Kick The Map for Apple phones and tablets

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LPaulCook
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Kick The Map for Apple phones and tablets

Post by LPaulCook »

I just saw this new software and point cloud service. It looks amazing what they say they can do with no prior skills or experience in surveying or mapping to make accurate (+/- 3cm) point cloud models of any site, big or small...you can even Geo-reference the point cloud too with 3 or more surveyed targets in the images they say. They do the processing, you take the photos and upload them to the company.

Take a look at it here then tell me what you think of this or what you know about it please.

https://www.kickthemap.com/
L. Paul Cook, PLS
www.LPC3D.com
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Re: Kick The Map for Apple phones and tablets

Post by LPaulCook »

I wrote to the company about 30 minutes ago re fees and Android users. Here is the reply I just received. Fast service!

Hello Paul,

Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately we cannot announce a release date for an Android version, but it is definitely on our roadmap.

We propose two plans for the paid version, either a monthly subscription of 250€ (around 270 US $)/5000 pictures or a pay-per-use plan starting at 1,5€(around 1.7$) /10 pictures. Depending on the surface and configuration of your area of interest, a facade mapping would probably be around 400-500 images.

I would be happy to hear about your needs. Let us know if you need more info.

Best regards,

--
Alexis Roze, Co-founder
T : +41 77 430 06 49
kickthemap.com
linkedin.com/company/kickthemap.com
L. Paul Cook, PLS
www.LPC3D.com
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smacl
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Re: Kick The Map for Apple phones and tablets

Post by smacl »

Looks really interesting, though not an Apple user myself so can't check it out. Maybe someone here could give it a whirl and post the resultant LAS file to see what the quality is like. I'd strongly suspect any absolute accuracy is highly dependent on ground control and the accuracy figures they quote are relative accuracy over short distances. Easy enough to check if you've already done a scan in the same area, or simply by repeating the same walk in different directions and comparing a few sections. The cynic in me thinks a claim stating "No skills required" for a solution involving measurement of utilities, surveys and volumes is a combination courting disaster.
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SCC Point Cloud module
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Re: Kick The Map for Apple phones and tablets

Post by Scott »

smacl wrote: Mon May 11, 2020 5:57 pm The cynic in me thinks a claim stating "No skills required" for a solution involving measurement of utilities, surveys and volumes is a combination courting disaster.
+1
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Re: Kick The Map for Apple phones and tablets

Post by landmeterbeuckx »

This is getting ridiculous. Already people over here look at the gis system and argue with us about boundaries.
I hope that there are still sensible people about who order surveys and other geospatial data at the appropriate companies.
Our services and knowledge are being degraded as it is something from wal-mart, a very cheap thing.
Sad evolution.
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Re: Kick The Map for Apple phones and tablets

Post by dhirota »

landmeterbeuckx wrote: Mon May 11, 2020 7:57 pm This is getting ridiculous. Already people over here look at the gis system and argue with us about boundaries.
I hope that there are still sensible people about who order surveys and other geospatial data at the appropriate companies.
Our services and knowledge are being degraded as it is something from wal-mart, a very cheap thing.
Sad evolution.
Lieven
Shane

My belief is that many in the profession have not used sustaining innovation to educate their client base to understand how to use the many tools that professionals use to accomplish their work and what technology means to the client. We all know this takes time.

Part of this discussion needs to include how a 20 person consulting firm such as ours; 2,500 miles from anywhere; starting on its 58th year of operation, has completed many world class projects of major resorts and military facilities in Hawaii and around the Pacific RIM. We have always used world class technology tools to provide the appropriate time-efficient-cost project results that clients are looking to accomplish. We have spent significant amounts of time demonstrating to an established base of new and existing clients how technology applications will affect their projects. This week we will demonstrate and evaluate color scanning a 1.2 million square foot project.

The Kick the Map is another idea of many hundreds or thousands in the future that many on the LSF and other internet forums will pursue. The major questions that need to be answered before spending any time on it: Is who will use it? For whom the client? And who will test and evaluate the workflow?

Unfortunately, many under-educated; non-trained, un-licensed users will be using such “tools” to help others accomplish their work, which may lead to errors and legal action. The reduction of the presence of Professionals by pressure from politicians, who are the real criminals in such situations.
Dennis Hirota, PhD, PE, LPLS
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smacl
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Re: Kick The Map for Apple phones and tablets

Post by smacl »

Dennis,

When I see solutions such as this my first reaction is to skip the marketing blurb and get my hands on some user generated data to see how it stacks up. I haven't seen any data as yet from this system so can't say much about it. From other data sets I know photogrammetry tends to produce attractive results but accuracy is determined largely by quality of ground control most significantly, followed by quality of lens, sensor and calibration. I have very little faith in manufacturer quoted accuracy figures as they tend to relate to the highest accuracy that can be achieved in ideal conditions with no interference factors in play as opposed to accuracy typically achieved. To understand the latter we need to test it thoroughly using higher order independent methods of measurement for verification purposes.

What sets alarm bells ringing for me is the claim that this system for example can be used for utility mapping, i.e. position of a pipe in a trench that will be covered over and the resultant map used to dictate where it is safe to dig at some random point in the future. That future digger will probably be GPS guided so the base map has to have a high degree of absolute accuracy to the mapping grid in use. As such the original survey needs robust QC and I wonder how a system like will provide it.

In terms of professionalism in the industry I'd suggest it is incumbent on the industry to provide documented QA and QC to prove the services and deliverables provided are fit for purpose. My approach to this in the past has been via specification, e.g. here and there are no shortage of similar specs for laser scanning and photogrammetry. My concern is that with 'dumbing down' on the technology side quality issues are taking a back seat and quality control is being treated as an unnecessary cost rather than the essential difference between fit for purpose professional work and pretty pictures that look the same and cost a fraction of the price.

FWIW, I'm very much of the opinion that the future of point cloud generation will involve a combination of laser scanning, photography and various other sensors. I remain to be convinced that the iPhone can deliver survey grade results in this context.
Shane MacLaughlin
Atlas Computers Ltd
www.atlascomputers.ie

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