New Survey Equipment Saves Time & Offers Enhanced Capabilities

We have recently added new equipment to enhance our survey team’s capabilities and save time in the field. In addition to two robotic total stations and two field data collection tablets, we also upgraded our unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and added a new truck.

The new robotic total stations and field data collection tablets allow for both a prism and a GPS head to be in the hands of the field surveyor at the same time. We can switch from robotic total station mode to GPS mode at any time without disconnecting from one unit and having to reconnect to a second unit. The total station and GPS work together on one connection, called hybrid mode that means our team does not have to navigate separate connections for multiple pieces of equipment, saving time in the field.

We decided to purchase the total stations in a pair, so we would have equal equipment in at least two of the trucks. Having the same equipment prevents errors by not having to watch for different kinds of parameter settings that change the way measurements are captured.

Additionally, we purchased a second, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the DJI Inspire 2. It provides an upgrade in photo and video quality from our previous platform and comes with obstacle avoidance technology, which protects it against flying into stationary objects. Something unique about the Inspire 2 platform is its ability to be flown with a two-person flight crew. One person can fly the aircraft, while another controls the camera. The Inspire 2 has a fixed forward-facing camera to allow the pilot to have a first person display of where the aircraft is flying. While the pilot focuses on flying, the camera operator is free to film or photograph with the main camera in a full 360° horizontal circle at the same time. Also, it gives us the flexibility to attach a variety of different cameras onto it, including thermal imaging.

We also added one more survey truck bringing our silver fleet up to three. We are equipped with enough co-workers, equipment, and trucks to run three, two-man, survey crews, while still having people in the office to back up the field work.

Having this new equipment helps our team perform the work in a faster and safer manner with even greater connectivity. With our UAV, we’re even able to access some projects views that have been rarely seen before. These kinds of upgrades allow us to continue to move not only our capabilities, but also communities forward.