GPS World

Tag: Leica Geosystems

  • Leica, Sigma Seven Partner for GIS Market in UK, Ireland

    Leica Geosystems Ltd. has signed a formal agreement with Sigma Seven Ltd. to provide improved value data collection and workforce management solutions to the GIS asset collection and management market. The strategic partnership combines GeoField software from Sigma Seven with the Leica Zeno CS25 GNSS tablet computer, allowing high-accuracy satellite position data to be collected with richly attributed data in one system, the companies said.

    “Many organizations are demanding the need for better, more reliable information to improve the on-going management and maintenance of their assets,” said Nathan Ward, market segment manager. “This partnership with Sigma Seven with their industry renowned geospatial and work management software will provide a fantastic integrated solution to enable field and office staff to work more efficiently and enhance the quality and effectiveness of their corporate data. A combination of proven capabilities, experience and a long and highly regarded heritage in the geospatial sector, will mean that this partnership will further enhance the solutions in Leica Geosystems’ Asset Collection and Management market.”

    Andrew Coleman, Sigma Seven Director adds, “Leica Geosystems is one of the premier manufacturers in the asset collection and GIS industry and they continue to innovate in spatial and measurement technology. By working together I believe we have a unique field mobile proposition, backed up by a shared quality and customer service ethos, that will accelerate the delivery of cost, performance, service and accuracy benefits to our customers.”

    Since 2000, Sigma Seven has helped some of the largest utility companies in the UK and developed a range of systems for utilities, government, environmental and engineering customers. GeoField is a powerful mobile data and work management system that enables field workers to access enterprise data at the point of action, Sigma Seven said. An intuitive map-based interface is supported by comprehensive imaging, red-lining, structured workflow, data capture and field reporting facilities.

    The Leica Zeno GIS series has been designed and optimized to capture accurate GNSS positions and richly attributed data quickly, even in the most demanding of environments, the company said.

    Andrew Coleman, Sigma Seven Director, and Nathan Ward, Market Segment Manager for Leica Geosystems.

  • Leica Releases Locata-Enabled Satellite+Terrestrial Mining System

    Locata Corporation announced today that its integration partner, Leica Geosystems Mining, has begun to sell — and ship to their global mining customers — a Locata-powered positioning systems that it calls “the world’s first.”

    The Leica Jps (the Jigsaw Positioning System powered by Locata) integrates GNSS and Locata’s ground-based GPS-like networks. The result is a seamless and a completely new “GPS everywhere” experience for Leica’s customers, the company said. This new capability is now in use at Newmont’s Boddington Gold Mine, northwest of Boddington, Western Australia. The mine has published an independent article describing the LocataNet and Jps systems deployed for the mine’s drill rig fleet. It reported that drill rig up-time and efficiency have skyrocketed to unprecedented levels since the Jps system was commissioned.

    Locata-enabled nonstop positioning brings benefits to machine automation in mining because Locata fills in the many gaps in GPS signal availability experienced in an open-cut mine, Leica said. The Leica Jps ensures a reliable and transparent experience for users with demanding machine guidance applications because it uses all available signals, satellite-based or Locata, without interruption.

    “The Locata-based Jps is therefore the world’s first system which can justly be considered as ‘a backup for GPS’,” reads a Leica Geosystems statement. “Real-world operational performance, which is being reported by Jps customers, can only be described as ‘spectacular’.”

    “Since deploying the Locata-powered Jps at Newmont Boddington Gold, there has been an increase in operational machine guidance availability of almost 23 percent – from 75 percent up to 98 percent,” said Brendon Lilly, product manager, Leica Geosystems Mining. “Newmont Boddington Gold is so happy with the results that they have turned off their GPS-only solutions altogether, and now rely solely (and successfully) on Jps alone. They have already installed Jps on 11 drills and intend to equip their entire high-precision fleet.”

    “The ROI we offer our clients through the Jigsaw Positioning System is extraordinary. Market trends indicate CAPEX is in decline, so the parameters mines use to justify expenditure have become far more demanding,” said Stefana Vella, global marketing manager, Leica Geosystems Mining. “The unprecedented production levels and machine control uptime that result directly from using the Locata-powered Jps very quickly justifies the purchase of the system. Furthermore, it aids the justification of expenditure on the high-precision machine guidance systems themselves, for, when operated with the Jps, the ROI increases exponentially. Even in today’s market, it isn’t a difficult decision to make.”

    Many mines around the world use machine guidance systems for drills, shovels, excavators, dozers, graders and more to execute the site plan work in real-time. This tight automation dramatically improves efficiency and productivity. At the core of these machine guidance systems are GPS-style receivers that provide vital positioning information, using the satellite signals to calculate a 3D position.

    Unfortunately, in most open-pit environments satellite signals become obstructed, which slows or temporarily halts production. As pits become deeper the problems become worse, drastically reducing the number of satellites the receiver can “see” to achieve GPS-style positioning. In the past, mines and other machine automation users had no choice other than to resort to much less efficient alternatives, such as manual surveying. Reduced satellite visibility therefore negated the considerable investment and operational efficiencies gained from modern machine guidance systems. The key to virtually eliminate these issues is Locata’s new “GPS-backup or replacement” capability, Leica Geosystems said.

