Norcross, Georgia, USA, 11 May 2012 – Leica Geosystems Inc. today announced that Airborne Imaging Inc. of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has purchased a new Leica ALS70-HP airborne laser scanner. Having received the LiDAR earlier this year, Airborne Imaging completed integration, calibration and testing within a week and immediately deployed the sensor on its first production mission.
“We’re familiar with Leica LiDAR technology, and integration of the ALS70 into our aircraft was easy,” said Martin Maric, Airborne Imaging’s Manager of Data Sales and New Acquisitions.
Airborne Imaging, a Clean Harbors Company, is one of the largest providers of LiDAR acquisition and processing services in Canada with extensive operations in the United States. With all processing handled in-house, the company built its business primarily on serving the oil and gas markets, but it is also heavily involved in the mining, flood mapping, utilities, and power industries. Airborne Imaging also owns a Leica ALS50-II laser scanner.
“Our purchase of the ALS70 was all about solidifying our position as leaders in providing quality LiDAR services,” said Maric. “The LiDAR market is evolving so quickly and clients are constantly asking for higher point density without sacrificing accuracy – and that’s what the ALS70 provides.”
The Leica ALS70 is an affordable airborne laser scanner with a 500 kHz pulse rate capability designed specifically for high-density point collection in diverse environments. The Leica ALS70-HP version purchased by Airborne Imaging was developed for general purpose mapping over a wide variety of terrain at different flying altitudes. The power of the ALS70 enables Airborne Imaging to collect a higher density of elevation points without flying more lines, saving time and money.
“The Leica ALS70 is the right LiDAR system for a company like Airborne Imaging that wants to stay one step ahead of the constantly evolving demands of a diverse clientele,” said Jean Gardiner, General Manager of Leica Geospatial Solutions.
Airborne Imaging Inc.
Established as a private company in 2004, Airborne Imaging Inc. was purchased by Clean Harbors (NYSE: CLH) in 2009. With a strong background in oil and gas exploration, Airborne Imaging has completed more than 3,000 LiDAR data collection and processing projects covering in excess of 220,000 square miles in North America. The company manages the largest privately owned library of off-the-shelf LiDAR point cloud data available for delivery often within 24 hours. In addition to its airborne LiDAR collection, Airborne Imaging operates a mobile laser scanning system based at its Calgary headquarters.
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.