There is the continuing need to raise the next generation of professionals that is not only educated and competent but also agile and able to respond responsibly to the growing demands from humanity. Humanity is facing a series of challenges ranging from adequate food and shelter; environmental degradation, natural disasters and climate change; growing income chasm and economic crises. The profession cannot just measure but also need to manage, to mitigate, to meaningfully deploy its sciences and technologies, its knowledge and practices for the betterment of humanity so that the profession remains relevant. Against this backdrop, surveying educators have the unenviable task of educating and shaping our next generation of professionals.

Surveying education has been ‘playing’ catch up with changes in the surveying/geomatics industry and some individuals are of the opinion that the lag is substantial and demands immediate attention. Not only has technology impacted the surveying industry but the modernisation brought on by information and computer technologies has considerably impacted educational methods used in surveying/geomatics programmes. This paper examines how selected surveying/geomatics programmes address the issue of making their courses relevant to industry needs, student characteristics and one particular trend within higher education. The discussion is based on empirical data from a research that involved fifteen surveying/geomatics programmes from thirteen countries. The study investigated curriculum architecture and pedagogical alternatives within the discipline and the impact these have on students’ preparedness for work.

Definition of land boundaries for the purposes of ownership (the Cadastre) or spatial definition for legal and cultural purposes is a vital part of the economic foundation of our society.

The main focus of the paper is to describe the use of emerging technologies in a cost-effective way and to illustrate the cost advantages of these technologies.

With maturation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, the consumer community as well as decision and policy makers have quickly realized the importance of making sound decisions based on information derived from properly designed geospatial databases. Organizations have created proprietary geospatial databases and governments are rethinking the contents of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). Extensive geographic data acquisition programs including satellite imagery, digital aerial photographs and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems at varying ground resolutions, as well as land parcel data are currently in progress around the world. Enabling technologies such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and digital image processing software have…

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) provides a picture of the different materials or structures underground up to a few meters of depth. To provide a 3D map of underground objects such as pipelines, the georeferencing horizontal tolerance should be around 20 cm, a figure achievable by GNSS systems. The conditions of GPR urban surveys, though, make it impossible to rely on GPS alone for positioning. In front of large blocks…

In general, measurements are only “legal” if they are “traceable” to primary standards of measurement. A GPS measurement is “legally traceable” if: (i) it is carried out using the various test/calibration procedures as required by the Guidelines, and; (ii) the survey has followed the “recommended practices for field and office procedures” as described in the Guidelines.
A GPS system testing/calibration program…

It was in the late 1950s that the Tellurometer hit the surveying profession. Certainly it was not the first EDM instrument on the market, that title goes to the Geodimeter which appeared in 1947, but there was a difference. The Geodimeter worked on a light source and as such its maximum range was limited by visibility. The Tellurometer operated on a radiowave which could penetrate most weather conditions and achieved distances up to 100 miles…

Generally, the entire railway line is divided into several sections, and each section is fi nished separately.
Firstly, we need to collect the existing information of one section, such as map and control points. Then, survey the topography of the working area, select position of control points, set the control point network, and produce the control points by GPS static survey…

There are generally 2 types of users of DGPS for professional survey one is the National Mapping Agency and other large govt. organization who undertake Survey projects and the 2nd category is comprising of private survey set ups most of whom are first time users of DGPS and use DGPS to cut down on the time and efforts Involved in surveying with ETS (electronic total station) along with spirit levels…