Leica Geosystems Inc. today announced that Airborne Imaging Inc. of Calgary, Alberta, has purchased a second Leica ALS70-HP airborne laser scanner just a year after buying its first Leica ALS70. Once the new sensor is delivered, the Canadian firm will own and operate three airborne LiDAR systems developed by Leica Geosystems.
“We made the switch to the Leica Geosystems line of LiDAR scanners five years ago with the Leica ALS50, primarily due to Leica Geosystems reputation for excellent customer support,” said Jocelyn Parent, Area Manager for Airborne Imaging. “It’s been a success story with Leica Geosystems ever since…Whether it’s training, maintenance or operating questions, they are very responsive.”
While customer support has set the Leica Geosystems sensors apart from the competition on the ground, advanced technology puts the Leica ALS70 in a class by itself in the air, according to Parent. The powerful Leica ALS70-HP operates with a very high pulse repetition rate which delivers extremely high point density per square meter in the elevation data sets collected, even in mountainous terrain. High point density is the capability most in demand by the end users of LiDAR data for the majority of applications today, and the fast pulse rate makes Airborne Imaging more competitive in the market place.
“We are a lot more efficient with the Leica ALS70-HP because we can acquire more elevation data with a high point density in a shorter period of time,” said Parent. “The Leica ALS70-HP is our LiDAR system of choice, so we had to buy a second.”
The Leica ALS70 is an affordable airborne laser scanner with a maximum effective pulse rate of 500 kHz designed specifically for high-density point collection in diverse environments. The Leica ALS70-HP version purchased by Airborne Imaging was developed for both high-density terrain mapping at mid- to high-altitudes as well as low altitude corridor mapping. The power of the Leica ALS70 enables operators to collect a higher density of elevation points without flying more lines, saving time and money.
“The airborne LiDAR market is driven by the dual need for high point density and fast data collection – and the Leica ALS70 meets those demands head on,” said Jean Gardiner, General Manager of Leica Geosystems Geospatial Solutions.
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. The firm collects much of its elevation data on speculation and makes data sets available to multiple clients through its vast LiDAR library. 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, forestry, flood mapping, utilities, and power industries. For many applications, Airborne Imaging operates its LiDAR systems at mid- to high-altitudes for wide-area coverage.
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. (http://airborneimaginginc.com)
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.