DOTs Enthusiastic About Statewide Reference Station Network Possibilities
(Norcross, Ga., 03 April 2007) More than 1,800 surveyors, mapping experts and other industry professionals had the opportunity to evaluate Leica Geosystems’ advanced surveying and mapping solutions while attending the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM) 2007 Annual Conference and Exhibition from March 9-12, 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Conference was co-sponsored by the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association (ILPSA) and the Missouri Society of Professional Surveyors (MSPS).
Of particular interest to these attendees was the power and potential of statewide reference station networks. In fact, Leica Geosystems interacted with about 25 representatives from state departments of transportation (DOTs) around the country to discuss the costs and associated benefits of implementing statewide reference stations.
James Stowell, director, GPS networks and reference station systems for Leica Geosystems, said, "Statewide reference stations provide an active, always online, network that is linked in one coordinate frame, eliminating the need for surveyors to maintain static control during projects. We’re seeing significant increase in interest for this network from many states. A number of states, including New York and Michigan, have already implemented this network to support staff and consultants."
Throughout the show, Leica Geosystems hosted ‘live’ reference station demonstrations on two 42-inch plasma screens. The live televised links were connected to job sites where surveyors worked with reference station networks to complete a variety of different survey tasks. As part of this demonstration, Leica Geosystems displayed its flagship GRX line of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers that supports GPS and GLONASS as well as the GPS SpiderNET software for centrally controlling and operating single reference stations or networks of stations. Robert Asher, senior technical engineer for Leica Geosystems, provided interactive SpiderNET demonstrations in the booth, as well.
Attendees also had the chance to see and operate Leica Geosystems High Definition Survey (HDS) systems and the Leica System 1200 series of products including the SmartStation GPS/TPS total station.
Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right
With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information.
Those who use Leica products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 2,400 employees in 22 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden.