Position 111 February-March 2021

February/March 2021 – No. 111

The Australasian magazine of surveying, mapping & geo-information

PUSHING BOUNDARIES

Geodetic modernisation in the Pacific Islands

Official publication of

inside GNSS showdown David and Goliath in the field

The Covid year Winners and losers in a year of change

Onshore and on-trend A changing market for LiDAR processing

Early bird deadline January 22 REGISTER TODAY www.locateconference.com/2021 FIRST ROUND OF PLENARY SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED

Adam Ferrier, Founder of THINKERBELL

appears by arrangement with Saxton Speakers Bureau

Kellen Crouse, New York State Police’s Senior Intelligence Analyst

Nadine Alameh, CEO of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)

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contents

February/March 2021 No. 111

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features 14 Q&A with Kellen Crouse New York state police’s senior intelligence analyst sits down with Roshni Sharma ahead of Locate21.

18 Pushing boundaries Case studies of the massive strides in geodetic modernisation from across the Pacific Islands.

32 Onshore and on-trend Trends and developments in the market for LiDAR processing in Australia.

34 Impact of bushfires on the cadastre Tony Proust examines the resilience of the rural cadastre in the wake of the Black Summer bushfires.

22 GNSS showdown Brian Blakeman Survey takes to the field to compare realworld performance of Emlid and Trimble receivers.

28 The Covid year Jon Fairall reflects on the massive disruptions of 2020, with a view to charting impacts and recovery in the spatial sector.

30 Cadastral transformation The trans-Tasman project to facilitate seamless exchange of 3D cadastral data.

regulars 4 Upfront, calendar 7 Editorial 8 News 37 New products 38 SSSI

www.spatialsource.com.au 3

upfront Telescopes at Cerro Tololo in northern Chile. aTmCam (foreground) measures quality of atmospheric transmission, while the 4m Victor M. Banco telescope is in the background (silver dome).

Charting celestial bodies

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even years ago, an astronomical camera was fixed to a telescope with a four-metre aperture in northern Chile. Whilst this facility began meticulously recording objects in deep space, the Anglo-Australian Australian telescope – operated by the Australian National University on behalf of a coalition of 13 universities – came online and began measuring the exact distances to these unimaginably distant objects, verifying the identity of the known supernovae.

In January 2021, the team behind this project has released its latest data on the results of this mammoth undertaking.

The Dark Energy Survey has now documented and mapped almost 700 million celestial objects.

That mind-bendingly large figure makes the project one of the world’s largest astronomical catalogues, representing around an eighth of the night sky.

The Australian part of the survey is jointly led by ANU astronomer Dr Christopher Lidman and Professor Tamara Davis from the University of Queensland.

They hope the project can answer some of our biggest questions when it comes to

our Universe, including what it’s made of and how it began.

“This is the culmination of years of effort. In addition to mapping hundreds of millions of galaxies, thousands of supernovae (exploding stars) have been discovered,” Dr. Lidman said.

“Hundreds of researchers from many countries have worked together over two decades to achieve this common goal,” Dr Lidman said.

According to Professor Davis, the huge volume of data will allow the research team to measure the history of cosmic expansion and the growth of large-scale structures in the universe, “both of which reflect the nature and amount of dark energy in the universe.”

“I’m excited to use the data to investigate the nature of dark energy, which should reveal what’s behind the acceleration of the expansion of the universe – one of the biggest mysteries in science,” Professor Davis said. n

4 March: SSSI International Women’s Day Breakfast Seminar Victoria https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/vic-21-iwd-breakfast 4 March: SSSI IWD21 Webinar – Women in Surveying https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/women-in-surveying 4 March: 2020 Regional Tasmania APSEA Awards https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/apsea-t-2020 5 March: 2020 Regional Western Australia APSEA Awards https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/apsea-wa-2020 18 March: 2020 Regional Victoria APSEA Awards https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/apsea-v-2020 23 March: SSSI Celebrating Local Surveyors in NSW: Cadastral Seminar https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/sssi-nsw-online-surveyingseminar 24-25 March: Geo Connect Asia 2021 https://www.geoconnectasia.com/ 29 March – 1 April: Locate21 https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/locate21 13 May: Tasmania state of GIS https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/tasmania-state-of-gis-2020-part2 17 September: Spatial Information Day and 2021 Regional South Australia APSEA Awards https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/sid21

The 4m Victor M. Banco telescope at the Cerro Tololo complex.

The 2dF instrument used in Australia.

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Upcoming Events

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Wednesday 24th - Thursday 25th March Sands Expo & Convention, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Global Solutions for Asia’s Geospatial & Location Intelligence Markets Mapping the Data-Driven Future Economy Join the networking hub to connect with the APAC geospatial community! With 16 hours of livestreamed talks and panel discussions at the two day conference, learn from more than 40 respected key opinion leaders round the world representing in topically relevant areas of the industry on a strategic and collaborative platform.

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Dr Lesley Arnold

David Henderson

Dr Winnie Tang

Bart de Lathouwer

Chief Geospatial Officer Director Geospatial Frameworks & Founder & Honorary President President President-elect Open Geospatial Consortium Smart City Consortium, Hong Kong Ordnance Survey, UK SSSI Australia

Philipp Kandal

Robbie Schingler

Head of Engineering Geo, Grab, Singapore

25 thMarch 2021 • Round Table: Building resilience and sustainability into ASEAN geospatial planning • Smarter Infrastructure for Sustainable Cities • Sustainable and Liveable Cities • Connecting images from space to decisions on earth • Putting 5G to work: intelligent use cases for ASEAN

Farizan D’Avezac de Moran

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from the editor The Australasian magazine of surveying, mapping & geo-information

Publisher Simon Cooper Editor Daniel Bishton dbishton@intermedia.com.au National Advertising Manager Jon Tkach jon@intermedia.com.au Prepress Tony Willson Production Manager Jacqui Cooper Subscribe Position is available via subscription only.

A 12 month subscription (6 issues) is AUD$76.00. To subscribe visit www.intermedia.com.au, phone: 1800 651 422 or email: subscriptions@intermedia.com.au website: www.spatialsource.com.au Position is published six times a year, in February, April, June, August, October and December by Interpoint Events Pty Ltd. ABN: 9810 451 2469 Address: 41 Bridge Road, Glebe NSW 2037 Ph: +61 2 9660 2113 Fax: +61 2 9660 4419 Reprints from Position are permitted only with the permission of the publisher. In all cases, reprints must be acknowledged as follows: ‘Reprinted with permission from Position Magazine’, and must include the author’s byline.

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Thresholding

A

time of great transition is upon us.

This is apparent whether you’re spectating global events, charting quotients of atmospheric gases or observing the dance of celestial bodies.

I’ve witnessed great shifts for many around me, in my own circumstances and the rapid adaptations of our geospatial community to an entropic time. Shake things up a bit, interesting insights emerge that may have otherwise remained obscured. Applying filters, adjusting parameters to trigger and inform future actions can help create a framework for progress that cuts through, finding signal in the noise.

A process of thresholding, if you like.

On a somewhat less grandiose and esoteric note, this issue will be my last as editor of Position.

It’s been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to helm this publication, beginning as an outsider and using this role as a means to come to know the vast wellspring of talent, dedication, progressive leadership and immense potential that brims in our own backyard.

What I’ve learned here has informed the jumping-off point for my next arc, which will take me deep into the remote Northern Territory and involves creative applications of technology in the incorporation and appropriate weighting of Indigenous knowledge systems for environmental management.

As always, in this issue we seek to notate and celebrate those in our industry innovating and adapting, looking forward with determination and holding tight to the foundational values that endure.

Our cover feature showcases the massive strides in geodetic capacity building and modernisation in the Pacific Islands, with a series of case studies

presented by the United Nation’s Committee on Global Geospatial Information Management’s Subcommittee on Geodesy (page 18).

Jon Fairall looks at the peaks and troughs in local market dynamics over the first year of Covid-19 (page 28), and we hear from New Zealand SurveyorGeneral Anselm Haanen on the transTasman project to streamline and harmonise the exchange of 3D cadastral data (page 30).

Tony Proust approaches another critical issue for maintaining the cadastre, exploring the issues facing the rural cadastre in the age of increasingly frequent, cataclysmic bushfires (page 34).

We feature New York state police’s senior intelligence analyst and Locate21 talent Kellen Crouse in our Q&A (page 14) and get down to the nitty gritty of GNSS technology in the desert with Brian Blakeman Survey with a detailed performance comparison of Emlid and Trimble receivers (page 22).

Finally, Dr. Nnicholas Read gives us an update on trends in the market for onshore LiDAR data processing, from the perspective of a local spatial data analytics company (page 32).

It’s been an absolute pleasure sharing the best and most creative applications of spatial disciplines, market movements and research with you over the past three years. Please enjoy this issue of Position, take care of yourselves and each other.

Good night and good luck.

April/May 2021 – Issue 112

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news

Bentley elevates participation in digital twin consortium Bentley Systems has become a founding member of the digital twin consortium, aimed at advancing interoperability.

The move will see the firm increase its involvement and collaboration in the initiative, which comprises representatives from government, academia and industry.

Bentley will become a member of the consortium’s steering committee, contribute to the strategic roadmap, working groups and governance processes to advance discussions on interoperability, file interchange formats and other initiatives to increase uptake and utility of digital twins.

It’s a shrewd strategic move that reflects the firm’s recognition of open standards and formats as a key barrier to uptake, reflected in its iTwin activities — the software platform, developer conferences and partner programs aimed at utilising open solutions and gaining traction with the open source development community.

“We are delighted that Bentley is a founding member of Digital Twin Consortium and is also a member of our steering committee,” said Dr. Richard Soley, executive director, Digital Twin Consortium.

Save the date: Geo Connect Asia Geo Connect Asia will take place as a hybrid event on March 24th and 25th, 2021.

The organisers of Geo Connect Asia have announced that the event will take place at the Sands Expo & convention Centre, at the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore — and from the comfort of your own home.

The hybrid event will welcome 2,200 delegates in person and virtually, congregating around the event theme: ‘Mapping the Data-driven Future Economy’.

Rupert Owen, Montgomery Asia Event Director and Co-founder of Geo Connect Asia said that a dual-platform approach to the event brings the best of both worlds.

“We are hugely excited to announce that Geo Connect Asia 2021 will be Singapore’s first physical-virtual event of its size in 2021,” he said.

“Going hybrid is set to be a game-changer in this new normal, as international travel remains limited while physical events are slowly allowed to resume under strict health & safety protocols.”

The first tranche of speakers has been announced, including Philipp Kandal, Head of Engineering, Geo, Grab, Singapore; Dr Winnie Tang, Founder & Honorary President Smart City Consortium, Hong Kong; and David Henderson, Chief Geospatial Officer, Ordnance Survey, UK.

Position Partners to distribute Soil Instruments sensors The veteran sensor maker produces precision monitoring instruments such as strain gauges and piezometers to detect miniscule changes in pressure or settlement for applications such as micro deformations in steel or concrete.

The announcement of a formalised agreement comes after a Position Partners has been supplying Soil Instrument sensors to meet highly specific needs, according to the company.

“Position Partners has worked with Soil Instruments’ product range for 18 months for specific projects that have required specialised sensors,” said Andrew Jones, Monitoring Marketing Development Manager at Position Partners.

“Soil Instruments has an excellent reputation amongst engineers and geotechnical specialists for their high quality monitoring products,” he added. “Their range expands our monitoring solution portfolio, providing customers a more efficient technical and commercial offering,” he added.

Position Partners packages Soil Instruments tools with Senceive wireless IoT monitoring solutions.

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Adaptation to Covid-19 to drive digital twin uptake: report The need to adapt to Covid-19 will accelerate expansion of digital twin and smart city technologies, according to a new report from ABI Research.

Titled Smart Cities and Smart Spaces, the report found that a need to increase resilience and optimise resource management in light of the Covid-19 pandemic will be a key driver in the uptake of digital twins over the next five years.

The researchers estimate that the market for digital twins will grow from $US3.8 billion in 2019 to $US35.8 billion per year by 2025.

The report also projects that by 2025, the number of urban digital twins globally will be over 500 and that implementation will expand to widespread, multi-purpose deployments from pilot projects.

Dominique Bonte, Vice President, End Markets at ABI Research noted that since the first digital twins were deployed in cities such as Singapore around three years ago, features have quickly expanded to enable a much wider range of application areas including infrastructure coverage planning and green infrastructure management.

Australian geological map translated into First Nation’s language A recently released palaeovalley map of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the northwest of South Australia has been translated into Pitjantjatjara by the Iwiri Aboriginal Corporation.

Carmen Krapf, a geologist who worked on the project, said the intention for this translation was to encourage twoway communication between the local community and the Department for Energy and Mining (DEM).

Originally from Germany, it was Krapf’s passion for language that led to the map’s translation.

“When I started working at the APY Lands I took a language course at the University of South Australia to be prepared,” Krapf said.

“I felt passionate about publishing it in the language of the people in the community if they had any need to follow up or ask questions.”

Krapf said that the DEM supported this passion and shared the same values of connecting to the First Nations people in the remote communities.

“If you work in a place where the people don’t speak the language, you owe it to them to publish your findings in their language,” Krapf said.

“Researchers come and they use the community and don’t give anything back to that community.

“Indigenous cultures are about learning and sharing, and science is always forgetting to share.”

Barbara Ryan appointed executive director of WGIC Ms. Barbara J. Ryan has stepped up as the executive director of the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) from the beginning of 2021.

Established in 2018, the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) set out to define itself as a transformative industry association for geospatial matters.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar helmed the organisation in its formative years as CEO and secretary-general, shaped the committees and working groups and brought in prominent leaders at WGIC to lead various initiatives and programs, according to a statement.

With leadership experience at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), Ms. Ryan will be responsible for the day-to-day management of WGIC, including

its programs and strategic planning efforts in her role as executive director. www.spatialsource.com.au 9

news Mapping invasive grasses with machine learning Researchers have developed a machine learning model that can identify Gamba grass from high resolution satellite imagery with up to 90 percent accuracy.

Scientists from Charles Darwin University, the University of Western Australia and the CSIRO have developed and trained the model to detect the invasive weed from high resolution multispectral imagery.

Gamba grass is a Weed of National Significance in northern Australia that can grow in tussocks up to 4m high and burn in large hot fires in the dry season. The scale and remoteness of the areas it affects make on-the-ground mapping approaches impractical, according to the CSIRO and Associate Professor Samantha Setterfield from the University of Western Australia.

“Mapping gamba grass using satellite imagery unlocks the potential to frequently map large areas so we can get a better picture of where gamba grass is across northern Australia, and how quickly it is spreading,” she said.

“Managers can then target areas that are the highest priority for control, such as biodiversityrich areas or culturally important sites.”

Locate21 approved for Austrade Business Events Grants program The region’s biggest geospatial event has been approved for the Austrade Business Events Grants program, enabling sponsors and delegates of the upcoming Locate21 conference to have up to 50 percent of their event costs covered by the grant funding.

“We are very grateful to have been successful in receiving this funding and hope it will instill some confidence and give businesses the helping hand they need to return to business conferences such as ours,” said event organiser Alicia Smith of the Locate event, which attracts around 900 attendees each year.

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Ms. Smith says the funding will appeal to Locate’s sponsoring companies and organisations sending multiple delegates as the minimum investment is $20,000 and the maximum is $250,000 with the program offering half of eligible expenditure back.

Eligible expenditure can be for multiple aspects of their attendance at the event including travel, accommodation and registration, promotional material related to exhibiting at the event; digital promotion related to exhibiting at the event; event and display set up costs, and other associated overheads.

Eva Rodriguez Rodriguez a ‘superstar of STEM’ FrontierSI’s Eva Rodriguez Rodriguez has been named one of 60 leading women in Australian science — a ‘superstar of STEM’.

The announcement by Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews named Eva among 60 rising stars of STEM fields chosen for inclusion in the 2021-22 programme.

Founded in 2017 and run by Science and Technology Australia (STA), the programme ‘supports and upskills women working in the sector to communicate with influence and share their passion for STEM with the Australian community.’

Science & Technology Australia Chief Executive Officer Misha Schubert said the program gave women in STEM stronger skills and confidence to step into expert commentary roles in the media.

“It’s hard to be what you can’t see,” she said. “Women are still seriously under-represented in STEM leadership roles.”

