Customer Stories

In order to effectively manage and mitigate environmental problems, organizations need accurate information on the location and characteristics of site conditions. For many applications, environmental managers must rely on low-accuracy positioning techniques to collect data for site analyses. A low-cost, high-accuracy approach to GNSS positioning is transforming one company's work in solving environmental challenges. overview Location NEW ZEALAND TRANSFORMING THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS TRANSFORMING THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS Pattle Delamore Partners Ltd. (PDP) has used positioning for years. The New Zealand-based environmental engineering company works throughout the country on projects to quantify, manage and monitor environmental challenges. PDP engineers and scientists use GIS-based approaches to environmental monitoring. By combining position information with environmental data such as contaminants, water levels or soil conditions, they can develop comprehensive information about a client's site. The ability to sample at the same location over time or determine approximate heights is a critical aspect of this environmental monitoring. Using GPS in smartphones was simply not accurate enough and surveying the locations using traditional survey methods was not economically viable. Given that for many projects centimeter level accuracy is not mandated, PDP sought a viable alternative to precision height surveys. What was needed was a cost effective solution that provided flexibility, required accuracy and accessible workflows for PDP's field crews. A FLEXIBLE SOLUTION When Mat Darling, PDP's geospatial development leader, learned about Trimble® Catalyst™, an on-demand software based GNSS service, he recognized that it was an excellent match for the way their business operates. Catalyst allows crews to capture GNSS positions with high levels of confidence and reliability and at the level of accuracy required by their application. For example, when working on contaminated sites, access and revisits are tightly restricted and PDP technicians need to be sure they have accurate data and positions during the first (and often only) time on site. Using Catalyst and the Trimble DA1 antenna in conjunction with Esri® Collector for ArcGIS® running on an Android™ tablet or smartphone, they can obtain up to 2 cm accuracy, which is more than sufficient for their needs. Running in the background, Catalyst captures location data while technicians focus on collecting samples and information on toxic or hazardous materials, wells, sediments and other features.

• Cover