Reporter 81

President’s Message

My smartphone has become a constant companion. I check my work emails; I WhatsApp with my kids; I share updates on Twitter. When I look around at everyone else on their phones, I know I’m not alone in this. Recently, I read that as a global society, we are producing 2.5 quintillion bytes of data – daily. That’s a lot of information out there, but is it really information or just data? Without understanding, it’s the latter. Data only becomes information when we can use it smartly.  Using smart data in a digitalised world is the focus for this edition of Reporter.   

Data becomes information, is made smart, when we can see risks and take actions to prevent accidents. When new construction projects take place in the heart of major urban centres, monitoring of critical infrastructure then requires day-and-night observations. As the Regent’s Park Development in London sees the demolishment, excavation and construction of buildings, Murphy Surveys has merged several Geosystems technologies to keep a close eye on surrounding structures. With the sensors collecting all possible data and monitoring software processing the large quantities the full-service surveying and monitoring firm is constantly updated and in the know if any possible deformations or unacceptable movements occur.

An image becomes smart and informative when we can see the whole picture. In creating Smart Cities, this means getting the foundation right by capturing every building, every tree, every infrastructure. In creating 3D city models, vast amounts of data must be collected and then processed intelligently, efficiently and effectively. When mapping dense urban populations in the United States and France, Fugro and APEI, respectively, used Geosystems airborne sensors and workflow software. These solutions ensured smart and manageable data could be used to build digital cities for smart city planning.

Point clouds are only raw data until we’re able to move within them and understand what they show beyond the points. In the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, as-built surveys can prevent expensive rework by identifying any mistakes early in the design to construction phase. When Maxwell Construction Company in the USA used its new BLK360 imaging laser scanner on a restaurant construction project, the firm was able to collect up to 10 times the amount of data in half the time it would have taken using manual methods. With the collected data processed in AutoCAD, Maxwell Construction quickly corrected misplaced pipes before concrete was poured for significant cost and time savings. 

In our digitalised world, big data is no longer the focus. The evolution to smart data is how businesses will grow and advance. We are committed to bringing not just more data but smart information to our customers and the industries they support.

Enjoy your read.

Juergen Dold
President, Hexagon Geosystems

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