No stranger to career accolades, Eva is a dynamic and

driving force of Australia’s geospatial community, playing a key role in driving diversity initiatives alongside participation in agenda-setting programmes and initiatives that contribute to charting the course of the industry’s future.

Overhauled app aids farmers’ entry to carbon market The LOOC-C (‘Look See’) app provides detailed assessments of how a user’s land use and farming activities square with eligibility for rebates under the Climate Solutions Fund (CSF).

The tool aims to provide an easy entry point for carbon farming, encouraging landholders to help reduce national carbon emissions by capturing carbon in their plants and soil — and get paid for it.

The app estimates abatement quantity for a given land area, with calculations consistent with the latest version of the National Carbon Accounting Model. The updated tool now models soil carbon and beef herd cattle management.

CSIRO’s LOOC-C project leader, Peter Fitch, said the tool’s overarching aim is to help pastoralists and land managers participate in abatement activities profitably — contributing to emission mitigation and incentivising sustainable activities on the plot or pasture.

“LOOC-C is unique and the quickest way of finding out what carbon farming options are available for your farm, what you’re eligible for and what the benefits might be,” he said.

“We see it as a high-tech conversation starter that enables farmers to undertake a preliminary assessment of options and connect them with a suitable next step for their carbon farming journey.”

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news Geoscape Australia CEO Dan Paull resigns

Geoscape Australia (formerly PSMA Australia) bids farewell to CEO Dan Paull after almost 20 years in the role.

The company made the announcement on Monday, paying tribute to the outgoing executive and well-known figure in Australia’s geospatial community.

Chair of the Geoscape Australia’s board, Lynne Robinson, said Dan had made an extraordinary contribution to the company

and the geospatial industry.

“We’re immensely grateful to Dan for his wonderful service,” Ms. Robinson said.

“No one individual has made a greater contribution to this company. While we’re sad to see him go, we’re delighted for him and wish him well in his future role.”

Mr. Paull presided over the development of the company’s core data products, foundation datasets including the Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF), CadLite and Transport & Topography.

Mr. Paull also championed Geoscape Buildings, a rich continent-scale buildings dataset, and drove establishment of the company’s continuous data processing platform and API services.

Fugro, EOMAP sign on to ‘4S’ satellite seafloor mapping project The ‘4S’ project will develop a cloud-based, automated Earth observation service to remotely map and monitor seafloor habitats.

The ‘4S’ (Satellite Seafloor Survey Suite) project seeks to de-risk shallow water bathymetry and site characterisation activities with an automated analysis platform for satellite-derived data.

With EU co-funding for three years, Earth observation algorithms will be developed to map and monitor coastal morphology, bathymetry and seafloor habitats.

Artificial intelligence, satellite and airborne data, and physics models to develop the

platform, led by EOMAP. Dr. Knut Hartmann, 4S Project Coordinator and COO of EOMAP, said: “The aim of 4S is to achieve a seamless integration of satellite-data analytics into marine and coastal workflows. We’re combining recent advances in satellite sensors, data analytics and cloud infrastructure to benefit marine reporting, monitoring and surveying methods.”

THE BEST VISUALISATIONS START WITH THE BEST 3D MODELS Aerometrex 3D models enable decision making at the speed of conversation and based on data that can be twinned with reality. The ability to integrate these models with easy-to-use gaming devices aids the viewing and analysing of planning data, engineering designs, real estate developments and so much more. These models can now be placed into the hands of anyone, at any time. www.aerometrex.com.au

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partner feature

How the spatial industry can level up the gaming industry

Aerometrex uses dynamic lighting for the ultimate real-time visualisation of 3D reality mesh models.

T

he geospatial and gaming industries have a common goal that’s pulling them closer together: accurately reproducing the real world. That’s causing a convergence for both sectors that presents a compelling opportunity for spatial professionals.

Aerometrex pays close attention to GIS visualisation systems for showcasing its high-resolution aerial imagery, 3D modelling, and LiDAR data. They are firm believers that gaming engines have a significant role to play in the future of real-time spatial visualisation and vice versa.

What are game engines?

In short, game engines are the building platforms for video games. They are to the games industry what ArcGIS, AutoCAD, or GeoMedia are to the geospatial industry.

Strip back the differences between the spatial and gaming industries and the common goal is accurately rendering the real world into the virtual one.

Game engines are, at their core, staging and simulation environments. They’re creativity sandboxes at the centre of a global industry worth tens of billions per year, waiting for input data and output parameters.

Photogrammetry and lidar in games - adding measurement and fidelity There’s a symbiotic relationship between gaming and geospatial sectors. As game engines become better real-time visualisation platforms, ever-improving geospatial products like LiDAR, orthoimagery, and photogrammetry add greater measurement accuracy and visual fidelity to games.

Games aspiring to real-world

reproduction are turning to companies like Aerometrex for ways to bring geospatial data into games. Games like Forza Motorsport, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), and Star Wars Battlefront have used photogrammetry and LiDAR to recreate everything from specific movie props, forests and mountain ranges, and real-world racetracks.

Aerometrex has ingested their highresolution 3D models from Adelaide, Denver, Pau, and Philadelphia into Twinmotion and Unreal Engine to test their real-time visualisation capabilities.

The company has also developed AI-driven semantic classification to separate and replace specific objects from photogrammetry models and make texture enhancements. The system identifies cars, trees, and classified features to be hidden from the visualisation, or replaced by pre-made game assets.

Infrastructure marketing and project showcasing Game engines can already take over a specific and lucrative role for the geospatial, architecture, engineering, and construction industries: marketing asset creation.

Whether a road, bridge, building, or housing development, game engines give you the best opportunity to create an emotional connection because of the realism they offer. Showcasing your large scale project has become integral to the modern spatial industries. Quality realtime renders are powerful assets during the tender process, drive sales, and help with stakeholder engagement. The spatial industry opportunities from game engines are substantial: creating interactive 3D worlds and experiences unmatched by any traditional spatial industry or marketing tools.

The hunt for immersion The push for immersive videogame experiences is perfectly crafting game engines for impactful real-time GIS visualisation.

Dynamic lighting, realistic weather, and photogrammetry asset libraries make for a rich and diverse staging environment that can change to reflect real-world conditions. An architectural firm can re-create a fully-furnished apartment building and show real-world lighting to prospective buyers who can

digitally walk through the property.

Housing developments can model an entire neighbourhood before it’s built and let people experience the space in virtual reality. Large infrastructure projects can place new structures within a city model and show a bridge or building as it will exist in the real world.

Cross-industry interests Some of the biggest names in the gaming industry are actively building and adapting platforms for geospatial visualisation. The spatial industry’s size and value are too substantial for the gaming industry to ignore.

Both Unity and Unreal-Engine can import spatial data as FBX, elevation data as height map and corresponding imagery to drape on top. ESRI CityEngine can directly export data into Unreal Engine Datasmith format. Datasmith is a collection of tools to bring CAD, BIM and GIS content to Unreal Engine. Complex 3D environments streamable to any web browser via Pixel Streaming. Unreal Engine provides tools to manage large terrain-based worlds such as Landscape and World Composition.

The development clout of gaming companies is bringing down usability barriers and making for streamlined creativity products. Aerometrex has begun leveraging real-time game visualisations. City models populated with humans, moving vehicles, dynamic lighting, and weather effects get made quickly by ingesting 3D models built from photogrammetry. Fly-throughs and cinematic video outputs are edited together and published on the internet for engaging marketing content.

Where to learn more The industry crossover is still early for spatial and gaming, but there will likely be a first-mover advantage for those who learn the newly emerging ecosystem.

Those wanting to learn more about game engines can follow Epic Games, Unity and Twinmotion or see Aerometrex for examples of how real-time visualisations are used. n Information provided by Aerometrex.

Adding realistic people and objects into 3D models turns them into living scenes.

www.spatialsource.com.au 13

q&a

Q&A with Kellen Crouse As the colossus of Locate21 approaches, we showcase one of the international guests to grace the stage: Kellen Crouse, senior intelligence analyst with New York State Police, in conversation with Locate’s Roshni Sharma.

RS: Kellen, welcome. It’s fantastic to have you here with us today, could you please tell us a little bit about how you got into GIS and what you love about it.

KC: Thank you very much for having me,

I’m excited to be part of this, I discovered GIS while in graduate school. I decided to go back to school for criminal justice, while there I learned about this field of crime analysis and it was something I never really knew anything about, I’d never heard of. So I took a course on crime mapping and – I loved it, I really connected with it. As a person who is not artistic at all, it gave me this feeling that I could create something visual and creative that really mattered. It also had a kind of fact based, decision making influence that I liked. I want to be able to make a difference, but with this skill I could have this visual, creative element, something that I didn’t typically have, so I was very excited about it.

RS: What’s your journey been to date, and where do you want it to go in the future?

KC: As for my journey, I started off my

career as a crime analyst in the city of Albany, New York – the state capital.

I bounced around a little bit, I’m from Maryland so I went back to Baltimore city and then I was in Camden, New Jersey. All high crime cities, working as a crime analyst in each of these. In that career there is a lot of statistics, looking for trends and patterns in both calls for service, 911 calls. Working to

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both solve those cases, but also helping to ‘smart deploy’ your officers, so – let’s use statistics and let’s use mapping to really direct those decision makers, and those police officers with a very different background – what’s here’s the most efficient way to keep people safe.

Eventually I came back to New York.

I work at our state fusion centre, our state intelligence centre. As an intelligence analyst, the role’s a little different, less statistics and less of a direct role on how we deploy our forces but there’s a lot of shared skills. Use of GIS has exploded in the last four or five years, and now half or more of our requests for help on criminal investigations involve some kind of GIS element.

In terms of the future, I’m interested in how police can deploy [GIS] and integrate it along with social services.

There was a big discussion in the US around defunding the police, or at least trying to reform it a bit, involve more mental health services and non-sworn, non-gun-carrying officers for incidents that might not use them. Traditionally we’ve tried to use GIS and tried to use our data to, as I said, kind of ‘smart deploy’ where can we stop crimes before they happen. I’m excited for the idea of how can we use those same skills to identify the neighbourhoods and the people that need that help.

So maybe instead of just targeting where we need to make arrests and where we need to stop bad guys, why don’t we

incorporate with those partners we have, work together as a whole government and bring back up some of those areas, help people out. So instead of people being locked away for years, we’re achieving the goal of improving safety and reducing crime, but in a much more positive way.

RS: Kellen, you were speaking earlier about not being a professional cartographer – I’m really curious about whether, as somebody who is using GIS quite often, but not necessarily strictly trained in GIS, do you ever feel a sense of imposter syndrome?

KC: It can come up, but most frequently

it’s kind of in these environments it’s in these times when I get to go to a conference where I’m surrounded by hundreds or thousands of other people in this field and I go to present on what we do with a unique voice and how law enforcement is using these tools. And let’s say I’m looking at presentations about using Python and about machine learning and I’m fascinated by it, and at this point it’s not quite a part of what I do so, it’s not something i’ve learned.

I realised that i’ve used geospatial data and a lot of the software for my entire career on an almost daily basis, so it’s not like i’m brand new, but i’m just surrounded by this future – it’s pretty amazing and exciting but also humbling.

I just find that I need to check in and kind of remind myself: ‘No, these are your people, it’s all right.’

In terms of the future, I’m interested in how police can deploy [GIS] and integrate it along with social services.

RS: So this brings me to the idea that for a while, spatial has been considered quite – special or standalone. But more recently there’s been a growing awareness in spatial as an industry, as well as other related industries such as yours that spatial is no longer special, it’s becoming more widely recognised that spatial underpins almost every other industry on Earth. Especially that location, intelligence and analysis is an incredibly powerful thing. How do you think we can convey the importance of the use of spatial thinking in business today, to counter this imposter syndrome, to help people realise that even if they’re not directly spatial trained, they can easily and effectively incorporate spatial processes into their day-to-day work?

KC: We’ve had some success there. Law

enforcement can kind of be slow to adapt, we can whether it’s because of old school mentalities or budgets, sometimes we’re catching up with the private sector.

But we’re getting there by giving our partner law enforcement agencies wins in cases. So it might be the situation where there’s a string of burglaries or whatever, and I have some kind of old school grizzled captain who wants to do things a certain way and we’re able to come and be part of that. And we show them that there is such a spatial aspect and how we can we add so much value to it. In particular, the number of times that we’ve gone to trial, and then we end up putting up maps and it’s not just a piece

of paper, there’s something dynamic about it – whether it’s an animation or a story map.

When it comes to people on the ground, or people at the desks working through the cases – I’ve interacted with so many analysts and officers in smaller departments, or in other towns that would be responsible for my role and maybe they just got something, and they’re not really sure how to do it. They come up to you after you do the business card exchange and it really is just like we’re right there at the same page. I might have done some of it in school, but other people I end up training a lot of my staff may have no idea, and even some of them who have no interest in doing anything with geospatial science, or any of that data you learn that you can do it very easily it’s, not just for the people who love it.

It can add so much value and really bring those people in, especially with a kind of network connection of: ‘I know that did you work over here and I’m separate, but, give me a call and let’s go through the couple things that didn’t work.’ It’s that helping hand, it’s networking it’s friendships, and it works.

RS: They’re true friendships networks, they make all the difference. Unfortunately that’s all we can fit in today, but thanks so much for your time, Kellen. We look forward to seeing you present at Locate21!

KC: Thanks Roshni, I’ve had a fantastic time

and I can’t wait to be part of Locate. n

www.spatialsource.com.au 15

partner feature The team utilised 28 Leica Nova TM50 monitoring stations.

Monitoring Australia’s biggest transport project ‘Tested, tried and proven’ Leica instruments and software highlight the complex system monitoring the tracks and platforms during Central Station’s Sydney Metro upgrade.

A

s excavation and construction continue on Sydney Metro, Australia’s biggest transport project, a small and vital team of engineers has been quietly navigating the customers and rumbling trains that define Sydney’s Central Station.

They are using state of the art equipment to monitor the tracks and existing infrastructure to make sure the massive works necessary to bring new metro trains to the 120-year-old Sydney landmark aren’t impacting the hundreds of thousands of daily customers that use the station.

That important job was awarded by principal contractor Laing O’Rourke to the team at GLS Monitoring, a joint venture between Land Surveys and Geomotion Australia. With the safety of customers a priority, the team knew the equipment had to be precise and sturdy enough to withstand the challenges of the busy station.

“I’m really satisfied with the Leica instruments we have,” says Szabolcs Fajcsi, Instrumentation and

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Monitoring Manager with GLS Monitoring.

“We don’t get the call often, but for example the contractor might ring up on a Sunday night saying, ‘Okay, can you just please check the south end of track 16 to see if there are any movements on the track’” “You have to be really, really quick, and ready to make a call,” he says. “But the instruments we use make it really easy to give a reliable

They built a large network that includes 28 Leica Nova TM50 monitoring stations pointed at more than 4,500 prism reflectors installed across the tracks and station platforms, along with an assortment of other geotechnical sensors.

The team has employed Leica’s GeoMoS Monitoring Software to keep a watchful eye on the trove of data coming in round-the-clock

“The instruments we use make it really easy to give a reliable answer so that when the client needs you to make the call – you can make the call.”

– GLS Monitoring’s Szabolcs Fajcsi answer so that when the client needs you to make the call – you can make the call.”

Those quick calls are made possible by a robust and complex monitoring system the GLS Monitoring team developed with the help of their partners at distributor CR Kennedy.

and provide alerts in case it detects any movement outside acceptable limits.

“GeoMoS is one of the more widely used pieces of software across the world, and we are familiar with its data structure and how to extract the information we need,” says Drew Coulthard, National

Monitoring Manager with Land Surveys.

“When it comes down to it, GeoMoS is tested, tried and proven.”

Coulthard says the team needed proven precision from each instrument they chose for the project.

“One of the key factors with the Leica Nova TM50s is their ATR (automated target recognition) ability, especially considering all the densely located prisms required for this job,” he says.

“So, for example, on the track you might have prisms three metres apart, but from the instrument’s field of view they look very close - the Leica TM50 is pretty superior when it comes to being able to recognise each prism,” he says.

“And another major factor with the TM50s is that we know that they are really good hard-wearing instruments that perform well in a pretty tough environment.”

GLS Monitoring’s Szabolcs Fajcsi knows all too well how demanding Central Station can be on both the equipment and the team.

GeoMoS Monitoring Software keeps a watchful eye around the clock and alerts in case movement is detected.

The Amberg GRP 1000 Rail Trolley provides automated track geometry monitoring.

