities and transportation. The result gives
the architect a richer and more precise base of information
from which to develop a design. When completed, the design
moves to other parts of the technological ecosystem where
it can support work for Building Information Modeling (BIM),
construction and project management, even extending

In order to unlock these opportunities, geospatial professionals

need to understand the final destinations and uses of the
information they provide. This understanding enables them
to select tools and processes that produce deliverables with
the quality and accuracy needed to support the downstream
processes. More and more, the best solutions will be a fusion of
technologies in the field, office and cloud. In a well-crafted blend
of tools and workflows, the technology fades into the background,
overshadowed by the value of the information it produces.

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Day in the Life

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Every year Stuart Ross creates a promotional calendar for clients. In this pictureunashamedly stage-managed with artificial
lighting and then photoshopped--Stuart and his dog are on the summit of Beinn A Mhonicaig (Gaelic), aka Bohuntin Hill.

Wet, Wild and

Wonder-Filled
in the Scottish
Highlands

hen Scottish surveyor Stuart Ross heads to the Highlands to

survey for one of the regions many small-scale hydro schemes
(mini-hydro), he always packs his camera. Because when the rain
stops and the sky clears, he wants to capture the view, not just the data.
The Scottish Highlands is known for its lush, mountainous terrain. Warm,
wet, unstable air from the Atlantic Ocean brings rain, wind and changeable
weather conditions. And with a population of only eight people per square
kilometer, its barely touched environs are home to unique flora and fauna.
Stuart Ross is a surveyor and small business owner working in this beautiful
region. At times the environment is challenging: When I start off some
mornings its just so, so wet, he says. I just cant wait to be finished for the
day. At other times, he feels enormously lucky: I get to take my camera
into beautiful, unbelievable wilderness.
Stuart is based in Roy Bridge, Inverness-shire, and the majority of his
surveying work in the Highlands is for new and existing small-scale hydro
schemes (see sidebar). He and his sole employee are known for their
expertise on these projects, which they perform for design engineers who
have been commissioned by developers. They perform general surveying
work too, including housing developments, street networks, boundary
subdivisions and deed plans.
Funding cuts to small-scale hydro schemes may soon reduce the number
created, but until then, Stuart and his employee enjoy a steady burn
(stream) of work.
Surveying Hydro Schemes While the Sun Shines
Stuart came to surveying by an alternative route. He initially studied
building in Glasgow, then secured a job with a small building and civil
contractor. Working mostly on the civil contracting side, Stuart performed
a lot of the surveying work himself. So after observing that the company

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also frequently hired outside surveying services,

Stuart decided that starting his own business in
this field was a viable option.
Stuart purchased a total station and datalogger and
entered the industry in 1998. I got in when total
stations and dataloggers were relatively new, says
Stuart. So I was learning about surveying software
and the like at about the same time as everybody
else. We were all new using the technology.

Cloud Storage. We were working in probably the wettest corner of the wettest area
in the Highlands. It can rain three days out of two in Kinlochlevenits dedicated
hydro-electric power house and associated dam feed power to the grid. Its location
choice is no accident.

Stuart purchased a robotic Trimble S6 Total Station

in the mid-2000s, then followed up with a Trimble
R8 GPS system about a year after the receiver
was introduced. These days Stuart uses a Trimble
R10 GNSS system with a Trimble TSC3 controller,
performing Integrated Surveying with his S6
when necessary. He postprocesses and performs
network adjustment in Trimble Business Center
office software. And he takes his camera with him
wherever he goes.
For his many hydro-scheme jobs, Stuart performs
topographic surveys of the land for proposed
projects to create 3D land models for preconstruction design and planning, and to identify
any technical hurdles. He occasionally performs
post-design stakeout to inform other consultants,
such as ecologists.
Its important that the water flowing through
a hydro schemes pipe generate maximum
energy, for example, by being laid at the optimal
gradient. At the same time, energy loss caused
by sharp bends or the pipe flattening out
must be minimized. However, without in-depth
knowledge of a mountains terrain, its challenging
for engineers to specify where the corridor for
penstock (pipeline) should go. Frequently the
mountain terrain reveals upon surveying that an
original engineering concept wont work optimally.
On paper it seems very easy to put a little dam
across a burn (stream), but we usually identify
at least one pinch point (high ground) to be
excavated for pipe to go through, says Stuart.
So we are the engineers eyes and ears. RTK
GNSS surveying enables us to think about the
engineering constraints of a scheme. By reviewing
real-time data we can autonomously take a view
on whether the concept will work.

Small-scale hydro schemes create a minimal visual impact on the environment. Most
of the relatively large scheme pictured is installed underground.

The wet, sloping Scottish Highlands lend themselves well to hydro-electric power generation.

