xyHt - July/August 2024 by Diversions Publications, Inc.

By Jeff Thoreson

FEATURES

Our Mapping Future

Professional cartographer Evan Applegate shares his mapmaking process, including what’s inside his toolbox. He also tells us why in-person feedback is important to become a better mapmaker.

Moving In

While relatively new to the North American market, there are few in surveying who have not heard of Stonex, a rising software and hardware provider. But who is this company, where did it come from, and where is it going?

Seeing the Light in Black Boxes

AI-infused 3D modeling of utility substations, pump houses, and other facilities offers immediate benefit for major utility companies.

24 28

Small Sensors, Big Change

As the fascinating emerging world of geophysical and geological exploration with drones, smaller sensors mean bigger efficiencies.

Surveyor’s Corner

NSPS Executive Director Tim Burch takes a look at why it’s a great time to be a surveyor and counters the notion that the profession is dying.

This is GIS

The URISA Board of Directors called on the GIS community to do its part in the climate emergency and support communities and GIS professionals in their work when it adopted a Call to Climate Action.

Looking Forward

By Jeff Thoreson

The Still-Essential Skill of Cartography

WHEN MY KIDS WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL, I MADE THEM LEARN TO READ A MAP. Their mother was incapable in this capacity, but still rode shotgun even though she had no ability to navigate us out of difficulty. When I got off course, I’d toss the map in the back seat and tell the kids to figure out how to get to our vacation destination or we would just spend the night in the car. With that kind of motivation, they became excellent navigators.

When they went off to college, the smart phone became a thing and no sooner had they mastered reading the impossible-to-fold paper map than it became obsolete, like the typewriter or landline—a useless relic of the past.

This remains a family joke to this day. “Thanks, Dad, for teaching us to read a map. It comes in about as handy as that algebra class I had to take freshman year of high school.”

I recently did a tour of several European cities, and streets that once would have required a stack of maps and atlases to navigate were all contained in our pockets. The deeper we get into the digital era the less maps become a necessity. Right?

Let’s slow down a bit. Maybe maps come in a different form, but as contributing writer Marc Delgado discusses starting on page 12: The Best Maps are not Behind Us. Geographic information systems are helping cartographers create detailed and information-packed maps. Marc’s discussion with cartographer Evan Applegate illuminates why maps are not dead but thriving.

Reading maps may no longer be the essential skill it once was, what with turn-by-turn directions spoken by the cultured British lady in my phone, but at the next family dinner where I get roasted for pressing a skill now obsolete, I’ll toss all this back at them. Plus, we never did have to spend a night in the car so they got something from the process.

Publisher Shawn Dewees shawn.dewees@xyht.com

Editor-in-Chief Jeff Thoreson jeff.thoreson@xyht.com

Director of Sales and Business Development Chuck Boteler chuck.boteler@xyht.com

Creative Director Ian Sager ian.sager@xyht.com

Accounting and Classifieds Angie Duman angie.duman@xyht.com

Circulation subscriptions@xyht.com Phone: 301-662-8171

Editor, Located Jeff Salmon jeff.salmon@xyht.com

Editor, Field Notes Eric Gladhill eric.gladhill@xyht.com

Contributing Writers Tim Burch Marc Delgado Ben Dwinal Juan Plaza Gavin Schrock

Partners and Affiliates

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Compiled by Jeff Salmon

Geospatial Tech Reaches the Olympics

ARE YOU WATCHING THE MOST IMPORTANT GLOBAL SPORTING EVENT this month in Paris? Then expect not only the world’s best athletes competing for the podium, but also the best of GIS and digital twin technologies applied in a sporting event at a grand scale.

British company OnePlan is the official digital twin and mapping partner for this year’s Olympic Games, and its interactive geospatial technology is being used for the games’ operational planning and workforce training. OnePlan designed sports venues around Paris in the virtual world so they could be built more quickly and efficiently, as well as to support security and transport management during the games.

For example, the hyper-realistic digital twins of the Aquatics Centre,

where artistic swimming, diving, and water polo events will take place, will be used to visualize and plan the venue’s crowd management. The 3D models of other sports venues, like the Eiffel Tower Arena and La Concorde, will also be used to help broadcasters define their camera positions as they capture the sporting events on camera.

“By digitally twinning [the sports venue], it enables the broadcasters to say I can now tell where my camera will go,” said Paul Foster, CEO of OnePlan, in an interview with NBC. “We can simulate the camera’s position, we can also simulate the sun’s position as well so they can see things like lens flare, reflections on surfaces.”

Let the games begin!

—Marc

Delgado, marc.delgado@xyht.com

PIX4Dcatch Now Offers Augmented Reality

PIX4D HAS INTRODUCED PIX4DCATCH 2.0 WITH NEW AR FEATURES that offer precision and efficiency to construction and surveying professionals.

The new PIX4Dcloud AR transforms project visualization by overlaying AR georeferenced DXF, IFC, or 3D models in real time onto the user’s construction site. Alternatively, users can scan trenches and see the underground pipes from PIX4Dcatch after the trench is closed. This function not only enhances the monitoring of ongoing construction against CAD designs but also significantly aids in identifying and repairing subsurface utilities, ensuring accuracy while reducing costs.

What’s All the Fuss About DJI Drones?

THOSE OF YOU WHO FOLLOW THE DRONE/UAV SPACE HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY OBSERVED with either alarm or glee (depending on your dog in the fight) the movement to outright ban DJI and other Chinese-made drones. Congressperson Elise Stefanik is a major force behind the Countering CCP Drones Act, which seeks to prevent public, enterprise, and individual owners of DJI UAVs from operating the craft in the U.S.

The mechanism to accomplish this would be by preventing said drones from using Federal Communications Commission (FCC) transmission assets that virtually all pilots rely on for navigational interfaces and data transmission. Proponents of the ban are using data security as their banner, saying the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is hovering up all manner of geospatial data, including information on strategic infrastructure and targeting information. Opponents, including DJI naturally, point out operators can prevent DJI drones from communicating collected information while in flight or on the ground. Further, they add, claims of data leakage are unsubstantiated. Opponents say the move is pure protectionism.

first responder forces argued: “This bill’s sole purpose and intent is to limit market competition by forcing agencies to purchase less capable and tremendously more expensive products,” Yeast stated, “The drones we’d be forced to use under this bill have inadequate capabilities compared to those of our current drones yet they cost

It's not just first responders that would be affected by this ban. Many geospatial firms employ the higher-end DJI Matrice UAVs in their businesses. According to DJI, a federal ban of DJI drones would put 67 percent of drone firms out of business. This would include photography,

Strongly in the opposition camp are first responders who rely on the budget-friendly, but feature-rich, drones for a host of emergency services. In testimony before the Missouri legislature (many states are trying to pass similar legislation) John Yeast, a pilot and trainer of SWAT, search-and-rescue, police, and other

Will this ban become the law of the land? A quick survey of opinions around the UAV space seems to indicate probably not. In any case, DJI is making backup plans.

Enter Anzu Robotics, a Texas-based enterprise that has a licensing agreement with DJI to produce exact copies of the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise. While U.S.-based Anzu Robotics is outsourcing the manufacture of its drones and components to Malaysia, thereby complying with the proposed ban on Chinasourced drones. The first two models are called the Raptor and Raptor T, with the Raptor T having thermal imaging. The units match the specs of the Mavic 3 Enterprise and, interestingly, are available with an optional RTK module.