“Well, we have constant maintenance, mainly because with all these prisms on the tracks and the dust at the station, the prisms get dirty every two weeks or so,” Fajcsi says. “So, it’s especially challenging sometimes to find a timeframe where you can jump on the tracks and clean and reinstate those targets with how busy the station can be,” he says.

Fajcsi says the GLS Monitoring team has had very few issues with the Leica TM50 monitoring stations even with the adverse

exciting, but complicated, environment for construction and monitoring operations. In other words, there is a lot of existing, vital, infrastructure and just about everything has moved over the years - even the tracks.

That is why the team had CR Kennedy supply them with an Amberg GRP 1000 Rail Trolley, which they used to conduct a base survey of the real track conditions and geometry at the start of the project.

Because of the dynamic nature of Central Station,

conditions. But, in the very few instances where the units have needed some attention it was a real plus having the CR Kennedy support available at short notice.

“It’s usually pretty easy and quick to just take the unit down the road to CR Kennedy where they are able to give us a quick calibration or solution for the problem, usually with just a couple days turnaround,” he says.

Drew Coulthard with Land Surveys says the age and complexity of Central Station make it an especially

The team installed more than 4,500 prism reflectors across the tracks and station platforms.

Instrumentation and Monitoring Manager Szabolcs Fajcsi says the trolley still tends to get used a few times a month, more than a year into the project.

“We have the monitoring from track eight all the way to track 23 – that is pretty much four kilometres of track in total,” Fajcsi says. “If there is some sort of maintenance on the tracks then we need to do a trolley survey to be able to provide automated track geometry monitoring.”

Land Surveys has purchased at least two more of the trolleys, seeing the value they can bring in projects across Australia including a major rail project for mining giant BHP in the Pilbara and a commuter rail job in Perth.

But Fajcsi is satisfied keeping his focus trained on the massive construction project underway at Central Station and his role in making sure it goes smoothly.

“This is pretty amazing,” he says. “The amount of excavation that they are doing right under the live tracks without any interruption above really is just amazing.”

“This is a really challenging environment to do monitoring in, and that just keeps us going.” n Information provided by CR Kennedy. www.spatialsource.com.au 17

feature

Pushing boundaries in Geodetic modernisation Evidence from countries and territories in the Pacific Islands.

Efforts to develop local capacity for geodesy in both technical skills and technological uptake are making serious headway in the Asia Pacific region. Here we present a series of case studies from the Pacific Islands showcasing the latest developments, milestones and challenges, courtesy of the United Nation’s Committee on Global Geospatial Information Management’s Subcommittee on Geodesy and FIG’s Asia Pacific Capacity Development Network.

Introduction By – Allison Craddock and Rob Sarib Global geodesy is dependent on findable, accessible, inter-operable and reusable (FAIR) contributions from nations all around the globe. Experts state, no single country can maintain the Global Geodetic Reference Frame (GGRF), thus regional collaboration amongst countries to leverage their limited assets, geodetic infrastructure, knowledge and capabilities to perform precise measurements is a necessity.

To support regional collaboration between government geodetic survey organisations (GSOs) and nongovernment organisations (NGOs), countries employ, to varying degrees, the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (UN GGIM) and World Bank “Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF)”. This guiding framework facilitates a common approach to preparing national or country action plans (CAPs) for the development, integration, strengthening and maximisation of geodetic and geospatial infrastructure and systems, as well as resourcing, and developing capabilities. For some countries it is a ‘roadmap and pathway’ to reducing the geodetic and geospatial digital divide with their more prosperous neighbors, securing socio-economic prosperity, and providing justification or rationale for development partner funding of geodetic or geospatial projects.

Briefly, there are nine strategic pathways within three main areas of influence, anchoring the IGIF, which are governance; technology; and people. The nine strategic pathways attempt to foster and amplify the innovative and integrative nature of geospatial information by making it accessible to governments,

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businesses, academia, and civil societies to optimisse or generate new products, services, and applications that deliver knowledge for evidence-based policy and decision-making.

Broadly speaking, the IGIF and formulation of CAPs serve as a collaborative roadmap to help governments develop, access, and use geospatial information to make effective policies and more accurately direct aid and development resources. For some GSOs, using both the IGIF and CAPs lead to concrete recommendations on establishing national geodetic or geospatial infrastructure / systems, improving geodetic capabilities, and tangible outcomes for the GSO and stakeholders. Also, with structured and harmonised organisational planning, GSOs are empowered with opportunities to partner with traditional and nontraditional geospatial groups emanating from NGOs, commercial entities, academic institutions, and scientific agencies who have access to relevant data, technology, and knowledge.

The implementation strategies and tools for the IGIF and CAPs are contained in several documents and modules, which were finalised and released in early 2020. However, several GSOs, from the Pacific Islands Countries and Territories (PICTs), recognissed the potential benefits of operationalising parts of the IGIF in various policy statements, and commenced country action planning to advance the modernisation of their geodetic datum, build geodetic and geospatial capacity and capability, and to leverage international collaborative efforts.

The following are case studies from three national, and one regional GSO, which demonstrate the activity of geodetic modernisation in the PICTs.

Tonga Case Study: Embracing Local Challenges through Regional and International Partnerships By – Viliami Folau, Senior Geodetic Survey Rapid development in the technologies and knowledge in contemporary global geodesy and geodetic survey has increased the digital gap between developed GSOs and those from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) or PICTs, such as Tonga. For most PICTs, geodesy was viewed as a complicated science and therefore discouraged GSOs to pursue the establishment of geospatial reference system (GRS) or survey mapping datum. As a consequence, the first geodetic datum and associated surveys in Tonga were carried out by overseas surveyors in the 1950s. Likewise, the development of Tonga’s new datum, Tonga Geodetic Datum 2005 TGD2005, was propagated with assistance from a New Sealand company.

To further enhance TGD2005, Tonga turned to GSOs both regionally and globally for assistance and guidance to improve local geodetic capability and capacity, raise the profile, awareness and importance of a GRS to surveyors, decision makers, industry and community. The adoption of the 2015 Resolution on GGRF by the UN Assembly, united governments and GSOs in the common effort to modernise geodetic reference frames (GRFs).

The significance of this resolution was recognised by the relevant Ministries of Tonga, who have subsequently supported, and actively participated in meetings, conferences, seminars, and workshops on the administrative and technical facets of geodesy and GRSs. These initiatives were organised

Diagram 1 – Tonga’s regional / global partnership and collaboration matrix to manage GRS challenges and obstacles.

through collaboration with the UN GGIM Subcommittee on Geodesy, UN GGIM Asia Pacific Working Group 1 Geodetic Reference Frame, FIG Commission 5 – Positioning & Measurement, and FIG Asia Pacific Capacity Development Network. As a result of these alliances, development partnerships have formed with GSOs from numerous countries, international professional and scientific organisations, and geodetic / geospatial information experts around the world.

This network of like-minded people provides Tonga, and other PICTs,

Tuvalu Case Study: Modernising geodesy and geospatial activities, and developing IGIF in Tuvalu By – Faatasi Malologa, Director of Lands & Survey Introduction of new technologies in surveying and geospatial science have been a challenge to Tuvalu. The approach to narrow this gap between the western world and Tuvalu’s GSO is a sound understanding of geodesy, geodetic and geospatial applications, and effective mechanisms to achieve the wants and needs.

Tuvalu acknowledge the importance of modernizing its GRS infrastructure with guidance from PGSC Partnership Desk SPC (Pacific Community), Geoscience Australia (GA), Land Information New Sealand (LINZ), United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, UN- GGIM- AP, FIG and experts. Tuvalu has been fortunate for the past decade, with continuous support and collaboration from these regional, and international partners with our ‘quest to get what we need’. Today, with the political will of the Department of Lands & Survey, under the Office of the Prime Minister, the National Geodetic Survey Campaign (2016 - 2020), and the survey of our vertical heights, to establish datum for each of our individual islands, and their connection to the ellipsoid (ITRF2014) has been completed. These achievements were accomplished with

the opportunity for knowledge and expertise to be exchanged or channeled, thus improving local knowledge and understanding, and forming foundations for a sustainable GRF. The formation of the Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council (PGSC) in 2014 and the adoption of its 10-year geospatial and surveying strategy, ‘Positioning the Pacific for the Future’consolidated global, regional and national GSO partnerships. The establishment of the PGSC also reinforced the GGRF concept that ’we cannot do it alone’, and collaboration is the pathway to growth, external support and assistance.

Being an active member of PGSC (and previously mentioned bodies) and their activities, Tonga’s understanding of the why, what and how, in terms of a GRS were crystallised. At the national level, Tonga’s ministry now understands and appreciates the significance of having a modern and robust national GRS. It is also clear that GRS applications have a critical role in the disaster management of lowlying islands prone to sea level rise, as well as natural phenomena such as cyclones,

earthquakes and volcanic activity.

In 2018, Tonga was one of the countries selected by the UN GGIM to be part of the 11th Tranche Development Account Project for Strengthening Geospatial Information Management in Developing Countries, through the use of the IGIF. This opportunity provided Tonga with a timely opportunity to fully modernise its GRS and geospatial information management using a National Geospatial Action Plan.

In concluding, over the past few years, the Geodetic Survey Services of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has gone from strength to strength, and can now look beyond the challenges and towards the ’bright light’ at the end of the tunnel. Participation at regional and global level, and collaboration with experts from around the world, has strengthened Tonga’s work towards modernising the GRS. Our global and regional network of partners, with their insights, expert advice and ongoing support, have given Tonga the tools and self confidence in our plans to achieve our goals.

support from our development partners.

Also more recently, the department invested in survey equipment, such as S7 Trimble Robotic Total Station, Trimble R10 GNSS receivers, Matrice200 drone, and Phantom 4 drones. Tuvalu also received support from World Bank- GEF funding, through the Tuvalu Coastal Adaption Project (TCAP), to access LiDAR (light detection and ranging) data conducted by Fugro Company Ltd, Australia in May-June 2020. All of these devices and acquired data have been used in our geospatial surveys and mapping work for Tuvalu.

As the Department is the custodian for all national geodetic and geospatial data in the country, the Department recognised the purpose, value and necessity for a regular LiDAR data capture program; especially to - monitor, measure and map the coastline changes caused by natural events (such as cyclones), and better manage our built environment and assets.

As a consequence, the Department has considered the purchase of a Triton fixed wing drone, with LiDAR sensor, with imagery capability (and accessories), to enable the capture of geospatial data across the islands / atolls, for digital mapping. The purchase of this additional drone may also be an opportunity for the Department to provide survey monitoring and mapping services during the construction of the new airport runways in Tuvalu, which are expected to be complete in mid-2021.

Presently, the Department can deploy two survey teams to conduct surveys using total station, and drones. To accommodate increases in demand for our services from within government and the private sector, an additional survey team is on stand-by to fulfil their requirements. Also, this geospatial mapping capability will be improved with the purchase of an extra S7 (3”) Trimble Robotic TS, and the new UAV kits arriving in 2021. In relation to this, the Department have strongly advocated that training is to be conducted in Tuvalu, as this broadens capacity, and allows all staff of different technical skills, and gender, to build their capabilities.

Overall, this policy initiative has enabled the Department to elevate geodetic training, and the opportunity to improve capacity development of our workforce in other related fields such as land management, land use, and geospatial information systems, as well as on traditional surveying.

Under the new Tuvalu National Sustainable Strategy Development 20212026 - Te Kete 2021- 2026, the Tuvalu government endorsed the Department to utilise the UN-GGIM IGIF to guide, plan and monitor all national land developments and projects in the country.

Consequently, in 2021, Tuvalu will to seek collaborate with development partners to implement aspects of the IGIF, and obtain guidance to develop relevant CAPs. In addition, to our geodetic and geospatial www.spatialsource.com.au 19

feature modernisation programs in CAPs, there are also other initiatives that will require assistance, such as – • Revision of legislation of the Native Lands Act, and relevant Survey legislation to align with Tuvalu’s IGIF and CAP aspirations; and • Upgrading of Tuvalu’s Navigation Charts, to assist commercial shipping and cruise liners to navigate Tuvalu’s waters safely, thus improve the trade and tourism industry, once the COVID-19 influences have subsided.

Embracing challenges through Partnerships, Pacific Geospatial & Surveying Council (PGSC) and the Pacific Community (SPC) By – Andrick Lal, Senior Geodetic Surveyor In November 2014, a group of Pacific regional surveying and geospatial experts met in the margins of the annual Pacific Geospatial Information Systems and Remote Sensing (GIS/RS) User Conference in Suva, Fiji. It was at this meeting that the PGSC was first envisaged and a charter governing its mission and objectives was developed. In addition, the Pacific Community (SPC) established the Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Partnership Desk to provide secretariat services and support the PGSC in achieving its goals and objectives.

Briefly, the PGSC, is an independent regional advisory body that provides a forum for Pacific Island geospatial information and survey authorities to discuss and address regional challenges.

The PGSC aims to collaborate with regional and international organisations, associations, educational institutions and technical groups to support progress on national, regional and global development objectives for sustainable development in the Pacific enabled by world-class geospatial information and surveying services.

The 14 country members of the PGSC subscribe that geospatial information underpins the majority of economic and

sustainable development activities in the world today. The services provided by Pacific Island geospatial scientists and surveyors contribute to the security and well-being of Pacific people, supporting numerous industries and sectors. These include natural resource management, civil engineering, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, transport, land ownership, health, and agriculture to name a few.

The SPC is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, proudly supporting development since 1947. From a geodetic modernisation perspective the SPC Geodetic Survey Team deliver professional advice and services to the PICTs. This primarily involves provision of instrumentation; onsite technical guidance or support on numerous field survey operations or techniques; processing and management of geodetic data; geodetic datum and positioning matters; GNSS base stations; GNSS measurements for survey control, monitoring, cadastral or geospatial activities; and precision levelling monitoring surveys, including assisting with tide gauge measurements for the Pacific Sea Level & Monitoring Project in the Pacific .

Partnerships are critical to the successful implementation of the Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council Strategy 2017-2027. The responsibilities of regional surveyors and geospatial managers frequently correspond to broader initiatives, which all contribute toward achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The PGSC relies upon collaboration, and is an important contributor towards sustaining a GGRF, and global efforts to improve positioning and geospatial information management.

The goals of the PGSC, the Partnership Desk and SPC are focused on: • Positioning • Geospatial Policy & Data Management • Capacity Building Since, 2014 the PGSC, Partnership Desk, SPC and development partners such

5th Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council (PGSC) virtual meeting.

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Static GNSS Geodetic Control Surveys along the Edinburgh Drive in Suva, Fiji.

Photo by: Andrick Lal

as International Association of Geodesy (IAG), UN GGIM AP, UN Office of Outer Space Affairs, FIG and neighbouring GSOs, have cooperated to enhance and engage the geospatial and surveying community in the PICTs. This has been achieved through supporting, organising and hosting various activities in the region such as seminars, workshops, capacity development events, and meetings, as well as online forums and webinars on identified geodetic or geospatial topics and challenges.

Recently, in August 2020, the 5th Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council (PGSC) meeting was held virtually from the 11th to 14th and 25th August 2020, and was hosted by the SPC in Suva, Fiji. There were almost 200 attendees each day, to participant in virtual panel discussions on presentations from international experts, regional partners and PGSC members. The meeting, like previous ones, was an opportunity for the PGSC members and partners to report, collaborate and plan on leadership, standards and technology, sustainability, and capacity development, in line with the PGSC Strategy 2017-2027. Please refer to the web locations for the article regarding this meeting Pacific calls for Integrated Geospatial Information Management , and for meeting proceedings.

Installation of survey benchmark in Suva, Fiji.

Photo by: Andrick Lal

Modern Geodetic Infrastructure – Key to Consistency and Efficiency By – Sanjesh Kumar, Senior Surveyor; Asakaia Tabua, Surveyor-General Fiji Fiji is highly vulnerable to natural disasters such as cyclones, coastal inundation and flooding due to climate change and subsequent sea level rise.

These natural events affect the food security, livestocks, infrastructure, health, housing and livelihoods of more than 800,000 Fijians. It is therefore critical for Fiji to mitigate the influence of natural disasters and climate change. Surveyors can alleviate this impact by applying their skills to disaster preparedness, building resilience, quantifying the environmental and social changes, and providing qualitative analysis. The keys to monitoring and measuring such changes is access to reliable satellite positioning technology, high resolution and accurate geospatial data and information.

