Feature Friday – September 2022
We have made it our mission to make digital surveying available to every field worker out there. To create the best possible personalized surveying experience for all of them, with handy tips and tricks, connections with other apps or software, and new feature releases frequently.
We combine the (start of) new features in monthly updates: these Feature Friday blogs. In this edition, we give you a taste of some major projects that are coming up: marXact machine control and the new surveying app, UNI-Collect.
Watching marXact machine control
The first major new development that you will get a new taste of, is marXact machine control. During bauma, the world’s largest construction trade fair, visitors get a sneak peek of this new surveying solution already. We are currently working hard to fine-tune this for the fair at the end of October.
With machine control, two UNI-GR1s digital receivers help determine the position of the excavator and the blade. This way, you can see your machine on the map with centimetre accuracy and you therefore immediately know whether you are digging precisely and according to design.
A lot of testing is currently being done to make machine control as powerful as possible, as well as very easy to use. These are both software tests and exercises with UNI-GR1 receivers on an excavator, as you can see in the photo below.
The UNI-Collect sneak peek
You cannot have missed it by now: in the not-too-distant future, UNI-Connect will become UNI-Collect. Where you can now survey easily due to software in an internet browser, this becomes easier and, above all, faster and more stable with the help of a surveying app on iOS or Android soon.
The development of our handy UNI-Collect surveying app is an extensive project. We are rebuilding the whole thing, laying a new foundation on which functions will be built. New measurement options together with functions that you still know from UNI-Connect. In fact, an entirely new product is created that makes it even easier for you to survey yourself.
We are now expanding the project view and you can already see the satellite reception status of the UNI-GR1 on this print screen.
Or from a different position source, for example, if you use your tablet or another receiver via Bluetooth. It’s the Location Source Selector. You can also see how you can easily select a point, line, or polygon in the project view.
And the entire operation becomes more intuitive now that we can also swipe, slide, and press for a longer period of time. You can see an example in the project overview here.
You have a personal greeting tailored to you as a user and see a preview of your projects on the dashboard. As well as a number of photos that you have taken during this specific project.
marXact manpower
By now, you‘ll probably understand that we put a lot of time, effort, and energy into developing and launching these two new capabilities. Two new products actually. Nowadays, almost all marXact manpower within the Development department goes here.
This will probably give you an idea: until last May, 1 developer worked full time on UNI-Collect, in June there were already 2. A month later we doubled that to 4 people and in August that number went to 6. Since this month, 8 colleagues have been working on both major developments. How good is that?
This also means that there is little room left to develop many other new updates to the existing products, at this moment. That time will come again and, if possible, already integrated directly into, for example, the new UNI-Collect app.
What steps do you need to take?
Not a lot, if we are completely honest with you. All updates are done automatically and while you are out surveying in the field or preparing tasks in the office. You might need to turn your UNI-GR1 off and on again, but only when the update stops unexpectedly. After turning it on again, you are good to go.
More releases coming up
In the time ahead, we will also keep you informed of the developments of marXact machine control and UNI-Collect. That’s what these Feature Friday blogs are for.
Until the next edition, see you in October!
