2. AGI Foresight Report 2020
201
“The Internet of Things (IoT) remains largely
an amorphous construct with many different
meanings to many different constituents. One
thing that is clear, however, is that it represents
a next generation set of technologies, systems,
networks, platforms, devices, solutions and
services that will transform virtually every
industry vertical…Big Data and Analytics will
increase in importance as IoT evolves to become
more commonplace. Data generated through
sensors embedded in various things/objects will
generate massive amounts of unstructured (big)
data on real-time basis that holds the promise
for intelligence and insights for dramatically
improved decision processes…We see great
synergy coming in public and commercial IoT
initiatives, but it will take up to twenty years fully
develop. Major IoT initiatives will begin to be
impactful starting in 2020 as critical adoption
points are reached and major issues, such as
interoperability and security, are solved initially
through preliminary solutions.”
“Key Areas of Focus for the Internet of Things”.
Telecom Engine, September 2015.
Big Data: Opening up a Smart New
World for the Geomatics Industry
Martin Penney | Technics Geospatial Surveyors
Big Data is the latest buzzword
amongst industry analysts.
Collecting data, storing it and using
it to advantage are top of every
boardroom agenda. Research on
big data in 2001 by global analysts
Gartner termed the challenges and
opportunities of data growth as being
“volume, velocity and variety”, to
which has been added veracity1
.
Aptly the definition was enhanced in
2012 to include “requires new forms
of processing to enable enhanced
decision making, insight discovery and
process optimization”2
.
While aimed towards market data
information the essence of the
definition has never been more
relevant for the Geomatics industry.
Today organisations are moving
away from viewing data integration
as a standalone discipline when
necessary, to a mind-set where data
interoperability, data quality, speed
of transfer, metadata management
and data governance are designed
and used together. The challenge for
Geomatics will be how we define our
emerging role and all that entails.
3. 202
AGI Foresight Report 2020
The State of
the Nation
There is no escaping that technology
dominates our lives. From our
everyday work with email and industry
software applications to social use for
shopping, reading, downloading films,
sharing photos and keeping in touch
with family and friends, we rely on our
phones, IT and internet.
At the heart of today’s world is
the data that this generates, from
operational and transactional systems,
scanning and facilities management
systems, inbound and outbound
customer contact points, mobile
media and the Web.
The Geomatics industry, as part of
the wider geospatial community, is
just one area which is on the edge
of change, and for which we must
prepare for. How data is gathered,
manipulated and shared, is now
one of the most discussed issues
in this and other sectors. New
applications, software and hardware,
sensor equipment and measuring
tools are being developed that will
make the collection and analysis
faster and more accurate and easier
to share. These issues affect all
companies and partners who rely on
it, whether in construction, transport,
utilities, engineering planning and
development teams. Joined up data
provides a pivotal basis on which
to collaborate and make informed
decisions. The Scottish Government
for example created a deliberate
long term strategy for linking data
and information to allow better
decision making3
.
The UK Government is driving
the need for technology driven
collaboration. The recently realigned
Construction Leadership Council
launched six new work streams
this month to drive construction
productivity; with Crossrail Chairman
Andrew Wolstenholme leading on
“smart innovation”4
. Other Big
data initiatives such as BIM level 25
and the Digital Built Britain Vision6
especially in the construction sector
have been introduced to encourage
the advancement of ‘smart city
projects’, whereby social data is
collated and interlinked on transport,
energy, buildings and infrastructure
to provide a holistic picture. With a
comprehensive view, developmental
issues and plans can be assessed and
outlined in a detailed, joined up and
transparent way.
On a global scale there is ongoing
research into FutureCities7
; processes
and standards to allow the effective
interaction of spatial and temporal
data between infrastructure, human
and environmental systems which
transcend traditional data boundaries.
Building Smart International (bSI)
building on its expertise in BIM
standards is now also focused on
driving positive transformation of
the built environment8
through
collaborative open standards in
conjunction with other agencies such
as the Open Geospatial Consortium
(OGC)9
and the UK Ordnance
Survey (OS)10
to enhance the social
and civic quality of our cities,
through geo-enabling the Web and
geospatial standards and allowing
straightforward decision making. The
OS open source geospatial data
base for the Kingdom of Bahrain,
producing a city-wide 3D national
mapping program provides a suitable
international case-study11
.
How did we
get here?
Our industry has experienced
significant technology step
changes and upgrades before.
Every few decade we have seen
changes including:
• In the 1960s, the introduction
of the electromagnetic distance
measurement (EDM) to replace
survey chains and intersecting
theodolite angles
• 1980’s, the draught board and ink
pen giving way to CAD and today,
in 2010+, the proliferation of 3D/
smart modelling and visualisation
• The analogue theodolite angle
measurement surpassed by the
electronic total station (1980’s) and
laser scanner (2000’s)
• 1980’s and the GPS unit for survey
co-ordinate control replaces
astronomical observations
• 2010’s with airborne scanners
and sensors replacing terrestrial
equipment, mobile applications
and multi sensors, indoor
positioning12
and mini drones
and scanners13
But these advances have largely
been industry specific instrument
evolution events, not the vast society
advancement in information and data
sharing worldwide that we see today.