Looks like Raptor UAVs are priced about 30 percent higher than their DJI counterparts, presumably the price one pays to avoid future Chinese-made drone bans. No word yet on whether Anzu’s product line will include more geospatial-targeted models like the Matrice, but it’s still early days.

Teledyne Geospatial Unveils Network Surveyor

DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO MEET THE TIME CONSTRAINTS for electric utilities, Teledyne’s Network Surveyor combines unmatched lidar technology with edge processing to deliver actionable data in near real time. Land with data ready for ingestion into the digital twin and identify critical infrastructure risks within hours. Network Surveyor lowers operating costs, reduces risk, and increases public safety of critical infrastructure assets.

Network Surveyor focuses on data outcomes and speed of analytics. Through a fully integrated sensor solution, user-friendly UI and real-time processing, the barrier of entry into geospatial data acquisition has never been easier. Data is ready for ingestion into analytics platforms immediately after landing, and reporting on geohazards such as clearance violations and vegetation encroachment reports can be produced the same day as flight.

Network Surveyor was designed to be user-friendly without compromising on its productivity. The inclusion of new features designed to be intuitive and easy to learn reduces the cognitive load in decision-making during flight.

Spaceborne Data

Will Lift These Key Sectors

BY THE END OF THIS DECADE, THE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC VALUE DERIVED FROM leveraging earth observation (EO) data in various industries is estimated to reach $700 billion. This upbeat assessment comes from the latest report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the international organization and think-tank known for its Davos meetings.

With more than 1,000 orbiting satellites gathering data about the condition of our planet’s lands, water, and atmosphere, there is enough information to help businesses develop innovative solutions to better manage both financial and climate-change risks. The report, carried out in collaboration with consulting firm Deloitte, highlights six industries that could benefit from using EO data–agriculture, electricity and utilities, government and public services, insurance and financial services, supply chain and transportation, and mining, oil and gas.

Tech-ready businesses within these sectors have the potential to take advantage of better satellite imaging and mapping and could contribute up to $3.8 trillion to the global gross domestic product (GDP) between 2023-2030, reckons the report.

“Earth observation is a vital component of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Jeremy Jurgens, managing director at the WEF. “It converges with artificial intelligence, digital twins, and climate technology to offer a powerful toolset for economic prosperity and sustainable growth.

— Marc Delgado, marc.delgado@xyht.com

FOSS4G Europe 2024

July 1-7

Tartu, Estonia

Esri User Conference

July 15-19

San Diego, CA

MAPPS Summer Conference

July 28-31

Park City, UT

Commercial UAV Expo

September 3-5

Las Vegas, NV

Intergeo

September 24-26

Stuttgart, Germany

GoGeomatics Expo 2024

October 28-30

Calgary, Canada

Trimble Dimensions

November 11-13

Las Vegas, NV

Amsterdam Drone Week &

Commercial UAV Expo

April 8-10, 2025

Amsterdam, Netherlands

UltraNav’s Applanix Cloud-based Global GNSS Correction Service

APPLANIX RECENTLY RELEASED A CASE STUDY COMPARING THE QUALITY of its cloud-based global GNSS correction service, Applanix POSPac PostProcessed Trimble CenterPoint RTX (PP-RTX), to traditional methods that use a base station for Single Base or SmartBase processing.

The study used data from a flight with the UltraCam Eagle 4.1 f120 digital aerial camera. It aimed to determine the absolute 3D accuracy of stereo image point measurements. This was accomplished using the IN-Fusion

PP-RTX processing mode within Applanix POSPac MMS, the software used for GNSS/INS post-processing in UltraNav flight management and direct georeferencing solution.

The findings indicate that the PP-RTX results are slightly superior and present a strong alternative to the traditional reliance on dedicated base stations or SmartBase solutions. This method has also been adopted in Vexcel’s own test flights due to its effectiveness.

Walk Tall with Help fromGNSS

NAVIBLIND, A SOFTWARE COMPANY BASED IN DENMARK, is betting on the same satellite technology that cars have been using to navigate to meet the mobility needs of the visually impaired. The company’s innovative solution enables blind people to walk confidently to any outdoor destination with the help of a mobile app called NaviBlind and its companion wearable hat device, the NaviCap.

A high-accuracy GNSS (global navigation satellite system) antenna embedded on the top of the hat exploits signals from four sat-nav constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou), providing its users with centimeter-level positioning accuracy. It also integrates real time kinematic (RTK) technology to enhance the precision of position data while walking.

A blind person wearing the NaviCap receives vocal commands guiding them as they go along their desired routes, including detailed instructions when to turn, stop, and cross any street. Developed with help from the European Space Agency, NaviBlind is now accessible to users in Denmark. Plans are in the pipeline to expand to more countries in the coming months.

— Marc Delgado, marc.delgado@xyht.com

Airbus Expands EO

Constellation with Pléiades Neo Next

AIRBUS HAS LAUNCHED THE PLÉIADES NEO NEXT PROGRAM TO EXPAND its very highresolution Earth observation (EO) constellation. This new program will result in new satellite assets and capabilities, including enhanced native resolution. As a first step of Pléiades Neo Next, Airbus is developing a new satellite which will be launched in the next few years.

“The Pléiades Neo Next program builds on the success of our existing Pléiades Neo constellation which serves government and commercial customers around the world,” said Karen Florschütz, executive vice president of Connected Intelligence at Airbus Defense and Space. “This new program will further enhance our standard of excellence in terms of quality, performance, and reliability to deliver images as well as geointelligence services and applications.”

Leica BLK ARC’s Static and Mobile Scanning Capture Process

THE LEICA BLK ARC IS THE ONLY LEICA BLK SCANNER CAPABLE OF SCANNING both from static positions and while in motion in one seamless capture process. Operators get to choose what kind of data is captured—mobile, static, or a combination of the two—to suit the needed data requirements. Mobile scanning offers greater efficiency because the BLK ARC will keep moving through an environment without stopping. On the flip side, static scanning offers higher degrees of accuracy because the BLK ARC can stop, scan, and it even place “flags” or markers within the dataset to tell the user exactly where the BLK ARC stopped to take a static scan. This way, when users open the data on their computers, they will see the mobile scan as one dataset—much like the BLK2GO—and will then see individual setups where the BLK ARC stopped to take static scans. Users can work with the data with the understanding of exactly where to choose to collect more data.

Hollywood Sign Gets a Lidar Makeover

IN A CITY WHERE MAKEOVERS ARE PART OF THE BUSINESS, one icon got a laser scan for its 100th birthday. The Hollywood sign, the world-famous landmark of Los Angeles and the entertainment industry, celebrated its centennial last year, not only with a fresh coat of paint but also a digital twin.

The Hollywood Sign Trust, a nonprofit that takes care of the Hollywood sign, partnered with Apex As-Builts Inc., a building surveying company, to create the as-built 3D model of the letters and its surroundings. Using lidar, Apex As-Builts scanned every visible detail of the sign, including its terrain, resulting in a point cloud of approximately 1.98 billion pixels.

The laser scans will be used to create 3D models and immersive virtual

reality experiences for the site’s vsitor center. "The position and billboard letters on Mount Lee give the Hollywood sign its unique form and reading, and because the letters are staggered their true x, y, and z coordinates have never been precisely documented until now," said Jeff Zarrinnam, chair of the Hollywood Sign Trust.

