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Some of the newest technology products available for land development professionals.
There are many new technologies that are going to significantly impact the land development industry. Many aredirectly related to the ability to provide professionals with more accurate data to begin the development and planning process so as to avoid any of those expensive surprises. The acronym, WYSIWYG, is somewhat common in the software industry and now in email, as well as online chat and discussion groups. It stands for “What You See Is What You Get.” In the area of land development, new technology is being introduced to help land development professionals “see more.” New Twist to Aerial PhotographyTechnology
Aerial photography has been around for a number of years now, but its efficiency and effectiveness has improved with each technological advancement. Topographic Imaging, Inc. (TII) has taken the goals and objectives of this service to a new level with airborne laser mapping using LiDAR technology. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. The system is mounted in an aircraft and is comprised of three primary components: • Laser - collects fifty thousand pulse points per second and records a measurement approximately every 1.5 feet. • IMU - a military grade inertial navigation system which measures the movement of the aircraft in three axes 250 times per second. • Kinematic GPS - Receivers log raw data at one second intervals both on the ground and on the aircraft providing extremely precise positioning every one second. This technological advancement provides more data than just two dimensional positioning in terms of X and Y. The big difference with LiDAR imaging is that it also provides detailed information on the third dimension, the Z. In fact, it is this ultimate 3-D product that provides users with the benefits of both an aerial and ground survey. LiDAR provides a comprehensive solution for mapping projects in any area regardless of the environment or terrain while offering a number of irrefutable advantages over conventional methodologies such as ground survey and aerial photogrammetry, including: • Superior Data Accuracy Collection of thousands of pulse points per second, equating to a measurement every 1.5 feet virtually eliminates interpolation, preserves surface integrity, and generates highly accurate one-foot contours. • Penetration of Tree Canopy and Dense Vegetation Airborne lasers penetrate tree canopy even in heavily wooded environments. This eliminates the need to clear line or underbrush and generates an extremely accurate data set. • Flexibility LiDAR data can be collected day or night and year round providing valuable flexibility. • Rapid Turnaround Data can be processed and delivered within 21 days of acquisition. • Advanced Product Many products can be derived from LiDAR data including 3-D models and visualizations and dynamic interactive videos. • Savings LiDAR offers a cost-effective alternative which saves significant amounts of time and money. Early adopters of this technology were government entities, both Federal and State, who focused on wide-area LiDAR surveys for tasks such as flood-plain mapping and homeland security. The power transmission industries, both electricity and pipelines, were also early users. Essentially, these entities had the computing horsepower to deal with the large sizes of the initial files. Often they had to adapt custom software in order to use the data. Now, with the increased cheap computing power and applications such as AutoCAD and Microstation being adapted to handle these larger datasets, more and more civil engineering companies are using the data for everything from roadway to site development projects. Costs are comparable to a good quality ground or traditional photogrammetry surveys in open areas. However, in wooded areas, cost savings to clients can be 60-80% over traditional ground survey costs. Jon Coleman, a TII principal, explains that “one client recently used our data to negotiate a substantial reduction inproperty purchase price based upon how many acres of the project fell in the floodplain. This resulted in a reduction of $5,000 per acre.” Prior to utilizing LiDAR, this TII client had been relying on outdated FEMA maps. The savings on this 1,200-acre project more than paid for the services. “Plus,” Coleman added, “the client received a comprehensive survey for all additional phases of the project. Not only this, but by now having all elevation data upfront for the project, and not needing to piecemeal the survey with the development has saved our clients consistently, and has enabled our client to find items that would otherwise have required costly re-engineering.” Coleman feels that the fact that 75% of their current business is from repeat customers indicates that the benefits of using the technology are easily apparent. As a bonus to potential and current clients, TII maintains a database of recently collected high-resolution data. If they are sent a map, by email, fax or regular mail, they will see if they have data already collected in your project area. “In short, for land developers and theirengineers the days of designing offsparsely distributed base survey data israpidly coming to an end,” statesColeman. “The benefits of this areobvious and, most importantly, much ofthe guesswork, contingencies, andassumptions involved in the previousdesign processes will be removed.Projects will be conducted on shortertimelines with many fewer change ordersneeded with the realization of significantcost savings to the project.” Web-Based Administrative, Sales, and Marking Tools for Developers For developers and builders looking to take greater advantage of the Internet, GeoTeck Systems provides Web-based solutions for reducing operating costs and increasing sales. The interesting aspect of GeoTeck's three product offerings is that they reach across all phases of neighborhood development, from land evaluation and purchase, through community development, and to lot and home sales. GeoPlats allows land developers and home builders to centrally manage lot inventory and support lot sales. Status and detail information is maintained from the community level all the way down to specific lots. “The individuals, agency, or developer representative responsible for the sales effort,” explains Paul Backes, President and CEO of GeoTeck, “has instant access to information on lots, adjacent properties, design requirements, images, and sales documents. By managing this information online, it is current and available to those who need to access it from one source.” In addition, management has up-to-date information on status, trends, and exceptions that need attention. In fact, GeoPlats boasts four distinctive benefits. • Instant access by all parties to lot information. Lot information is maintained on a central database with secure access by executive management, operations, field staff,and agents. Public information can also be made available to builders and prospective owners. • Faster sales cycle and operations cost reduction. Lot information is immediately available to all authorized parties, significantly reducing phone calls, voice mails, emails and time spent communicating lot information and lot status, and time lost waiting for