Welcoming Brand Ambassador Simon Leeming from the Midlands, UK:

How did you get into surveying?

Apprentice Surveyor in 1995-2000, became Chartered through RICS

Welcoming Filipe Sousa our latest Brand Ambassador from Canterbury, New Zealand:

How did you get into surveying?

I started as a Survey Assistant in 2015 working with underground cables as-built surveys. Slowly got trained on the job and became a little confident with all the toys: Digital Levels, GNSSs, Total Stations, UAVs and Laser Scanners. I have been surveying out and about since then.

I have no formal education degree in the geospatial field. I am actually a Biologist by degree, but learnt the joys of surveying thanks to the training all the colleagues and leaders gave me on the jobs.

Introducing Ian Stephens our latest Brand Ambassador who is covering the Midlands area of the UK: 

Introducing Joseph Phil our latest Brand Ambassador from New Jersey, USA. Let’s learn some more about him:

How did you get into surveying?

I got into the Geospatial Industry shortly after joining my current firm as a civil engineer graduate, I was presented an opportunity and path to further my education and ultimate licensure as a Professional Land Surveyor. To say it was a great decision would be an understatement, there is so much to learn and appreciate while being able to utilise some really cool technology each and every day!

Recently, it has become clear that many of us in the geospatial industry share a common goal: raising awareness of our field. This need is even more pressing now, as companies are starting to recognise the challenges posed by the low enrollment rates in geospatial programs at colleges and universities, making it difficult to find top talent at career level.

At GeoBusiness in June Erin was introduced to Gideon from Minesat. Minesat is on a mission to democratise remote sensing! 

What is remote sensing?

Remote sensing is the capture of information from a distance using onboard sensors (passive or active) deployed in satellites, drones, planes, helicopters and survey equipment. It detects and measures reflected or emitted energy of physical objects on the earth, everything from light and sound to electrical, chemical and magnetic.

Data can be combined with advanced technologies such as AI, GIS, BIM and Analytics for decision-making across industry and research. For instance, communication networks (your pilot uses satellite signals to guide you safely home), infrastructure (digital twins use light imaging from drones or ground laser scanning) or urban planning (satellites can identify heat islands to inform policy).

We love that Minesat shares a large educational hub, in which Get Kids into Survey now features (in the ‘Ground’, ‘GNSS’ section)!

Find the hub here:

Let’s hear more from the Founder, Gideon Simons about the project:

“We are seeking to build a community connecting people with the whole spectrum of remote sensing and advanced technologies and advocating their uses for the betterment of society.

Our vision is to make this more accessible in terms of knowledge, education and use as we are realising their combined potential to solve many of the challenges we face as a society, from climate to resources to urbanisation.

We are doing this through sharing best practices, experiences and ideas from industry, non-profit and educational bodies. In doing so we foster partnerships that improve accessibility and inclusivity with the aim to accelerate the uptake of technology in industry, enabling non-profits to deliver more value and support educational opportunities for our younger generations.

As such, we are excited to work with our new partner Get Kids into Survey with this last objective in mind: providing educational resources to kids in primary and middle school so that they can experience and understand the technology and their fantastic applications in our world. Ultimately, to give more children a more informed choice about how they can support our future.

We are providing links to all of GKiS content as we think it’s a great resource for kids – we also have more content around survey if they want to dive in further plus a whole host of content on drones, advanced air mobility and space and satellites.

Do come and visit us, have a look and join up for more resources coming soon!”

Introducing our latest brand sponsor as seen in the Surveying in Space poster, it’s Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (CEC). Let’s learn some more about them:

1.   Company Name – Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (CEC)

2.   Location – Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA with 34 offices across the U.S.

3.   Why is it important for your company to help Get Kids into Survey? – The Surveying and Geospatial Profession is an exciting career for kids to consider, because it combines what so many of them love to do.  If a kid finds himself not being able to decide between playing video games and playing outside, Surveying gives them the opportunity for “hands-on” technology and exploring the physical world around them!  We want to inspire Kids to consider a life as a Professional Land Surveyor or a Geospatial Professional.

4.   What do you do? I am the Corporate Survey / Geospatial Practice Lead, which means I am the company “cheerleader” for about 40 Professional Land Surveyors and 195+ Survey Staff members located in 22 of our offices.  What CEC “does” ranges from topographic surveys where we map the surface of property on-the-ground and using UAV “drones” for design and development, to ALTA Surveys used for the sale of commercial or industrial properties, to Solar development where we survey for design and layout the solar panels and other improvements, we measure for roadways, pipelines, buildings, utilities.  We use mobile LiDAR, terrestrial LiDAR, we have 40+ UAV pilots and craft, we also use hydrographic equipment to measure the bottoms of rivers, creeks, and lakes and geophysical / utility locating equipment to measure underground utilities and structures.  You name it, we measure it! 