— Marc Delgado, marc.delgado@xyht.com

Allen & Company Launches New Reality Capture Company: Allen 3D

ALLEN & COMPANY, A PREMIER MAPPING, SURVEYING, AND GEOSPATIAL SERVICES COMPANY located in Florida, announced the start of a new company, Allen 3D, which launched in May. The new company operates as a separate entity and concentrates on the latest technological advancements, including digital twins, gaming, simulation, reality capture, 3D scanning, and

lidar technology nationwide.

Allen 3D and Allen & Company will work closely together and function under the same leadership, with Butch Allen, president and principal of Allen & Company, directing Allen 3D as founder of the organization.

THE ARE NOT BEST MAPS BEHIND US

Applegate was commissioned by friends to create this threefoot-by-five-foot backlit world map to mark the important places in their lives. The map uses the Winkel tripel projection and shows water bodies, U.S. national parks, countries, capitals, and mountain ranges.

FProfessional cartographer Evan Applegate shares his mapmaking process, including what’s inside his

toolbox. He also tells us why in-person feedback is important to become a better mapmaker.

By Marc M. Delgado, PhD

or something that was invented some 5,000 years ago, it is surprising to know that maps remain relevant in our virtual age. Our need to know where we are and how to make sense of our surroundings is very much embedded in our psyche that we have not grown tired of marking our locations on clay, paper, and now on digital screens.

“No one hates maps, they have unparalleled vibes,” says Evan Applegate, a prolific cartographer who made it to xyHt’s list of leading geospatial professionals to watch this year.

“Notice how phone maps use the same visual conventions of a paper map, which haven’t changed for a century: north is up, green is

forests, blue is water, etc. The foundations of traditional cartography live on, mostly unchanged, in the digital age.”

He’s right. Google Maps, for example, uses traditional cartographic depictions to help over a billion of its map readers to find their way. Another popular digital map that has a tried and tested user-friendly layout is Great Britain’s OS Maps app. According to Ordnance Survey, the app’s developer and the country’s mapping agency, OS Maps has an average of one million users per month, and its revenues have already surpassed the sales of its own paper maps.

Yet custom-designed cartography is also booming. As reported in an article in the Wall Street Journal last year, bespoke and printed maps are the latest must-have among millennials and the Gen-Z crowd who swear that the quality of beautifully drawn charts helps not only in wayfinding but also “enhances one’s journey.” These handmade maps are now hanging on walls as art works, reminding people of their previous travel destinations or inspiring them for their future journeys.

“There will always be room for high-effort handmade maps,” says Applegate who specializes in ultra-detailed

backlit maps. “If you want a map that will grab the attention of a viewer and be worth inspecting years down the line, you need to hire a cartographer.”

With 13 years of professional mapmaking experience, Applegate knows what he is talking about. Aside from drawing maps, he also actively engages with fellow cartophiles and mapmakers via his websites and podcast platforms.

EVAN APPLEGATE

Studied international relations at the University of California-Davis and then received an M.S. in cartography and GIS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

He has worked with the U.S. Forest Service, National Geographic, Bloomberg Businessweek, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Martha Steward Living, HF Sinclair, and Prologis.

Get to know him at www.evanapplegate.com, www.veryexpensivemaps.com and LinkedIn.

He admires the work of Daniel Huffman, Léonie Schlosser, Rodica Prato, Jamshid Kooros, and Alex McPhee, just to name a few of today’s mapmakers whose skillful and exciting designs are spurring a resurgence of interest in the cartographic arts among the new generation.

“You no longer need a mapmaker to turn data into a visualization. A half-dozen web tools can do that now,” he says. “But as the market floods with machine-generated maps, you can differentiate yourself by the human touch.”

Were you always personally interested in drawing maps when you were a kid?

It’s funny, but I never drew maps as a kid. Art was my least favorite subject in school because my hands could never render what was in my mind. Adobe Illustrator was a revelation because unlike my clumsy fingers, the computer could draw straight lines.

What was your dream job as a kid?

I wanted to be an astronomer. When I was 9, I visited a Jet Propulsion Laboratory clean room where the Deep Space 1 probe was being assembled. I still have the picture of me in a white smock and hairnet with the biggest smile I’ve had before or since.

What is the very first map that you remember drawing?

I was 23 and working as a graphics editor for Bloomberg Businessweek. Graphics editors are like reporters who make charts. An editor requested a small locator map to accompany a story. I’d never made a map, but you don’t tell your boss ‘I don’t do windows’ so I grabbed an SVG map from Wikipedia and added a dot and a label. So, my first map was about half the size of a playing card and looked terrible. I was hooked.

Do you have any mentors or cartographers who you look up to?

Two people were huge influences on me: Tanya Andersen, an excellent cartographer who ran the University of Wisconsin-Madison cartography lab and helped me apply for a critical internship at National Geographic Magazine. Then there’s my mentor Daniel Huffman, a freelance cartographer who would work on his projects in Tanya’s lab, and at whose elbow I learned the craft of mapmaking.

Daniel is among the best living cartographers and a sterling educator. He is top-10 talented, generous with his time, and relentlessly encouraging to beginners. I hope to propagate that spirit.

So how can we encourage the next set of cartographers to put their work out there?

I think it’s less that they need to put their work out into the wider world and more

Evan Applegate in his workshop working on a six-footby-four-foot illuminated map of the Hudson River.

to get it in front of a few good mapmakers who will give in-person feedback. Emphasis on in-person. You can’t replace the experience of sitting with a good cartographer while he or she marks your map with a pencil. It’s not easy to get in that room, but it’s still possible. Get an editorial-mapping job, attend a university with a cartography lab, or travel to meet your favorite mapper.

In general, how does your mapmaking process begin?

I start by gathering too much data in an oversized extent-box. You never regret having an extra tangle of lines just outside your projected size because it’s much easier to crop down than expand out. Then I delete what I don’t need in QGIS/GDAL/OGR. Modern cartography is about thinning out a hairball and making the remainder look good in Illustrator and Photoshop.

Where do you draw your inspiration to create a map?

I look at maps from the 1910s to the 1980s for guidance on color, hierarchy, and composition. Mapmaking is about applying old solutions, again and again, polishing what works. I haven’t seen a cartographic innovation created in my lifetime that will outlive its author.

And what’s in your toolbox?

To make my maps I use QGIS, GDAL/ OGR, Avenza MAPublisher, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and Eduard. For making custom tiled basemaps, I like Mapbox Studio.

How about coding or programming to create maps?

Oh yeah, thanks to large language models I finally have an English-to-code translator. What used to take hours on Stack Overflow now takes seconds. I can boil down huge TSVs with Python, automate what used to be a QGIS pointy-clicky task, create web maps with JavaScript, even prototype Flask web apps.

Here’s a message to other cartographers: machine learning offers leverage. Computers can do mediocre work better than you, so use the computer to attack more ambitious projects. You’ve been handed new power tools, they’re very

cheap, and you should learn to use them to make maps you couldn’t attempt before.

Do you have a favorite map that you made yourself?

My favorite map is “Trees of the Tongass National Forest,” which I made in 2018. I was then a GIS temp for the U.S. Forest Service in Arcadia, CA. I wanted to create something with a

low-tech feel, so I hired other artists to add illustrations to map the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest. The best part is it is public land, so you can head there today and camp for a year in a stunning roadless wilderness.

Please tell us about how your website The Map Consultancy started?