Underpinning these activities, Fiji recognised the need and importance of a consistent, comprehensive and modernised geodetic reference frame, and positioning network.

To achieve a modernised datum, Fiji has embraced the challenges and

Above and below: Static GNSS Stations as part of the 7 days field survey campaign.

GNSS COR Station in Labasa (Vanua Levu).

identified the action required to migrate from a local datum to a GGRF, such as the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF). Presently, the ITRF, and / or its subset Asia Pacific Reference Frame (APREF), is the frame adopted by many PICTs to realise their nation’s geodetic datum, primarily because of its reliability, accuracy and accessibility. As such, Fiji’s Cabinet Memorandum – ‘Modernizing Fiji’s Geodetic Datum’ was strategically aligned to the 2015 UN General Assembly Resolution on the GGRF, in August 2015. This mandate to modernise their geodetic datum, also set the roadmap for the integration, interoperability and management of geospatial information and systems at the local, national, regional and global level.

Prior to modernisation, Fiji’s geodetic datum was based on the World Geodetic System 1972 (WGS72) and comprised of a network of triangulation and trilateration observations, which interconnected the main and outermost islands. The adjustment and propagation of coordinates for the datum were significantly biased by survey inconsistencies and produced survey uncertainties in the order of several decimeters. Despite this, WGS72 met user’s needs for a period of time, however today this reference frame and the accuracy of the co-ordinates, can no longer satisfy the requirements of modern-day geospatial demands or applications, such as real-time positioning, and autonomous vehicles.

Also, with the advent of accurate georeferenced data being readily available, rapid technological changes, geospatial trends and digital disruption, the management of the ‘gap’ is more complex and challenging. With this is mind, the Fiji government saw the establishment of a modern geodetic infrastructure and datum as pathway to bridging the gap.

The government also acknowledged the necessity to build the capacity and capabilities of its people to ensure a sustainable geodetic reference frame for the future.

Briefly, datum modernisation started with the construction of eight (8) GNSS CORS across Fiji. These stations complemented two (2) GNSS CORS, managed by Geoscience Australia and the SPC. Soon after the construction of the GNSS CORS, survey teams were

deployed to carry out reconnaissance and identification of existing ‘passive’ geodetic control stations (GCSs), that would be connected to the GNSS CORS, and form the fiducial observations for the geodetic network adjustment.

In order for this geodetic field campaign to be successful, collaboration and assistance with the Fiji Hydrographic Office, Fiji Navy, SPC, PGSC and Partnership Desk was necessary. The campaign involved more than sixty (60) survey personnel and included a three-day workshop in the operation of GNSS survey equipment. This training and capacity building for the survey personnel was facilitated by the SPC and Partnership Desk in October 2019.

The field campaign involved, the occupation of 164 GCSs with GNSS receivers, and was divided into three (3) phases. The GCSs were occupied continuously for 7 days, and each phase was completed in November 2019, December 2019 and February 2020 respectively. A number of these GCSs occupied were existing Doppler stations, and first order trigonometric stations, which were originally observed in the early 1980’s. Observations on first order trigonometric geodetic stations were primarily on the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, as well as the Maritime Islands. Other observations were taken to selected parcels, and standard survey marks in major towns and cities.

A substantial amount of the GNSS survey data acquired during the field survey campaign will be used to validate the position of Fiji’s existing geodetic system and the determination of a new geodetic datum aligned to the ITRF / GGRF. The GNSS data will subsequently be integrated with the Pacific GNSS CORS Network for the computation of the new transformation parameters, and be the primary network adjustment of Fiji. n

Geodetic Survey Stations occupied in Field Survey campaign.

www.spatialsource.com.au 21

feature

GNSS Showdown

A real-world performance comparison between Emlid and Trimble GNSS receivers

Space-based position, navigation and timing is a fast-evolving area that offers significant productivity gains for the geospatial industry. The recent emergence of new Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) constellations improves the experience for professional Surveyors, chasing reliable satellite coverage in the field.

U

sers of modern multi-constellation GNSS receivers are now consistently reporting 30+ satellites above 15 degrees elevation, with 40+ satellites a common experience in many parts of Australia. The productivity gains on offer are prompting many survey professionals to upgrade their gear, however price can be a huge barrier to upgrading equipment.

The scope of the study included: • Performance of internal RTK radios (UHF vs LoRa) • Managing new projects with local coordinate reference systems • Comparing RTK performance in a variety of environments • Comparing receiver performance against government survey marks • Ease of use with NTRIP services (in this case AUSCORS) • Compatibility with AUSPOS for postprocessing status logs • Consideration of total cost of ownership/business models

UHF vs LoRa – Radio Performance

Figure 1: Number of visible GNSS satellites above 30º elevation expected in 2020.

(Satoshi Kogure, JAXA)

In this article, Brian Blakeman Surveys (BBS) compares results of GNSS receiver performance between new kid on the block Emlid and market incumbent Trimble.

Many surveyors are not familiar with Emlid, a relatively new company offering GNSS receivers at a disruptive price-point.

Trimble has a long and proud association of enabling professionals in the survey industry - often following significant investment by its users. So how do these receivers compare on performance?

Experimental Design Equipment spec sheets don’t always tell the whole story. Therefore, the aim for this experiment was to undertake common ‘real world’ survey tasks, and compare a high-end current model ‘brand-name’ receiver with an affordable alternative, evaluating the differences in performance.

The survey was completed during January 2021, in central Australia, where a mix of urban and remote environments supports a range of equipment testing scenarios.

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Most traditional survey GNSS receivers use UHF radios in the licensed 450-470 MHz band to broadcast corrections from base to rover. Some bands, including Emlid are turning to 915 MHz spreadspectrum LoRa radio modems, which do not require licensing in Australia or New Zealand.

This test evaluated the internal radios without any range-extending radio repeaters or external antennas.

To run this test, Emlid Reach RS2 and Trimble R63 base stations were established on an elevated position (sand hill) in a rural area. Emlid Reach RS2 and Trimble R10 rovers were mounted on the roof of a survey vehicle to conduct the radio range testing. The survey vehicle then drove both north and south along a road adjacent base stations, until a reliable fix was lost on each receiver.

Figure 2: Emlid Reach RS2 and Trimble R63 base units established for radio corrections range test. (Chris Nichols, BBS)

CHRIS NICHOLS

Figure 3: Emlid Reach RS2 and Trimble R10 rover units mounted on survey vehicle for radio range test. (Chris Nichols, BBS)

Toward the south, the road bends around to the left, around a hill. The Emlid Reach RS2 radio held a fix for approx. 6.5km from the base. The Trimble R10 maintained a fix for approx. 7.3km.

Heading north, the road is relatively straight but rises over a crest. The Reach RS2 maintained a fix for approx. 6.5km and the Trimble R10 for approx. 7.5km.

Figure 4: Base units established for radio corrections range test, looking south.

(Chris Nichols, BBS)

“Some of the range test terrain was quite complex with terrain and vegetation obstructions,” said Chris Nichols from BBS. “Considering the relatively high frequency, I’m impressed with the range of the Reach RS2 radios.”

Managing new projects with local coordinate reference systems When comparing the user experience between Emlid and Trimble software, BBS reported some differences, with pros and cons for each manufacturer’s approach.

For data logging, Emlid leverages iOS or Android devices with its free ReachView app. For this comparison, BBS used an iPad with the Emlid Reach

RS2 receiver. For the Trimble R10, BBS used their familiar TSC3 data logger, running Trimble Access v2017.

BBS usually operates in EPSG: 28353 – MGA94 Zone 53 and uses AHD heights based on AUSGeoid09. Whilst both ReachView 3 and Trimble Access support data capture using MGA coordinate systems, ReachView 3 software currently requires geographic coordinates (eg.

GDA94) for inputting the base location.

BBS reported this as a mild annoyance as it means an extra step in the workflow in converting their known point for the base.

Emlid have confirmed that the development pipeline for their free App includes support for MGA base coordinates.

Emlid’s app-based data collector software has a minimalistic feel. Based on feedback from BBS, surveyors used to a Trimble Access workflow may take time to learn the new interface. “The ReachView learning curve is reasonably steep. Some settings don’t seem intuitive when coming from a surveying workflow in a Trimble ecosystem,” Mr. Nichols said.

“Despite the learning curve, I found the ReachView status screen to be very handy, especially while I’m learning,” Nichols continues. “It helps in knowing if you have a lock with the rover and the quality of measurements etc. Even knowing the baseline distance is helpful.”

RTK performance comparison - base and rover (internal radio) To undertake a comprehensive assessment, BBS surveyed 38 points with 30 second observations for each receiver.

To allow comparison between the receivers and known coordinates, twelve of the surveyed points were on existing marks originally surveyed with 3-minute observations (refer Figure 9 below). For the remainder of the points, the observations for each receiver are compared to assess relative precision of observed coordinates between Emlid’s Reach RS2 and Trimble’s R10.

The points were in a range of GNSS environments in terms of topography, vegetation and buildings, and classified into easy, medium, hard and urban points.

Easy: This area was reasonably clear, with large sections of no vegetation surrounded by low vegetation. No issues with radios. NB. This is also where BBS conducted static observations for AUSPOS. Medium: The terrain out here varied from high sand dunes to long flat terrain but with dense vegetation. Both units did well

EASTING Point ID CP01 CP02 CP03 CP04 CP05 CP06 CP07 CP08 CP09

Terrain/ Difficulty Easy Easy Easy Easy Easy Easy Easy Easy Easy

Emlid

Trimble

376704.661 376731.875 376872.098 377145.955 377243.45 377321.584 377683.401 377785.136 377869.895

376704.611 376731.886 376872.101 377145.961 377243.461 377321.6 377683.415 377785.164 377869.914

NORTHING ∆ RS2 R10 -0.050 0.011 0.003 0.006 0.011 0.016 0.014 0.028 0.019

Emlid

Trimble

7372611.403 7372259.058 7371926.211 7372762.835 7372355.917 7371988.982 7372869.095 7372408.559 7372004.838

7372611.414 7372259.074 7371926.216 7372762.837 7372355.924 7371988.993 7372869.108 7372408.573 7372004.846

RL - GRS80 ∆ RS2 R10 0.011 0.016 0.005 0.002 0.007 0.011 0.013 0.014 0.008

Emlid

Trimble

582.490 581.481 581.621 582.472 582.508 582.885 582.339 582.964 584.959

582.448 581.463 581.596 582.452 582.476 582.843 582.297 582.931 584.922

∆RS2 R10 -0.042 -0.018 -0.025 -0.02 -0.032 -0.042 -0.042 -0.033 -0.037

Figure 5: Summary of easy points with coordinate differences between Emlid Reach RS2 and Trimble R10 EASTING Point ID MR01 MR02 MR03 MR04 MR05 MR06 MR07 MR08

Terrain/ Difficulty Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium

Emlid

Trimble

390212.502 390495.86 390564.37 390767.809 390829.094 390870.769 390923.012 390978.973

390212.511 390495.869 390564.384 390767.827 390829.100 390870.773 390922.984 390978.956

NORTHING ∆ RS2 R10 0.009 0.009 0.014 0.018 0.006 0.004 -0.028 -0.017

Emlid

Trimble

7351182.435 7350357.884 7350691.368 7349500.176 7350121.542 7349193.659 7348977.981 7349697.775

7351182.433 7350357.898 7350691.357 7349500.158 7350121.542 7349193.664 7348977.985 7349697.761

RL - GRS80 ∆ RS2 R10 -0.002 0.014 -0.011 -0.018 0.000 0.005 0.004 -0.014

Emlid

Trimble

567.626 560.636 560.975 562.534 559.034 566.925 570.695 562.544

567.621 560.631 560.957 562.559 559.018 566.902 570.709 562.56

∆RS2 R10 -0.005 -0.005 -0.018 0.025 -0.016 -0.023 0.014 0.016

Figure 6: Summary of medium points with coordinate differences between Emlid Reach RS2 and Trimble R10 EASTING Point ID B01 B02 B03 B04 B05 B06 B07 B08 B09 B10 B11 B12

Terrain/ Difficulty Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard

Emlid

Trimble

389145.929 389283.948 389342.553 389363.236 389392.821 389413.338 389459.556 389578.585 389629.667 389632.46 389652.965 389657.372

389145.923 389283.953 389342.546 389363.242 389392.818 389413.342 389459.558 389578.59 389629.672 389632.456 389652.978 389657.375

NORTHING ∆ RS2 R10 -0.006 0.005 -0.007 0.006 -0.003 0.004 0.002 0.005 0.005 -0.004 0.013 0.003

Emlid

Trimble

7373282.063 7373381.771 7373276.577 7372987.644 7373627.416 7372878.169 7373450.186 7373807.11 7373655.959 7373735.09 7373070.39 7373311.154

7373282.053 7373381.78 7373276.557 7372987.638 7373627.433 7372878.174 7373450.186 7373807.108 7373655.951 7373735.079 7373070.38 7373311.144

RL - GRS80 ∆ RS2 R10 -0.010 0.009 -0.020 -0.006 0.017 0.005 0.000 -0.002 -0.008 -0.011 -0.010 -0.010

Emlid

Trimble

566.972 567.722 566.946 564.819 570.302 564.632 568.293 600.775 581.028 585.253 568.137 567.759

566.977 567.718 566.956 564.82 570.296 564.649 568.301 600.788 581.025 585.268 568.154 567.753

∆RS2 R10 0.005 -0.004 0.01 0.001 -0.006 0.017 0.008 0.013 -0.003 0.015 0.017 -0.006

BM

∆ RS2 BM 0.020 0.000 0.021 0.036 -0.032 0.064 -0.005 -0.037 -0.033 -0.043 0.024 -0.011

∆ R10 BM 0.015 0.004 0.011 0.035 -0.026 0.047 -0.013 -0.050 -0.030 -0.058 0.007 -0.005

Figure 7: Summary of hard points with coordinate differences between Emlid Reach RS2 and Trimble R10 Point ID BM01 BM02 BM03 BM04 BM05 BM06 BM07 BM08 BM09 BM10 BM11 BM12

Terrain/ Difficulty Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard Hard

BM

∆ RS2 - BM

389145.933 389283.96 389342.558 389363.242 389392.827 389413.345 389459.56 389578.586 389629.682 389632.465 389652.973 389657.369

0.004 0.012 0.005 0.006 0.006 0.007 0.004 0.001 0.015 0.005 0.008 -0.003

∆ R10 BM 0.010 0.007 0.012 0.000 0.009 0.003 0.002 -0.004 0.010 0.009 -0.005 -0.006

BM

∆ RS2 - BM

7373282.052 7373381.764 7373276.55 7372987.632 7373627.418 7372878.161 7373450.18 7373807.107 7373655.955 7373735.079 7373070.381 7373311.142

-0.011 -0.007 -0.027 -0.012 0.002 -0.008 -0.006 -0.003 -0.004 -0.011 -0.009 -0.012

∆ R10 BM -0.001 -0.016 -0.007 -0.006 -0.015 -0.013 -0.006 -0.001 0.004 0.000 0.001 -0.002

566.992 567.722 566.967 564.855 570.27 564.696 568.288 600.738 580.995 585.21 568.161 567.748

Figure 8: Summary of hard points and differences between existing known coordinates, Emlid Reach RS2 and Trimble R10

in this environment, internal radios also performed well.

Hard: Vegetation and topography challenged the GNSS receivers with obstructions and multipathing at these points. Both the RS2 and R10 radios worked well in this environment.

Urban: BBS collected some points within an urban environment, surrounded by single story commercial properties.

In this environment, sky visibility was

significantly reduced and both receivers performed well. The elevation mask was set to 15 degrees for both units throughout each test.

No issues with radios were reported, even around buildings. This is obviously very dependent on individual environments and BBS suggests this should not be expected every time users operate outside of line-of-sight.

Both receivers performed well during this assessment. BBS reported finding good agreement with the marks, and between Emlid’s Reach RS2 and Trimble’s R10. www.spatialsource.com.au 23

feature RTK performance comparison against government survey marks using local base BBS assessed the performance of Emlid’s RS2 and Trimble’s R10 receivers against 2 coordinated reference marks (aka CRMs or government survey marks) and compared the results of the observations against each other and the known coordinates for each mark.

The tests were done using MGA94 Zone 53 and ellipsoidal heights.

Ellipsoidal heights, rather than AHD, were selected for reasons including ICSM SP1 recommendations on height comparisons, and uncertainty with regard to the AHD values for some local marks in Alice Springs.

