INDUSTRY

Leica Nova MS60 merges total station, GNSS, imaging and 3D scanning

Leica Nova MS60 is the new and improved version of the world’s first MultiStation, combining high-end total station capabilities with 3D laser scanning, GNSS connectivity and digital imaging. It merges several technologies, enabling users to get into 3D laser scanning easily and scan at a speed of up to 30,000 points per second. It can also be used as a high-end total station where users can benefit from its digital imaging and GNSS connectivity.

The target customers stem from industries such as topographic surveying/mapping, building construction, heavy construction and mining and there are numerous projects where the MS60 can be utilized.

Leica Geosystems announces new 3D laser scanning bundle

Leica Geosystems announced a new 3D laser scanning bundle for the Leica BLK360 and greater integration with Autodesk ecosystem. This new bundle consists of the Leica BLK360 imaging laser scanner, Leica Cyclone REGISTER 360 (BLK Edition) desktop software, and Leica Cyclone FIELD 360 for tablets and phones. Customers can get started straight out of the box with seamless connectivity and workflows from Leica Geosystems Reality Capture products to Autodesk’s Reality Computing and design solutions. With this bundle, Leica Geosystems will deliver point cloud production while Autodesk’s technology will consume the data. leica-geosystems.com

State governments in US using Vexcel Imagery to aid in COVID-19 response

As announced on March 17, 2020, state and federal government agencies in the US have been given no-cost or obligation access to high-resolution aerial imagery and related geospatial information captured by Vexcel Imaging to support their responses to the COVID-19 outbreak. Access has been granted at least through June and may be extended as efforts progress to controlling the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Several States have already taken advantage of this offer from Vexcel and expect to use the imagery for response planning efforts such as planning drive through testing locations to hot spot analysis of cluster locations www.vexcel-imaging.com

Introducing the Carlson RT4 Rugged Tablet Data Collector

Carlson Software has announced the release of the RT4 advanced tablet-style data collector. Built on the success of the RT3, the RT4 is the next evolution in rugged handheld computing and data collection. Offering performance increases across the board, the RT4 is backed by Carlson’s unparalleled technical support. www.carlsonsw.cox

Swift Navigation and Deutsche Telekom announce partnership

Swift Navigation has announced a partnership with Deutsche Telekom that will bring the precise positioning of Swift’s Skylark™ Cloud Corrections Services to Telekom’s comprehensive communications infrastructure via its new Precise Positioning product offering. The Precise Positioning service is currently available across the United States and Germany, with expansion across Europe already underway.

The future is filled with possibilities for autonomous applications. From selfdriving cars, rail, autonomous robotic machine navigation, autonomous flight for unmanned aerial vehicles, lastmile delivery logistics and construction safety to shared mobile positioning, the requirement for autonomy is accuracy. Swift and Telekom’s lane-level accurate Precise Positioning is specifically poised to benefit level 2 and 3 automotive applications including advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), such as lane assist, highway autopilot, cellular vehicle-to-everything (CV2X) communications and lane level directions.

Standard GNSS positioning is accurate to three to five meters which is not suitable for autonomous systems. For higher levels of autonomous capability, high-precision localization is required to deliver accuracy down to the centimeter. This partnership brings the <10cm accuracy of Swift’s precise positioning solution to Telekom customers. https://iot.telekom.com

Septentrio’s Mosaic X5 en route to mass production

GNSS positioning expert Septentrio has announced its Mosaic X5 will be moving into high-volume production. Touted by the Leuven-based company as a next-generation multi-constellation and multi-band receiver module, the Mosaic X5 is said to offer centimeterlevel positioning to a slew of technologies like robotics, telematics and smart wearables, among others.

Single chip integrates LoRa transceiver, GNSS and Wi-Fi scanning

Aimed at geolocation, the LR1110 is the first chip from Semtech’s LoRa Edge low power software defined LoRa-based platform. The geolocation solution features low power Wi-Fi and GNSS sniffing capabilities combined with simple to use and cost effective LoRa Cloud geolocation and device management services to significantly reduce the cost and complexity of locating and monitoring IoT assets. By removing the need for incremental GNSS and Wi- Fi components, LoRa Edge reduces the bill of material (BOM) costs of devices and significantly reduces design and procurement complexity. With the addition of LoRa Cloud geolocation services, providing easy-to-use and cost effective TDOA, GNSS and Wi-Fi-based location calculation in the Cloud to dramatically reduce device power requirements and improve asset management efficiency, LoRa Edge enables customers to further manage total cost of ownership (TCO), paying only when they need an asset to be located. Best-in-class key provisioning at point of manufacture and a secure join process further simplifies the development of IoT solutions, which adhere to customers exacting expectations of security. www.semtech.com

