Point of Beginning articles from March 2009

Point of Beginning archives from March 2009

Releasing your inner entrepreneur.(editor'spoints)
March 1, 2009... One of the things I like the most about my job as a writer and editor is the opportunity to talk to people-a lot of different people. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the course of my career, I've interviewed chief executive officers of...

Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. launches small-account policy.(newsline)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. Inc. initiated a three-year professional liability policy for small specialty construction, environmental consultant and design firm accounts. "Our multiyear small-account policy is perfect for land surveyors, many of...

GITA releases second CIP-ER white paper.(newsline)
March 1, 2009... The Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) released "Spatial Infrastructures," the second paper of its Geospatial Dimensions of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Response (CIP-ER) white paper series. "GITA members...

GSA updates 3D imaging guide.(newsline)
March 1, 2009... The U.S. General Services Administration released the "BIM Guide for 3D Imaging Version 1.0" in February to assist project teams with tasks from bidding for 3D imaging contracts to ensuring quality in final deliverables. The document provides...

California appeals court rejects County's sale of GIS basemap data.(newsline)
March 1, 2009... In a 3-0 decision, a State of California Appeal's Court in February affirmed the Santa Clara County Superior Court's decision requiring the County of Santa Clara to comply with public requests for copies of its GIS parcel basemap under the...

China to complete Beidou satellite system by 2015.(newsline)
March 1, 2009... Chinese officials plan to complete the Beidou global navigation satellite system by 2015, according to the International Society for Digital Earth. In an interview on China Central Television, Zhang Xiaojin, director the Astronautics Department...

Commercial operations commence for GeoEye-1.(newsline)
March 1, 2009... GeoEye, Inc. began commercial operations for the GeoEye-1 Earth-imaging satellite in February. "We are now selling imagery from GeoEye-1 to commercial customers around the world and to our government customers in Europe, Asia and the Middle...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
March 1, 2009... Calendar of events MARCH 4-7 LSAW 2009 Conference Land Surveyors' Association of Washington Tacoma, Wash. 425/313-9378 tracyc@plsincsurvey.com www.lsaw.org 4-7 TAPS 41st...

The future blows in: renewable energy is on the rise. Here's how some surveyors are harnessing the opportunity.
March 1, 2009... In the rapidly expanding business of renewable energy, wind power stands tall as the fastest-growing sector. In 2007, more than 5,200 MW of wind power-generating capacity was installed in the U.S. For 2008, the total was about 7,500 MW, and...

Opportunities on the move: mobile scanning offers surveyors faster, safer data collection and future jobs.(Survey)
March 1, 2009... Survey organizations are faced with the challenge of getting transportation-infrastructure projects shovel-ready as soon as possible in compliance with the Obama administration's $787 billion economic stimulus plan. In the U.S., there are...

Peak performance: staying safe in the field requires a purposeful approach.
March 1, 2009... The surveying profession has always held an inherent risk of injury. Whether a project involves cutting a line, moving a manhole cover or traversing a ridge, there are countless ways to get hurt. While some firms might consider accident...

Portable RTK: portable reference stations provide a flexible option for RTK positioning.(technologyPROFILE)
March 1, 2009... Real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning and GNSS technology continue to optimize surveying efficiency. But while a significant amount of progress has been made in establishing RTK networks, much work remains to be done. This is especially true in...

The sky is the limit.(fromthegroundup)
March 1, 2009... The mapping profession has seen some dramatic changes within the last several years. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Significant advances have been made in the technology available for use on mapping projects. The trend toward delivering larger...

Flying high: a study of airborne LiDAR trends reveals continued growth potential.(mapping)
March 1, 2009... The technology to collect LiDAR data from aircraft has been commercially available since the mid-1990s. As this technology has become more widespread and more familiar, it has been increasingly used to measure topography and create digital...

A green vision: high-resolution digital imaging supports vegetation mapping for an Australian coastline.(mapping)
March 1, 2009... Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales, Australia, is rich with ecological beauty and diversity. Located along the coast of Australia's eastern seaboard approximately four hours south of Brisbane, the region features an alluring combination...