So the data explosion is not new,
with dispersed data collection
having started as early as the 1970s,
epitomised by the perhaps extravagant
NASA Voyager program and
coinciding with the huge advances
in solid-state physics with the
introduction of the integrated circuit;
it set to propel the survey instrument
industry forward14
. What has changed
however is the speed of growth and
information exchange along with the
diversity of the data and the need to
make better use of information for
decision making. With the Internet
of Things (IOT), this speed and
connectivity of data and technology is
set to increase even more15
.
4. 203
AGI Foresight Report 2020
Challenges for
the Industry
For the Geomatics industry, while
there are many benefits for this new
world in terms of faster working and
joined up thinking across disciplines,
this Nirvana comes at a price;
increasing client expectations, meeting
new industry standards and training
and development of employees to
address changing roles and skill sets.
Changing
Client expectations
Client expectations along the food
chain have changed with the new
world. There is an assumption that
data can be provided instantly, on
demand, and that it is the very latest
available. Data mining, whereby
relevant data can be extracted and
manipulated to meet a particular
request, is no longer considered
‘innovative’ but the norm.
New Industry standards
With new data and information
collection, collation, modelling and
management comes the need to
regulate and standardise. Currently
the Geo-industry in the UK is
assessing current best practice within
BIM and wider geospatial community
both at home, in the US and around
the world; with consortia such as
the Open Geospatial Consortium
and BuildingSmart (UK) to provide
guidance in the UK and to set out the
way forward.
Training and development
Traditional job roles within Geomatics
will start to blur, as new technologies
speed up routine measurement and
data collation and more time is
spent on visualisation, evaluation
and sharing of big data. While the
internet and technology savvy younger
generation embrace this fluid way of
working as the norm, there will also
be a need to structure new resourcing,
learning and development in order to
accommodate this shift in emphasis.
The opportunity
A catalyst for change
The Geospatial Industry has the
opportunity to morph into a new role
in this information rich world, but it
must take charge of technology and
not be its slave and raise its head
to view the wider geospatial picture
in context. If successful we will be
ideally placed to support society
and community initiatives. However,
failure will see the industry wither
within the confines of historic tradition
and methods.
There are four key areas that we
must address if we are to meet the
challenges going forward:
• There must be a role change -
the former Guardians of data
collection must now act as new
arbiters of data standards, accuracy
and interpretation
• The Standards and guidance need
to reach out to a wider Geospatial
community, both National and
International such as advocated
by OGC and bSI- Start local
think global
• Industry leadership – we need
leaders to champion the cause,
help spread the word and show
the way
• Resourcing – the current status quo
will last a while. However, the role
of the future surveyor will be very
different; as well will be their “type”,
aspirations along with the needs of
the industry
The next steps
As an industry we can start the process
now to tackle the challenges ahead:
• Rally the professional bodies
and their membership; combine
thoughts and ideas and information
cross-party; work out how this fits
nationally and internationally
• Engage with the up and coming
generations on their level
as future custodians of the
geospatial industry
• Collaborate with the wider industry
to support richer discussion and
exchange between colleagues and
professionals locally, nationally
and internationally around open
standards and guidance
About
Technics Group
Technics Group is a leading utilities
and land survey company. We aim
to make information transparent.
Adopting innovative technologies,
we use the latest data mining and
modelling software to respond
to client requests for land and
utilities data. We work for clients
and government in large and
small construction projects for
planning, transport, energy, utilities
and buildings.
We’d love to hear your views.
5. 204
AGI Foresight Report 2020
Resources
1
Laney, Douglas. “3D Data
Management: Controlling Data
Volume, Velocity and Variety”
(PDF). Gartner. Retrieved 6
February 2001.
2
Laney, Douglas. “The Importance of
‘Big Data’: A Definition”. Gartner.
Retrieved 21 June 2012.
3
The Scottish Government. “Joined
up data for better decisions: A
strategy for improving data access
and analysis”. November 2012.
ISBN: 978-1-78256-215-3
(web only).
4
Dr Peter Hansford. Chief
Construction Advisor. Reported at
“Construction Industry Summit”. St
Paul’s London 8th Sept’ 2015
5
http://www.bimtaskgroup.org/
6
http://digital-built-britain.com/
vision
7
buildingSMART OGC FutureCities
Collaboration. July 23, 2015.
8
http://www.buildingsmart-tech.org/
infrastructure
9
http://www.opengeospatial.org/
ogc/programs
10
http://www.ordnancesurvey.
co.uk/support/understanding-gis/
standards.html
11
http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/
international/case-studies/creating-
3d-data-model.html
12
https://recombu.com/mobile/
article/nokia-goes-indoors-with-3d-
maps-bluetooth-40-and-a-parrot-
ar-drone-the-future-of-indoor-
mapping_M15943.html
13
http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/
autonomous-indoor-navigation
14
Measurement Techniques March
1970 Vol 13 Issue3, Yu Babitskii
“Electric measuring devices at
the Scientific Instruments exhibit
in Moscow”
15
In Telecom Engine, Sept 2015.
“Key Areas of Focus for the Internet
of Things”
