Innovation Description and Benefit:

Our innovation is GPS Utility locating and mapping. We are using a VLOC3-RTK pro locator because we can collect both utility location data along with survey-grade accurate geographical locations using one device. The VLOC3 sends field data to the cloud and retains that information in the receiver’s onboard storage for review. These files can be exported to external mapping programs like Google Earth, or ArcGIS and TMS maps.

In the future this innovation will drastically cut down on time doing locates, which saves fuel and cuts down on vehicle usage. It also potentially can save someone from having to do a locate if the excavation area isn’t close to the underground utility. The time savings from this allows us to allocate time to more projects. By mapping the underground utilities and being able to give that to excavators it improves safety to help prevent utilities from being dug up. The locator is lightweight and compact, which allows the person doing the locate to collect this data without putting a physical strain on themselves.