BBS testing found good agreement with the marks and both Emlid’s Reach RS2 and Trimble’s R10.

RTK performance against government survey marks using AUSCORS This test was conducted to evaluate the comparative results of Emlid’s RS2 and Trimble’s R10 receivers, when connected to Geoscience Australia’s free AUSCORS service.

For this test, each receiver was connected to AUSCORS (Alice Springs station 31NA00AUS0) and then a coordinated reference mark was Figure 9: Urban testing conditions at site UR02, with Emlid Reach RS2 on survey pole.

Comparing RINEX logs postprocessed on AUSPOS

surveyed with each receiver.

The table below summarises the relative performance.

In Alice Springs there is a known offset between AHD and derived AHD of approximately 0.12m to 0.13m. This is evident in the RL deltas above, and needs to be taken into consideration when undertaking surveys.

In order to account for that difference, when conducting GNSS surveys, BBS usually calibrate on a CRM close to the survey site, and check on nearby points, using Trimble Access. Emlid have confirmed that localisation is scheduled for inclusion in their ReachView App this year, but the feature is not currently present.

From the results above, we can see good agreement between the RS2 and the R10. The difference between both receivers and the CRM is as expected from NTRIP corrections using AUSGeoid derived AHD heights, when checking on local CRMs.

The purpose of this relatively simplistic test was to assess the relative useability of each receiver in capturing AUSPOS logs to determine the coordinates of a point on the ground, and to compare those derived coordinates to the known coordinates for that point.

Receivers tested included Emlid’s RS2, Trimble’s R63 and Trimble’s R10. Logging periods were 4 hours 45 minutes for the RS2 and R63 and 4 hours 30 minutes for the R10. The approximate baseline from this known point to Geoscience Australia’s Alice Springs station (ALIC00AUS0) is 13km.

Mr. Nichols from BBS made a number of observations from this test, with pros and cons for each receiver brand. “Setting the Reach RS2 to log data within the ReachView app, is an easy process; once you have worked it out,” he said.

“From a Surveyor’s point of view,

EASTING Point ID UR01 UR02 UR03 UR04 UR05 UR06 UR07 UR08 UR09

NORTHING

Terrain

Emlid

Trimble

Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban

385398.946 385406.024 385413.989 385417.926 385422.204 385426.22 385426.802 385303.148 385221.237

385398.96 385406.029 385413.985 385417.925 385422.207 385426.243 385426.815 385303.158 385221.237

∆ RS2 R10 0.014 0.005 -0.004 -0.001 0.003 0.023 0.013 0.010 0.000

Emlid

Trimble

7378977.409 7378924.193 7378942.203 7378951.127 7378960.688 7378969.923 7378968.579 7379089.707 7379133.405

7378977.417 7378924.193 7378942.185 7378951.128 7378960.685 7378969.927 7378968.592 7379089.713 7379133.431

RL - GRS80 ∆ RS2 R10 0.008 0.000 -0.018 0.001 -0.003 0.004 0.013 0.006 0.026

Emlid

Trimble

595.063 594.952 595.017 595.066 595.082 595.036 595.034 594.744 595.755

595.085 594.981 595.092 595.108 595.112 595.038 595.051 594.752 595.744

∆RS2 R10 0.022 0.029 0.075 0.042 0.030 0.002 0.017 0.008 -0.011

Figure 10: Summary of urban points with coordinate differences between Emlid Reach RS2 and Trimble R10 EASTING Point ID

Emlid

Trimble

S01029.026 S01029.027

385303.148 385221.237

385303.158 385221.237

Point ID

CRM

∆ RS2 - CRM

S01029.026 S01029.027

385303.155 385221.234

0.007 -0.003

NORTHING ∆ RS2 R10 0.010 0.000

Emlid

Trimble

7379089.707 7379133.405

7379089.713 7379133.431

∆ R10 CRM -0.003 -0.003

CRM

∆ RS2 - CRM

7379089.709 7379133.41

0.002 0.005

RL - GRS80 ∆ RS2 R10 0.006 0.026

Emlid

Trimble

594.744 595.755

594.752 595.744

∆RS2 R10 0.008 -0.011

∆ R10 CRM -0.004 -0.021

CRM 594.755 595.742

∆ RS2 CRM 0.011 -0.013

∆ R10 CRM 0.003 -0.002

Figure 11: Summary of results for RTK performance against government marks

Figure 12: Emlid Reach RS2 setup on a CRM for AUSCORS-based RTK testing.

EASTING Point ID

Emlid

Trimble

S01029.025

385388.914

385388.92

Point ID

CRM

∆ RS2 - CRM

S01029.025

385388.930

0.016

NORTHING ∆ RS2 R10 0.006

Emlid

Trimble

7378990.158

7378990.165

∆ R10 CRM 0.010

7378990.172

CRM

RL - AHD ∆ RS2 R10 0.007

Emlid

Trimble

579.389

579.42

∆RS2 R10 0.031

∆ R10 ∆ RS2 - ∆ R10 CRM CRM CRM CRM 0.014 0.007 579.554 0.165 0.134 * Approx. difference between AHD and 'local' AHD is 0.120m ∆ RS2 - CRM

Figure 13: Summary of results for RTK performance against government mark using AUSCORS corrections COMPARISON OF ALL UNITS TO KNOWN COORDINATES OF IL01 (KNOWN) Easting xri

Easting xmi

∆x

IL01_RS2 IL01 Known 379614.867 379614.908 -0.041 IL01_R63 IL01 Known 379614.873 379614.908 -0.035 IL01_R10 IL01 Known 379614.847 379614.908 -0.061 *Approx. Baseline to ALIC = 13km

Northing yri

Northing ymi

IL01_RS2 7372311.853 IL01_R63 7372311.843 IL01_R10 7372311.847

IL01 Known 7372311.816 IL01 Known 7372311.816 IL01 Known 7372311.816

∆y 0.037 0.027 0.031

Elevation (GRS80) zri IL01_RS2 586.12 IL01_R63 586.015 IL01_R10 586.09

Elevation (GRS80) zmi IL01 Known 586.048 IL01 Known 586.048 IL01 Known 586.048

∆z 0.072 -0.033 0.042

Figure 14: Summary of AUSPOS results for each receiver on a known mark, and alignment with existing known coordinates

24 position February/March 2021

having to go into the ‘RTK Settings’ to change static logging settings seems odd.

I would have expected all the settings related to the base, to be in the ‘Base Mode’ settings. This is especially the case coming from a Trimble workflow.”

“On the one hand, the ReachView app allows the Reach RS2 to log automatically when the device is turned on – this is definitely a quicker workflow,” he said.

“On the other hand, care must be taken that the device is set up prior to logging, and that instrument heights are recorded manually, as there is no way to input this into the app.”

Objectively, the Trimble static workflow is more intuitive, but not necessarily easier. The operator is prompted to input the instrument height and point id, which is recorded in the RINEX file. Emlid’s ReachView software does not allow you to input the instrument height, or a point id.

One advantage of the Emlid workflow is the direct output to RINEX (from 2-3.03). The Trimble workflow requires you to download the T02 file and then convert it to a RINEX file version. One disadvantage of the Emlid workflow is that the instrument height is not

recorded in the RINEX file. AUSPOS requires you to input this manually.

In conclusion The results show that there are a number of subtle differences in the receivers assessed. Each receiver has their pros and cons, across features, performance and price point.

When asked what he thought of the different softwares as an end-user, Mr. Nichols noted “Emlid is faster to get around once you know it, however for someone approaching the software with a surveyor mindset, there is a steep learning curve as the user experience is different to other products.”

“It is hard to objectively compare ‘ease of use’ between the software for the two receivers, since I’m very familiar with the Trimble workflow and already know where to look for everything.”

“As of testing, the ReachView 3 app works for basic point collection and stakeout, with CRS and Geoid selection.

Based on the two updates we received in the few weeks of testing, we can see the app evolving quickly to better align with the needs of surveyors. Emlid are very

responsive on their online forums and are quick to implement user requests.

Having regular free updates and the manufacturer working directly with customers is certainly of benefit.”

“Given the price point and performance, the Emlid gear is certainly a viable option for us when looking at upgrading GNSS equipment. Until the ReachView 3 app is able to handle more complex surveying workflows, we will consider augmenting Reach RS2 receivers with 3rd party software such as Carlson SurvPC,” concluded Nichols. n About the author: Chris Nichols is a surveyor at Brian Blakeman Surveys (BBS) and founder of Central Drone Surveys. Brain Blakeman Surveys were engaged on a commercial basis by Map Gear, the Aust/NZ distributors for Emlid to complete an independent performance assessment of Trimble and Emlid receivers. The purpose is an independent 3rd party performance comparison by an active and qualified member of the survey fraternity.

All photos and figures courtesy Chris Nichols, Brian Blakeman Surveys.

3D CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Greater efficiency, productivity, and scheduling through INFORMED decisions.

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For more information about FARO® visit: www.faro.com

www.spatialsource.com.au 25

partner feature

The faster road to mobile data capture Australia’s largest surveying and spatial provider, Veris, adds two Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate Mobile Sensor Platforms to their fleet

V

eris Australia (Veris), the largest provider of surveying and spatial information services in Australia, is no stranger to servicing large multifaceted projects. The company has a track record going back 60 years of delivering projects in private and public sectors on a national scale spanning across energy, mining and resources, defence, residential, and retail industry just to name a few.

To deliver market-leading surveying, spatial, design and planning solutions, Veris recognises that digital and spatial technology innovation increases value, enhances the quality and boosts productivity for project delivery. Access to the latest technology allows the company to provide the best quality data and services to their clients as part of their 3D Spatial services.

Going mobile: A case for Leica Pegasus:Two Veris’ Digital and Spatial team reached out to Leica Geosystem Australia and New Zealand to upgrade their existing

26 position February/March 2021

Mobile Laser Scanning (MLS) systems to increase processing efficiency with the new Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate Mobile Sensor Platform.

“With the recent improvement of trajectory processing and image acquisition, the Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate Mobile Sensor Platform was the perfect mix of data quality and functionality for Veris,” said Brad Chambers, National MLS Manager at Veris. “The high-quality image collection adds another aspect to MLS that our client’s value.”

Since acquiring two Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate systems, Veris have deployed the solution for projects on roads or freeways that are typically more challenging and time-consuming to survey when using methods such as total stations, GNSS or Terrestrial Laser Scanning.

“We believe with the improved efficiencies we are now 50 per cent more efficient on the post-processing of the point cloud data. We’ve become more productive as we no longer need to deploy an experienced operator to site,

something we’ve had to do for many years - saving us time and the need to fly to site,” said Chambers.

With their two new Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate systems and improved imagery, Veris can capture projects for road and rail pre-construction dilapidation, asset management, crack detection and machine learning applications. The Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate incorporates two back-to-back cameras creating a 24 MP 360-degree image calibrated to the LiDAR profiler data and allows capture in a variety of lighting conditions and vehicle speeds. Photogrammetry and image quality are impressive with twelve megapixels and onboard JPEG compression.

While there are major productivity gains that come with deploying the Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate on projects such as capturing high-density 3D point cloud data along with high-resolution imagery without needing to step outside your vehicle, there are safety benefits such as eliminating danger zones and significant safety risks by capturing data without the need to

The Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate allows capture in a variety of lighting conditions and vehicle speeds.

With the recent improvement of trajectory processing and image acquisition, the Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate Mobile Sensor Platform was the perfect mix of data quality and functionality for Veris.

– Brad Chambers, National MLS Manager at Veris

close roads, stop trains, interrupt service networks, and the need to survey at night.

One of the applications the Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate excels at due to the high-resolution imagery is pavement and road inspection. Veris put this to the test on a recent project involving a 3-kilometre-long section of the freeway for pavement monitoring, to enable the assessment of flexible pavements in highly reactive soil types. The main challenge with this project is that the main section of the motorway was lowered approximately 10-18 metres below ground level in a GNSS-denied zone.

With adequate survey control and as-built information (static structures at 20-meter intervals) Veris was able to adjust the point cloud to <5mm of the survey data both horizontally and vertically.

Onboarding the Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate One of the most important aspects when evaluating options for a mobile mapping unit for Veris was strong local supplier

support, flexibility in adapting the system to different scenarios and an integrated solution for imagery and point cloud capture – Veris needed a single solution that would help them deliver detailed point clouds and high-quality imagery.

Other aspects that made the Pegasus:Two Ultimate the clear standout is that the system does not need to be installed on a specific vehicle. It can fit the standard roof racks and the ability to run the equipment without a power connection to the vehicle, as the system does not require wheel odometers, so it saves time on set up.

Brad Chambers, National MLS Manager at Veris, was closely involved in the decision making and says he knew they made the right choice from the first time they took the unit out the system to site.

“The Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate was easy to set up on a vehicle, with the connection to the system by Wi-Fi using a Veris owned laptop. We were able to send the equipment to the site and have a couple of surveyors (both Veris captures a 3-kilometre-long section of the freeway in Adelaide, Australia for pavement monitoring.

had not operated MLS before) install the equipment under an experienced operator’s instruction via screen sharing and Webex,” he says. “A short mission plan was reviewed before the data capture, then a review of the data by the experienced operator before completion.”

The road ahead for Veris The efficiency gains are also getting noticed by clients. “We’ve already seen an increase in mobile mapping projects on the east coast of Australia and our clients are happy with the highly detailed data and impressive imagery,” Chambers says.

“A key client in Melbourne was amazed at the turnaround time that we were able to achieve to integrate the Pegasus:Two Ultimate data with the Leica ScanStation P40 data.”

“The detail delivered by the Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate is already providing significant value to our clients across local government, engineering firms and state road/rail authorities," adds Veris' Digital and Spatial Lead Nathan Quadros. "As a result, we’re already seeing a noticeable difference in client engagement through additional requests for Veris to build analytics which derive further insights from our client’s data.”

For Veris the survey-grade accurate data available from Pegasus:Two Ultimate creates opportunities to undertake additional and larger projects and grow their service offering. Veris is exploring how the imagery can be leveraged by integrating the multiple pavement cameras for automatic crack detection using machine learning; this will give Veris an additional industry in road analysis that can be leveraged with the Leica Pegasus:Two Ultimate. n Information provided by Leica Geosystems. www.spatialsource.com.au 27

feature

The Covid year JON FAIRALL

C

ovid-19 will infect more than the lungs of its unfortunate victims.

Its impact has been profoundly disproportionate. Some people are unscathed, while others are dead – some countries have almost no infections while others have been overwhelmed. And notoriously, some countries have been well-led, while others have not. But what we all share is a world that will be altered.

Covid will affect how we work far into the future. It will also affect the rate of technological change.

By and large, Australia has had a pretty good pandemic. Chinese authorities reported a novel coronavirus to the World Health Organisation on 31 December 2019. So when, on 19 January 2020, an ordinary-looking passenger on a routine flight from Wuhan arrived at Tullamarine airport with the virus as undeclared baggage, there was a strategy in place for dealing with it. With the benefit of hindsight, we can say that the strategy was deficient in some places – Sydney ports and Melbourne hotels for instance – but it has kept most Australians safe, most of the time.

Government policies have kept our economy buoyant and the death rate low.

In December 2020, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated a 3.8 percent fall in GDP with 909 deaths, that’s 3.64 per 100,000 of the population. The US, with similar economic decline (3.5 per cent)

28 position February/March 2021

lost 131.19 per 100,000. In the UK, the Office for Budget Responsibility predicts it will take until 2022 for the economy to recover to its 2019 level even if GDP grows 5.5 percent in the first quarter of this year.

It suffered 152.54 deaths per 100,000 people to achieve that. To get some idea of scale, the worst result reported by the World Health Organisation was from Belgium, which lost 193.92 per 100,000 and the best from Taiwan, which lost 0.03.

Mapping the economic fallout But just as the pandemic has hit some countries harder than others, its impact on different industries has varied. In Australia, the emerging picture is that the pandemic has hit some industries extremely hard, but the majority have sailed through.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics backs this up. The ABS reports that in the construction, technical services, transport and financial services sectors, barely five percent of businesses had closed due to Covid-19. Fifty three percent of firms in the arts, hospitality and recreation were moribund by 7 April, 2020.

By and large, the spatial industry is on the winning side of the divide. But even in this industry, there appear to be winners and losers. Robert Kennedy from survey equipment supplier CR Kennedy says that cadastral surveying is not doing well,

while business is booming in most other segments of the market.

