TZL 1301

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O P I N I O N

Egypt, Rome, beyond

Surveying technology has been around for thousands of years. What’s new today will be old tomorrow, but the basics will remain the same.

T he earliest evidence of land surveying dates back to the Egyptians in 2700 B.C., during the building of the Great Pyramids at Giza. They would use basic geometry to redraw property boundary lines when the Nile River would overflow. The Romans used the same techniques to continue the practice of surveying properties and construction. The first evidence of using tools and equipment specifically made for land surveying comes from Roman carvings.

Jason Haynes

you can attach cameras or mobile 3D scanners has dramatically changed the work we do, giving us access to infrastructure inspections, building façade inspections, safety planning, and much more. One of the assignments we see is material stock pile volume and calculations. Typically, we basics of how we as land surveyors perform our tasks are all based on the principles laid out by our ancient forefathers.” “Despite the technology and application advancements, the

Today’s land surveyors still use equipment and instruments based on the same principles, however with technology constantly evolving, the term “land surveyor” has truly become a moving target to define. And firms everywhere are tasked with integrating these new technologies into their core services. When I started as a surveyor, we did everything with a total station and level. At the time, GPS was the latest and greatest tool, and way too expensive for most companies. Today, GPS has become commonplace, and other technology advancements have taken its place as the latest and greatest new tool. One of the newer technological applications in a land surveyor’s arsenal is the Unmanned Aerial System, commonly called “drones.” Having a small, light, nimble, and inexpensive platform on which

See JASON HAYNES, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

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