Blog

Notes from
the field.

Thoughts on geo data collection, field data, GIS and AI workflow automation — from the team that runs the programmes.

September 6, 2026

The Excavator With a Second Job

SoftBank just backed a construction robotics company whose machines survey the site while they dig it. That's not a small detail.

September 3, 2026

Robot Training Data Finally Has a Price Tag

Three separate reports published this August put real dollar figures on robot training data for the first time. The numbers explain why data collection just moved from the lab to the field.

August 31, 2026

The Desk Distance Problem

AI can summarize ten thousand survey responses before lunch. It still can't tell you whether the shelf tag was actually there.