AF Kobiowu Colloquium : Abeeb Adeyemo Delivers Lecture

Surv. Abeeb Kolawole Adeyemo has delivered a lecture on the ” Panacea to The Challenges of Digital Innovation in the Land Surveying Profession” during the first ” Surv. (Prince) AF Kobiowu Colloquium” in honour of Surv. (Prince) Aderemi F Kobiowu, the Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Surveyors(NIS), Oyo State Chapter and a leading figure in the Surveying industry .

The lecture was organised by the Federation of Oyo State Students Union(FOSSU), Federal School of Surveying(FSS), Oyo chapter and was well attended by many dignitaries and seasoned professionals in the surveying industry which included the Honourable Member of Oyo State House of Assembly, Surv. (Hon.) Dele Adeola, Rector of Federal School of Surveying Oyo, Surv. (Dr.) Dupe Nihinlola Olayinka, Surveying and Geo informatics HOD, Federal School of Survey, Surv. Felix Iyiola (mnis), APPSN Chairman, Oyo State Chapter in person of Surv.(Otunba) Oguntade Ademola, Former NIS Osun State Chapter Chairman, Surv. Adelakun (fnis) among others.

The full text of the lecture goes thus ;

“A PAPER DELIVERED BY SURV. ADEYEMO ABEEB KOLAWOLE AT THE “SURV. PRINCE ADEREMI FEMI KOBIOWU COLLOQUIUM” AT FEDERATION OF OYO STATE STUDENTS’ UNION,FEDERAL SCHOOL OF SURVEYING,OYO STATE,NIGERIA ON TUESDAY 17TH MARCH,2020.

The Elders in the Profession of Surveying and Geoinformatics in Nigeria
The Honourable Members of Oyo State House of Assembly, Present
His Royal Highness, The Alaafin of Oyo
The Rector, Federal School of Surveying, Oyo.
NIS Chairman,Oyo State
Women In Surveying, WIS
Members of the Press
Other Invited Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen.
All other Protocols dully observed
PANACEA TO THE CHALLENGES OF DIGITAL INNOVATION IN LAND SURVEYING PROFESSION.
Scholastically, the topic has at least, seven keywords, namely:
 Panacea
 Challenges
 Digital
 Innovation
 Land
 Survey
 Profession.

Going by definition of terms; Panacea simply means a remedy for all issues or something that will solve all problems.

Challenges, it is plural form of “challenge” which means instigation or antagonisation intended to convince a person to perform actions they otherwise would not, difficult tasks or problems facing somebody or something.

Digital means something of or relating to computer or computer age or what has to do with the use of electronic gadgets or electromechanical devices.

Innovation means introduction of something new or change effected by innovating.

In this context, Land means the part of earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water, or real estate or landed property; A partitioned or measurable area which is owned and on which buildings can be erected.

Surveying is from stem word, survey which means the act of surveying or an examination especially an official examination of all the parts or particulars of a thing, with a design to ascertain the condition , quantity or quality as a survey of roads and bridges , a survey of buildings , a survey of land.

Profession: an occupation or trade, craft or activity in which one has professed expertise in a particular area, a job,especially, one requiring a high level of skills or trainings.

So in a simplified language, “Panacea to The Challenges of Digital Innovation in Land Surveying Profession” means finding proper solutions to the problems facing introduction of electromechanical devices, modern survey instruments in land surveying occupation. Or simply, it means digitalization of land surveying.

What are the CHALLENGES and WAYFORWARDS?

(1) TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION OF LAND SURVEYING TECHNIQUES:
The previously available tools to conduct land surveys produced results which were adequate for the time and prevalent land surveying requirements. However, with the new age developments, the role of land surveying assumed a critical role to determine smooth infrastructure development.
The Plane Table survey was initially devised to perform land surveys. It lost its charm to Theodolite which was updated to Electronic Theodolite, which evolved into Total Station. New technologies emerged with a focus on developing smarter solutions to reduce the processing time and increase effectiveness. The rise to the latest and most advanced tool in the history of land surveying – Drones, has simplified the entire process and produced great results.
Technology has empowered the people dedicated to infrastructure development to use the available land wisely owing to the following benefits:
Accuracy: Modern instruments used by land surveyors have an accuracy of distance measurements by +/- (2mm + 2 ppm) x d. It is exceedingly accurate when compared to the results produced by the tools developed a decade ago. For a fundamental and complex process such as land surveying, accurate results have revolutionized the entire process.

Scope/Portfolio: Previously, land surveying techniques were limited in scope as the technologies themselves. Fast forward to now, these methods have evolved extensively and are no longer limited to measuring land. They are now being used to survey the sea, and airspace to discover new infrastructure development opportunities and revolutionize land use.

Speed: One of the areas which have been primarily impacted by the evolution of land surveying technologies is the speed of the process. With advanced technology, accurate results are presented in a few hours. Drones don’t require much human effort and are designed and developed to deliver faster results.

