Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/712836
August 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com 40 on any system you buy. (See more on the training requirements on page 46.) Nevertheless, the basic principles and techniques of GPS dozer operations are fairly common to all brands. For a video of how this works, check out this link to our website: www.equipmentworld. com/bit.ly/deeregps. Hardware requirements In addition to the GPS-enabled dozer you will need a base sta- tion to receive and correct the GPS signals, and a radio transmitter to broadcast these signals to the fi eld. Most of today's receivers have the radio built in. For more on these, see our GPS 101 article on page 25 of the June issue (this is also avail- able on our website). A rover also receives GPS signals and is mounted on a portable pole that you carry into the fi eld or on an ATV or vehicle. The rover is used as a GPS measurement device for topo surveys and stockpiles and it is also used to localize the machine to the site. Rovers typi- cally contain a data collector with a monitor. This data collector contains and manages data fi les the same as a machine. Step one: Comprehensive survey Before dirt is moved or machines placed on the site, a traditional site survey is performed. This will verify that the real-world topography matches what the plans describe, and it will set up four or fi ve con- trol points from which all the other measurements will be taken. "You can do that with a rover on a pole, or a rover in an ATV or a vehicle," Houchens says. "That's a common practice to quickly drive a grid and get an existing topo." Drones outfi tted with survey equip- ment, however, are starting to fi ll that role as a quick way of measur- ing existing topography. Step two: Create a 3D model The survey data is entered into the rover's data collector and taken back to the company's estimators or en- gineers. They will compare existing topography with the site plan and turn this data into a digitized site model that can be exported into the machine. Companies that don't have the engineering resources on staff to do this typically hire the job out. Modeling costs will vary, de- pending on whether the owner or contractor is paying for some of the initial surveying, Houchens says, but it is usually less than 1 percent of the cost of the bid. If you're working with a residential site plan, some providers will charge by the number of houses on the site. For GPS/GNSS 101 | continued RTK Rover The fi rst step is to do a comprehensive survey of your site using a GPS base sta- tion and radio transmitter communicating with a rover in the fi eld. Illustration courtesy Deere.