It is the duty of the Design and Survey team at the Virginia Department of Transportation to compile and store detailed survey information of landmarks including real property, houses and utilities. Survey equipment and data collectors worked in previous years but there has been a growing desire to systemize a process that would include real time data collection. They knew the missing link was computer hardware that would have full Windows 95 capacity, be durable enough to withstand field use and could run the department’s Microstation software.

Bentley’s Microstation software is a fully-functional 3D application for digital terrain modeling (DTM). It handles a broad scope of requirements including but not limited to terrain modeling, contouring, and data editing.

Approximately one year ago, the Virginia D.O.T. chose the HAMMERHEAD for its field crews. A crafty, screw-on port replicator attaches to the back of the HAMMERHEAD and gives the surveying team the ability to hook up surveying instruments to its detachable serial ports. The survey Information is collected and downloaded immediately to a database that they can use to develop 3D images.

According to Robert Ozlin, State Survey Engineer of the Virginia D.O.T., the project had a virtually flawless rollout with very few hangups. One minor problem they faced with the new technology was battery life in the field. They originally charged the HAMMERHEADs directly from the car battery through the cigarette lighter. Seeking increased in-field time, they found there could be more charge time if extra batteries were carried and the batteries were charged in the car instead of the HAMMERHEADs.

"So far so good" Ozlin declared when describing the new field system. He explained that some of the users complain about the weight of the new hardware because it is a significant change from their old handheld devices. He further included that the wealth gained with a full mobile computer is worth the extra few pounds they carry. Toughing it out through the long run will greatly increase the overall capacity of the surveyors job. Areas will not have to be completely and repeatedly surveyed resulting in reduced field time and down time. Information collected on the new system can be edited from old data as the surveyors work onsite. At this time the surveyors are not totally proficient with their new hardware, but once they feel more comfortable using them Ozlin is sure that the general response will be positive.
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