I had graduated UW-Madison and

Trees of the Tongass National Forest: Applegate’s favorite backlit map, which he created with lettering by Ezra Butt and illustrations by Matt Strieby and Aiyana Udesen.

moved to Los Angeles in 2017, and I wasn’t going to return to Bloomberg Businessweek. So, I started freelancing under a new brand and subcontracting any work I couldn’t handle myself.

What was the most difficult challenge that you faced during those first days of starting out?

Marketing was my big challenge. Many independent cartographers have a niche, but my portfolio is scattered. I have maps for National Geographic, a map for a self-published treatise on the lost city of Atlantis, an asset map for a giant oil company, an illustrated map of the plants of Los Angeles, etc. So instead of selling myself as “I make X maps,” I pitched myself as a fast, independent problem solver: send me your data and, with very few emails, receive an effective and attractive map.

And now you also have another website, Radiant Maps. Tell us how it complements The Map Consultancy.

I’m glad you asked because those maps are my favorite. In 2019, I envisioned a map with all the fine detail of a paper lithograph, but with an attractive no-eye strain glow. I figured out how to print maps on 3,600 DPI film negatives, which look like high-resolution monochrome overhead transparencies with only two tints: black and transparent, then halftones in between.

I backlit these films with warm-toned LEDs and they look great because you get super-fine lines down to 150 microns. It’s a whole little universe of detail. They make excellent office art, and you can view them at radiantmaps.com.

And how about your podcast Very Expensive Maps. Is it easy to get mapmakers to talk about themselves and their work?

The mapmakers I interview are happy to talk. I started the podcast because I wanted to satisfy my curiosity on how great maps get made. Podcasting tools are essentially free, so I thought I’d let the internet hear what they had to say.

My one interview tip: don’t interrupt. I write four or five questions ahead of time, keep a few of their maps open on my screen and let them speak freely on technique, influences, hassles, all of the work that goes into a high-effort map.

And lastly, is there any message that you would like to share with our readers?

The best maps are not behind us. They will be made today by people who cared enough to make them. Tom Patterson, formerly of the National Park Service and responsible for dozens of great recreation maps, told me, “Now is the golden age of cartography.” It has never been easier to make a high-effort map. Computers are cheap, many tools are free, and the web is flooded with inspiration and tutorials. You just have to start turning the crank. ■

Marc Delgado, PhD, is a GIS specialist who crisscrosses continents teaching GIS in Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa.

LIGHT SHINING A

INTO BLACK BOXES

AI-infused 3D modeling of substations, pump houses, and other facilities offers utilities immediate benefit

BY BEN DWINAL

Using advanced GIS systems, utilities can create detailed infrastructure models that enable them to deliver services to residents more efficiently and safely. These models include highly granular data about the networks of lines and pipes that deliver electricity, water, and natural gas to customers.

Far too often, these models are missing a critical category of data: detailed information about facilities that are key junctions in

their networks, including substations, vaults, pump houses, regulator stations, pipeline junction boxes, and other locations with a dense distribution of assets.

BLIND SPOTS IN THE NETWORK

For many utilities, these facilities are blind spots for their GIS systems. In engineering terms, they are “black boxes” where you can see what goes in and what comes out, but you have little to no information about what is inside of them. With black boxes like this, utilities face a long list of questions that create challenges, headaches, and operational inefficiencies.

What equipment is there? How old is it? Who manufactured the equipment? Are there any recalls or maintenance concerns about that equipment? What are the most likely points of failure? What will the work crew need in their truck to successfully carry out a work order? Without these assets accurately mapped and present in the GIS system, organizations reduce the analytical and visualization capabilities of modern geospatial solutions.

For many utilities, the only way to find out what is in these black boxes is to view a tabular list in the asset system or roll a truck with a crew to manually gather information about each piece of equipment in these facilities, including make, model, serial number, pressure or voltage of throughput, and X, Y, Z location. These truck rolls are a slow, inefficient process that brings workflows to a halt and prevents teams from focusing on more valuable tasks.

If any work needs to be done on the site, a second truck roll is required. The first is

purely reconnaissance to see what is there. If you multiply this by the massive number of these types of facilities for a given utility, that is an enormous amount of inefficiency. Reducing return site visits can save significant operating costs for most utility organizations.

FULLY REALIZING THE ROI OF GIS INVESTMENTS

Even if truck rolls allow the resolution of a specific task, that information does little to improve the data that their GIS systems rely upon. Manually collected information typically falls far short of the accuracy needed by geospatial systems.

Capturing traditional photos of these facilities also falls short of that threshold because photos are too inconsistent, incomplete, and low quality to extract key details. Technology like lidar could hypothetically be used to automate this data collection, but it is still too labor intensive and expensive to be efficient.

Manual reconnaissance on an ad hoc basis is the best available solution for allowing work orders to move forward, but that does nothing to solve the overall issue: the black boxes that exist throughout utilities’ digital infrastructure networks. These blind spots stand in the way of utilities achieving the full ROI of their investments in advanced geospatial systems.

As an example, this data is critical for fully realizing the enormous benefits of migrating to the Esri Utility Network (UN). Esri’s UN allows you to connect transmission and distribution in the same network model, but it requires timely and accurate correction or creation of facility data to

achieve the highest ROI. Without it, facility visits take longer, projects suffer, and overall field team effectiveness decreases.

SHINING AN AI-DRIVEN LIGHT INTO THE DARK

The days are numbered for these black boxes, though. New technologies are giving utilities a fast, accurate way to convert those blind spots into granular, geospatially accurate information about the equipment they contain.

Using specialized 3D cameras and AI-driven machine learning (ML) modeling that uses computer vision, utilities can now collect high-quality facilities’ data in a highly automated way. With a single visit, image capture teams can record a location’s complete collection of equipment and its geospatially precise location. From there, image processing tools identify specific equipment and extract key details like their serial numbers.

The first step involves capturing the imagery data by walking through the facility using 360-degree camera technology. This type of camera secures a visual representation of the interior using 3D point clouds. Once captured, the next step is for this imagery to be fed into ML models that can find and label each piece of equipment, including valves, meters, regulators, pipes, as well as electric equipment. Visually legible serial numbers and other data are also extracted and stored with the new feature record and the z-enabled spatial location.

To illustrate this in action, let’s look at one gas regulator station in a utility’s network. For most utilities today, this facility will be represented in a GIS database as

a single data point with no additional information. If you were to manually collect information about the contents of that regulator station and enter it into the utility’s GIS system so that it could be linked to the asset management system, the process might take 10 hours of labor, which is a massive time commitment for a single, small asset.

When you consider that utilities may have thousands or tens of thousands of these stations, the human power needed for this process is simply not practical. In contrast, high-resolution, terrestrial image capture and AI-enabled ML modeling can complete the same process in mere minutes. A process that might take months or years using traditional methods could be completed in just days for all gas regulator stations in a network.

This 3D terrestrial imaging and object detection quickly and efficiently delivers a complete, accurate asset record of the equipment in these locations, eliminating blind spots in utility’s GIS systems. This unlocks capabilities in advanced GIS systems like Esri’s UN, including the ability to remotely inspect a facility, identify needed maintenance tasks, and prepare for new maintenance and construction projects without extra truck rolls.

This brings AI-driven automation to a huge source of inefficiencies for utilities, saving time, lowering costs, and replacing manual, tedious work activities so dedicated staff can perform higher-value work. The data derived from this 3D modeling of stations is also a powerful source of new data-driven insights that utilities can derive from their GIS, ERP, WMS, EAM (Enterprise Asset Management), and other enterprise systems.