responses. Eliminate the spreadsheets and notes in multiple locations which have outdated and sometimes conflicting information. • Comprehensive management reporting. Current and historic information is maintained for extensive reporting, providing management and investors the information they need to make informed decisions. A variety of reports are available, including status alerts, exception reports, statistics, trends, and status searches. • Enhanced homebuilder loyalty. Current, accurate information available online will substantially improve your service to homebuilders. GeoBuilder provides the general public with the information they need regarding a builder's communities, homes, floor plans, lots, and contacts. It can set a developer apart from competitors and delivers qualified prospects by bringing the sales team a lead management system to ensure all opportunities are consistently tracked through the sales process. This benefits both the sales agents and management by centralizing all opportunities with the relevant information needed to make the sale and reporting progress to management. Studies show that almost 130 million Americans use the Internet for personal research and purchases. These same people use the Internet as the starting point for researching home sites and home builders. A strong web presence will assure that you will be considered first by the tech-savvy generation of home buyers. GeoBuilder’s software provides links tocity, school district, shopping andrecreational sites for each of yourcommunities.On the administrative side, GeoProjectenables land developers to centrallymaintain parcel research and manageprojects. Detailed information ismaintained for parcels being consideredfor purchase, and for parcels of landpurchased for development. Landdevelopment plans and actual results aremaintained, including timeframe,responsibility, budget, and costs. Dynamic Software Increases Functionality and Uses of Aerial Photography An aerial photograph is one thing. An image, combined with software allowing a user to interface with it, that can provide the user with the ability to “see everywhere, measure anything, and plan everything” is yet another. Pictometry International is a rapidly growing software company that provides a sophisticated aerial photo system combined with software that provides wide area data for entities such as appraisal districts, local governments, and state governments. It is higher resolution than most other systems, typically providing a one-foot pixel. The company’s patented imaging process captures geo-referenced, high-resolution oblique (at an angle - natural view) and orthogonal (straight down) digital imagesof counties and states. Combined with the company’s interactive software solution, users can see everywhere, measure anything, and plan everything. Pictometry’s industry leading software enables users to quickly and easily access up to 12 different high-resolution views of any property, building, highway, landmark, or other feature in a county. The software also enables end users to create measurements directly from the geo-referenced imagery as well as insert GIS content and other data. For instance, the company announced in mid-November that it has secured a license agreement for Elmore County, AL for providing software and imagery services for the county. The county encompasses over 600 square miles in central Alabama and is the third fastest growing county in the state. The imagery and software are used in amultitude of departments and agencies atthe county, including 9-1-1, the PoliceDepartment, Fire Department, Planning, and several of the Water Authorities.Change Analysis from Pictometry allows the direct comparison on a computer monitor of previous aerial imagery with recent imagery of the samea rea. The Change Analysis viewer, combined with Hitachi’s HouseDiff process, allows users to automatically view side-by-side, highlighted images of the detected changes. These changes can include such features as new additions to existing structures, demolitions, land use changes, new construction, and other real property features that could go undetected. Geauga County, Ohio, is the first county in the country to use this combined solution. “By comparing new and previously captured digital photographs, HouseDiff gives us the ability to quickly identify building changes throughout the County, and Pictometry’s oblique imagery allows us to verify these changes without costly field inspection. This combination of technologies is a powerful tool for assessment and GIS applications at an affordable price, allowing us to further extend the value ofour Pictometry oblique image database,”said Louis K. Marion, GIS director forGeauga County. In December Pictometry announced thatMonroe County, NY Sheriff ’s Office andthe Gwinnett County, GA Fire Department have become the first publicsafety agencies in the country to deploy Pictometry’s new touch screen interface with their county-wide image databases on mobile laptop PCs. The touch screen software enables first responders to enter a street address or touch on a map or image to bring up multiple oblique (at an angle) and orthogonal (straight down) images of the requested area. Image measurement features, such as distance, height, elevation, area, and others, can be activated and traced onscreen at the touch of a finger. In Monroe County, NY over 130 of the Sheriff ’s patrol vehicles are now equipped with rugged laptop PCs with Pictometry’s visual information system.The visual database of Monroe County was compressed in order to fit all 44,280 images of the county on to each squadcar’s laptop. Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn notes that the new technology is beingused on a daily basis. “Pictometry has already assisted our patrol response to barricaded gunmen and other situations requiring tactical deployment,” said Sheriff O’Flynn. “Having instant access to [oblique] aerial photographs where there is a situation in progress is invaluable. Visually inspecting the layou tof an area before we arrive on the scene enables us to provide a more timely and informed response that can help ensure the safety of our deputies and the general public.” Firefighters in Gwinnett County have instant access to Pictometry imagery covering all 427 square miles of their county. The system is currently deployed in 18 command vehicles and is being rolled out to their entire fleet of 83 fire vehicles. Gwinnett’s Pictometry system is automated so that as soon as a call is dispatched, an image of the location is found, displayed, and waiting for the firefighters when they get in their apparatus to respond. “In my involvement within the fire service of over 27 years, I have never seen a technology like this that will make such a significant difference in the way that emergency incidents are handled,”said Fire Battalion Chief Harper. “This is the type of application firefighters havel ong been waiting for. It’s not a theory or something that only a few select people can have. Pictometry is for the men and women on the line, in the field, and on their way who can put this type of dynamic, visual technology to use in their everyday profession. Ultimately, the public benefits, as this technology has the potential to save both time and lives.”SLDT |
Sustainable Land Development Today 
