Focusing on ‘Then and Now’

from Surveying+Spatial Issue 111 March 2023

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s we continue to make major strides in the use and development of new technologies, it seems to be a timely opportunity to look back at some of the changes that have occurred in the survey and spatial industries over the past few decades.

The introduction of new technologies and developments has not only increased the efficiency of work, but in many cases, it has changed the way survey and spatial professionals approach work altogether, resulting in less need for continuous on-site presence, creating more scope for office-based data gathering and greater remote working activity.

As recalled in Walter Frick’s article in Harvard Business Review, American physicist and early microchip pioneer Robert Noyce held up a new Intel 4004 microprocessor to his relatives at a reunion in California in 1971 with a visionary prediction. “This is going to change the world,” he said. “It’s going to revolutionise your home; you will all have computers. You will have access to all sorts of information, everything will happen electronically.”

Noyce’s prediction has proved to be prophetic. In the 21st century we cannot imagine our modern existence without the technology that started it all and the convenience it brings to our daily lives today.

Our technologies will continue to innovate and evolve but perhaps one thing that will never change is our continual need for products and services that ensure greater accuracy, information and detail. The new emerging technologies occurring in the survey and spatial sectors today are setting the bar very high for the future.

In this first edition for 2023 we’re focusing on the theme ‘Then and Now’, taking a look at some of the progress and innovations that have taken place in the survey and spatial space.

Global Survey’s Kirsty Mackie outlines the development of reality capture and how this technology is changing the way people work and their ability to deliver more efficient and mobile solutions into the future.

From Toitū Te Whenua-Land Information New Zealand, Toni Hill presents a compilation of ‘then and now’ photos from a LINZ team’s recent visit to Antarctica that reveals some of the new and enduring practices used on the frozen continent.

Critchlow Geospatial’s Group Managing Director Steve Critchlow takes a look at the evolution of satellite imagery technology, from 1960s images constructed from individual photos to today’s state of the art, high-definition imagery that can be used to inform quickly and efficiently.

Also in this edition, Survey + Spatial NZ presents the official launch of the Survey and Spatial New Zealand Certification Framework. This new framework, the result of a successful 2022 pilot programme, is the first of its kind in New Zealand and will provide a recognised professional pathway for S+SNZ members at all levels, and ensure mandatory continuing professional development. This edition, we outline the criteria and feature some participants from the certification pilot programme. •

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EDITOR

Rachel Harris surveyingspatial@gmail.com

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