Removing these black boxes and replacing them with critical data about these blind spots in networks is a game changer for utilities that immediately delivers benefits not only in the short term but for the future of their operations. ■

Ben Dwinal is the vice president of Solution Architecture at Locana, a TRC Company. Locana is a location and mapping technology company whose software products and services solve the world’s most pressing infrastructure, sustainability, business, and social challenges.

Aiming Beyond the Sale: Elevating Service and Trust in Today’s Geospatial Equipment Market

In today's market, the relationship between dealers and manufacturers is a unique differentiator for businesses. When these partnerships are built on service, support, and trust, success is inevitable. Dealers who understand this can weather market storms and experience growth.

"Relationships are everything!" That's how Bryce Scala, Manager at Selby's, feels about relationships with manufacturers. As a premier provider of Architectural, Engineering, and Construction supplies and services in Montana, Selby's must be confident in the reliability of the solutions they sell and the support they can deliver to customers. Selby's is a GeoMax distributor.

"GeoMax believes in that relationship with their dealers. It's how they function. It's part of their culture," he said.

When precision is paramount, dealers must be confident their manufacturers’ equipment will perform reliably in the field. When it does, dealers are more likely to endorse products and build stronger customer loyalty.

"When I know I have the backing of GeoMax, and I know what the support is like with GeoMax, I have no problem pushing their product," said Scala.

"If I've been burned by a manufacturer, or I knew it was going to be a big hassle to get support, I might push something

else. But it's always been really positive with GeoMax."

By fostering trust, both parties leverage each other's strengths—manufacturers produce high-quality equipment and dealers deliver it to professionals who depend on it daily.

For business owners, service is more than just a department—it’s a philosophy. It binds dealer-manufacturer relationships.

Service continues beyond the sale. Scala's experience with GeoMax confirms this point.

"Customer support with GeoMax is fantastic. It's not a big, convoluted process to get help and support and service from them. They're super responsive. You send their support team a quick text or a quick email, and within minutes they get back to you."

Why should dealers prioritize these relationships? The benefits of strengthening service and trust with manufacturers include customer satisfaction, efficiency, innovation, and growth. With trustworthy manufacturers, dealers can offer reliable products and exceptional service, leading to satisfied customers who will return and refer others.

Strong partner-

ships streamline communication and problem-solving, reducing downtime and operational hiccups.

Trust and service foster an environment where ideas and improvements thrive, driving innovation.

By adapting to technological advancements and market needs together, dealers and manufacturers can proactively address challenges and seize new opportunities. This approach keeps both parties ahead of the curve, benefiting everyone involved, including the end-user.

Get five practical tips you can start implementing today, that will strengthen your manufacturer relationships and give you an edge over your competition.

WORLD It’s a Small (Sensor)

The fascinating emerging world of geophysical and geological exploration with drones

BY JUAN PLAZA

Drone Matrice 600 Pro and GPR Subecho 70 en Faena Minería en Chile

For the last 10 years we have seen more and more applications adopting uncrewed aircraft or drones and adding them to their workflows to expand businesses and offer more versatility to their customers. But like in every other new technology, adoption is not uniform, and some sensors are more easily miniaturized than others. That explains why photogrammetry was an almost immediate adopter of small drones and why geophysical and geological sensors have lagged considerably over the years.

ment was largely bulky, heavy, and lacked proper georeferencing, but we managed to get results for our customers based on our innovative procedures,” Negrette said. “Then in 2018 we heard of Radarteam, a sensor manufacturing company based in Sweden and the possibilities to mount a real GPR device in a drone looked like a concrete possibility for the first time.”

companies invested heavily in the professional programs that local universities had in place to make sure that the flow of necessary personnel would continue uninterrupted for generations.

“Geophysical exploration using GPR has been done traditionally with a hand-held unit and very close to the ground, and even then, is not an exact science but something that needs to be exhaustively analyzed and fine-tuned according to the composition of the soil being examined,” Negrette said. “Now, imagine with drones that the sensor is located a few feet from the ground, a lot of experts became sceptics that the technology would provide reliable and trustworthy analyses of the geology, but using other forms of sensing to corroborate the results, we have developed a series of techniques that allow us to create accurate underground models from drones.”

Now companies are developing electromagnetic sensors that are wonders of miniaturization. In parallel with smaller sensors, uncrewed aircraft manufacturers have managed to design and build better drones with larger useful payloads and longer flying times, which combined with smaller and lighter sensors have opened the door to a new industry: geophysical exploration with non-piloted aircraft.

We searched long and wide for a company that has made the transition from traditional aircraft to drone prospecting and found Geodia Industries, an international company with offices in Dubai, Guyana, Colombia, and allied partners in Chile, India, Saudi Arabia, and Africa. We had the opportunity to sit down with its founder and CEO Jorge Negrette for a fascinating interview that opened a window into a different world of geological and geophysical prospecting with non-traditional aviation.

“In reality we started our traditional prospecting with GPR (ground penetrating radar) in 2014 when the equip -

With a degree in geophysics from Universidad Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela, Negrette is an energetic entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to explore difficult tropical jungles and the driest deserts on Earth, perfecting the art and science of geophysical and geological exploration.

It is interesting to note that Venezuelan universities have specialized in graduating great geophysicist, geologists, and geodesists for more than 100 years, beginning in the early 1900s when the American oil companies went to the Maracaibo basin and discovered light crude in an abundance that required hundreds if not thousands of these professionals to explore and potentially exploit. These oil

For example, GPR signals exposed to clay and saline soils are affected, therefore the results of a GPR scan in

Drone Matrice 600 with Subecho 70 at Portillo border between Chile and Argentina

Drone Matrice 600 Pro and GPR Subecho 70 at Bogotá, Colombia

allocation, leakage evaluation, and many more.”

With the insatiable appetite of humanity for natural resources, new exploration fronts are opened almost daily, and Negrette and his team’s services are required all over the world. When we asked about potential for growth, he was adamant that the potential is infinite.

“There’s a combination of new exploration and recurring services,” he said. “We, at Geodia, do both. On the one hand, we are required to perform scans of entirely new areas in hostile jungles in South America where the conditions to setup the technology are extremely challenging, and on the other hand, we have to do repetitive work in open pit mines in the driest desert on Earth every week. We do bathymetry and scanning of tailings storage facilities as we measure depth, humidity, and moisture studies to avoid disasters. It’s all in the life of a geoexploration company using uncrewed aviation.”

When probed about the specific equipment that they use in their daily flights, Negrette was more than specific.

“We use a DJI Matrice 600 Pro equipped with a Radarteam SubEcho-70 antenna to perform even the most challenging flights,” he said. “But the real work is done before and after the flight. We conduct extensive simulations in our materials laboratory where we create the conditions that would allow us, after the flight, to reconstruct the model of the terrain we are working on.”

these types of areas have to be subjected to post-processing techniques that guarantee the accuracy of the underground model. In 2018 Geodia Industries became a distributor of the Latvian company SPH which produces software and sensors for geophysical exploration and the necessary technologies to scale their operations.