Every proposed hydro site is different. Stuart

describes some as GPS utopiabeautiful open
wilderness with hardly a tree in sight. Others, he
says, are hell.
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On one project there were trees everywhere with barely

any place you could use the GNSS rover. I used Integrated
Surveying for some of it, but needed to use targets and
traverse through forest.

A Day in the Life in Pictures

Stuart has always been interested in photography, but about
three years ago he started using Blipfoto, an online photo
journal that encourages users to upload a photograph
(just one) every day. Stuart doesnt take daily photographs,
but already his journal contains about a thousand images,
mostly of his work in the Highlands.

Given the Highlands rugged terrain, the loss of GNSS corrections

is a frequent challenge. One of the most useful features on the
Trimble R10 is the xFill, says Stuart. (Trimble xFill technology
is a service that enables surveyors to keep measuring for a
short time if GNSS corrections are interrupted.) For example, if
Stuart loses corrections when going over the crest of a hill, xFill
lets him continue surveying for a short time with centimeter
accuracy until he can receive corrections from his base station
again. Its almost like snorkeling, because you go down and get
what you can, then come up for a breath of fresh air, says Stuart.
Believe it or not, five minutes of xFill gives you a lot of time to
get things done that you wouldnt otherwise.

Stuart uses a Sigma DP1M, a high-end compact digital

camera well suited for landscapes. He creates georeferences
for each image using his surveying equipment.

Once Stuart is finally out of range of his base station, he uses

the built-in GPS on his TSC3 controller to roughly locate the
other points he needs. This step informs him where to set
up the base station for the next survey session. The TSC3 is
pretty robustit can load a huge file that would bring my old
controller to its knees, says Stuart. But its amazing how often
I use the GPS inside it.
Another challenge Stuart faces is a shortage of daylight for many
months of the year. In the city of Inverness, the administrative
capital of the Highlands, the shortest day provides only six and
one half hours of daylight. So during the winter months Stuart
hopes for GPS utopia every day. You can take 500 points with
GPS without thinking about it and you havent stopped for a
cup of tea, says Stuart. Compare that to two hours and only 50
points with a total station in a forest.

Stuart Ross on the job and on the other side of the camera.

Hydro Schemes on a Small Scale in Scotland

The west Scottish highlands offer the ideal climate and
terrain for hydro-electric power generation, i.e., the area is
wet and hilly. As a result, Scotlands glens (deep valleys) are
home to numerous small-scale hydro schemes.

Next Steps
Stuart believes that using the latest surveying technology
available has made him more efficient and productive.
However, he says that in some ways hes never worked so hard.
It used to be that we alternated between field and officeone
day on the job and the next day at the desk. Now were 45
consecutive days on the job, whatever the weather. And some
days its just so, so wet.

Small-scale hydro schemes typically generate 50 KW to 5 MW

of electricity and are sufficient to power small communities
or industrial plants. However, even smaller schemes are
common, for example, to serve single families or small
businesses.

But keeping up with new technology will serve him in

uncertain times. The hydro-schemes will eventually dry up, no
pun intended, says Stuart. But clients have an appetite for new
technology like 3D scanning and ummanned aerial systems. So
Stuart is exploring options and positioning himself to take on
new kinds of surveying work.

Run-of-river hydro schemes divert water from a river in order

to generate electricity and then return the water to the river
some distance downstream. During its diversion the water
flows through a closed pipeline or penstock, thereby turning
a turbine. The revolutions of the turbine convert mechanical
energy through the generator into electricity.

In the meantime, along with his advanced surveying equipment,

Stuart will still take one device everywhere he goeshis Sigma
DP1M.
See feature in xyHts March issue: www.xyHt.com
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Technology in Motion:
New Arenas for Geospatial Solutions

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When linked to back-office systems, geospatial sensors support efficient railway operations including scheduling, maintenance and energy management.

Geospatial technologies bring important benefits to

businesses and individuals in the transportation sectors.

onsider the roads, highways, railways, ports and airports

around you. With immense variety in scale, function and
complexity, our planets transportation infrastructure
ranks high among mankinds most impressive achievements. It
owes much of its existence to geospatial technologies.
Geospatial information is a key tool for processes by
which transportation projects are conceived, planned and
constructed. Once an infrastructure project is in operation,
geospatial data enables owners and maintenance teams to
keep the infrastructure in good condition and adapt to changes
in demand and public needs. There are uncounted examples
that illustrate how modern geospatial solutions have increased
efficiency and reduced costs in building and operating
transportation infrastructure. However, the benefits are not
limited to the infrastructure itself.
One of todays key trends is how geospatial technologies are
helping enterprises involved in transporting people, goods
and services. This trend goes far beyond in-car GPS navigation
systems that guide drivers to the nearest coffee shop or fuel
station. Today, geospatial technology interacts with back-office
systems to manage widely dispersed workers and assets. In
todays mobile world, new technologies are changing the way
in which transportation works.
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Geospatial technologies deliver tangible advantages to