Infrastructure Possibilities: Land surveys are the core of infrastructure development. Smart cities, futuristic transportation, impressively designed buildings and much more are a result of the technological evolution in land
surveys. Technologies like GPS and DGPS have brought about transparency in the infrastructure domain with its satellite mapping capabilities. Integration of high-level tech as such has been the main reason for our imagination coming true in the field of infrastructure .
(2) NEW AGE LAND SURVEYS – POWERED BY TECHNOLOGY:
With population explosion, sturdy and reliable infrastructure is one of the needs of the hour. It is imperative to perform land planning amid limited space available to build the level of settlements suitable to man. The evolution of artificial intelligence and automation has given rise to multiple possibilities, which earlier seemed impossible.
Conflicts have been eliminated due to advanced development. As a civilization, we have evolved in the past two decades and made more effective use of our land resources for better infrastructure and green spaces. The smart-cities, metro-cities, roadways, railways and any other form of architecture that we witness today is a testament of accurate and efficient land surveying powered by technology.
If our generation is to build the infrastructure of the 21st century, land surveying will play a major role in achieving this goal. Technology integrated with land surveying has been instrumental in making it all possible.
(3) CHALLENGES AND ADVANCES IN LAND SURVEYING
There will always be new challenges in surveying as a result of the increasing complexity and requirements of a job site and project. Some of those challenges are also a result of a larger commitment to accuracy and sustainability.
In response to those challenges, surveyors now use modern instruments to achieve better accuracy and speed in measurements and calculations. Combined with human expertise, the use of modern technology can drastically improve productivity. This results to having more time to other important aspects of the surveying project.

(4) MODERN PRACTICE OF SURVEYING
The days of solely relying on 2-dimensional drawings are almost gone. Back then when we think of surveys we imagine drawings on paper with some incomprehensible lines.
Now, survey reports may also include accurate 3D representations of the job site. This makes visualization and collaboration much easier. After all, humans are more used to 3D environments (the real world). The 3D models of the site will also contribute in spotting possible errors and opportunities in the site. We can get a better and more comprehensive overview of the inherent features of the land (including nearby man-made structures, ground contours and bodies of water).
Although, in-person site visit is still the best way to evaluating the land, 3D models allow repeated evaluations of the site and additional reviews from the other project staff. This results to more rigorous examinations of the job site without the need for repeated and frequent visits.
This is especially valuable in remote or areas that are difficult to access. This is also useful in existing buildings (especially heritage or vulnerable sites). The 3D model can provide a representation that shows even the corners and hard to reach areas.
It works by using a scanner that measure up to billions of points. The output is what we call a “point cloud” which creates an “illusion” of a surface. This is easily interpreted by the human eyes.
The laser scanned data carries full information, which is useful when performing advanced analysis and visualization. Aside from surveying existing structures, this can be very valuable in architectural and town planning.
There are other technologies and tools that contribute to better accuracy in surveying. For instance, surveyors may use state-of-the-art robotic Total Stations and Global Navigation Satellite Systems when assessing the job site. Aside from accuracy, this could also be a more cost-effective method for producing timely evaluations and reports.

Truly, the modern practice demands modern solutions. This is because of the requirement for better accuracy (where errors have strict limits)

Even a deviation of a few millimeters can significantly cause rework, errors and even legal ramifications.
(5) PARADOX OF MODERN TECHNOLOGIES IN SURVEYING
With the development of new and possibly automated tools, some people infer that there will be fewer land surveyors required for the industry. After all, automation and robots will eventually replace workers.
Interestingly, the more likely result is that technology will just better complement human capabilities. In addition, technology will just bring better efficiency, speed and accuracy. But when it comes to decision making, human experts will still do the job.
For example, robotic total stations (modern tools for measuring and mapping) still require a remote control. The surveyor will operate the instrument and use the integrated video technology for in-office surveys and photogrammetry (a way of measuring distances between objects with the use of photography).
GPS surveying is also now being widely applied in the industry. The use of Satellites and Global Positioning Systems allow for better accuracy and reduced costs in acquiring longitude, latitude and height information. This also leads to faster results and the need for fewer people (could be one person only instead of a full surveying crew).
This seems that the technology is replacing people. However, there are other important aspects of surveying that professionals can focus on instead. They can perform additional verifications of the measurements and calculations. They can also do flood risk assessments and review the building codes to ensure compliance (e.g. level height surveys).
The time can also be better spent on communicating with the team and other stakeholders. This is to clearly set expectations and contribute further in the planning phase of the project. This is also to make sure that everyone’s on the same page especially when it comes to the boundaries and constraints.
(6) THE ROAD AHEAD
There is no denying that Artificial Intelligence and Automation will bring better products and techniques to ease the operations of a surveyor. The road ahead predicts cloud-based data storage as the norm, with UAVs playing a significant role and data made available instantly. The latest evolution of technology has impacted the design and functions of modern land surveying techniques in a massive way, and fresh impact is yet to come.”