“In early 2020 we were ready to launch our newly developed technologies when the COVID-19 pandemic

hit our principal markets and threw a wrench in our expansion plans,” Negrette said. “We held on to our drones and our key personnel and weathered the storm the best we could, and soon we were back on the field using our equipment. Soon our customers realized the obvious advantages of using drones to expedite jobs and save time and money, and we expanded our portfolio to include pipeline and manhole detection, structural geological analysis, aquifer

With experiences like the one from Negrette and his team at Geodia, we can rest assured that geophysical and geological exploration with drones is here to stay in a time when the mining industry is experiencing explosive growth, as we explore new sources of renewable energy, and exploit every drop of existing oil reserves. ■

Juan B. Plaza is CEO of Plaza Aerospace, a drone and general aviation consulting firm specializing in modern uses for manned and unmanned aviation in mapping, lidar, and precision GNSS.

Top: Ground GPR Survey at Mining Facility Mexico

Bottom: Drone MT1500 and GPR Modelo Subecho 40 in Malaysia

GREAT TIME TO BE A SURVEYOR

BY TIM BURCH

In collecting thoughts and observations for this article about the future of surveying, many of my colleagues and contemporaries offered words of condolences and sadness for the profession. It is often shared with me that we are a dying line of work because technology is allowing those without education or experience to do what we do. They add they feel the surveying profession has “sold out” to the GIS, engineering, and construction communities.

I could not agree less. On the contrary, this article is about a rebirth of the profession, and it should not include a eulogy for the profession. With the environmental noise that surrounds us in our daily lives, we may not recognize the signs. The surveying

profession is rising from the ashes like the mythical phoenix. How do we know this? Let’s look at the evidence around us and (hopefully) you will draw the same conclusion.

ACTIVITY AT NSPS

As the executive director for the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), I oversee the operations of the association. Since beginning this position in January 2022 (and with the profession still recovering from the pandemic), I have been sitting in the front row to see how much the surveying profession is evolving and growing.

was then signed by President Ronald Reagan to designate the third week of March as “National Surveyors Week” to honor and promote our beloved profession. In addition, NSPS, in conjunction with the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE), agreed to host “Global Surveyors Day” annually on March 21 to honor a significant figure from our storied past.

Among my responsibilities is oversight of the certification and educational programs we administer, including the Certified Survey Technician (CST) and Trig-Star programs, as well as keeping tabs on the number of materials we send out for career fairs and school visits. We have seen significant growth in interest in our programs and volume of information sent to events for promotion, so it has kept the NSPS staff quite busy keeping up with demand.

PUBLIC AWARENESS

In 1984, Congress passed legislation that

These events have grown significantly post-pandemic with more professional interaction at many governmental levels, including state, county, municipal, and township agencies. Official proclamations and photo ops are still coming into the NSPS office from various gatherings, so we are optimistic our practitioners’ efforts in 2025 will be even bigger.

What some may see as negative exposure for surveying is the increase in legislative actions against licensure for the profession. However, NSPS sees it as an opportunity to educate not just the legislators but the public about the importance of educated and trained professionals performing surveying tasks.

Maryland Surveying Society president Rob Kundrick. (Courtesy MSS)

Students at USAGE booth during NSPS 2024 student competition. (Photo by NSPS)

2024 Global Surveyor of the Year

Martin Chaverri Ruig. (Courtesy CLGE & APPAT)

While it does take time to engage in productive conversations about our profession, we cannot overlook the opportunity to explain the necessity of having professionals performing our important work. Would you rather have an opportunity to discuss our importance or have politicians simply bypass us altogether?

INCREASING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ENROLLMENT

While the topic of requiring formal education for licensure is still greatly debated among our ranks, we cannot deny the fact that more surveying personnel, new and existing, are enrolling in a variety of programs nationwide and beyond.

Besides the stereotypical two- and four-year college programs, there are a growing number of vocational and technical schools now offering a variety of surveying classes covering a wide range of topics. We are also seeing the introduction of surveying curriculum in high school vocational programs, with some offering the CST Level 1 exam within the course to further signify the importance of the profession as a career.

Overall, the educational programs have seen a significant increase in enrollment, and it does not look like any drastic changes are ahead of us. The one big factor that could hold back the demand for educational programs will be the availability of instructors and teachers. If you’re a surveyor interested in doing your part to “pay it forward,” check out your local schools and see how you can apply.

A BRIGHT FUTURE AS A GEOSPATIALIST

While some of our “seasoned” practitioners may bristle at the term geospatialist, the rise in influence of technological-based location establishment has made almost all surveyors rely on being a geolocation expert. Our cars, phones, and other tracking devices all rely on georeferenced locations and the surveying profession is no different.

We have an opportunity to implement the high-tech world of geospatial data location with the expertise of ground-based surveying principles and to merge these into an environment of a recession-proof career. The younger generations have already embraced the digital world so let’s work together to make them aware of a great career that utilizes the tools they have come to enjoy.

We all want to have a secure future in this crazy world, so why not pick a profession one can enjoy? Surveyors always have, even before the high-tech equipment was here. It’s a great day (and future) for surveyors. ■

Young Surveyors Network at FIG Working Week 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by NSPS)

TheWhile relatively new to the North American market, there are few in surveying who have not heard of this rising software and hardware provider. However, we often hear "Who is Stonex?" Let's find out…

By Gavin Schrock

The following is the story of the rapid ascension of a specific, relatively new geospatial brand, but is also about how to do a successful launch and expansion in North America—something several international firms are trying to do.

“Stonex is an Italian company founded in 2010 by Davide Erba, a young guy who had worked the in the field, in surveying,” said Andrea Bianchi, chief operating officer of Stonex. “In 2009 he had a revolutionary idea to make surveying instruments available for everyone. At that time, there were

only a few big brands, and the hardware and software could be quite expensive.” The core idea was affordability without compromising quality.

Together with a team of electronics and manufacturing professionals, including Bianchi, Erba began specifying, designing, and manufacturing new products. After all, the technology and science behind, for instance, high-precision GNSS, was no longer limited to an exclusive club. In addition to instruments and software produced in Italy, they established Stonex facilities in China, in cooperation with some

Stonex chief executive officer Andre Bianchi and chief operating officer Ray Weatherbee at GeoWeek in Denver.

existing firms there. Stonex now has three main centers: Milan, Italy, Concord, New Hampshire, and Beijing, China; with a smaller presence in Shanghai.

“We began with GNSS receivers, and then total stations made in China,” said Bianchi. “And then we started the R&D for a static laser scanner with the same idea of an affordable instrument, within anyone’s reach. The X300 Android was designed, developed, and produced in Italy. This has been quite successful, and ironically, we began to sell this in China.” Their portfolio rapidly grew.

Stonex became a subsidiary of UniStrong Science and Technology in 2017. However, it remains quite independent. “At that time, UniStrong was already the owner of many companies,” said Bianchi. “Many of those companies were consolidated. However, Stonex kept its autonomy, continuing with the business as an independent company. All of the management was kept in Italy.” Stonex is also made up of independent groups, like Stonex USA.

NORTH AMERICA

Many firms in the new international wave of geospatial hardware and software firms have sought to enter the North American market, often with mixed success. Challenges include loyal user bases of established firms, brand centricity of many distributors, and providing local service and support. While Stonex has had great success in Europe,

Asia, South America, and the Middle East, and has been growing in Africa, to enter the U.S. market they knew that they needed to go big—and that approach has paid off.

“We started here in 2015,” Ray Weatherbee, chief executive officer of Stonex USA. “At the time, we had zero distribution in the U.S. and now, 75 of our 200 global distributors are in North America. Weatherbee has decades of experience and is well-known in the geospatial sector, including instrument sales and support.

