Introduction to Geomatics

A Definition of Geomatics.

It has been said that geomatics is many things to many people, but it is generally accepted as the science and technology of acquiring and managing information about our world and its environment. The name geomatics emerged several years ago in Canada. The term represents the rapidly changing and expanding world of land information management, which consists of measuring, mapping, geodesy, satellite positioning, photogrammetry, computer systems, remote sensing, information systems, environmental visualisation and computer graphics. Land information management also includes the various stages of data acquisition, manipulation, display and management. As you can see it takes a lot of words to explain what it is all about, hence the word geomatics. The word has been adopted by several international bodies including the International Standards Organisation (ISO), so it is here to stay. The bit of geomatics that this Plane Surveying subject is particularly concerned with is the measurement component, also known as surveying.
So what is surveying?

'Land surveying' has been defined as the art and science of determining the position of natural and artificial features on, above or below the earth's surface; and representing this information on paper plans, as figures in report tables or on computer based maps. This definition however would be seen as a very narrow view of what is encompassed by surveying today. The definition of surveying is changing, to reflect the applications of surveying techniques and the impact that the introduction of computer technology has had on the more traditional aspects of the discipline. It is certainly very different to the public perception of a 'surveyor' as 'somebody who stands next to the road looking through that telescope thingy and waves their arms about'.

Surveying science has a very long and distinguished history, dating at least back to the 'rope stretchers' of Babylonia and the Egyptian dynasties. The development of the principles of geometry, astronomy and time still forms the foundation on which current surveying knowledge is built. Today 'surveyors' use satellites to image the earth's environment, use different satellites for navigation and precise position fixing, use computer visualization techniques for mapping, micro-computer controlled equipment for measuring the earth's surface and information systems to present and analyse data about land and land usage. But, the underlying core of knowledge for all of this sophistication is the mathematics of geometry.