He says the poor performance of the cadastral sector is due to uncertainty over the housing market. Developers are reluctant to spend money until customers come out to play. Customers won’t part with their cash while they are uncertain about the future.

This climate of uncertainty has varied as the crisis plays out. In April, Corelogic research analyst Eliza Owen predicted a collapse in housing prices, citing tightened bank lending, reduced demand, increased supply, rental defaults and so on. But by mid-November, analysts were far more bullish. ANZ Bank expected modest property price growth in 2021; National Australia Bank’s consumer sentiment survey rose to its highest level in seven years.

Amid all these sometimes contradictory anecdotes, it’s hard to get a clear idea of the true impact on firms’ bottom line. However, we can get some sense of what’s going on from firms that report to investors. Aerial surveyor Aerometrex reported that while its aerial mapping business declined by almost six percent in the financial year to 30 June, its LIDAR and 3D mapping offerings improved by 37.9 percent and 72.1 percent respectively.

Its subscription service increased by a whopping 104.9 percent. Total operating revenue went up by 24.7 percent.

Market darling Nearmap also reported a good year. Board chair Peter James told shareholders that the company had more than $100 million worth of annual contracts. This is the result of 11 percent growth in the Australia and New Zealand markets and even better results in North America.

Pointerra, which offers tools for 3D mapping, reported a decline in cash receipts but also reported a 24 percent increase in the value of its future contracts.

V for Victory The bottom line appears to be that most companies in the industry have experienced a V-shaped recovery – a sudden drop in performance followed by an equally sudden rise. Speaking at Bentley System’s annual conference, Greg Bentley showed a graph that plotted the usage of his company’s digital twin product. It is widely used in infrastructure construction. The graph showed a precipitous drop in usage in February, and March, but the losses had been completely recovered by May 2020.

Tim Lemmon, the marketing director of geospatial office software at Trimble Navigation in Melbourne reports the same experience at Trimble. In March

Left top: Demand for tools to automate worksite processes and remote site management has rocketed.

Left bottom: Geoscape saw a 396 percent increase in calls to its addresses API by late 2020, when compared to the previous year.

Right: Trimble reported a quick recovery after steep falls in February and March, 2020.

and April, sales fell dramatically.

“I think that was due to uncertainty more than any underlying problems in the business,” he said. “Indeed, Australian business recovered quickly. It’s been much worse in the UK, for instance.”

Recovery has been so rapid, in fact, that some people are recording record sales. Dan Paull, former chief executive of Geoscape, said “We saw a 395 percent increase in calls to our addresses API compared to this time last year.”

The API appends information on administrative boundaries to addresses to improve analysis. He says the pandemic has highlighted the increasing importance of up-to-date, accurate address data to businesses and governments.

This is good news, but if it is correct, it raises an interesting question: will the spatial industry be the same, even on the up-side? Will things return to normal?

The smart money seems to be on the suggestion that there will be changes both in the type of business we do and in the way it is done. Many in the industry predict that Covid-19 will accelerate patterns in technology development that were already in play.

In the preamble to one of its webinars, laser equipment manufacturer Faro says that while the growth in digitalisation of project management and data evaluation is not new, demand for remote working in a virtual environment is putting pressure on firms. In many cases, this means new methods and tools for documentation, analysis and communications.

A spokesperson for the company, Jessica Hale, told Position that there is increasing interest in digitisation – digital

twins – as a way of reducing exposure to the work site and as a way of reducing interactions for those on site.

“The technologies allow customers to continue their work while not at the job site or in the office. This technology also helps to reduce the number of hours spent on site or the number of people needed helping to reduce the spread,” she said.

Andrew Chapman, the chief technology officer at drone operator AUAV says technology that lets users inspect and measure for themselves is increasingly in demand.

“It offers improved safety and better outcomes by allowing work to be done from the office rather than requiring onsite visits,” he said.

Remote control This is not just about designers, though.

The Prime Minister and medical officers across the country encouraged Australians to ‘work from home if you can’ and many of us took him at his word. For some people, this has been easier to do that for others. At, Trimble, Tim Lemmon says that his job in international sales already entailed lots of virtual meetings, so adjusting to Covid is not a stretch.

In his presentation, Greg Bentley attributed the industry’s rapid recovery to what he called ‘the increasing virtualisation’ of the design process – which is just a fancy way of saying that engineering staff have discovered how to work from home. In fact, Bentley Systems is so enamoured of the concept it has established a special working from home taskforce to develop new systems and software.

More to the point perhaps, business managers seem to have discovered that, done well, working from home can benefit their bottom line.

At Position Partners, a large survey firm with offices throughout the country, employees have been encouraged to work from home. A spokeswoman for the company said surveys revealed many benefits. Staff reported more time with family and more productive work time.

Other people find it a lot harder to

replace person-to-person contacts. The Position Partners survey reported many people face challenging times in their personal lives.

“Some feel isolated or disconnected, others struggle with video conferencing fatigue and so on. Others wanted support and guidelines in managing situations where they felt uncomfortable, anxious or unsafe.” a spokesperson said.

Nevertheless, the company says it is pleasantly surprised at how well the business can function without travel. As a national company with branches in every state and territory, as well as sites in New Zealand and South East Asia, regular interstate and overseas travel is the norm for many employees. ”Our company-wide, year to date travel costs from 1 July to the end of October are so far a meagre $2,000. Yet since the start of the pandemic we have recorded some record sales months,” a spokeswomen said.

Increased reliance on communications technology can mean more than simply rearranging the office. Robert Kennedy of survey firm CR Kennedy said that one of the most interesting things to emerge from the pandemic is how his customers, who once insisted on eyeballing a salesman before parting with their money, would now rather do business via a Zoom call.

“I don’t think that will change,” he said. “I think we will all travel less in the future.” n Jon Fairall is the founding editor of Position. www.spatialsource.com.au 29

feature

Lodgement of Digital Cadastral Survey Datasets on the Horizon

ANSELM HAANEN

Work has started on the foundations that will eventually enable surveyors to lodge datasets of their cadastral surveys in fully digital format.

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oday’s surveyors routinely collect survey data in digital format and process it using survey software. Yet persistently, the resultant cadastral survey data is not able to be readily and reliably transferred in digital format to the land administration agencies for recording in the cadastre.

The Cadastre 2034 strategy developed by the Intergovernmental Committee for Survey and Mapping (ICSM) maps out a digital future for the cadastre in Australia. New Zealand has a similar strategy. That future recognises the role of the cadastre in enabling digital twins, smart 3D cities, integrated planning, utility management, etc. To realise that future the ICSM has commenced a programme of work that aims to enable

30 position February/March 2021

surveyors and jurisdictions to exchange fully digital cadastral survey datasets. This is intended to enable surveyors to eventually transition from lodging paper or PDF files to fully digital data, including 3D. Currently there is no widely adopted standard for exchanging digital cadastral survey information between the survey industry and land administration agencies.

Various jurisdictions have adopted an ePlan approach based on LandXML, but this has had limited uptake by surveyors and survey software suppliers, partly due to the different implementations required in each jurisdiction.

While a high proportion of New Zealand surveyors use LandXML for transferring cadastral survey data between survey software and Land Information New Zealand’s

Landonline system, surveys with 3D components are still only lodged in graphical form.

To avoid the problems of the past, ICSM is working to develop a coordinated and robust solution that will be supported by the survey software suppliers operating in the Australian and New Zealand market. This would enable cadastral survey datasets to be exchanged using a common mechanism, no matter what the jurisdiction.

A collaborative approach is being adopted, based on the premise that cadastral survey datasets in the nine jurisdictions have a lot in common. They all have survey marks, measurements, parcels of various types and coordinates, even though they might be known by different terms and have different parameters. The ideal solution

Above: Anselm Haanen, New Zealand Surveyor-General.

Below: Craig Sandy, Victoria Surveyor-General and ICSM Chair.

Prototype of a digital 3D unit in Christchurch.

would have a generic way of handling these common elements and minimise the amount of customisation required for a particular jurisdiction.

The ‘3D Cadastral Survey Data Model and Exchange’ (3D CSDM) project aims to enable, as far as possible, a standard way of transferring cadastral survey datasets across all nine jurisdictions.

Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is leading this project in partnership with key ICSM partners in Australia: Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (VIC), Landgate (WA), Department of Customer Service (NSW), and the Department of Resources (QLD).

A suitable contractor is being engaged to start this work in February 2021. It is expected to take a year and will have two primary outputs: A harmonised cadastral survey data model, including 3D elements, that supports all the essential elements of 2D and 3D cadastral survey datasets in the Australian and New Zealand cadastral systems. The contractor will develop this using detailed information from all jurisdictions as well as information from existing data models and schemas. The model is intended to be vendor neutral and independent of any implementation.

An options analysis recommending internationally recognised, or widely adoptable, transfer format/s that would be implemented by surveying software suppliers for encoding/exchanging the

cadastral survey data identified in the model.

The contractor is being asked to work with survey software suppliers to work out how best to encode/exchange the actual cadastral survey data defined in the data model.

Land administration agencies want the suppliers to build the data requirements into their workflow, allowing surveyors to transfer the data to the jurisdiction and back again using the chosen transfer format/s. Agencies will then look to adopt and implement the agreed solutions at their end. The solution needs to be capable of transporting all the necessary data, even though some jurisdictions might initially want to just work with a subset, such as for maintaining the parcel fabric.

Craig Sandy, Victoria Surveyor-General and ICSM Deputy Chair is one of the key partners to the project.

“The Victorian government is investing significant resources into its Digital Cadastre Modernisation programme.

Stage 4 of the programme aims to have 100% of the survey information received in digital form, to support the automated maintenance of the cadastre. We have chosen to work with key partners in other jurisdictions, and especially New Zealand, to share expertise and experience, and develop a robust solution that works for all jurisdictions,” he said.

Implementation of the agreed transfer mechanism will be up to individual jurisdictions to progress, depending on their requirements and where

A typical visualisation of cadastral survey data.

Implementation of the agreed transfer mechanism will be up to individual jurisdictions to progress, depending on their requirements and where they sit along thecadastre transformation timeline.

they sit along the cadastre transformation timeline.

Mr. Sandy adds, “ICSM members will be encouraging survey software suppliers to use the agreed foundation and incorporate the capability into the software that cadastral surveyors use for preparing and lodging cadastral survey datasets and extracting them from the cadastre.”

For New Zealand surveyors this framework will form a foundation for LINZ’s Rebuilding Landonline programme. LINZ’s goal is to enable a complete cadastral survey dataset (CSD) to be lodged from survey software without the need for facilities in Landonline to capture or edit the data. The 3D CSDM project will provide a framework for a progressive implementation that will ultimately see even 3D CSDs lodged in fully digital format.

In parallel with the lodgement changes, enhancements will be made to Landonline to hold the fully digital CSDs. This will eventually include functionality for maintaining a 3D view of the parcel network in the cadastre.

Digital data will enable the development of better validation tools to help assure the quality of the data and reduce effort spent on manual

validation in both surveyors’ offices and jurisdictional systems. With the capabilities of modern software this will also apply to 3D data.

Paul Digney, Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute President said that establishing a digital supply chain for Cadastral Survey Data will immensely benefit the surveyors and the spatial sector by increasing productivity and in turn positive impact to the economy.

“The tangible benefit through the digital transformation of the cadastral data enables 3D and 4D data capture which will result in better visualisation and support of data analytics for the government, academia, and industry,” he said.

“The professionals will be able to utilise the digital supply chain and develop automated and semiautomated processes to integrate data into survey and parcel networks. The digital transformation provides opportunity to develop capacity within and outside the surveying and spatial community for better creation and utilisation of 3D & 4D cadastral survey data.” n Anselm Haanen is New Zealand’s Surveyor General, and an ICSM project sponsor. www.spatialsource.com.au 31

feature

On-shore and On-trend: the changing state of LiDAR processing in Australia

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or the past two decades, off-shore manual processing has largely been the normal method for LiDAR classification across Australia and globally. Over the last 12 months, there has been a noticeable shift in the landscape creating more opportunities for on-shore processors in Australia than ever before. A security-focused political agenda, a changing Covid-19 climate, increased accuracy of LiDAR capture and increased appetite for advanced spatial services have combined to create an increasing market demand for Australian-based LiDAR processing services.

In addition to the added security benefits and improved quality of products, the shift is creating entry level jobs in Australian companies at a time when they’re needed most.

Then to now – the changing landscape Why offshore?

Classification of LiDAR data has traditionally involved extensive manual editing postautomatic classification. This has been necessary to achieve

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the required level of accuracy and visual consistency of the classified data. Using existing classification software and available editing tools, the manual editing processes required to complete classification of LiDAR point cloud data have typically been labour intensive and therefore too expensive to be cost competitive using Australian based labour. The comparative low cost of overseas labour has provided a barrier to Australian companies competing in the LiDAR classification market for years.

Security focused political agenda On 10 December 2020, the Minister for Home Affairs introduced the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020 to Parliament, which seeks to amend the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018. In essence, the Amendment is designed to expand entities currently covered (electricity, gas, water and ports sectors), to include other critical infrastructure entities such as communications; financial

DR. NICHOLAS READ

services and markets; data storage or processing; defence industry; higher education and research; energy; food and grocery; health care and medical; space technology; transport; and water and sewerage.

For governments or critical infrastructure owners responsible for maintaining the listed entities, the reform would see data kept on-shore to strengthen the security of the networks.

Smart cities and post-Covid digital shift Additionally, in a recent article on the Smart Cities website, Frederik Anseel, Associate Dean of Research and Professor of Management at UNSW Business School,l noted the significant acceleration of smart cities caused by the COVID climate. Smart cities programmes, digital twins and smart initiatives are being rolled out all over Australia, with the NSW Government recently announcing a co-investment of up to $45 million over three years to accelerate the development of smart places and smart technology.

Increased accuracy of data capture Over the past decade the resolution, accuracy, coverage and frequency of capture of LiDAR has increased significantly, greatly increasing the utility of the data for everyday purposes. This has also increased processing effort, computing resources and human effort required to capture, store, analyse and classify LiDAR. At the same time greater resolution and accuracy of the data has meant that automated classification utilising Artificial Intelligence, semantic and statistical techniques have also improved significantly.

These developments along with access to seemingly unbounded computational resources through cloud based processing and significant improvements in access speeds has meant that on-shore processing can now compete in terms of cost with manual off-shore processing and at the same time can be faster and more consistently accurate.

Higher resolution and greater data accuracy and availability has started to open up a whole new range of applications for LiDAR based point cloud data. Many of these applications require specialist classification and analytics techniques that are far more advanced than that required for the LiDAR equivalent of chops and two veg, generation of digital elevation models.

Increasing awareness of the richness and utility of accurate high resolution point cloud data and the ability to combine it with multiple other data sources has meant that there is a growing trend to demand more and more from the data.

Once bespoke solutions for projects that might only be used once are being applied more and more widely to a broader range of applications.

Analytics platforms such as the cloud based scientific workflow developed by Anditi, have been designed to combine and reuse these once bespoke solutions to deliver a whole new generation

Algorithms targeting specific man-made features can significantly reduce the required manual effort to produce a high quality vegetation classification.

Here we see the fences, vehicles and transmission towers being separated automatically from vegetation.

of LiDAR based products.

As a result, products derived from LiDAR point clouds are rapidly expanding from the staples of digital elevation models to more sophisticated applications such as: • detailing individual tree heights, canopy cover, density and stratification across entire forests, • determining carbon sequestration in natural and established forests over a range of epochs, • assessing the accessibility of pathways and access points for disabled across entire cities, • accessing safety attributes and safety ratings and Connected and Autonomous Vehicle readability of thousands of kilometres of roads.

Generation of these types of products that can be tailored for specific input data sets and varying output requirements are opening up the opportunity to significantly advance automated processing and feature extraction while at the same time generating a whole new range of entry level jobs for Australian based data controllers.

Technological evolution and LiDAR LiDAR has many uses, but almost all of them require each and every point to be categorised. Almost all uses of LiDAR require the ground points to be identified, with building, vegetation, bridge, transmission conductor and culvert being other commonly required classes.

In addition, uses of classified LiDAR typically require near perfect classification; even single misclassified points can unacceptably damage downstream analysis. The demand for near perfect classification has resulted in an industry where automated classification is used to create a baseline product before armies of low-cost overseas manual editors are sent in to correct remaining inaccuracies.