Mapping a Legacy: advanced survey technology helps archaeologists preserve the past in Arizona's Canyon de Chelly.(mapping)
March 1, 2009... The Canyon de Chelly National Monument is one of the most impressive archaeological resources on the planet. Located in northeast Arizona, this unit of the National Park Service encompasses 83,840 acres and is home to a community of Navajo...

Build highways, not bureaucracies: What's more important, constructing roads or expanding government?(capitolgains)
March 1, 2009... This issue is of major concern for the private geospatial community and will become more prominent later this year as policymakers in our nation's capital consider reauthorization of the highway and transit bill. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Double monumentation as a business liability issue: recently, while teaching an ethics course at a seminar, I was asked why I included double monumentation.(thebusinessside)
March 1, 2009... I did my best to explain that setting additional corners may not serve the best interests of the client and that these actions could expose the client to litigation and expense. Since the seminar, I have been reading all different sides of this...

Low-altitude GPS signals and RTK in canopy.(giaamailbag)(Real Time Kinematic)(Global Positioning sstem)
March 1, 2009... Q: Why do we mask satellites near the horizon? And why do experts treat signals from satellites near the horizon--even if they are above the elevation mask--as contributing to a weaker solution than signals from satellites that are more or less...

Sherman Gowdy Francisco.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2009... GPS system pioneer Sherman Gowdy Francisco, Rockville, Md., died Jan. 7, 2009, at the age of 75. As chief engineer for the GPS Control Segment during his time with IBM Federal Systems Co., Loral and Lockheed Martin, Francisco is personally...

Hexagon Metrology.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2009... HEXAGON METROLOGY, London, acquired TECHNODIGIT SARL, Lyon, France, developer of 3DReshaper, a software package designed for 3D point cloud and 3D mesh manipulation for topography, 3D surface reconstruction, 3D inspection and other applications...

Spalding Dedecker Associates Inc. (SDA).(turningpoints)
March 1, 2009... SPALDING DEDECKER ASSOCIATES INC. (SDA), Detroit, acquired DIETRICH, BAILEY AND ASSOCIATES PC (DBA), a professional engineering and surveying firm headquartered in Plymouth, Mich. DBA continues to serve its client base out of its Plymouth and...

U.S. CAD Inc.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2009... U.S. CAD INC., Costa Mesa, Calif., opened a new office in Las Vegas, which will serve Nevada and southern Utah.

Hemisphere GPS.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2009... HEMISPHERE GPS, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is now certified to ISO 9001:2008 for its quality management system. The globally recognized standards are set by the International Organization for Standardization, a Geneva-based worldwide federation...

Novatel Inc.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2009... NOVATEL INC., Calgary, Alberta, Canada, named Michael Ritter president and CEO. Ritter is a trained engineer with more than 20 years of experience in the precise GNSS industry. Most recently, he was a senior executive with Trimble Navigation...

Woolpert.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2009... WOOLPERT appointed Matt Schrader, PLS, as survey group director. Schrader has more than 16 years of experience working with federal and state clients throughout the Midwest to develop large engineering design applications. [ILLUSTRATION...

Woolpert.(turningpoints)(appointment of Chris Ogier )(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Also, WOOLPERT relocated Eric Cole to its Dayton, Ohio, office to manage the Dayton photogrammetry group and hired Chris Ogier as photogrammetry group manager of its Orlando, Fla., office. Cole joined Woolpert in 2007 as manager of the firm's...

Psomas.(turningpoints)(appointments of Cliff Simental and Bruce Kirby)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... PSOMAS, Riverside, Calif., hired Cliff Simental, PLS, as survey team leader and Bruce Kirby, PE, as the leader of the land development team in the firm's Inland Empire office. Simental has more than 34 years of surveying experience. Prior to...

Nedo.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2009... NEDO, Dornstetten, Germany, a leading European manufacturer of surveying equipment, hired Dominick Auletto as director of sales for North America. Auletto recently retired from Topcon Positioning Systems after 29 years as the vice president of...