    Locata’s Locatalite device is a ground-based transmitter that generates a GPS-like signal. LocataLites deployed around the pit rim can ensure almost 100 percent positioning coverage. Locata signals “fill-in” the GPS holes with a signal that is processed by the Jps in exactly the same way that GPS signals are. Locata is the only technology in the world that can do this. By backing up their GPS-based systems, mines have an always-on positioning network that works if satellite signals are unavailable in the pit due to physical or man-made obstructions. Jps LocataLites can be permanently positioned on site or moved at will, ensuring a mine’s Jps Locata network can be set up where and when needed.

    “We all rely on electricity from public sources, but in areas where outages occur companies invest in backup generators,” said Nunzio Gambale, CEO and co-founder of Locata. “It’s exactly the same scenario for mining companies, where they are dependent on GPS. Locata gives you a GPS backup ‘generator’ – a world-first capability which is clearly a game-changer for the whole industry. Before Locata became available mines simply had to suffer through a slow-down when GPS-based systems became flaky. Leica Geosystems had the vision early on to recognize the enormous benefits provided by our technology advancements. They threw their corporate weight behind intensive product development, carefully integrating Locata technology into their world-first Jigsaw mining solutions. It’s a marriage made in heaven, and Jps customers will be the ones who really reap the rewards of Leica’s outstanding first-mover effort. There won’t be any ‘GPS doesn’t work here’ excuses in the future.”

    John Carr, senior technical specialist at Newmont Boddington Gold Mine, puts it this way: “Look, it’s really this simple. If Locata had not invented the technology to help fix the GPS issues in a deep pit scenario I may as well have gone back home, started breeding pit ponies and sharpened up the picks and shovels… Open Cut Mines, just like everyone else that depends heavily on satellite navigation, are already hitting the wall at the outer limits of GPS technology. With Locata, we’ve virtually eliminated everyday GNSS signal challenges. And now we also have our own backup in place in case of a more significant or longer-term failure.”

  • Leica CS25 Tablet Offers Integrated GNSS for Asset Management

    Leica Geosystems has launched the Leica Zeno CS25 GNSS, a tablet computer with GNSS functionality and a large screen. The CS25 GNSS doesn’t require a backpack or a pole mount or additional batteries. A compact L1/L2 antenna is attached, but for high-accuracy data collection, it can connect with an external GNSS antenna mounted on a pole.

    The rugged Leica CS25 GNSS integrates an upgradable GNSS board and an attachable helix antenna. The new handheld rover is designed to combine the power of high-accuracy GNSS with the benefit of a large-screen tablet and the Windows 7 environment. With its large seven-inch display, the Leica CS25 GNSS is designed to make it easy to read and operate, even in brightest sunlight. The CS25 GNSS provides accurate and reliable results to deliver higher productivity for field crews.

    “Our customers can scale the CS25 GNSS to fit any accuracy needs, by offering a range of options, including meter, sub-meter or sub-decimeter accuracy all through a simple license model,” said GIS Business Development Manager Mauricio Jaimes. “They can also connect an external antenna to the CS25 GNSS to achieve centimeter accuracy. This flexibility, combined with the choice of Leica Zeno Field, Leica MobileMatriX or 3rd party partner software, offers versatile solutions to provide the right fit for any GIS data collection job.”

    The direct integration of GNSS into a tablet computer gives users full flexibility for efficient field data capture and benefits including:

    • Tablet computer, GNSS, and modem in one device that is light enough to carry in one hand
    • Large screen tablet with integrated GNSS RTK receiver, no backpack or pole required
    • One single charging unit for batteries, tablet computer and GNSS receiver
    • No external mobile phones are required to receive RTK corrections
    • User upgradable accuracy levels
      • Differential GNSS (GPS and optionally GLONASS): 50-cm accuracy
      • L1/L2 GNSS (GPS and optionally GLONASS) extension: <10-cm accuracy, with external antenna up to cm-accuracy
    • DGNSS, Real-time or post-processed GIS workflows, fully integrated into ArcGIS from Esri
    • Open support of third-party software applications via Leica Zeno Connect
    • Reliable components that have been engineered to operate in the most demanding work environments

    The CS25 GNSS provides an all-day battery life and IP65 rating, to ensure reliable operation, even after continued work in extreme environments with continuous exposure to water and dust. It is designed to be easily held in one hand and provides the largest GNSS data collection screen on the market.

    Mauricio Jaimes states, ”Shortly after the release of the entry-level GPS handheld Zeno 5 and the GG03 SmartAntenna, the CS25 GNSS is another unique product making the Zeno GIS series the most versatile product basket available for the GIS data collection.”

    The new Leica CS25 GNSS is expected to be available from late October 2012 onwards.