Recent advances in machine learning (ML) make it possible to begin applying ML tools to the LiDAR classification problem. In addition to advancements in theory, modern frameworks such as PointNet (https://github.com/ charlesq34/pointnet), PyTorch Points 3D (https://github. com/nicolas-chaulet/torchpoints3d) and PointRCNN (https://github.com/sshaoshuai/ PointRCNN) provide a unified pipeline with many tools for segmenting point clouds and training and deploying ML models. Much of this R&D is motivated by the self-driving vehicles, but these frameworks can easily be applied to the traditional problem of point cloud classification.

It is not always obvious how to begin applying ML to the LiDAR classification problem.

One approach is to use them to supplement the results from more traditional approaches to LiDAR classification. That is, outputs from the traditional approaches can be further processed with ML techniques to identify additional features.

By taking this approach to our classification routines we

have dramatically reduced the inaccuracies emerging from the initial automatic classification. This has reduced the manual labour requirements to the point where only a handful of highly skilled technicians are needed to ferry a data set through classification. We have recently operationalised models for classifying vehicles, fence and transmission conductors and towers. Although the classification of vehicles, fences and transmission towers is rarely of interest in and of themselves, its value is seen in the dramatic reduction in misclassification in the vegetation classification. This greatly reduces the amount of manual work required for projects focused on tree cover, carbon sequestration and carbon modelling or vegetation encroachment.

Vehicles are relatively small, with irregular shapes that defy more traditional approaches of analysis and are a perfect candidate for flexible ML classifiers. We have developed a Region Based Convolutional Neural Networks (R-CNN) classifier that is able to identify more than 80 percentof vehicles with very few false positives. The approach took outputs from standard groundand building- classification routines and searches for cars in the remaining unclassified points. By building upon the existing classification, objectbased classification approaches could be leveraged.

However, more traditional statistical and semantic based approaches still play

an important role as they allow practitioners to use a careful understanding of the physical problem to guide the algorithm development. For example, recently developed algorithms for identifying transmission conductors and towers use physical models for the diffuse reflection of the LiDAR on cylindrical objects as a basis for line searching, adjusting the search radii based on the angle the LiDAR pulse strikes the cable.

In the case of both the vehicle and transmission conductor algorithms the problem space was significantly reduced by focusing on the remaining unclassified points after the standard ground and building classification routines had been run. By building up the classification starting with the ground and working up to more complex objects, it is possible to dramatically improve the quality of automatic classification using a combination of ML, statistical and semantic based algorithms. It has reached the point where very little else needs to be done to create an accurate vegetation classification and has considerably reduced the intensive manual labour efforts. n Dr. Nicholas Read is Chief Technical Officer of Anditi, a spatial data analytics company based in Newcastle, NSW. Before joining Anditi he completed a PhD in applied spatial statistics, applying large scale predictive models to bushfire. www.spatialsource.com.au 33

feature

The impact of Black Summer on the cadastre

TONY PROUST

More resilience in the rural cadastre is required

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ypical post-and-wire rural fencing, which largely defines our rural cadastre, is highly vulnerable to bushfire. Traditionally, we have depended on volunteer surveyors to re-establish lost rural boundaries and monumentation, following such natural disasters. While the efforts of volunteer surveyors are highly commendable and appreciated, depending on volunteer surveyors is not sustainable in the long term. As the frequency and intensity of bushfires increase with a rapidly changing climate, we must create more resilience in our rural cadastre, reducing the vulnerability of the rural cadastre to the impacts of bushfire.

Background This issue is not a new one. Writing in 2013, Narelle Underwood, currently the NSW Surveyor General, examined this issue in her paper The Impact of Natural Disasters on the Cadastre..

She wrote: ‘Cadastral boundaries are affected by natural disasters such as bushfires, floods and earthquakes. The confusion and uncertainty that result from this constitute a major economic problem.

The guarantee of ownership under Torrens title in Australia is a significant benefit that we have over other countries where substantial time (and I add – expense) has been spent re-establishing land ownership following a natural disaster. But Torrens title does not guarantee dimensions or areas and we rely on the use of survey monuments to define our cadastral boundaries.’

Ms. Underwood examined the impact of the 2009 Victorian bushfires and the 2010/11 Queensland floods, after which groups of volunteer surveyors assisted in recovery efforts by locating and coordinating cadastral reference marks or physically remarking affected property boundaries. Narelle writes: ‘While these efforts are extremely kind and honourable, in the current climate of increased occurrences and severity of natural disasters they are not economically sustainable’.

Following the 2009 Victorian bushfires, the Victorian Bushfires Surveying Taskforce was created, including the Surveyor General and representatives of the surveying and spatial professions. The

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priority was to recover, with the help of volunteer surveyors, existing reference marks and monuments prior to any site being cleaned up following a bushfire.

In his paper presented at FIG in Sydney in 2010, Eddie Cichocki writes: ‘The Taskforce decided ... the most appropriate response was to secure the surviving survey marks and monuments located within road reserves. It is these marks that cadastral surveyors use to re-define property boundaries and their preservation was seen as critical to ensuring that surveys… could be performed efficiently and economically.’

Whilst not wanting to diminish the role of volunteer surveyors in times of emergency, in any way, I want to start a discussion on what we can do to create more resilience in our cadastre, so it is better able to survive, particularly in times of natural disaster.

In Australia the natural disaster which poses the greatest threat to the cadastre is bushfire.

In rural areas the destruction of traditional timber post and wire fences; survey monumentation defining a boundary, can be catastrophic when it comes to the reinstatement of the subject boundary, especially if all the original survey marks have already been lost prior to the bushfire. In some cases many kilometres of rural fencing can be destroyed by a bushfire, posing a serious threat to the rural cadastre.

The typical timber post and wire fence, which generally characterises our rural and farming landscapes, are extremely vulnerable to bushfire and can be difficult and expensive to reinstate.

Further, the traditional corner reference trees, critical to the reestablishment of large rural parcels in NSW, are also extremely vulnerable to bushfires and unless measures are taken to identify and protect them, along with buried reference marks, including state control marks, the original boundaries may be difficult and expensive to recover.

not as great, because the difficulty of reinstatement is lower, due to a generally high density of existing survey marks, although it may still be expensive.

After the 2013 bushfires in Canberra the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) tested the performance of 1.3kms of fence materials during simulated bushfire attacks. Treated pine, hardwood and steel fences were tested in 23 different fire experiments including ember attack, flame attack, radiant heat attack and leaf litter attack.

The CRC found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that solid fences made from steel or hardwood timber were seen to be effective at stopping the transfer of both fire and radiant heat.

Fire resilient rural fencing As many surveyors would know fences defining rural railway boundaries are often constructed of posts made of old railway line which, for all intents and purposes, are indestructible. Often fences along major highways and arterial roads include concrete posts. Such fencing is more expensive but most likely more cost effective over the long term, being longer lasting, and resilient, than the traditional post and wire fences, which commonly define our rural cadastre.

My observations suggest that more productive agricultural land will usually justify more expensive and fire resilient fencing while more marginal land may not justify steel or concrete fence posts.

However, this could change if more rural landowners considered the long term

The Canberra experience In urban areas the same vulnerability to the cadastre exists, but the risk is

Fire resilient railway fencing – Tumbarumba Rail trail.

Original fence post – FPRD – with RM GIP – before bushfire.

advantages of building more fire resilient boundary fencing.

Kangaroo Island As many would know Kangaroo Island in South Australia was devastated by bushfire in Black Summer 2019/2020.

Advice from the Office of the Surveyor General, South Australia, regarding the official response to the impact of the bushfires in South Australia reads as follows: “The clean-up phase of the recovery program has the potential to significantly compromise cadastral integrity across a broad area and it is important that surveyors act quickly to minimise the loss. To this end the Office of the Surveyor General has commenced protecting critical survey marks and advises as follows: To assist with the bushfire recovery efforts on Kangaroo Island and in the Adelaide Hills the Office of the Surveyor General has implemented a work program to witness and coordinate permanent survey marks to ensure the long-term protection of the cadastre in the bushfire affected areas.

I understand this program has now been completed. The advice came with a facts sheet which reads inter alia: Damaged fences are typically replaced in the same location as the original fencing. Care should be taken to preserve the original location through the clean-up phase, and this may require the placement of offset marks prior to the clearing of the fence line.

This advice is of particular relevance to the following case study.

Western Victoria case study In 2018, I attended an Institution of Surveyors Victoria seminar at St Kilda and was fortunate enough to see a presentation

by Surveyor Clint Joseph about a rural cadastral project. Clint was asked to fix the boundaries of a couple of old dairy farms and the first thing he noticed was that all the original survey marks were gone.

He located all the fences but discovered that most boundary fence lines contained significant shortage or excess. Indeed the problem was mainly shortage within the subject lots, with excess in the road reserves. There was little logic or pattern that could be identified.

Clint’s survey may be summarised as follows: • Shortage of land along three alignments as shown in sketch • Title boundaries being crown boundaries, how does one deal with such shortages?

• Clearly there is something going on.

Then the light dawns: • Same ownership for a long time • All fencing is the same age

• The fencing was replaced after the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983 Later he learned that years previously a bushfire had destroyed all the fences and the landowners agreed to quickly rebuild the fences parallel and offset the original fences to get the farms back in operation, demolishing the old burnt fences later.

Once Clint was aware of the history of the fencing he was able to determine the correct location of the boundaries.

The longer-term solution was the neighbours agreed to gradually replace the fences over time, on the true boundaries.

Cooma case study I have had some personal experience with the impact of a bushfire on the cadastre. Since 1975 my family have owned a parcel of rural and near Cooma in NSW. We initially grazed cattle but then just enjoyed weekends bushwalking and generally enjoying the bush. In the Black Summer of 2019/2020 the site was devastated by a wild bushfire and we lost nearly 1 km of boundary fencing along the Numeralla – Countegany Road.

The road was upgraded in 1975 and DP 250437 was prepared documenting the definition of the new road. The plan records 5 kms of new road, half of which was defined with new post and wire fencing fixing approximately 50 road bends with timber fence posts as FPRD with an arrow carved into the timber post. These survey marks stood the test of time till January 2020 when most were totally destroyed by bushfire. Twenty of these FPRDs were on our road boundary of Lot 78 DP 750564 and they were all destroyed - completely. We quickly rebuilt the fence placing new steel posts into the old post holes of the burnt out posts.

In one location, however, my brothers, unbeknown to me, decided to change the position of the fence to improve access to a gate and in the process – before I was able to point out the impact of this change – by-passed one bend in the boundary which, coincidently, was referenced by a buried RMGIP.

Post bushfire – the now by-passed corner with RM GIP.

By this simple act the fence is no longer a true monument defining the boundary and the value of the RM GIP is diminished, being more difficult to find in the future. That part of the cadastre has been impacted for many years into the future – possibly forever.

Preservation of Survey Infrastructure All surveyors and the wider community have a responsibility to protect survey infrastructure including monumentation such as rural boundary fencing and corner reference trees.

In the Cooma case study referred to above, we have a magnificent corner reference tree which dates back nearly 100 years. DP 250437 notes the tree as found in 1975 but there is no mention of when the tree was first recorded.

The tree survived the recent bushfire but, as it happens, the local RFS pushed through an emergency fire trail just metres from the tree prior to the bushfire that raged through our site. The tree is particularly vulnerable being only metres off the bitumen road with fast moving traffic including log trucks and the tree needs a permanent buried reference mark which will survive a bushfire.

Survey-adjusted Cadastral models To build more resilience into the rural cadastre consideration should be given to the creation of local survey adjusted www.spatialsource.com.au 35

feature Highly vulnerable old reference tree, Numeralla NSW– fire prone, close to road and in need of protection.

cadastral models (SACM) which have the potential to improve the resilience and reliability of our rural cadastre, on a region-by-region basis. A SACM has the potential to provide increased integrity to the existing cadastral database using existing survey plan measurements, adjusted and strengthened by field survey data, or where appropriate, using various levels of spatial data for Fit-For-Purpose cadastral models. This can be a costeffective solution to the challenge of reestablishing rural boundaries.

Once a SACM is established in a locality, say after a bushfire, it can be readily extended and strengthened by the inclusion of additional survey field data and so increasing the resilience of the local rural cadastre. As the extent and reliability Typical survey cover box placed to protect a buried reference mark.

of the SACM improves, with the addition of new, more reliable and recent survey data, the SACM can be a cost effective solution to the challenge of locating and re-establishing rural boundaries.

A SACM would need to be managed at a local level and is likely to be a controlled access, web based, data base managed by the local surveyors and the council. As the SACM grows other surveyors could join the network. There could be a SACM, or even multiple SACMs, in each LGA with adjoining SACMs merging, as they grow over time. The local SACMs would only be available to the local surveyors, and the LGA, and will complement and enhance the state controlled DCDB, not complete with it.

Recommendations In summary there are some relatively simple measures which can be taken to reduce the risk of bushfire to the rural cadastre.

Critical lot corners or bends, along road frontages in particular, should be marked by fire resistant materials such as steel fence posts, especially those corners / bends with buried reference marks Further, buried reference marks should be protected by substantial metal boxes identifying the buried mark on the surface giving them a measure of protection from those who might accidently destroy them and making them easier to locate when required Corner reference trees should be further referenced to a buried survey mark as well.

Whilst details of such additional reference marks are best placed on the public record, this may not always be possible.

Alternatively a private buried survey reference mark is appropriate with the details shared with other local surveyors Consider the creation of a local SACM in the expectation that a bushfire

will impact the cadastre in the future, particularly in more densely settled rural areas, prone to bushfires

Conclusion Bushfires have been part of the Australian landscape for millennia and they can significantly impact the cadastre .

Surveyors understand the importance of protecting the cadastre and could make greater efforts to protect and preserve rural boundary fences, preferably before they are damaged or destroyed by bushfire. Relying on volunteer surveyors to help reinstate rural boundaries following a natural disaster is not sustainable given the projected future shortage of surveyors. This problem will only get worse as climate change accelerates and bushfires become more frequent and intense. We should encourage rural landholders to build more fire resilient fencing. The preservation of survey infrastructure, including existing survey monumentation, such as rural boundary fencing and vulnerable survey marks, such as corner reference trees, are a critical aspect of minimising the impacts of bushfire on the cadastre. The use of more fire-resistant fencing materials and locally controlled and managed Survey Adjusted Cadastral Models could be extremely useful in maintaining the rural cadastre and creating resilience in the event of a catastrophic bushfire or other natural disaster. n Tony Proust was a registered surveyor in NSW for 30 years and prepared some of the first Plans of Survey Information while engaged on the Hunter Sewerage Project in the 1980s. Tony has an abiding interest in measures to protect the cadastre, including the placement of survey cover boxes over buried reference marks, as inspired by NSW Local Government surveyor Fred De Belin.

POSITION’S NEWS ORIGINATES FROM Australia and New Zealand’s only site for surveying and spatial news.

Subscribe now for your FREE weekly newsletter at www.spatialsource.com.au 36 position February/March 2021

new products

DJI launches Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced The pocket rocket of DJI’s commercial drones has received a range of powerups, chiefly uprated sensor payloads and an RTK module option.

The optional new RTK positioning unit will offer centimetre-level precision, whilst the new thermal camera gains a 30Hz frame rate and is accurate to +/- 2 degrees C. The Enterprise 2 Advanced’s optical sensor is a 48MP unit with a 1/2″ CMOS sensor.

There are also software upgrades with new inspection and monitoring

features: a spot meter to display the average temperature of an object in real time, and an area measurement feature that displays the average, lowest, and highest temperature areas, as well as the corresponding locations of each area.

“We realised that our enterprise customers were often using the Mavic 2 Enterprise for industrial inspections where better accuracy and higher resolutions for thermal and visual sensors were critical features to perform a job well. Thanks to new

key upgrades, the Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced becomes the ideal drone and must-have tool for these types of complex inspections,” said Christina Zhang, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy & Communication at DJI. The RTK module supports NTRIP (Networked Transport of RTCM via Internet Protocol), and the new drone cops DJI’s AirSense system with obstacle sensing in six directions, and reception of ADS-B signals from full-sized aircraft.

RIEGL launches remote operation apps for VZ-i laser scanners RIEGL has announced the latest step in its drive toward full automation — full remote operation capability of its VZ-i series terrestrial laser scanners.