ASPRS.(turningpoints)(American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing appointed Ray Helmering and Thomas R. Loveland )(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... ASPRS named Ray Helmering and Thomas R. Loveland as its 2009 Fellow Award winners. Helmering is vice president of product engineering for GeoEye. Loveland works at the USGS National Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science researching...

Colonial States Boards of Surveyor Registration (CSBSR).(turningpoints)
March 1, 2009... COLONIAL STATES BOARDS OF SURVEYOR REGISTRATION (CSBSR) announced that Dennis D. Smith, PLS, PE, was reelected CSBSR president. Smith is president and CEO of DDS Engineering of Bowling Green, Ky. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

St. Cloud State University.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2009... ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY, St. Cloud, Minn., announced that Kenneth Wong, former professor of geography, received the Earl J. Fennell Award for his accomplishments as leader of the university's Land Surveying and Mapping Program. The award is...

KS Associates.(turningpoints)
March 1, 2009... KS ASSOCIATES, Elyria, Ohio, announced that Mark A. Yeager, PS, director of surveying services, is named PLSO Member of the Year. The award recognizes Yeager's professional achievements, leadership and dedication to the Professional Land...

Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS).(new&notable)
March 1, 2009... TOPCON POSITIONING SYSTEMS (TPS) introduced the LS-B100, LS-B110, LS-B110W and RD-100W, a new series of high-quality, affordable machine control laser sensors. Replacing the LS-B2 and B4 models, the new series features a large working range,...

Leica Geosystems.(new&notable)(DISTO D5 )(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... LEICA GEOSYSTEMS released the Leica DISTO D5 laser distancemeter featuring an integrated digital pointfinder with a 4x zoom, a high-resolution 2.4" color display and a tilt sensor. Its high-resolution capability provides a sharp, crystal-clear...

Leica Geosystems.(new&notable)
March 1, 2009... Also, LEICA GEOSYSTEMS introduced the automatic, self-leveling Rugby Grade Laser Series with full machine control compatibility. The dual-grade Rugby 420DG laser operates from an optional long-range, two-way remote control that lets users...

Carlson Software.(new&notable)
March 1, 2009... CARLSON SOFTWARE released Grade Supervisor v1.10. Grade Supervisor works either on the pole or in a vehicle, moving seamlessly from man rover (GPS pole) to monitor rover (pickup/ATV). The software is Windows XP/Vista-compatible and supports...

Highway Products Inc.(new&notable)
March 1, 2009... HIGHWAY PRODUCTS INC. introduced its latest Surveyor Pickup Pack, a unique field-equipment organizing system. This marine-grade aluminum unit is designed for site surveyors, engineers and contractors. It features a gull wing saddle box, two...

Qcoherent Software.(new&notable)
March 1, 2009... QCOHERENT SOFTWARE released the LP Viewer, a free LiDAR viewer that is part of QCoherent's LP360 LiDAR software tool suite. LP Viewer loads and visualizes copious amounts of LiDAR data in the industry-standardized LAS 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 formats....

Eagle Aerial Imaging.(new&notable)
March 1, 2009... EAGLE AERIAL IMAGING expanded its portfolio to include engineering-quality-accuracy 6-inch pixel resolution orthoimagery as an off-the-shelf product. This high-quality product is flown in stereo, meets NMAS standards, is DEM created, and has a...

Pointools Ltd.(new&notable)
March 1, 2009... POINTOOLS LTD. introduced Pointools Model, a high-performance point cloud solution that makes it possible to work with up to one billion scan points within AutoCAD. Existing architectural or engineering structures captured by laser scanning can...

Surveying solutions.(funandgames)
March 1, 2009... Each month, we present a surveying problem from the second edition of "1001 Solved Surveying Fundamentals Problems" by Jan Van Sickle, PLS. The answer appears below the problem in a shaded box. We hope you enjoy this exercise for the mind. A...