Handheld introduces the Nautiz X41

Handheld Group has announced the new NAUTIZ X41, a rugged Android device built for mobile workers in logistics, warehousing, utilities, field service, public transportation, security and public safety. With its extreme ruggedness, 1D/2D scanner and a physical keypad, the Nautiz X41 enables efficient and reliable data collection in the toughest of work environments.www.handheldgroup.com

Carlson Software announces two special programs in response to COVID-19

Carlson Software has announced two special programs to help ease the transition to working remotely and the economic uncertainty introduced by the COVID-19 situation. It is offering both 90-day software licenses on our most popular software, and a 90-day deferred payment plan for purchases of software and hardware. www.carlsonsw.com

Joint scientific article by RIEGL, wins ISPRS Best Paper of 2019!

Every year the ISPRS (International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) chooses the Best Paper of the Year from the wide range of publications in the ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. For 2019, this award goes to the scientific article Design and Evaluation of a Full-Wave Surface and Bottom-Detection Algorithm for LiDAR Bathymetry of Very Shallow Waters by Roland Schwarz, Gottfried Mandlburger, Martin Pfennigbauer and Norbert Pfeifer.

In cooperation with the Vienna University of Technology and the University of Stuttgart, Roland Schwarz and Martin Pfennigbauer from RIEGL Research succeeded in issuing a new and innovative contribution to topographic underwater mapping with the SVB algorithm (surface, volume and bottom) presented in their article. A considerable advantage of their method is that it relies only on a single laser wavelength. The jurors were impressed with the detailed modeling of the return waveform, the clarity of the explanation, the convincing experimental results, and the potential for broader applicability of the method.

New generation of tools for photogrammetry, drone mapping and analytics by PIX4D

Pix4D have released of next-generation software addressing the modern-day professional challenges. Developed in close collaboration with customers and partners, Pix4Dsurvey, Pix4Dmatic, Pix4Dinspect, and Pix4Dscan will contribute to revolutionizing the way professional customers operate and deliver their services.

Digital photogrammetry is an essential part of every modern surveyor’s toolkit and has contributed to launching hundreds of new drone mapping businesses around the world. Pix4Dsurvey and Pix4Dmatic represent the next step in photogrammetry, addressing major challenges in the geospatial industry.

Manual inspection of industrial assets and infrastructure is timeconsuming, expensive and at times dangerous. Current technology has reduced the danger but the process remains long and costly. Pix4Dscan and Pix4Dinspect will change that.

Blue Marble Geographics announces partnership with Blackbeard Data

Blue Marble Geographics® has announced its official partnership with Blackbeard Data Services — a leading supplier of geospatial data for the oil and gas industry. This partnership ensures that Global Mapper® users will have access to high-quality, mission-critical oil well data.

Blackbeard Data is primarily known for providing information to assist institutional professionals and independent investors in the acquisition of mineral assets, specifically buying oil and gas royalties. Blackbeard Data maintains the world’s largest database of oil and gas royalty owners and the world’s largest database of oil and gas comparables built from oil auction histories, which is invaluable to many users of Global Mapper in the energy sector. www.globalmapper.com

Parrot and Survae announce partnership

Parrot, the leading European drone group, and Survae, the leading software platform for managing aerial and ground-based imagery, has launched a partnership through Parrot’s SDK program to combine Parrot’s ANAFI and ANAFI Thermal hardware and Survae’s software for professional drone use.

Parrot’s ANAFI and ANAFI Thermal drones offer an ultra-compact tool for professionals, helping them gain new vantage points to make informed decisions using the drone’s aerial insights. In addition to its built-in 4K HDR camera, ANAFI Thermal also integrates a FLIR thermal sensor— allowing working professionals to easily capture thermal and visual readings for faster response times, along with higher precision and efficiency.

Survae is a next-generation software platform helping enterprise, government and NGOs to visualize and understand places and events by automating video and image processing from a wide range of ground-based and aerial cameras. The company’s cloud-based platform incorporates video, images and sensor data into interactive maps and timelines, providing geospatial and temporal context to organize data so it can be easily searched, visualized, and explored.