Solar Time Vs Man made Time

On a very recent trip to Italy, I happen to see this excellent pair of clocks on a church, one was a solar clock, the other a mechanical clock.

If you look carefully, you can see that the solar clock shows 12 pm, yet the mechanical clock shows 11 am, yet both are right. Let me explain, the solar clock is as the sun depicts, it can not be changed, well not on this stone solar clock, yet the mechanical clock can be altered, as we enter daylight saving.

I like this a lot, it show how time works and how man has altered time to suite his needs, it opens up a lot for both shadow work, surveying and a simple yet fundamental view of our Solar system, the tilt of the earth to the sun, and its effect on weather.

Such a simple photo yet so full of information.

I will use this next year as I teach first year students in both simple surveying and detailing.

Using Sketchup to make a Site Model

Sketchup has some great tools, but one them is the link to Google Earth and maps. This video below is  a classic video that shows so easily the way to build up a site model in 3D using these tools.

I have watched this several times, but for the purposes of CPD time I have claimed only 2 hours quality CPD time making notes the second time.

Backscatter Technology become WISP

You might remember, but some time back I wrote on the way Backscatter Technology, was taking my interest, big time, well a lot has gone on since, not only have I been writing Academic papers, but the really clever researchers have been expanding the technology.

It now seems possible that we can program the sensor, and make it act like a simple computer, not so much it can run games, but more simple calcs acting like a small computer. From my research its seems to be in the low end of what you might find in a FitBit watch. The University of Washington have been looking at this and have a rather good website paper for your reading.

Still this takes the whole concept of Sensors to the next level, and beyond. In one paper the researcher had made a simple black and white camera, all powered by Backscatter ambient energy. If you can't access academic papers, you might be missing out on a lot of research, I have written my research up into a 1 hour CPD program.

So perhaps instead of the sensor just sending loads of data, most of which might just be of no use, the unit would be able to do small calc based upon its readings and that perhaps of its near neighbours, and only send info when there was something interesting to report.

Another problem is the way a sensor knows its location, previously we had thought that the room sensor would do the calc, but now it seems once the room sensor pings the room and asks if there are any sensors, the returns are calculated, and  it tells each sensor where it is in space, and its programmed into the sensor.

This brings up another problem, that of ID, each sensor needs some form of ID, well why not its Easting & Northing plus it's height, or X,Y, & Z, no two sensors can occupy the same space, so each would be different. Another big reason to understand simple mapping and the difference between Lat Long, and Easting & Northings. Again the subject of a 1 hour CPD presentation.

Is your a manufacturer, then this is something you should be investigating, it's the start of the IoT, and beyond, miss it now and you'll be left behind, again I have several 1 hour CPD presentations on this.

The video below explains some of the technology, but I think its wise to start building up some of your own research on this starting where I first began, at the article and saving information to Evernote, or your preferred archive personal data store.

Tree Preservation Order

For so long I seemed to work on large projects devoid of trees, even when I worked in insulation, supporting Styrofoam insulation, the only trees I saw were growing in rain water gutters and I might add, doing very well. But they were not of interest to the local authority, and certainly not worth saving, it was only in later years when I started the extensions that I came up against TPO's, or Tree Preservation Orders.

So what are we talking about, well trees have certain rights, the planning portal has a lot on this subject, but the general opening page gives it straight :

A Tree Preservation Order is an order made by a local planning authority in England to protect specific trees, groups of trees or woodlands in the interests of amenity. An Order prohibits the:

• cutting down
• topping
• lopping
• uprooting
• wilful damage
• wilful destruction

of trees without the local planning authority’s written consent. If consent is given, it can be subject to conditions which have to be followed. In the Secretary of State’s view, cutting roots is also a prohibited activity and requires the authority’s consent.

Local planning authorities can make a Tree Preservation Order if it appears to them to be ‘expedient in the interests of amenity to make provision for the preservation of trees or woodlands in their area‘.

Authorities can either initiate this process themselves or in response to a request made by any other party. When deciding whether an Order is appropriate, authorities are advised to take into consideration what ‘amenity’ means in practice, what to take into account when assessing amenity value, what ‘expedient’ means in practice, what trees can be protected and how they can be identified.

In my experience, local authorities seem to take a view that all trees are subject to a TPO, so best to check, before removing it, and don't forget, this applies both to clumps of trees, and hedge rows.

You might also want to get hold of a local Arboricultural Consultant  a tree man/Woman, who will advice on the species, and how to deal with it, the link I have added is to the National Association for Arboriculturalists.

This also heads directly into BIM, for a long time I surveyed trees for local parks and private clients, we added tree symbols with a lot of data attached, from simple species and latin names to tree height, canopy spread, trunk size, and general condition, plus it was linked to a massive database for the various reports made over the years, we even made a dead or died field, this tree was then hidden away, but not forgotten, as we so often had to print maps with dead trees on, colour coded for years or months that they died, showing disease patterns across estates. Exporting this information both as IFC, but mostly as Cobie of spreadsheet files.

We also noted the types of trees that used or consumed a lot of water, Black Popular for instance, very interesting in location of buildings and trying to remove them, the effects on the construction can be,,,,,, interesting. But more on this in a new blog I am planning.

There is a lot to cover in this subject, so my suggestion is to head over to the planning portal and read.

Related articles

• Walter Segal
• In England the local planning authorities are : 32 London borough councils, 36 metropolitan borough councils, 201 non-metropolitan district councils, 55 unitary authority councils, The City of London Corporation and the Council of the Isles of Scilly.

Google indoor mapping

This article on City Metrics, on creating Google indoor mapping, is interesting, for existing buildings it could be a boon to internal shop or office owners wanting to get an easy fix on an internal map,

I still think adding our plans is the better way, as it allows easy updates, but still, its interesting. The kit is a little cumbersome. and a tad obvious, plus how long does it last without a charge.

Adding specific graphics is also a problem, I can see so many shops wanting their logo of corporate graphic jpg.

Apple getting in on the act is not surprising, but their map is not in the same league as Google so it's a watch and see for Apple Maps.

But indoor mapping is going to be big business, emergency escapes, show me the way to Starbucks, loads of possibilities.

I tried to get a route from home to JD Sports in the airport, it located it well and added a touch more info, then I asked it to show me a route from home, this it did well, till it got to the airport building, and then failed to show a routs through the internal map. So a way to go, plus it did not show what floor or that I should take a stair, or lift.