Surveying is a profession for those who wanted to do field jobs. One of their responsibilities is to determine national and local boundaries, as well as creating a detailed map that can later be used when building infrastructures, like roads. Surveyors are also responsible for the creation of planning for the construction of parks, offices, residences, and industrial areas. For thousands of years, surveyors have only relied on the measuring rope, but the technological revolution in the late 20th century provided the surveyors with more tools that they can use for their field jobs. The creation of laser-based technological measuring tools allowed the surveyors to gain an accurate measurement of the area they are in. These technological devices have also transformed other field of studies, including geology and engineering, and the data collected on these land survey tools and devices can also be transferred over the computer for further processing.
One of the most common measuring tools used by surveyors today is the electronic distance meters, also known as the EDM. The laser is mounted on a tripod, and it is aimed at the target direction. Two people would have to work together to obtain the measurement from the EMD, with the first individual operating the device while the other holds a reflective glass. The prism would reflect the light emitted by the device back to the EDM, and it would provide an instantaneous and accurate measurement. In the past, at least four people are required to work together to calculate the measurement of an area, but with the rise of EDMs, it was cut to only two persons.
Robots are another devices used by surveying companies, which cost $50,000 and up. According to companies which are operating a surveying firm, buying robots to do measurements is a great investment, because they will work until their batteries drain out, unlike humans who would need to sleep, take a break, and eat. The advancement in the field of robotics resulted in the creation of surveying robots that could take accurate measurement anywhere on the planet. These robots are also being used by space agencies like NASA to assist them in studying other heavenly bodies, like the Moon and Mars. Robots will continue to develop in the years to come, and their contribution to the field of surveying will continue to be noticed by the public.
The Global Positioning System, more commonly known as the GPS, is also a great tool used by surveyors, as well as the engineers and the geologists. The most common GPS today is Google Earth, and it shows an accurate satellite imagery map of the world, containing all of the structures present in the area being observed. The majority of photos stored on the GPS are new, showing changes in the environment through the years. With these tools, surveyors would have an easier job measuring an area and determining the distance between two points, and they could also develop an accurate map that would be a great help especially in the field of transportation.