Augmented-reality fieldwork
Find the asset—not just the dot on the map.
Compare camera-based workflows for returning to surveyed features, seeing buried infrastructure, placing designs, measuring remote points, and staking coordinates.
First, define the job
“AR surveying” hides four different tools.
Apps often share the AR label while solving unrelated field problems.
Turn stored project coordinates into camera pins and walk toward a selected record.
OpenSurvey3D emphasisPlace a proposed or as-built model over the real site to inspect conditions and conflicts.
SiteVision / PIX4DcatchAim at a feature visible to the camera instead of standing over it with the pole.
GeoAce / TKI / LeicaNavigate numerically to a design coordinate with left/right and cut/fill guidance.
Survey apps and controllersAR workflow matrix
What appears in the camera—and why
The last column matters: each workflow has a different boundary between guidance and measurement.
| App | Primary AR mode | What it visualizes | Field action | Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenSurvey3D | Asset finding | Stored survey/project features | Camera pins, target selection, bearing, direction, distance, re-anchor | Use numeric stakeout and checks for precise setting |
| PIX4Dcatch | Capture + project AR | GCPs, marks, captured projects, CAD/design data | GCP detection, AR points, project/design overlays | Advanced AR capabilities depend on product tier/services |
| Trimble SiteVision | Design visualization | CAD/BIM/GIS and site conditions | Place designs, view underground services, inspect conflicts | Strongest inside the Trimble model/collaboration ecosystem |
| TKI NET Scan | AR measurement | Trench scans and point/line objects | Capture and measure network objects in augmented reality | Purpose-built hardware/cloud package |
| Lefixea LRTK | Construction AR | Surveyed and buried infrastructure | Buried-asset visualization plus survey/stakeout workflows | Proprietary receiver and Japan-centered services |
| GeoAce | Visual point measurement | Features visible in the live camera view | Aim at unsafe or inconvenient points rather than occupy them | Not the same as dense 3D reconstruction or project-wide asset finding |
| Emlid Flow | Numeric stakeout | Imported or collected survey points | Map/direction-based navigation rather than documented 3D AR asset pins | A precise field workflow, but a different category |
OpenSurvey3D find mode
Project coordinates become field guidance.
Open one feature or display all project assets within 250 metres. The camera shows labeled pins while the selected target card updates relative direction, bearing, and distance. Re-anchor after walking to refresh the local placement.
- Find control, utilities, inspection points, markers, and collected features
- Keep current GNSS and heading uncertainty visible
- Move from scan documentation to later maintenance or inspection
- Switch to numeric stakeout when precision must be set or accepted
The honest limit
A convincing overlay can still be wrong.
AR combines stored coordinates with a live position, device attitude, heading, and local visual tracking. Every one of those inputs has uncertainty. A pin that looks perfectly attached to the ground is not independent proof of its surveyed position.
Use AR finding for…
Orientation, return visits, and inspection.
- Walking back to a buried valve, handhole, test point, or control mark
- Reviewing several nearby records while moving through a site
- Helping a non-surveyor connect a database record with the physical scene
- Choosing the right target before switching to precise stakeout
Do not use AR alone for…
Setting or accepting critical position.
- Boundary monument placement
- Contractual line and grade acceptance
- Machine-control calibration
- Any decision where the tolerance is smaller than combined GNSS and heading uncertainty
Common questions
AR asset finding FAQ
What is AR asset finding?
It converts stored project coordinates into camera-view guidance so a field worker can identify nearby records, select a target, and walk toward it using live direction and distance.
Is AR asset finding the same as stakeout?
No. AR is useful for orientation and reaching the vicinity of a feature, but it inherits GNSS, compass, pose, and local-alignment uncertainty. Numeric stakeout with independent checks should be used when a position must be set or accepted.
Can AR show underground utilities accurately?
AR can visualize recorded utilities, but display placement is only as trustworthy as the source coordinates, current GNSS, device heading, calibration, and local AR alignment. Treat the view as guidance unless the complete workflow has been validated for the required tolerance.
Which app is best for AR surveying?
Use OpenSurvey3D for returning to stored assets, Trimble SiteVision for enterprise design overlays, PIX4Dcatch for capture/GCP/project AR, TKI NET Scan for packaged trench documentation, and numeric survey software for precise stakeout.
Sources and disclosure
Compare the documented AR purpose.
This guide is published by OpenSurvey3D. Product descriptions come from vendor documentation; no visual overlay is presented as independent accuracy evidence.
OpenSurvey3D find mode
Raise the camera. Walk back to the surveyed record.
AR asset finding lives beside 3D scanning, RTK surveying, stakeout, QA, and open exports—free on iPhone and iPad.