4 Technologies That Are Changing How Land Surveyors Do Their Job

By Tony Nettleman

Land surveying has come a long way since the earliest days when the Egyptians and Greeks used it to divide land into designated plots. Today, surveying is an essential part of our local and global environments.

Land surveying is used to collect data for construction and engineering projects, divide land into private and public plots, prepare navigational maps above and below the sea level, and help manage natural resources. Land surveying is also used in the process of building roads, bridges, buildings, and other man-made monuments, and mapping out new residential developments.

Because it is so essential in our local, national, and international existence, land surveyors are continuously seeking technologies that can improve their tasks to make each surveying project more accurate and efficient. Some of the most important tools needed to survey land today include:

GPS Devices

GPS devices are invaluable tools in land surveying because they allow professionals to survey areas twice as fast than they can without GPS. These systems are also more accurate and cost effective than traditional surveying tools. The satellite using system can measure latitude and longitude quicker and more accurately than ever before.

Drones

Drones have become one of the cannot-do-without tools in the land surveying industry. Unmanned vehicles save money by cutting out expenses for manpower and fuel. The precise accuracy of drones has also changed how and where land mapping is done.

3D Laser Scanning

3D tools have become indispensable tools in many industries including land surveying. Using state-of-the-art 3D laser scanning, surveyors can map air land and below sea level areas with an accuracy and precision that never existed before. 3D technology is used to map areas where buildings, roads, bridges, and septic systems are being built. It is also extremely useful in mapping ocean floors, preserving historic buildings, and setting utility lines in new development areas.

Robotic Total Stations

Robotic Total Stations (RTS) have changed the way land surveying is done. Rather than travelling to each site, surveyors can now measure the angles, distances, latitudes and longitudes of an area remotely with an RTS.

Land surveying is a highly demanding industry. To become a surveyor, students and professionals must pass two national exams to get their professional designation. At NLC, we help students prepare for these difficult exams. Improve your odds and upgrade your land surveying knowledge with NLC’s, Fundamentals of Surveying, Principles and Practice of Land Surveying, Texas RPLS and Florida PSM test prep products.