In the facility locating industry there is testing of real-time gathering of underground infrastructure location information (GPS) and the drill path.
We have all heard about the TV show "Big Brother" that is based on the concept that some day big brother will be watching you. The TV program is made possible with new technology such as miniature cameras that can be placed anywhere and Internet connectivity, which makes it possible for EVERYONE to watch. I have some good news for you. I just heard about this technology being applied to the horizontal directional drilling job site with a constructive, meaningful and preventative purpose.
In December 1997, I wrote about "HDD Safety Guidelines Changing Tooling At The Exit Pit. Most deaths I have heard of related to HDD have been due to crew members (often down in a pit, out of view) getting clothing caught in the backreamer or not being out of the way when the operator begins to pull the backreamer back though the pilot hole. The laborer is literally pulled into the hole, killing him without the operator even knowing what happened.