Leica Geosystems Contribution In Sichuan Earthquake – Technology Reshaped Our Lives!

Beijing, June 13rd, 2008 – ALS50, ADS40, GRX1200……many products of Leica Geosystems played a very important role in the rebuilding efforts after the strong earthquake in Sichuan.

In the aftermath of the devastating May 12th 8-degree earthquake in Sichuan, China, there are almost 70,000 persons dead, 17,427 persons disappeared and 374,159 persons injured and nearly 46 million people are affected in the disaster calculated by Jun 12. More houses were broken, villages were disappeared and mountains were collapsed, however, we use our intelligence, courage and technology as well as money and goods to convey a dream of reshaping a brand new live to all.

Disaster Relief
TPS1200 Total Station is used by Police Army to measure the lands of Yanse Lake aroused by earthquake in Tangjiashan area. The scientific emergency prevention scheme would be drawn according to the data captured by TPS1200 and accurate analysis to lower the loss of property & resources.

Rescue
On May 16th, a picture with a sign "SOS700" on the rooftop in the village of Cao Po near Yingxiu town was captured from 7,800 meter height by Leica ADS40. Relying on geographical reference frame, villagers without food and water, many of them wounded were rescued immediately. On May 31, one Army helicopter crashed in Yingxu town when it finished the salvation task and back to the base. Leica ALS50 and ADS40 were also used to scan and photograph across 80 square km to find the problem area.

Evaluation
Remote sensing prospecting and disaster status evaluation are placed for the first time after earthquake. Following a request from the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), Taiyuan Aero Photography Co. Ltd immediately dispatched their Leica ADS40 digital airborne sensors to Chongqing near Chengdu in the Sichuan province. From May 15 to May 31, fifteen flights were undertaken in the earthquake area, taking full advantage of the efficiency of the Leica ADS40 sensor system. Supported by Leica Geosystems staff, 10,000 scale high quality image data were acquired and processed on a daily basis and sent overnight to local authorities and the President’s Office for analysis and updates.

Monitor
For the security of Zipingpu Reservoir at a distance of 80 km from earthquake center in Dujiangyan City, from May 22nd to May 28th, supported by Leica Geosystems staff, Chengdu Design Institute of China Hydro & Electricity Group tested the deformation and moving trend with Leica HDS ScanStation2. It provided an ultra-fast, highly accurate data and it would also be a good documentary for the future real time monitoring.

ALS50, ADS40 and GPX1200…… etc. together with Leica Geosystems staff were devoted to the rebuilding and rescue in devastating earthquake in Sichun. GRX1200 used in earthquake monitoring by National Earthquake Bureau. ALS50 used in capturing spatial datasets for detail and engineering surveys by National Measuring Bureau. The Ministry of Water Resources is building the dam emergency system with Leica Geosystems products. On efficiency, high tech of spatial data and high speed of processing, we make our every effort to build up the confidence of reshaping lives.

Please accept our endless love and appreciation to all our engineers who are fighting in the front line. With their courage, bravest heart, support and contribution, the dream of rebuilding & reshaping is more and more close to us in the hardest situation.

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 Geosystems 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 3’500 employees in 28 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden.