Undoubtedly, advances in technology and construction have come a long way throughout history, from the ancient wonders of the world, such as the pyramids of Egypt, to the modern buildings that we inhabit today, like 432 Park Avenue, in New York.

Increased drone usage, advances in mobile 3D mapping, data and statistics control, and topography are leading to improved data collection, increasing adoption of cloud data warehousing, and more streamlined and flexible information gathering. This post will go over the future of surveying technology and some of the most significant surveying trends of the new decade.

Tools of The Trade

1. UAVs and Drones

The use of aerial drones and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) is growing more popular among surveying and mapping services. The technology has various possible benefits within numerous areas linked to surveying, from geospatial mapping to scanning, building studies, environmental monitoring, and agriculture.

In addition, engineers, construction crews, and cartographers can now get their data quickly and accurately. These benefits are supplemented by the safer and less expensive operation of drones compared to more traditional land surveying methods, minimizing risk to crews and companies.

In a very short amount of time, drones have advanced far beyond what was thought possible. Drones feature state-of-the-art cameras, rechargeable lithium batteries, and offer high definition aerial photography and mapping capabilities in a small footprint. Drones and UAVs have countless inherent advantages and applications with multiple surveying advantages, including:

  • Making inaccessible places easily accessible 
  • Ability to cover large surface areas in a short period of time
  • Combining different technologies and techniques like land surveying, topographic surveying, photogrammetry, and 3D mapping into a convenient package

2. Mobile Mapping

Mobile mapping is a technology that can cover any environment with laser scanners or cameras to cloud paint and georeference each area scanned. 

The essential advantage of 3D mobile mapping systems is that the system’s speed can gather data faster than ever possible before. The system is flexible and allows crews to create 3D models from various environments, such as indoor, outdoor and underground areas. The associated 3D mapping software also offers robust organizational features, such as grouping data into projects and automatically managing individual loads.

Mobile mapping is projected to allow 5-10 times more field productivity than a standard tripod scanner. This is a technology that will play an increasingly important role in future applications, which will only improve in accuracy and quality over time.

3. The Cloud: Data Access and Point Cloud Log

Cloud computing is a powerful tool that has only grown with the launch of 5G technologies and ongoing development in cloud infrastructure. It will be a powerful tool in advancement in surveying. 

Specifically for point cloud processing, the cloud presents spectacular possibilities to speed up registration and reduce costs. Data is an area we know a lot about ─ pioneering artificial intelligence and its ability to warrant registration software will allow surveys to overcome large data sets using the cloud.  

Achieving Growth Through Technology

With laser scanning and other innovative technologies changing how construction projects get done, it’s an exciting time to be in the construction industry. However, it can be challenging to analyze the changing landscape and assess where you fit in. But with a knowledgeable guide on your side, you don’t have to risk falling behind.

At Construction Technology Partners, our team of experts can help you adopt growing construction technologies, like aerial mapping and surveying, 3D data design and prep, GPS site setup and calibration, dedicated team training, consulting, and more. 

We’ll work side-by-side with you and your team to find the best ways to streamline your projects, keep your crew safe on the job, and save you time and money. Contact our team now to discover all the ways we can help you.