“A lot of our international competitors think they can enter the U.S., market from abroad. That does not work well. You have to know distribution, know how distributors think and how to work with them. It’s taken us from 2015 to get us where we are today. We have a complete portfolio and a distribution and support network. Sales have grown rapidly.”

“What we did early on was to hire people that have a certain talent, and some that I’ve known in this business for a long time,” said Weatherbee. “I knew what they're capable of doing. Everybody had experience, everybody had connections and contacts.”

Wetherbee traveled the country, to secure a foundation. He first visited momand-pop distributors that were not bound to specific brands. “They were easier to persuade,” said Weatherbee. “I showed them a great product, that is at an attractive price point, and with an aggressive dealer discount." Since then, Stonex has made inroads with many larger dealers who are now finding it easier to expand their product portfolios without getting into trouble with legacy brands.

The other key step was investing in a major North American facility. While users now have a wide selection of new brands from global sources, a key consideration in choosing a product is a sales, service, and support network. Are products and parts readily available? Can you get ahold of someone when you need them? This is why Stonex established a 15,000-square-foot facility in Concord, New Hampshire, two-thirds of which is inventory. Weatherbee related that during the pandemic’s supply-chain issues, Stonex was able to keep products flowing. It turned

out to be a period of rapid growth.

“After you get to a certain level, you need to build your infrastructure,” said Weatherbee. “We’re hiring more and more people, more boots on the ground, more support for service, marketing, R&D; doing it all here in the United States, to accommodate our growth. But at the same time, our entire worldwide business has also gone like this. We continue to go up.”

PORTFOLIO

From core competencies in optical and GNSS systems, Stonex has expanded with hardware and software for surveying, mapping, GIS, precision agriculture, machine control, terrestrial and SLAM scanning, lidar for drones, mobile mapping, and solutions for mining, marine, energy, solar, etc. Some firms in the past have tried to zero in on one technology or market. Success in the geo space does not go hand-in-hand with such a strategy. The lateral benefits of portfolio diversification are broader user bases, market resilience, and engineering efficiencies realized through combined R&D.

Like a lot of firms, Stonex utilized OEM boards from other developers but are not bound to any in particular. “The R&D and product management team in Italy, we understand that you just don't stay with one supplier, one board,” said Bianchi. “We’re constantly evaluating and incorporating boards from other manufacturers, because we want the best performance in our solutions and to evolve with the technology.”

An example of their flagship survey rovers is the S900+; 1408 channels, multi-constellation, with tilt compensation. I found it to be one of the top performers among similar rovers.

Quite a few of the emerging brands have good total stations, but few have full robotics.The Stonex R180 comes in 0.5” or 1”. According to the specs, it can shoot up to 1000m reflectorless.While I didn’t get to try anything quite that far, I found it to be as easy to use as those with similar capabilities from the big outfits.

For field software, there is the choice of third-party standards, like SurvCE or MicroSurey. Or Stonex’s own Cube-a (Android). For the latter, I took a quick tour and tried it. It was surprisingly easy to use for integrated surveying. The menus were intuitive and well thought out. Field software has improved

Stonex equipment went all the way to Antarctica and proved its mettle in trying conditions.

a lot, pretty much across the industry. They also have Cube-connector, an Android app to control GNSS receivers—something great for asset mapping/GIS applications.

Weatherbee and Bianchi also emphasized that they are not just a hardware firm, but that software is even more of a core element of the company. Software brings the magic. They now have software to operate real-time GNSS networks (RTN) to complement their reference station hardware and geodetic antennas. There’s software for processing and management of surveyed data, photogrammetry, point clouds, and more.

Weatherbee is not shy about talking price. Their gear is not cheap, but it is noticeably lower priced than the high-end gear from the legacy manufacturers. While I recognize that for certain situations, a case could be made for buying top-end gear, the rise of the mid-range has brought high quality in a sweet spot of affordability.

For example, outfitting a survey crew with a base-rover pair, a robotic total station, a data controller, and software has traditionally been a pricey proposition. Weatherbee says this can be done with Stonex gear for under $70,000, especially with some attractive bundling options. I did some quick checking, and there are similar packages from others that are often nearly double that.

TAKING THE LEAP

The entrance of Stonex into the North American market has been relatively recent, but rapid. A key to this has been the dealers—the critical front end of the sales, support, and service pipeline. The products needed to meet dealers’ standards before they would ever introduce them to customers.

“Like everyone else, we’d never heard of them,” said Antonio “Tony” Montanez of SiteSurv, a prominent surveying supplies firm in South Florida. “We had been selling a lot of total stations and levels back then but were getting more customers asking about adding [GNSS] rovers.” SiteSurv handed their Stonex demo unit to one of their most trusted and knowledgeable customers, and they loved it.

However, many customers took time to get on board. Especially some that might have never used GNSS or had used some ancient rover that maybe only got one (or two at the most) constellations—experiences that may have soured their view of

GNSS. One licensed customer brushed off the idea initially, bemoaning the $20K price tag [of established brands] for a single network rover. Montanez was quick to point out that new Stonex rovers were not even half that price. Full constellation, now with tilt compensation, etc. Once customers saw them in action, their prior assumptions about GNSS were swept aside.

Then there’s the story of another initially skeptical customer. “I’d known this gentleman for a long time. He had always been a die-hard [established brand] user,” said Montanez. “I set up a demo with him.

He had his rover, I had the Stonex. I went to take some shots next to a building. He was out in the open. He said, ‘what are you doing over there?’ I said I was fixed and taking shots. He said he could not do that. He had to fix out in the open.”

“What they’ve done in my opinion, is a really, really good job. We were probably one of the first, if not the first to offer Stonex gear,” Copley said. C&B started, like many dealers, as a blueprint shop, and added other engineering and surveying supplies. Copley said they had sold gear of other brands in the past but have done quite well adding Stonex.

We're a small outfit. I’ve got two brothers in the company,” said Copley. “Our biggest thing has always been support. In the beginning, we could contact Ray or even Italy directly. Getting ahold of someone was not an issue,” said Copley.

The customer eventually replaced all of its rovers with new rovers from Montanez.

Relationships mean a lot in the surveying equipment business. Given choices of gear of similar performance, support/service is often the tie-breaker. Some surveyors note that they are willing to pay for top end gear because it comes from an established ecosystem. What Stonex did was build an extensive ecosystem in a few short years. Weatherbee began with dealers he knew and hired people that also had established networks.

“When Ray brought Stonex to North America, he gave me a holler and said, ‘Hey, we got some new GPS.’ I said, really? He came down, we spent some time together,” said Ron Copley, of C&B Blueprint, a family run firm that has been serving West Virginia and adjacent areas of other states for 50 years. He liked the new gear Ray brought. Plus, the price point and dealer deals.

The other thing C&B noticed as they started selling the new gear was that there were not a lot of issues. In general, survey gear and software has gotten more reliable, and transitions from older gear and software have become easier. Copley said that they can send gear to Stonex in New Hampshire if needed, but he says that if there are any issues, they’ve been able to handle them inhouse more than 90 percent of the time.

One of Copley’s customers is Eagle Surveying of Charleston, West Virginia. “We do a variety of surveying; boundary, topographic, ALTA, construction layout, and laser scanning,” said Ricky Kinder. “We’ve had Stonex gear since 2015, including S900+ rovers, an R180 robot (total station), and an X300 laser scanner.” They began with Carlson software for their Stonex gear but are now also using the Cube-a field controller software and are learning Cube-3d now that they have add-

Stonex emphasizes repair, service, and support.

ed scanning. Kinder said they had recently had an opportunity to scan the dome of the state capital.

