With the advent of accessible, Internet-connected, hand-held computing devices, the opportunity for using such devices to support fieldwork became a reality. Metzger + Willard, Inc. (MWI) began using smartphones in 2010 to bring construction drawings and survey control data to the field, search record drawing data, and locate utility infrastructure. In 2011, we migrated to the use of tablets and have continued to build on the technology by creating applications to facilitate viewing and manipulating construction drawing and mapping data. We are currently focused on equipping all of our construction inspectors and survey party chiefs with tablets, allowing them easy access to online services as well as local documents and data. In addition, the tablet has greatly enhanced our surveyors’ and inspectors’ ability to communicate quickly with our office surveyors and engineers. When faced with unexpected field conditions, our MWI inspectors and surveyors can immediately send photographs or video of the problem area to the office where the Project Engineer or Surveyor can make an instant determination about the appropriate course of action. This timesaving method allows construction and land surveys to proceed unimpeded. Our most recent mobile software development is a suite of land surveying tools.
Earth Survey Mobile
Earth Survey Mobile (ESMobile) is a collection of tools that run in Google Earth 6.2+ on an Android device with OS 2.1+ or an Apple iDevice. A WiFi or 4G Internet connection is recommended. Earth Survey applications that were written for the desktop will not run on a mobile device because of user interface, feature, and style differences. The tools listed here are components from HCBM, NGSCS, PLSGE, and QUADS that have been modified to run on a tablet or smartphone.
Unlike Android or iDevice apps, ESMobile tools are not installed. For best results, open Google Earth and navigate to your area of interest first. Then open the ESMobile webpage (www.metzgerwillard. us/mobile/) in a browser, tap the tool name, and choose to open the file in Google Earth. If your browser does not offer a choice of apps, but instead opens the file in another window, then long press the tool name, save the file on your device, and open it with a KML-aware file manager.
While City of Tampa and Hillsborough County Benchmarks will be of interest primarily to central Florida surveyors, those who are planning similar applications may also be interested in comparing the different delivery methods: City of Tampa benchmark data is contained in the station balloon; Hillsborough County benchmark data is retrieved from the Internet via a link in the station balloon.
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