transportation businesses. Major benefits include improved
safety and productivity, lower fuel consumption, reduced
carbon emissions and increased customer satisfaction. Lets look
at three examples in the transportation arena where geospatial
information is guiding operational decisions at multiple levels
and locations.
Efficiency Gains in Field Service Operations
Field service organizations use mobile workforces made up of
technicians and vehicles to serve customers and equipment that
operate over large areas. In order to operate efficiently, these
organizations combine positioning and connectivity technologies
with fleet management systems. Integrated systems manage
real-time information on the location and status of each vehicle
and technician. By using Trimble mobile workforce and fleet
management technologies, they can connect fleet operations,
worker scheduling and vehicle maintenance schedules as well as
tie field operations to back-office systems.
In addition to GNSS, sensors can monitor status and events
on the vehicle. For instance, companies that collect trash and
recyclables can automatically record the time and location each
time a truck lifts and empties a collection bin. This information
can be used for billing and to resolve customer service questions.
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Companies can use mobile workforce technologies to monitor

driver performance and improve efficiency and safety. Systems
can identify unwanted driver behaviors such as speeding or
deviation from assigned routes, enabling managers to coach
drivers to perform according to expectations or standards.
Onboard technologies for geofencing can alert owners when a
vehicle has traveled out of a designated area and even assist in
recovery of stolen assets.
Geospatial Technologies Guide Trucking Operations
Much of the global economy depends on moving freight from one
place to another. According to the American Trucking Association,
in 2011 roughly 3 million large trucks hauled more than 9.2 billion
tons (8.3 billion metric tons) of cargo in the U.S. alone. Other
regions, including Europe and Asia, also rely heavily on trucking.
Given these large numbers, even marginal improvements in
efficiency can produce significant cost savings for fleet operators.
These improvements can come from modifying driving behaviors
to optimize routing and reduce idling. Other improvements lie in
effective management of loads, labor and regulatory costs.

Geologistics software can analyze multiple route options based on

factors such as time, distance, fuel usage and tolls.

While truck drivers commonly use GPS for navigation and route
planning, Trimble technologies provide tools to improve safety,
compliance and maintenance aspects of trucking operations
and logistics. These solutions enable operators to shift from
reactive problem solving to a proactive approach in managing
their businesses.
One of todays most interesting trends is extending the Internet of
Things (IoT) to long-haul trucks. Networks of sensors on a vehicle
can track its location, mechanical systems and condition of cargo
as well as monitoring driver habits and performance. Rather than
storing data for post-trip download and review, modern solutions
incorporate real-time communications that enable fleet operators
to monitor their vehicles throughout each trip. They can adjust
routes and schedules based on up-to-date conditions and even
find the best fuel prices along the way.

Fleet managers and dispatchers use geospatial information to increase

efficiency and productivity of mobile workers. Data from in-vehicle
sensors transfers to the office via wireless Internet communications.

Efficiency and Safety in Rail Transportation

Compared to other modes of land transportation, railways have
an inherent advantage in fuel efficiency per ton-kilometer. As a
result, shippers often choose to move cargo using trains rather
than trucks. This presents attractive growth potential for railway
operators, but the opportunity is tempered by the finite capacity
of rail infrastructure and rolling stock. By improving the utilization
and efficiency of existing mobile assets (rail cars and locomotives),
railways can increase capacity and manage costs. Using approaches
analogous to the trucking industry, solutions such as Trimble R2M
enable rail operators to connect real-time data from in-service
trains with back-office and asset-management systems.
Parallel to the efforts to optimize asset utilization, safety and
efficiency are high-priority issues in the rail industry. The
push for rail safety has spawned aggressive initiatives on
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Fleet management solutions provide detailed information on the

location and status of mobile workers and assets.

multiple continents. Programs such as the European Rail Traffic

Management System (EMRTS) and the U.S. Positive Train Control
(PTC) are intended to increase safety by using information on the
location and status of trains and rail facilities.
Implementation of PTC (now required by the end of 2018) and
EMRTS requires extensive geospatial information. Accurate data
is needed on the location of tracks, switches, signals and rail
facilities. Technologies such as Trimble GNSS, GIS and mobile
mapping are well suited for this task. To keep the databases
up-to-date, software algorithms for change detection help to
streamline work, and identify encroachments or other situations
that require attention.
Geospatial solutions will play a central role as PTC and related
programs evolve. For example, real-time GNSS can monitor a
trains location and speed. The information can be shared with
the operator, other trains and control centers. The technology
will enable operators to get more trains onto existing track while
maintaining strict protocols for safety and spacing.
New Opportunities for Geospatial Professionals
New applications for geospatial technologies continue to emerge,
with many solutions focusing on automatic transportation
management and operation. Autonomous vehicles will rely on
real-time positioning and accurate, detailed maps to negotiate
urban and rural areas. Modernization of air traffic control will use
GNSS to ensure safety and save fuel by enabling aircraft to fly
shorter routes between cities. Integrating fleet management
solutions with utility operations can reduce response times for
outages or spills. And emergency managers and first responders
can use geospatial data to increase situational awareness as they
position and dispatch critical resources.
Geospatial technologies for railway infrastructure maintenance and
construction help ensure safe operation and minimize downtime.