“Ron [Copley] introduced us to the Stonex gear, and showed us the capabilities versus competitors and versus the price,” said Kinder. “We are a small, family run shop with five people. That was definitely a factor. What we have is comparable to others that were a much higher price.”

A WEALTH OF CHOICES

I spent some time talking to users, having seen a rise in posts in recent years on surveying forums and groups mentioning or showing Stonex gear. Like a lot of surveyors, I had not heard about Stonex until relatively recently, and did not know much about the company. That was the impetus for researching the firm and writing this profile.

The kinds of comments I hear about Stonex echo what I hear from users of some of the other new entrants into the geo market. Folks have found that they have been able to move to the mid-range priced gear mostly without compromising quality. WhereStonex stands out is the broad portfolio, service, and support. Stonex’s “boots on the ground” in the U.S. has been a huge plus for them, their dealers, and customers.

Users I spoke to concurred with conclusions from my experience with Stonex. The gear is capable, easy to get used to, and it integrated into workflows well. The negatives I heard seemed to be more general frustration with switching from the comfort of legacy gear and software. I can relate, as I’ve had to switch many times.

I’ve noticed that the new wave of gear and software across the industry, Stonex’s included, has evolved to be more like consumer applications. No, not cheesy, or enabling unthinking “button pushing.” On the contrary, key elements of operation and data management are all there, with a depth that legacy “paleo-OS” software and controllers could never offer. Newer software is much easier to navigate than legacy, archaic menu structures. Like anything in professions such as surveying, modern tools and automation are not in and of themselves a bad thing. In the right hands, exercising diligence and best practices and applying knowledge of the underlying science and core principles, such tools can (and do) boost productivity.

The era of stringent brand loyalties has all but passed. There just weren’t full alternate portfolios to compete in the past. And while there are a few firms sticking to the top price tier, others aim for the bottom. The only thing worse than paying too much for gear might be paying too little. The sting of compromise lasts far longer than the bliss of an initial low price. However, midrange offerings like Stonex have boomed.

Arguably, the mid-range may become the new standard. Times have certainly changed, with more choices—high quality, affordable choices. This has been great for surveyors and other geo practitioners. ■

Gavin Schrock is a professional land surveyor who writes on surveying, mapping, GIS, data management, reality capture, satellite navigation, and emerging technologies.

URISA Adopts Call to Climate Action

As the leading professional organization for GIS professionals, URISA has long supported climate and community resilience efforts. The association has delivered 20 years of GIS emergency management and response and resilience efforts across the globe through GISCorps, to leading development and supporting sustainability and community resilience data efforts, conference sessions, training, and workshops and with the establishment of a dedicated Climate and Community Resilience Committee.

To further strengthen its commitment, the URISA Board of Directors set the bar for the GIS community to do its part in the climate emergency and support communities and GIS professionals in their work when it adopted a Call to Climate Action on October 4, 2023.

Teresa Townsend, AICP is URISA past president, co-chair of URISA’s Climate and Community Resilience Committee and Climate Change and Climate Equity Working Group Chair. In explaining the Call to Action to the URISA board, Townsend stated, “GIS professionals are uniquely positioned to support and build a sustainable and equitable future by leveraging our combined geospatial skills, knowledge, and resources. URISA committees and work groups have been working on climate issues for several years, but we wanted to get our entire organization on board in support of climate actions.”

The Climate and Community Resilience

Committee began developing the Call to Climate Action last summer and it was finalized and adopted by the URISA board in October. The Call delineates the areas where the overall organization can make positive changes in its daily operations to reduce its organization carbon footprint.

WHAT URISA IS DOING AS AN ORGANIZATION

URISA stands as an organization in supporting the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals. We believe that mapping the world around us is about understanding the complex connections that link people, communities, and planet and that we as a profession can use GIS for good.

Understanding these connections uniquely positions us, as GIS professionals, educators, students, and community members, to support and build a sustainable future while upholding climate equity, through a concerted effort that leverages our combined knowledge, skills, and resources.

URISA has a unique opportunity to leverage its expertise in GIS to support community resiliency and climate change.

The adopted URISA Call to Climate Action includes 13 specific strategies:

1. Green operations: Implement green practices within the day-to-day functioning of URISA, such as minimizing paper use, reducing energy consumption, promoting remote work, and making sustainable choices for the organization.

2. Partner for the planet: For greater

impact, collaborate on climate initiatives, pooling resources, and expertise for greater impact to model best practices for other individuals, educational institutions, organizations, businesses, and government agencies. Create synergies that can drive effective climate action and amplify our collective efforts.

3. Climate advocacy: In collaboration with the URISA Policy Advisory Committee, the Climate and Community Resilience Committee identifies potential legislation and advocates for policies that encourage sustainable practices and prioritize climate action, using GIS data to inform and support these advocacy efforts.

4. GIS community engagement: Engage local communities in climate action projects, providing them with the necessary GIS knowledge and resources to make informed decisions and support advocacy efforts.

5. Research support: Support climate-related research by providing GIS resources, data, and expertise.

6. Professional development: Promote professional development programs that focus on the intersection of GIS, climate change, sustainability, and resilience, to prepare the next generation of GIS professionals who tackle ongoing and future climate challenges.

7. Events and conferences: Minimize the carbon footprint of events and conferences by using digital platforms, choosing eco-friendly venues, providing plant-based

meal options, and offsetting any unavoidable emissions. In venue contracts, specify that unused foods be donated to food banks.

8. GIS policy for climate and community resiliency: Use the powerful insights provided by GIS to advocate for climate-supportive policies at the local, national, and global level.

9. Digital-first approach: Minimize paper usage by digitizing documents, promoting online resources and events, and opting for digital communication methods whenever feasible.

10. Promote green transport: Encourage staff, members and event attendees to use public transport, cycling, walking, or carpooling to reduce transportation-related emissions.

11. Renewable energy: URISA will offset office emissions by supporting renewable energy credits for remote/office operations.

12. Grant opportunities: The Climate and Community Resilience Committee identifies potential grant opportunities that resilience initiatives. URISA can apply to provide enhanced GIS community resources and support, educational and professional development opportunities for our members, and research to advance climate and community resilience initiatives.

13. Climate and sustainability education: Develop and offer educational programs on the intersection of GIS and climate science, enhancing awareness of climate change, climate equity, the UN Sustainable Development goals, and providing practical skills for action.

In addition to the commitment for specific actions, URISA creates event-based and other activities to support climate and community resilience initiatives.

To celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2022, URISA participants planted 1,014 trees during the GIS Pro conference in Boise. The trees were donated by attendees and others in partnership with several tree planting nonprofits and local communities. We demonstrated how protecting or restoring ecosystems and creating parks and open spaces that provide health and climate resilience benefits could provide a third of the mitigation benefits needed to meet carbon reduction goals, and how GIS professionals have a tremendous opportunity to contribute by identifying where these solutions will make the biggest impact and tracking and verifying those impacts into the future.

At the 2021 GIS Pro conference in Baltimore, we delivered a half-day workshop titled “Net Positive! Giving Back to Baltimore Through Climate Action Planning.” The interactive workshop achieved two goals: educating participants about climate change GIS, and making meaningful contributions to Baltimore’s Climate Action Plan update. Participants defined data gaps, investigated how climate affects Baltimore’s populations, especially related to equity and climate justice, cultures, and geographic areas; and explored possible climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.