5.   How long have you been in the survey industry? – I have been surveying since the Chicago Bears won the Superbowl … about 39 years (I’m originally from the Chicagoland area and move to Pittsburgh to join CEC almost 10 years ago).  CEC has been providing surveying services for about 25 years.

6.   How did you end up getting into the geospatial industry? I took a sabbatical from college, wanted to get a job and saw an advertisement in a newspaper that said, “Land Surveying crew member, no experience necessary”.  I didn’t know what “Land Surveying” was, I thought I would go door-to-door asking people questions about their land!  My first day on the job I spent walking through the woods measuring trees on a beautiful fall day … I thought “I can’t believe they are actually going to pay me to do this”!  I have been surveying ever since.  CEC originally got into surveying to provide existing conditions surveys for civil engineering design and landfills.  It has since grown to be an independent practice, the second largest in the company!

7.   State a funny fact about you… I have 12 kids, a very patient and loving wife, and 3 of my kids are in the surveying profession (so far)!  I am also in two bands that are made up of instrument-playing land surveyors that only exist to play at two survey conferences.  The Illinois (IPLSA) conference band is “Monuments Men”, the Pennsylvania (PSLS) conference band is “Plumb Bob and the Chaining Pins”.

8.   Favourite piece of kit and why? I still miss my old orange Geodimeter 600 series robotic total station I used back in my field days!  Not the easiest equipment to use, but rock solid, accurate, and very reliable!  Also, I still have my original plumb-bob that my first boss gave to me … most people in surveying don’t even know what a plumb-bob is!

9.   Favourite Survey technique and why? I am most excited by our LiDAR equipped UAV systems, because they are a “game changer” in mapping, but you still need the basics of good ground control to make sure the map matches “reality”.  I don’t personally fly UAV’s … my kids have seen me playing video games and can attest I am not an expert with a joystick!  

10.  Your website

11.  How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name? I thought an image of a “robotic surveyor” would capture the technology with the physical realism of surveying.  I named the character “CybErC”, after CEC’s intranet program, which is the “hub” for standards, and both company and project information for CEC staff.  Just like in many ways “Survey / Geospatial” is the “hub” for so many of the other services we offer.

Introducing our wonderful new sponsors Emesent who have been heavily involved with the Space poster providing extra prints for Australia! Let’s learn some more about them:

1. Company Name Emesent

2. Location  Brisbane, Australia

3. Why is it important for your company to help Get Kids into Survey?

Surveying is essential to so many parts of our world and impacts many industries, often in ways that most people don’t fully appreciate. There is a diverse range of surveying jobs that cross many different skills and work environments. We believe that encouraging the next generation of surveyors is critical to our future, both in Australia and globally. Educating young people about the power of surveying, the incredible technology available, and the different ways surveying is used, will contribute to the enhancement of our world.

4. What do you do? 

Emesent makes an advanced LiDAR (Light detection and ranging) scanner called Hovermap that helps surveyors autonomously map difficult-to-access environments. Hovermap captures detailed 3D maps called point clouds. Point clouds can be used by surveyors in construction, mining, forestry and many other industries – even space! – to better understand and then make decisions about the environments they are working in.

5. How long have you been in the survey industry? 

Emesent was founded in 2017

7. State a funny fact about you…

Emesent staff where once invited to appear on a ghost hunting TV show to use Hovermap to see if we could identify a ghost!

8. Favourite piece of kit and why? 

Emesent Hovermap ST-X is of course our favourite piece of kit. As well as using it hand-held, you can attach it to a car, robot or drone. It has a variety of accessories that can be attached to it also.

9. Favourite Survey technique and why?

Flying Hovermap on a drone is our favourite way to capture survey data. But anyone can get started by using Hovermap handheld or in a backpack.

10. Your website: www.emesent.com

11. How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name?

This is Billie the Hover-Bat. The character is inspired by a local ‘bat’ called a flying fox. In summer, these animals go looking for fruit and berries, flying across the sky at dawn and dusk. We chose it because Hovermap is commonly flown on a drone – often underground into inaccessible and dark spaces.

Introducing Victor Okonkwo from the Anambra State, Nigeria, Africa as one of our latest Brand Ambassadors! Let’s learn some more about him:

Where did you study?

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

Why is GKiS important?

Because it is the bedrock of any meaningful development. Without surveyors, the architects, engineers, builders, cannot begin a project. Children need to understand that surveying is everywhere. We are the planners of modern society.