Question 1

How accurate is GNSS?

Christopher Morey · Accepted Answer

GNSS accuracy is dependent on the type of receiver and technology involved. For example, whilst a GPS Smartphone can offer an accuracy of around 4-5m in open skies, an advanced commercial GNSS system such as Trimble’s R12i can offer an accuracy of up to 3mm. GNSS accuracy can be affected by external conditions such as high buildings, heavy tree canopy or an insufficient number of satellites. The R12i features technology that makes it the most reliable choice for operating in inhospitable GNSS conditions.

Question 2

What is GNSS used for?

Christopher Morey · Accepted Answer

If an accurate position is required, then there is an application for GNSS technology, consequently it is adopted by many people within many different industries and market sectors. For example, KOREC offers Mapping GNSS products that are used for the positioning of everything from lampposts and street furniture to gullies, footpaths, trees and fibre optic cables, anything where decimetre accuracy is more than sufficient which includes navigating back to previously recorded points. It has particularly high take-up for environmental, utilities and local government applications. The KOREC range of survey GNSS with their mm accuracy are more suitable for infrastructure and civil engineering applications where accuracy is vital, for example the rail industry, construction, highways, forensics and collision site investigation and topographical surveys.

Question 3

What is the difference between GNSS and GPS?

Christopher Morey · Accepted Answer

GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite System. This is an umbrella term that covers all global satellite positioning systems including GPS (Global Positioning System) a constellation of satellites developed by the United States Department of Defence originally for military use but now available for commercial and consumer use. The main difference between the two is that GNSS systems provide increased accuracy and reliability because they can use satellites from other networks beyond the GPS system, for example GLONASS (Russian), EGNOS (European), Galileo (European) and Beidou (Chinese). GNSS-compatible equipment can use navigational satellites from other networks beyond the GPS system, and more satellites means increased receiver accuracy and reliability. All GNSS receivers are compatible with GPS, but GPS receivers are not necessarily compatible with GNSS. The most advanced instrument in KOREC’s range is the Trimble R12i whilst the Trimble R1 is more basic, pocket sized receiver.

Question 4

How does mobile LiDAR work?

Christopher Morey · Accepted Answer

LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth. A continuously rotating LiDAR system sends thousands of laser pulses every second which collide with the surrounding objects and reflect back creating a 3D representation by measuring the speed of light and the distance covered by it. This helps to determine the vehicle’s position with other surrounding objects. As well as being a useful component in mobile mapping systems, LiDAR technology will also be key to the development of autonomous vehicles.

Question 5

What is a Mobile Mapping system?

Christopher Morey · Accepted Answer

A mobile mapping system enables the collection of 3D geospatial information from the safety of a vehicle on land, sea or rail. Systems range in sophistication from a more basic system such as KOREC’s KlearView 360 which comprises a 360deg vehicle mounted camera, fully hosted portal and asset inspection app which is ideal for pavement or roadside asset inspections to a top of the range system such as the Trimble MX9 which typically mounts on the roof of a vehicle and rapidly captures laser scans and images – both panoramic and multi-angle – as you drive. The advantages of mobile mapping systems are many and include the provision of a rich dataset with a very high data density for close range acquisition so nothing is missed. They are ideal for covering larger lengths of road that it would not be cost-effective to survey using traditional methods and above all remove surveyor from working in time pressurised environments or where safety maybe compromised such as on live roads. No active traffic management is required and data is collected at traffic speeds.

Question 6

What is mobile LiDAR?

Christopher Morey · Accepted Answer

LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth. Mobile LiDAR systems are frequently used for 3D mapping applications along various corridors because of their extreme ease in capturing comprehensive high-resolution 3D topographic data at normal speeds. Because of this they are often a part of a more complex system, for example, Trimble’s MX9 Mobil Mapping system which combines a vehicle-mounted mobile LiDAR system, GNSS, multi-camera imaging and field software. This combination delivers efficient, precise and high-volume data capture for a broad range of mobile mapping applications such as road surveys, topographic mapping, 3D-modeling and asset management.

Question 7

What is 3D mapping used for?

Christopher Morey · Accepted Answer

The term “3D mapping” is a cover all expression for lots of different applications. A quick Google search returns articles about projection mapping, photogrammetry and everything in between. At KOREC we typically use the term to refer to the output from our mobile mapping family of solutions, which includes the Trimble MX7 and MX9 amongst others. These sophisticated LiDAR devices capture 3D data from a moving vehicle which produces results via something called a point cloud. These points make up a 3D image (or “cloud”) representing the environment that has been scanned and can be used to manage assets, build 3D models, and make precise measurements to name just a few applications.

Question 8

What is drone mapping?

Christopher Morey · Accepted Answer

Drone mapping is the process of mounting a sensor on a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to capture data from the air. There are many different sensors which can be mounted on a drone, but some of the most common types are LiDAR scanners, high-definition aerial cameras and thermal imaging sensors. A device like the eBee X is equipped with three different sensors alone. Data captured by drones can be used to produce 2D or 3D maps depending on the application. The use of drones has dramatically increased in recent years due to their ability to map large or inaccessible areas quickly and safely.

Question 9

What is photo mapping?

Christopher Morey · Accepted Answer

Photo mapping is the process of uploading pictures to a mapping service with GPS coordinates to match points of interest with the exact positions they were taken. Probably the most widely known photo mapping project is Google Street View, though there are many practical uses including rights of way maintenance, virtual tourism, and flood planning. Photo mapping is different from the practice of photogrammetry which involves using high definition 2D photos to make 3D measurements and models.

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