As the land surveying profession evolves to meet the changing needs of a high-tech world, advances in data collection and computing power support increasing demand for comprehensive geographic information. In addition to measuring distances and defining boundary lines, multiple geospatial disciplines are used today to map above ground and underground, inside and outside, in two and three dimensions.
The use of photogrammetry, remote sensing, LiDAR, GPS/GNSS, robotic total stations and other technology offer new opportunities for land surveyors to gather highly precise and accurate spatial data. Complex relational geodatabases called geographic information systems (GIS) then integrate, manage and analyze this large volume of data to serve many applications.