Three new apps automate data application and processing, allowing remote operation and real time access to results without any intervention from the user, according to RIEGL. Thomas Gaisecker, manager of the mining business division at RIEGL said that machine operators can optimise their work with real-time measurement results.

“Apps make this possible. The new RIEGL mining apps ensure that they get the data acquired by the scanner immediately as well as relevant, reliable and accurate deliverables to make prompt and appropriate decisions,” he said.

The Slope Angle, Design Compare and Monitoring apps can be used to operate the scanners remotely via LAN, Wi-Fi, and LTE network interfaces.

Emlid launches Caster, free NTRIP casting service Emlid has launched a free NTRIP casting service for passing corrections between RTK GNSS receivers.

Material released by Emlid states that its new Caster service features a simple interface, and allows users of RTK receivers with NTRIP support to set up a personal RTK mount point.

Caster supports one base and up to five rovers simultaneously, with NTRIP credentials automatically generated for base and rovers.

The Caster service is free for life, and can be used to set up Emlid’s Reach RS2 as a base station for DJI’s Phantom 4 RTK. www.spatialsource.com.au 37

sssi

News and views from the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute

SSSI Board – 2021 Paul Digney President Dr Lesley Arnold President-Elect & Director – WA Wayne Patterson Director – NSW Dale Atkinson Director – Qld Nicholas Brown Director – ACT Michael Grear Director – SA Neil Hewitt Director – HC Andrej Mocicka Director – Vic Inga Playle Director – Tas Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse Company Secretary Roshni Sharma YP Observer

38 position February/March 2021

President’s Report

T

he past year has demonstrated how adaptable and resilient we are in our home and work lives. I don’t think one could really prepare themselves for the harsh realities of living through a global pandemic. Though COVID-19 is a force that is still at the forefront of our lives, we must continue to look forward, grow and achieve. And this is what SSSI intends to do. We will continue to put members first and provide value to the profession.

Now, how do we intend to do this? I am so glad you asked.

SSSI has been very successful in delivering its CPD, seminars and other learning opportunities online for the past 12 months. We are also pleased that all events delivered online were made free to members from the 1st July, 2020.

Members also have access to an extensive online back catalogue of past online events. This year, SSSI will continue to deliver online learning and as COVID restrictions lift, will also commence holding face to face events.

What excites SSSI the most is the format for Locate21 this year. Organised from the central hub in Brisbane, many live sites around Australia will be made available for our members and the wider surveying and spatial community to meet in their local region and participate. In addition, virtual passes are also available, hence giving live access to Locate21 to those located anywhere in the world from the comfort and safety of their own home or workplace. I encourage you to register now for Locate21 and be part of this truly innovative experience.

This year, SSSI will once again continue to support the YP National Mentoring Program. A phenomenal initiative which links mentors and mentees to share knowledge and experiences of working in the surveying and spatial profession. With over 200 participating in the program last year, we look forward to building those important networks and will continue to strengthen the program.

Certification has always been a priority area for SSSI. Certification essentially recognises that a person has demonstrated they have the necessary knowledge and experience to competently work in their area of expertise. SSSI will focus this year on reviewing all the certification programs available, strengthen them and explore micro-credentialling opportunities.

We will rely on the support from our various Commission’s as we review our certification programs and will seek to

improve the application process. I am very passionate about certification and look forward to improving our existing systems in place.

For SSSI to be successful, we are unable to work in isolation. I am keen to further progress the foundation laid by previous SSSI Presidents and continue to build and leverage the relationships with national and international organisations. This may be in the form of Memorandums of Understanding (MoU’s) or Strategic Partnerships. If you would like to work more closely with SSSI, I encourage you to contact myself or SSSI CEO, Tony Wheeler.

Over the past 12 months, SSSI has formed two new Special Interest Groups (SIG), Disaster Management & Recovery SIG and Digital Twins SIG. SIG’s have an important role to play within SSSI as they enable us to advance a specific area or construct. SSSI has had immeasurable success with its existing Young Professional SIG and I look forward to reporting outcomes from our recently formed SIG’s over the coming months.

Included on the list of priorities for this upcoming year is a governance and constitutional review of the Institute. The focus of the review is to assess the existing constitution and governance framework capacity to ensure SSSI remains agile and responsive to current and future member and broader professional/industry needs.

It is anticipated that this will be partly achieved through removing some of the detail and complexity contained within the existing constitution providing more flexibility using general regulations.

SSSI’s dance card is full in 2021. We have much to build on. We have much to develop. And most importantly, we have much opportunity to grow. I look forward to engaging with the SSSI Board, volunteers, members and staff to deliver value to our members and our profession.

Paul Digney President

SSSI sustaining partner

SSSI Achievements in 2020 Celebrating our achievements Several respected SSSI members were conferred Fellow and Honorary Fellow status during the past year. Honorary Fellowships were presented to Gypsy Bhalla, Professor Abbas Rajabifard and Associate Professor Chris Bellman. Fellowships were presented to Peter Kinne and Associate Professor Dipak Paudyal SSSI welcomed the appointment of Tony Wheeler as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Digney was elected as President and Dr Lesley Arnold as Chair-elect.

This year, for the first time ever, the Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards (APSEA) Oceanic Awards ceremony was held online. We celebrated our national winners:

Individual Awards Professional of the Year – Craig Sandy YP of the Year – Melissa Harrington Women’s Leadership – Dr Charity Mundava Undergraduate of the Year – Kent Olive Postgraduate of the Year – Dr Mehdi Khaki Educational Development – Prof Stephan Winter and Michael Neitschke Professional Eminence Award – Chris Body President’s Award – SSSI National YP Committee

Industry Awards Environment and Sustainability – Spatial Vision Export – Spatial Vision, FrontierSI & General Commission of Survey, KSA Innovation & Commercialisation – Trimble Inc People & Community – FrontierSI and QUT Spatial Enablement & JK Barrie Award – Australian Cancer Atlas Technical Excellence – Land Surveys, FAL Team SIBA|GITA Chair’s Award – Narelle Underwood

SSSI was the proud winner of the Associations Forum Association Achievement of the Year 2020 Award. This award was in recognition of the SSSI FireWater Map-a-thon initiative.

Professional Development and Continued Learning Well over 100 learning and networking events were organised for SSSI members and industry professionals all over Australia, creating opportunities for increased engagement as well as gaining valuable continuing professional development. SSSI embraced the use of online technology and delivered over 70 webinars, with a reach of well over 3,000 participants.

Championed by the SSSI YPs, the Mentoring Program continued with great success in 2020. This program facilitates connections between students and early career professionals with experienced practitioners in the surveying and spatial sciences industry. In its second year, just over 200 mentors and mentees graduated from the program.

SSSI continues to champion the importance of certification and continues to review all its certification programs.

Progress was made in updating the ESP-AP procedures manual and application form.

Rallying together In response to the devastating bushfires affecting many parts of Australia, SSSI held two Map-a-thon’s in 2020. The SSSI National Bushfire Recovery Map-a-thon collected data on burnt infrastructure

and the SSSI Bushfire Recovery Mapa-thon collected data on static water infrastructure. Well over 600 national and international surveying and spatial science professionals participated.

Collaborating SSSI acknowledges that our work can not be done in isolation. SSSI values the strong relationship it has with its Sustaining Partners and the organisations we have MOUs with, including Earth Observation Australia Inc. (EOA), the Association for Geographic Information (AGI) and Australasian Hydrographic Society (AHS).

Interest groups and advocacy Over the past 12 months, SSSI has formed two new Special Interest Group’s – Disaster Management and Recovery and Spatial Digital Twins. SSSI is committed to championing diversity and inclusivity within the profession and continues to support the work of the Space, Spatial and Surveying Diversity Leadership Network (SSS-DLN).

SSSI continues to contribute to the development of the 2030 Space and Spatial Industry Growth RoadMap and is excited about the opportunities which lay ahead for these two emerging industry sectors.

Commission Chairs Engineering & Mining Surveying Chair Andrew Edwards chair.emsc@sssi.org.au Hydrography Commission Chair Neil Hewitt chair.hc@sssi.org.au Land Surveying Commission Chair Lee Hellen chair.lsc@sssi.org.au Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry Commission Chair Petra Helmholz chair.rspc@sssi.org.au Spatial Information & Cartography Commission Chair Robert Campbell

chair.sicc@sssi.org.au

Regional Committee Chairs ACT Regional Chair Noel Ward chair.act@sssi.org.au NSW Regional Chair Mary-Ellen Feeney chair.nsw@sssi.org.au NT Regional Chair Rob Sarib chair.nt@sssi.org.au QLD Regional Chair Noel Davidson chair.qld@sssi.org.au SA Regional Chair Graham Walker chair.sa@sssi.org.au TAS Regional Chair

Inga Playle chair.tas@sssi.org.au VIC Regional Chair Andrej Mocicka chair.vic@sssi.org.au WA Regional Chair Darren Mottolini chair.wa@sssi.org.au SSSI National Office 27-29 Napier Cl, Deakin, ACT 2600 (PO Box 307) Phone: +61 2 6282 2282 Email: info@sssi.org.au

www.spatialsource.com.au 39

sssi

Locate21 The new way to Conference

L

ocate21 is Australia’s premier surveying and spatial conference and for the first time ever will be a virtual and live in-person event. This highly anticipated event will be held from 29 March – 1 April 2021.

Over the past year, we have all had to reshape the way we do business. The Locate21 team have also been thinking of new and innovative ways to deliver a modern and unique conference which provides participants the opportunity to learn about the latest trends and applications in geospatial technologies.

This year a new hybrid event model has been created for the Locate21 Conference. The conference will see a combination of virtual and live in-person events in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Cairns and Wellington (New Zealand).

This new format will enable even more people to participate, whether that be meeting up at one of many local live sites or joining online from a workplace or home.

Virtually and in person, Locate21 will showcase how geospatial and location technologies and practices are being used,

highlighting the fundamental role they play in enabling our digital economy via the theme Convergence, Collaboration and Community – towards a stronger economy.

Locate21 has been approved for the Austrade Business Events Grants program.

The program will enable sponsors and bulk group delegate registrations of the upcoming Locate21 Conference to have up to 50% of their event costs covered by the grant funding. For further information and details on how to apply visit: www.locateconference.com

Locate21 SPONSORS

To find out more about Locate21 including the full program and registration details visit: 40 position February/March 2021

SSSI sustaining partner

OUR SPEAKERS The hybrid event model enables Locate21 to feature a range of national and international experts who are leaders in our profession.

Notable speakers and topics include: NADINE ALAMEH CEO, Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) will address how the future is clearly focussed on data integration and the need to make location information Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Findable (FAIR).

ADAM FERRIER Founder of THINKERBELL a brand strategist and an authority on Behavioural Economics will explore how people process information, how they make decisions, and most importantly how to engage with them in a way that adds value.

KELLEN CROUSE New York State Police’s Senior Intelligence Analyst will provide an inside look at the crucial role of geospatial analysis in solving a missing person case turned homicide.

PETER HEDLUND Managing Director / CEO of Ordinance Survey will explore the benefits to the economy of keeping geospatial data up to date; and how new technologies can improve efficiencies and reduce production costs compared to traditional map production methods.

DR JAMES JOHNSON CEO, Geoscience Australia will discuss the need for businesses and citizens to have access to trusted public data to de-risk investment, protect assets, and take part in decision-making for their communities.

OUR WORKSHOPS

FOR SOME FUN

Interactive workshops are a key component of the Locate21 program and can be booked during the registration process. These workshops cover a range of topics such as Digital Twins, or learn more about the Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) or learn how to effectively influence decision makers. These workshops are suitable for those at any stage of their careers.

One event you will not want to miss is the Virtual Coffee tasting. For a small fee, all equipment and coffee will be supplied to you via a sampler pack and a barista will teach you how to brew the perfect coffee.

Also learn about selected blends, plus you will have the opportunity to ask the barista any coffee questions you may have.

ASIA PACIFIC SPATIAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS (APSEA’S) The highlight of every Locate Conference is the announcement of the Oceanic 2020 APSEA winners. In this virtual event, we will celebrate the individuals and organisations who have made outstanding contributions to our profession and the community. Those attending Locate21 at one of our many live sites will celebrate our winners with canapes and drinks.

Locate21 may look and feel a little different from previous Conferences, however, the quality speakers, exceptional presentations, and opportunity to network, learn and engage will still be there.

www.locateconference.com www.spatialsource.com.au 41

sssi

In Conversation S

SSI CEO, Tony Wheeler speaks with NGIS Australia CEO, Mr Paul Farrell, a progressive geospatial technology company known for its innovation and diversification.

Paul Farrell is the Managing Director of NGIS Australia, established in 1993, that has grown from a boutique map maker and digitising house to an integrated provider of mapping and location-based technology solutions to large enterprises nationally and internationally, working with globally recognised technology companies such as Google, Planet and CARTO. Paul has sat on many private, government and research boards including the WA Regional Development Trust and Frontier SI. He is a past National Chair of SIBA | GITA and ViceChair of the AIIA (Australian Information Industry Association) in WA. He is a NonExecutive Director of the publicly listed start-up company Pointerra.

TW: NGIS now has quite a group of companies under different brands. Can you briefly tell us about the companies within the NGIS and their purpose for being separate businesses?

PF: Our focus is clear - create positive

impacts with geospatial technology. The NGIS brand has always been synonymous as client-focused geospatial solution provider (not technology led), As some of our niche offerings to the market matured and grew, we decided they needed their own identity to allow them to grow and reach their potential. As an example, our relationship with Google had grown to such a point over the last 10 years that it had its own dedicated team, focus and capability.

Therefore, we established several brands to address specific markets.

Liveli (www.liveli.com) represents our significant partnership with Google in Maps and Cloud globally. EO Data Science focusses on operationalizing earth observation data using machine learning and data science in various technology environments. The establishment of Winyama Digital Solutions is another significant move. Winyama’s mission is to empower Australian indigenous people, communities and businesses with geospatial and digital technology and

42 position February/March 2021

allow full participation in the emerging digital economy. We have several other brands that will appear in the market in the next 12 months.

TW: Which new technologies do you foresee becoming important to your business?

PF: The ability to have staff located

anywhere working on any project has become both an opportunity and a requirement for our business.

Developments in any technology that assists with remote collaboration, learning and delivery is going to very important. I sense a new wave of innovation will emerge in this space based on the realities of the world.

In the geospatial space, too many areas to mention! The emergence and availability of EO/3D/4D data will explode over the next 5-10 years. This will lead to a whole new wave of applications that will need the geospatial industry to implement and manage. The proliferation of this data and compute power means industry specific tools that provide insight and change will keep emerging.

In general, I still believe we have a fair journey to go to make geospatial data operationally accessible to everyone. The art of creating simple solutions from complex science is one our industry is still grappling with but represents huge opportunity if we get it right.

TW: 2020 has been an extraordinary year.

Has the Covid-19 pandemic changed the way NGIS operates, and are there any other factors that influenced the geospatial business?

PF: In the early days of the pandemic,

there were many unknowns. I was extremely proud of how our team responded – the importance of being connected and maintaining productivity throughout. And working closely with our partners and clients, we have learnt how we can deliver great service from any geographic location.

It’s also provided some great opportunities. As an example, flexible office management and the need to track employees has led to some great developments (like MapsIndoors) in indoor mapping and smart facilities management. The use of tools like

Skyline for remote facilities and plant management using augmented reality has really become a focus for companies serious about smart field deployments.

TW: Are you attracting enough qualified and talented staff?

PF: Recruitment never stops. We want the

best and brightest people in geospatial to join NGIS. We are very purpose driven business and talent is attracted to working for us to make an impact. Along with awesome technology, interesting projects and a great team to work with, we seem to have the right formulae in getting people to join. A big focus for us is our growing Graduate Program, where we mentor and train talent straight out of university for a period of two years. We aim to give them a good start to their career in geospatial.

Our graduates bring new ideas, energy, fun and keep the older folk in the office like myself on our toes!

TW: In terms of meeting your goals, what is the biggest single challenge for NGIS in the next 5 years?

PF: Internally, retaining our culture whilst

we grow is something I am very mindful of. It is something I will continue to focus on and invest in.

But I suspect our largest challenge will be when we start developing a presence outside of Australia again and making sure that our first few steps are solid ones.

Luckily we have tread the international expansion path before and use these lessons will be invaluable to ensure we grow successfully.

The Australasian magazine of surveying, mapping & geo-information 0 – No. 109 vember 202 October/No

February/March 2021 – No. 111

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