Thursday, March 03, 2011

NGS GPS Data-Sharing Solution Hits 3,000 Mark and Counting

The National Geodetic Survey has made sharing GPS survey positions easier, thanks to an upgrade to the Online Positioning User Service (OPUS) called OPUS-Data Base (OPUS-DB), which recently hit the milestone of 3,000 marks submitted for database inclusion. In addition to standard position reports, OPUS-DB gives users an option to share their positioning results in an online NGS database. OPUS provides a comparatively streamlined and homogeneous method for computing and sharing the location of permanent features, such as tidal bench marks or other survey control. As originally designed, the OPUS solution report is distributed via email to the submitting user only. By adding a database and additional Web forms to capture a description of the positioned object, NGS can now make OPUS solutions publicly available. For more information, contact Rick Foote.