The Geoholics

What if you could explore a map by listening to it?

On Episode 293 of The Geoholics, we sit down with Brandon Biggs, founder and CEO of XR Navigation and creator of Audiom, to talk about making digital maps accessible through sound. Brandon shares how users can explore, draw, and edit maps without relying on sight—and how sonification could help reveal geospatial patterns in a whole new way.

We also get into what accessibility means for surveyors, GIS professionals, and public agencies: from collecting and structuring data in the field to designing and testing maps with disabled users from the start. And we put the future of accessible mapping to the test with our “Bullsh*t, Breakthrough, or Too Soon to Tell?” round.

Tune in for a conversation about technology, inclusion, and building maps that work for more people.

#TheGeoholics #Geoholics #Geospatial #GIS #LandSurveying #Surveying #AccessibleMaps #DigitalAccessibility #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #Sonification #Audiom #XRNavigation #Mapping #GeospatialTechnology

What happens when professional surveying, military leadership and workforce development collide? You get one hell of a conversation with Keegan Lumley, PLS—Project Manager with Colliers Engineering & Design and Master Sergeant in the North Carolina Air National Guard.

Keegan joins us to talk about earning his PLS, leading and training Airmen, balancing advanced technology with solid surveying fundamentals, and what civilian firms can learn from the military’s hands-on approach to developing people. We also dig into the future of the profession, including the North Carolina Young Surveyors Network, Cape Fear Community College’s new Geomatics program and the apprenticeship initiative designed to create stronger pathways into surveying.

Of course, we put Keegan through Bullshit, Breakthrough or Too Soon to Tell, drop a Leica Geosystems Pro Tip and crank up “Don’t Wanna Know” by The Red Clay Strays!

This episode is about leadership, mentorship and what it truly means to develop the people and build something that lasts.

Get involved. Master the craft. Take care of your people.

#TheGeoholics #LandSurveying #Geomatics #Surveyors #WorkforceDevelopment #Leadership #Mentorship #YoungSurveyorsNetwork #MilitaryLeadership #AirNationalGuard #CapeFearCommunityCollege #SurveyingTechnology #PLS #Geospatial #Podcast

This week, we sit down with Rob Dannenberg, President of Phoenix LiDAR Systems and an early adopter who helped push UAS and LiDAR from experimental technology into powerful, real-world mapping solutions.

We dig into what “survey-grade LiDAR” really means, where acquisition and processing workflows most often break down, and why successful results depend on far more than sensor specifications. Rob also shares his perspective on custom LiDAR integration, flexible multi-platform systems, NDAA compliance, dependable customer support, and the opportunities created by Phoenix LiDAR Systems joining Revolution Geosystems.

Then we put autonomous missions, AI-powered point-cloud classification, real-time onboard processing, next-generation positioning and the commoditization of LiDAR sensors to the ultimate test: Bullsh*t, Breakthrough or Too Soon to Tell?

Add a Leica Geosystems Pro Tip, “I Need to Know” by Arizona rockers The Black Moods and plenty of Geoholics-style conversation—and you’ve got an episode you won’t want to miss!

Tune in, buckle up and join the conversation!

#TheGeoholics #Podcast #Episode290 #PhoenixLiDARSystems #RevolutionGeosystems #LiDAR #UAS #Drones #Surveying #LandSurveying #Geomatics #Geospatial #RemoteSensing #PointCloud #NDAA #Innovation #Technology #Surveyors #LeicaGeosystems #TheBlackMoods #AddingValueAndMakingFriends

What happens when a “crazy idea” becomes the tool that changes how an entire industry works? Buckle up—we’re talking reality capture with Juergen Mayer, Head of Reality Capture Portfolio at Leica Geosystems!

From his roots in rural Austria to helping bring the BLK360, BLK2GO, RTC360, and new RTC series to market, Juergen brings a perspective shaped by surveying, business, and a passion for building things that solve real problems. We explore connected field-to-office workflows, LiveLink, catching coverage gaps before crews leave the site, and what firms should measure to see whether their technology investment is actually paying off.

And because this is The Geoholics, we ask the tough questions: Does easier scanning mean better data? Where does professional judgment fit as AI and automation advance? And can real-time visibility improve collaboration without turning into micromanagement?

We close with Bullsh*t, Breakthrough, or Too Soon to Tell?—putting AI-driven field checks, the future of terrestrial scanners, and the risks of impressive-looking point clouds in the hot seat.

Billy Joel’s “You May Be Right” sets the tone, and our Leica Weekly Pro Tip delivers a reminder every crew can use: Capture once. Verify early. Keep the project moving.

Big thanks to EMLID, TopoDOT, AllTerra Central, Leica Geosystems, David Evans and Associates, and Diamondback Land Surveying for keeping the conversations rolling!

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts!

#TheGeoholics #Geoholics #LeicaGeosystems #RealityCapture #LaserScanning #LandSurveying #Geomatics #Geospatial #PointClouds #SurveyTechnology #ConnectedWorkflows #Innovation

What can a satellite see that the rest of us can’t?

On Episode 288 of The Geoholics, we’re joined by Sean Donegan, President and CEO of Satelytics, to explore how AI and satellite imagery can help identify methane leaks, vegetation changes, land movement, encroachments and other risks across vast infrastructure networks.

We get into what’s hiding inside those pixels, how an alert becomes a decision, and the question every surveyor should ask: How do we verify what the technology says it found?

Plus, Sean takes on Bullshit, Breakthrough, or Too Soon to Tell? Can AI spot problems before operators know what to look for? Could satellite monitoring change the future of field inspections?

Tune in for a conversation about intelligence from space, confidence on the ground, and what it all means for the people managing our physical world. Adding value and making friends! 

#TheGeoholics #GeoholicsPodcast #SeanDonegan #Satelytics #Geospatial #LandSurveying #RemoteSensing #SatelliteImagery #ArtificialIntelligence #Infrastructure #MethaneDetection #RealityCapture