Will “Survey Instrument Operator” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

Unknown Chance of Automation

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Job Description

Adjust and operate surveying instruments, such as the theodolite and electronic distance-measuring equipment, and compile notes, make sketches and enter data into computers.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 17-3031.01

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Surveying Technicians”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Survey Instrument Operator”

Run rods for benches and cross-section elevations.
Set out and recover stakes, marks, and other monumentation.
Collect information needed to carry out new surveys, using source maps, previous survey data, photographs, computer records, and other relevant information.
Compare survey computations with applicable standards to determine adequacy of data.
Direct and supervise work of subordinate members of surveying parties.
Place and hold measuring tapes when electronic distance-measuring equipment is not used.
Operate and manage land-information computer systems, performing tasks such as storing data, making inquiries, and producing plots and reports.
Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.
Perform manual labor, such as cutting brush for lines, carrying stakes, rebar, and other heavy items, and stacking rods.
Perform calculations to determine earth curvature corrections, atmospheric impacts on measurements, traverse closures and adjustments, azimuths, level runs, and placement of markers.
Adjust and operate surveying instruments such as prisms, theodolites, and electronic distance-measuring equipment.
Provide assistance in the development of methods and procedures for conducting field surveys.
Record survey measurements and descriptive data, using notes, drawings, sketches, and inked tracings.
Maintain equipment and vehicles used by surveying crews.
Conduct surveys to ascertain the locations of natural features and man-made structures on the Earth's surface, underground, and underwater, using electronic distance-measuring equipment and other surveying instruments.
Lay out grids, and determine horizontal and vertical controls.
Compile information necessary to stake projects for construction, using engineering plans.
Prepare topographic and contour maps of land surveyed, including site features and other relevant information, such as charts, drawings, and survey notes.
Search for section corners, property irons, and survey points.

Related Technology & Tools

Hatchets
Community base station global positioning systems GPS
Axes
Electronic distance measuring devices
Machetes
Electronic digital/bar-code leveling systems
Echosounders
Tribrach optical plummet adjusting cylinders
Prisms
Survey instrument control units
Fathometer sonar equipment
Transit levels
Electrotapes
Barometers
Pre-programmed coordinate geometry COGO calculators
Measuring tapes
Clinometers
Alidades
Scanners
Sight targets
Portable hydrographic surveying equipment
Prism poles
Chain saws
Global positioning system GPS receivers
Robotic survey measuring instruments
Mallets
Leveling bubbles
Laser scanner coordinate capturing equipment
Total stations
Geological compasses
Multibeam sonar equipment
Handheld data collectors
Geodetic leveling rods
Automatic optical pendulum leveling systems
Vertical/target rods
Ranger data collectors
Theodolites
Desktop computers
Four wheel drive 4WD vehicles
Triangles
Templates
Laser printers
Plumb bobs
Programmable calculators
Personal computers
Measuring rods
3D laser scanning systems
Ground vibration sensing equipment
Extensometers
Tripods
Laser distance measuring equipment
Metal detectors
Plotters
Plane tables
Tribrach level bubble adjusting blocks
Notebook computers
Optical pendulum levels
Tellurometers
Real-time kinematics RTK global positioning systems GPS
Hand levels
Two way radios
Jackhammers
Wheeled measuring devices
Telescoping pole saws
Measuring chains
Distance meters
Levels
Digital cameras
Engineering scales
Magnetic field pipe locators
Side scan sonars

Datalog with guidance DLWG software
Trimble Terramodel
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
CARIS SIPS
Traverse PC
CARIS HIPS
MENSI 3Dipsos
Trimble GPS Pathfinder
Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
Triton Elics International Isis
Muncy Plat Pronto
Email software
Microsoft PowerPoint
TRS Software TomCADD
Carlson CG Survey
Carlson SurvCADD
Carlson Survey
Autodesk Land Desktop
Tripod Data Systems
Coordinate geometry COGO software
ESRI ArcView
Foresoft CDS Model
Computer aided design CAD software
Trimble Total Control
Microsoft Office
Modeling software
Bentley Systems InRoads Suite
Web browser software
Tripod Data Systems Foresight
MicroSurvey OfficeSync
Trimble TerraSync
Database software
QuickCogo
Autodesk CAiCE Visual Transportation
Bentley GeoPak Bridge
ESRI ArcInfo
Foresoft CDS Cogo
Autodesk AutoCAD
Geomechanical design analysis GDA software
MicroSurveyCAD
Microsoft Exchange
Trimble Geomatics Office
Carlson
ESRI ArcGIS software
Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
SiteComp Survey
Microsoft Word
MicroSurvey Star*Net
Trimble Digital Fieldbook
Microsoft Access
Low-level driver LLD software
MicroSurvey FieldGenius
Desktop digital photogrammetry system DDPS
Bentley MicroStation