GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEMS (GPS)

The Global Positioning System consists of 24 earth-orbiting satellites. These satellites allow any person who owns a GPS receiver to determine his or her precise longitude, latitude, and altitude anywhere on the planet.

WK Dickson uses this system to accurately determine locations of certain monuments and assets in three dimensions, such as fire hydrants, manholes, water lines, natural gas lines and many other important pieces of a community's infrastructure.

WK Dickson uses only the latest technology. In fact, we were one of the first consulting firms to utilize 'Smart Bike' technology - a fleet mountain bikes equipped GPS receivers, mobile computers, and other data collection equipment.

Areas of expertise include:

  • Physical data collection: square footage, points, earth/materials quantities, elevations, shapes, features, structures, water features, paths, roads, lot lines, drainage features, utilities.

  • Natural Systems: wetlands maps, tree inventory, conditions of natural features, changes between different time periods, drainage/erosion control maps, mitigation areas.

  • As-builts: irrigation, drainage, utilities, critical crossings; any physical underground utility can be mapped.

  • GIS Data: GPS mapping is the core ground-collected data to base an accurate GIS database project.

 

Overview

GIS

GPS

Land Surveying

Utility Inventory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The GPS satellites orbit about 12,500 miles above the earth and each one takes 12 hours to orbit the earth once.

The first GPS satellite was launched in 1978 and there are now 24 GPS satellites in orbit.

The Russians have a system identical to the US system called GLONASS - though it is not yet fully operational. The space around our Earth is rapidly filling up with satellites.