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neighbors have violations [encroachments]." "KM requested Vision International to develop a system that would enable them to locate and mark parcel coordinates with an accuracy of better than 3cm," says Elesawy. The new paperless system employs several software solutions, including Trimble Access, which facilitates the data transfer between the field and the main offices. I N D U S T R Y Figure 3: Trimble Access software enables surveyors to combine GNSS and total station data for resection, stakeout and in-field computations. 1 8 G I S R E S O U R C E S | M A R C H 2 0 2 1 Integrated Software Solution Access works with an application called the Remote Parcel Validator (RPV), which performs quality control checks in real time. The RPV evaluates several factors to ensure the survey work is done properly and then either approves or rejects the boundary survey based on municipality standards. Items evaluated by the RPV include the functioning status of the equipment, the accuracy of the boundary coordinates as located by the surveyor and the quality of the GNSS network. If the stakeout coordinates are outside of tolerance or the GNSS constellation is poor, the RPV will freeze the transaction and allow the supervisor to intercede remotely. Alternately, if the RPV determines the job was well done, it prompts the parcel release form, which the surveyor and client then sign digitally on the data collector. Access then delivers the form instantly to the main office for final approval. Once a 15-day process, the boundary survey and parcel handover can now be performed in a single afternoon. Figure 1: Surveyors and municipal officials mark an encroachment. By combining precise measurements with cadastral data they can quickly identify any problems. Ensuring Accuracy The KM surveyors rely on the Kuwait real-time GNSS network to perform their survey work. Should buildings or other features obstruct the horizon and interfere with GNSS reception, a surveyor will setup a Trimble S5 robotic total station. With a prism and GNSS receiver mounted on a single pole, simultaneous optical and GNSS measurements are taken in three different open areas. This establishes the position of the S5 on the control network through the resection routine in Access. This is followed by a conventional stakeout of the parcel corners. When a KM surveyor arrives on site and finds encroachments, he postpones the parcel stakeout and instead measures the encroaching features, which might include fences, driveways, or buildings. This data is sent by Access to the main office for review, where the boundary is often adjusted and the parcel corners set at another time. Any encroaching features need to be reviewed by management just as they were traditionally. Any errors are delivered in real-time so adjustments can be made quickly. The connectivity allowed by Access and the quality assurance provided by the RPV eliminates paperwork quickens survey data transfer and automates quality control. This combination of software solutions will create more accurate and efficient boundary surveys for Kuwait. Figure 2: (Left) Trimble S5 Total Station and (Right) Trimble R10 GNSS Receiver

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