Bridging the data leverage gap with autonomous technologies
Jonn Hicks, Managing Director, Leica Geosystems
WITH so much happening in the survey industry right now, people are continuously adapting their processes to keep up with the pace of change. Advancements in technology are allowing people to adopt better, more efficient working practices – with the added bonus of improved sustainability and safety. But change hasn’t always happened this quickly.
If we look back at the evolution in surveying technology over time, the shift from traditional theodolites to robotic total stations was actually quite a long drawn-out process. Nowadays, advancements are happening at an exponential rate. Looking at the last 10 years from where we were then to where we are now, that speed of change has accelerated massively. Just 10 years ago, surveyors were lugging around heavy, cumbersome pieces of kit. Whereas today, we have much smaller versions of the same technology that are even better. For us, for example, we have the all-new BLK360, which collects 600,000 data points per second and is the size of a Coke can. So, while the speed of change is driven, of course, by demand for reality capture, it is also by an industrywide desire to be more sustainable, safer, and more efficient.
Sustainability is driving advancements in how we capture and use data
At Hexagon, we have three key drivers; autonomy, sustainability, and smart digital reality. When it comes to sustainability in surveying, we might first look at data capture methods and how to improve their efficiency, but, what we also need to consider is the increased utilisation of already collected data – aka ‘closing the data leverage gap’. By optimising survey work, the industry is reducing rework, inconvenience, cost and emissions.
Take laser scanning, for example. A site can be scanned all in one go, collecting all of the data you need and more. We’re now in a position where we’re getting rid of the data we don’t need, rather than revisiting sites multiple times to collect what was initially missed. If further information is required down the line, we can revert back to the already collected data. Similarly, software such as TruView provides on-site, live sharing of data collection that can be shared with teams in the office. If there’s anything missed or additional information needed, they can amend the data capture in real-time.
The speed and efficiency of data capture have become critical to improving sustainability in surveying. Software and hardware advancements are changing the workflows of traditional surveying, reducing the duplication of processes and therefore reducing emissions. A recent initiative by the Geospatial Commission has made an economic case for digitalising underground asset data, through the improvement of mass data collection for utilities above and below ground.
The case speaks of great benefits to society, such as not closing and digging up roads so often. Also, sharing data across all entities such as sewage, gas, and electricity saves the government a considerable amount in maintenance fees – estimated at £30 worth of benefits for every £1 invested.
Can autonomy close the data gap?
Although the shift in the workflow of traditional surveying has meant that we’re capable of collecting mass amounts of data, we don’t necessarily know what to do with it.
Just 10 years ago, surveyors were lugging around heavy, cumbersome pieces of kit. Whereas today, we have much smaller versions of the same technology that are even better.In today’s automated and hyperconnected world, data collection is outpacing our ability to leverage it – most of it sits unused and unconnected. We’re now capturing everything we need the first time around. This presents great opportunities for mining existing data for greater value, for more applications than may have previously been outlined in the brief at the time of capture. But how can we make better use of all the data we’re collecting?
Through the use of AI, machine learning, and other technologies, autonomy is bridging the data gap by putting this data to work. It’s all about the ability to learn, adapt, and ultimately predict the unexpected before it happens. The goal is not about collecting as much data as possible, but about getting value from the data we collect. Autonomy enables you to put all of it to work, providing the advantage to shape unpredictability to your benefit where you can be proactive, predictive, and even preventative.
The future of business requires a big shift, scaling automation and hyperconnectivity to achieve higher levels of autonomy. Only a small fraction of data is currently used, but in the efforts to close the data gap we must also generate, store, and consume this data with fewer resources.
How will these advancements change the surveying industry?
Smarter technology is presenting new opportunities for the survey industry. Namely, the ability to push into new markets that weren’t traditionally relevant to surveying.
It’s all about the ability to learn, adapt, and ultimately predict the unexpected before it happens. The goal is not about collecting as much data as possible, but about getting value from the data we collect.
The meaning of reality capture has moved from just traditional topographic land and building survey, and broadened the horizons into TV, film and gaming as good examples. Digital twin and smart digital realities are used during pre-production to capture and deliver scanned survey data sets to enhance previsual directing and scene preparation. During filming, they provide the survey data to production and set teams and offer computer graphics supervision.
Greater efficiency saves time, and money, and decreases the carbon footprints of the industry. Smart digital twins allow for highly accurate testing and modelling, preventing the reworking of carbonheavy projects. And, new technology is democratising reality capture, meaning more people can make use of it. Although the industry skills may be changing, they are definitely not being phased out of the smart revolution.
Vertical markets mean surveying companies may take on more work that they may not have previously considered, and there will be an increased need for longrange mapping within the infrastructure sector. Firms are already changing their workflows more towards reality capture. In a way, it’s changing the skillsets of a traditional surveyor to have a greater emphasis on digital technology. As well as understanding surveying they need to be experts in data manipulation, as the real value is beginning to come from what is done with the data after it’s collected.
Jonn Hicks, Managing Director, Leica Geosystems