Data collection need not be fraught with danger
The process of gathering data – from deploying an instrument, to retrieving the profiles, downloading them, reformatting, and reviewing data sets – is a challenging one for engineers the world over. But as manufacturers there are steps we should be taking to ensure that data capture runs smoothly.
The technology around which our lives revolve has had a strong influence over what we expect from products in every area of life. Our smartphones, tablets and laptops rarely leave our sides while high-speed internet access is now so common that we only give it a thought when we are without it.
Hardware is easily changed, memory is plentiful and expandable, quality is good and costs are reasonable.
So when data capture does not happen, instrument connectivity fails, or data is wrongly formatted, it leads to delay, frustration, and even redeployment.
These are the standards engineers expect from their surveying equipment, and rightly so. Instrument manufacturers should be listening to what engineers need from their instruments and providing tools that make life easier without presenting additional challenges.