Rolling the innovation dice

This year’s vibrant Trimble Dimensions event took place in Las Vegas from 11-13 November. As one of Trimble’s long-standing media partners, GIM International was once again on the scene for an extensive update on the company’s short and long-term developments. Here are some of the key highlights from the large-scale industry gathering.

Since being founded as a manufacturer of geodetic measuring instruments, Trimble has evolved into a company servicing a much broader audience, not only in construction but also in adjacent fields. However, the company now seems to be narrowing its focus somewhat, as it recently sold an 85% stake in its agriculture business to AGCO, a major American agricultural machinery manufacturer.

Data-centric workflow

The geospatial component still forms the core of the company, however, as surveying plays a key role in Trimble’s solutions and activities. These can be described as ‘connecting the physical with the digital’, with the Connect platform serving as the underlying foundation.

The connection between the field and the office was clearly on display at the Offsite Expo, which – just as in every ‘even’ year – was part of the 2024 Dimensions event. Attendees headed outdoors to a 6-hectare site a 30-minute drive from Las Vegas, where they could see hands-on demonstrations of machine control, monitoring, mapping and positioning in action. Hardware and software solutions were presented as equally important pieces of the data-centric workflow. “We try to tell a story around data,” said Riley Smith, Trimble’s marketing director, monitoring, mining and tunnelling, during the guided tour of the Offsite Expo for media partners.

Sensors and signals

The integration of sensors to enable autonomous solutions was a recurring topic, not only during the demos at the Offsite Expo, but also in many of the presentations and workshops during the gathering of 7,000 participants in Las Vegas. “Point clouds are great, until you have to do something,” one participant remarked. In recognition of this sentiment, Trimble is on a mission to simplify the geospatial data workflow to broaden the reach by reducing the need for users to have a background in mapping or surveying.

In the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector, Trimble’s geospatial technology-based solutions are tailored to what surveyors need on site in order to make 3D models that serve as dependable starting points for construction, thus saving costs. Besides sensor-derived spatial data, there also are developments on the GNSS receiver side. While little thought is usually given to the receiving and processing of GNSS signals, even just a 1% or 2% improvement in signal reception can mean huge gains for land surveyors. For example, the faster fix times and fewer interruptions enable more precise and dependable survey results at lower costs, thus enhancing accuracy, reliability and efficiency, especially in challenging environments.

Attracting new talent

The search for skilled young professionals was another topic that received attention. Smith, who has a BSc in Geomatics, stated: “I remember telling people what I was studying, and no one understood what it was. That’s why I feel an importance to educate the world on the profession.” Rob Painter, Trimble’s CEO, saw an opportunity to attract new people thanks to the similarities between what the geospatial industry is offering and the technology today’s youngsters use in daily life. “We are maybe one of the best kept secrets, but we don’t want to be a best kept secret,” he said. He was referring specifically to Trimble’s solutions to reduce man-hours, but this definitely also holds true for the surveying profession as a whole.

Rob Bisio, senior vice president field systems at Trimble, explained that he sees a role for geospatial professionals as ambassadors for their work: “People who are already in the field are very excited about what they do. We have many distribution partners that give guest lessons to classrooms.”

Meaningful implementation of AI

Trimble Dimensions provided an interesting glimpse into the company’s latest efforts to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into construction workflows. Trimble is leveraging its extensive expertise, innovative portfolio and domain-specific datasets to lead this transformation and reshape the construction industry. In Las Vegas, the company unveiled real-world AI applications that are automating processes, boosting productivity, enhancing safety, reducing costs and improving efficiency.

One notable example in this context is the AI integration within Trimble Business Center, a survey CAD software solution designed to streamline repetitive and previously labour-intensive activities like point cloud segmentation and classification when processing reality capture data. This enhancement frees up more time for professionals to focus on strategic tasks, accelerating project timelines and improving data accuracy. Likewise, Trimble pairs its hardware with AI for applications ranging from road inspections and asset management to stockpile volume monitoring. By automating feature extraction and delivering actionable insights, these solutions empower informed decision-making throughout the construction lifecycle.

Connected, intelligent systems

It became clear during this year’s edition of Trimble Dimensions that the future lies in connected, intelligent systems which address the most pressing challenges – not only in the construction industry, but also in other sectors. Geospatially skilled professionals play a pivotal role in this transformation, as their expertise ensures the accurate capture, analysis and application of the data required to maximize the potential of the emerging AI-powered solutions. By delivering practical applications with measurable outcomes, Trimble aims to set a benchmark for more efficient, cost-effective and data-informed construction practices. But as Mark Schwartz, senior vice president, AECO software, commented, the company is purposely not moving too fast: “We are delivering AI solutions at a pace and in a way that keeps it manageable for users.”

Accessible data

Throughout Trimble Dimensions 2024, one thing that struck me was the ambition that resounded at multiple moments. “We have to support an ecosystem of open data standards,” stated Bisio. Schwartz echoed this, talking about putting effort into more and more open standards. “Our biggest competitors are here!” he pointed out, to illustrate that the company’s commitment to openness is for real. Indeed, Trimble has shaped its own ecosystem in line with the motto ‘No siloed data anymore!’. This is all part of opening up the overarching physical-digital-physical workflow. Schwartz: “We aim to lower the barrier of getting professionals working with our technology.”

All that data needs to be stored securely somewhere. “Everyone will agree that data is the foundation of every project,” said Chris Peppler, vice president product & platform, during the opening keynote session, adding that “only a few years ago, construction was sceptical about the cloud”. Fortunately, he noted, this has changed since then, and Trimble’s own ability to navigate all the data is also continuously improving in line with the rapid pace of advancement.

An event with many dimensions

Trimble Dimensions 2024 included many other highlights, such as the presence of Brendan Hunt – actor, writer and co-creator of the hit series Ted Lasso – who took the stage as a featured speaker during Rob Painter’s keynote. Not all the topics can be mentioned here due to space limitations, but they provided plenty of inspiration for future articles in GIM International, so rest assured that they will receive sufficient coverage over the coming months. In conclusion, the 2024 edition of Trimble’s annual gathering in Las Vegas was once again characterized by great meetings, conversations, presentations and other forms of acquiring and exchanging knowledge. It was indeed an event with many dimensions!