Customized in-cab hardware provides efficient communications between

drivers and dispatchers. The devices can capture bar codes, delivery records
and signatures.

When the new applications are combined with geospatial

technologies for planning, engineering and construction, we
see a threefold benefit. First, the time and cost to construct new
or upgraded infrastructure is reduced. Second, because the
infrastructure is utilized more efficiently, its capacity increases at
no additional cost. This results in a higher return on the taxpayers
investment. Third, efficient, well-managed vehicles return
benefits and profits through lower fuel consumption, reduced
emissions, optimized maintenance programs and improved
customer satisfaction.
These trends offer important opportunities for geospatial
professionals, with service providers such as aerial imagers,
photogrammetrists, surveyors, mobile mappers and data analysts
acting as trusted advisors for their clients. New opportunities also
exist within the transportation companies. As use of geospatial
information increases in quantity and sophistication, many firms
will seek to employ in-house expertise. By investing in the skills
and tools needed to solve specialized needs in transportation,
geospatial professionals can place themselves on the road to
continued growth and success.
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PHOTO CONTEST
technology&more

fter our editors picked the top photos submitted for the photo contest and posted them on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/Trimble Geospatial), our fans chose the winner. First placeand a Trimble 3-in-1
all-weather jacketgo to Construction in Nigeria, which received the most Facebook fan votes. Second
placeand an iPod Shufflego to A Spot for Thinking in Bosnia/Herzegovina. Sunrise at Cape Preston also
received quite a few votes and wins a Trimble prize as well.
Construction in Nigeria
ITB Nigeria Survey Manager Pedro Pablo Valerio Moris submitted
this photo, which was taken at a residential construction site in
Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. The site is part of the Eko Atlantic
mega-project, which will encompass 10 km2 (2,470 acres) of
land reclaimed from the ocean for the development of an entire
new coastal city on Victoria Island. Eko Atlantic was initiated to
solve the chronic shortage of real estate in Lagos, the worlds
fastest-growing megacity. Among the leading construction
companies in Nigeria, ITB Nigeria has executed a number of
landmark projects in the country.
Moris is proud that he convinced his company to acquire
Trimble S5 robotic total stations and TSC3 controllers for
their work, with more models on the way. He says the new
equipment and technology is the most advanced in use in
Nigeria and represents a major upgrade in approach for the
company. The Trimble equipment is rapidly proving its worth,
according to Moris.

A Spot for Thinking in Bosnia/Herzegovina

From a vantage point high above the canyon of the beautiful
Dreznica river, near Mostar in the Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Surveyor Dzenan Niksic admires the river winding
its way to the Neretva River and eventually to the Adriatic
sea. Two hydropower plants along the Neretva create a long
reservoir into which the Dreznica flows. Niksic was doing
GNSS measurements and point coordinates calculations for
the assessment of transformation parameters throughout the
country for the Federal Geodetic Administration. For this work,
Niksic used a Trimble R4 GNSS system with a Trimble Slate
controller. Niksic works for BNpro, a small geodesy/surveying
firm headquartered in Sarajevo.

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Sunrise at Cape Preston

Surveyor Hamish Pryde, who works for the Australia-wide
survey firm Land Surveys, took this photo of the sun
rising over the Timor Seaand over his Trimble GNSS
systemon a winter morning on Cape Preston on
Australias northwestern coast. Although it was winter,
the temperature during the day was about 30o C (86o F)
hardly bone-chilling. Prydes crew utilized a Trimble MX8
mobile spatial imaging system to conduct a 3.5km (2.2
mi) road conformance survey incorporating a breakwater
structure, part of the Sino Iron Ore Project at Cape Preston.
The breakwater extends 2.6 km (1.6 mi) offshore from the
tip of Cape Preston and is used as a load-out facility for
magnetite iron ore. The project is the largest magnetite
mining and processing operation in Australia and is
expected to generate around $75 billion in direct revenue
for the Australia economy.

SAVE THE DATE

November 79, 2016

The Venetian | Las Vegas, Nevada

www.trimbledimensions.com

Email: trimble_dimensions@trimble.com

-25-

Twitter: @DimensionsUC

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

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