  • Leica Geosystems SmartNet Adjusted to National Spatial Reference System

    On September 29, North America’s largest real-time GNSS network, Leica Geosystems’ SmartNet, became the first network to adopt the draft NGS RTN Guidelines across multiple states, and can now provide an accurate tie to the new NAD83 (NA2011) National Spatial Reference System. For the first time, SmartNet users throughout the U.S. are working within a common frame of reference.

    The Leica Geosystems SmartNet, which provides real-time positioning to more than 2,000 subscribers in 17 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, became the first network to adopt the draft National Geodetic Service’s (NGS) RTN guidelines across its entire network. “This is huge for our subscribers,” said Director, Reference Station Operations Wendy Watson, “We are now providing centimeter-level accuracy, on a common frame of reference, everywhere in our network. That’s never been done before, and we’re proud to be first.”

    The adjustment was a significant technical challenge, and will require some adaptations by current SmartNet subscribers. “It’s critical for subscriber and all their field crews to understand the effects of this adjustment in the field,” said Watson, “It affects all SmartNet users and all SmartNet stations. For most of the US subscribers there will be minor shifts in their positional data but in some areas like California the shift is greater.  To compensate for these changes in the field, users will need to perform a transformation, localization, or calibration, and tie to existing control. We’ve provided webinars on this, which are archived at our site, and SmartNet representatives are happy to answer any and all questions. And also, we have a complete suite of online tools to assist users at http://adjustment.smartnetna.com.”

    The SmartNet Adjustment Launch commenced on Saturday, September 29, at 9:00 p.m. ET and the SmartNet network was only down for the weekend—service resumed without a hitch on Monday, October 1, at 12:00 a.m.

    “All SmartNet stations are now positioned to ensure an unprecedented level of internal precision and consistency between themselves, while at the same time providing an accurate tie to the new NAD83 (NA2011) National Spatial Reference System,” Watson explained, “By implementing the draft NGS RTN Guidelines, we positioned all of our stations to provide the requisite 2 cm horizontal and 4-cm vertical accuracy to the NSRS, while at the same time achieving the 1 cm level internal consistency needed to provide the high-precision and high-quality network corrections our users have come to expect. While we understand this change may have its challenges short term for some of our users, getting our entire network on the same, NGS-approved basis will improve the quality and consistency of everyone’s work.”

  • Leica Geosystems at the ESRI International Users Conference

    GPS World magazine interviews at the ESRI show, talking with Mauricio Jaimes of Leica Geosystems.

  • Leica Geosystems Upgrades and Expands SmartNet RTK Network in California

    Leica Geosystems Inc. has announced it has significantly upgraded and expanded the coverage of its Leica SmartNet RTK Network in California, making real-time GNSS correction available to 82 percent of the state’s population. A GPS/GLONASS reference station network, Leica SmartNet gives GNSS users access to differential correction for any measurement application without the use of a base station.

    “Leica Geosystems has upgraded the SmartNet California network to improve both the quality and geographic coverage of GNSS correction throughout the state,” said Wendy Watson, Director, Reference Station Operations. “All SmartNet California stations are now GPS and GLONASS capable with additional enhancements being made to accommodate future positioning satellite constellations.”

    A Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) network is a series of permanent GPS and/or GNSS receiver stations whose combined data is used to generate corrections for rover GNSS receivers operating in the coverage area. The rover GNSS unit uses this correction data to improve the native accuracy of its measurement and location calculations. Strategic installation of SmartNet stations throughout California provides wireless RTK data access to nearly every GNSS user in the major population centers of the state.

    In the past six months, Leica Geosystems has installed six new stations and upgraded eight more to strengthen the geometry of the California network. Most new installations have included the Leica GR10 next-generation GNSS reference station receiver and Leica AR10 antenna with integrated radome. New stations have been installed in North Hollywood, Santa Monica, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and Yuba City. Total population coverage in the state with SmartNet now exceeds 30 million.

    “Wireless access to RTK data without a base station is an enormous time savings for surveyors, GIS professionals or other GNSS users who need to improve the native accuracy of their location measurements,” said Wendy Watson, Director, Reference Station Operations. “For any measurement application in California, SmartNet makes this data accessible instantly and affordably.”

    Available through several subscription plan options, SmartNet California is relied upon by GNSS users in surveying, mapping, construction, engineering, agriculture and GIS.

  • City of Edmonton Launches Pilot for Intergraph and Leica Geosystems GIS Solution

    Intergraph announced that the City of Edmonton, Canada, has implemented a pilot program that will use Intergraph and Leica Geosystems combined products for enhanced tracking of assets within its expansive network of public parks. The City of Edmonton is utilizing the Leica CS25 ultra rugged tablet and the GG02+ GNSS Smart Antenna, the most accurate data collection and update system available today for GIS professionals, in conjunction with Intergraph's GeoMedia, a powerful GIS management product. Together, Intergraph and Leica Geosystems contribute to Hexagon's comprehensive portfolio, addressing all aspects of the geospatial life cycle – from capture to delivery.

    Leica Zeno GG02 with CS25 Tablet

    Managed by the Parks Branch within the City of Edmonton, the pilot program will allow city workers and officials to track the condition of park-related assets through the use of a Leica Geosystems device running Intergraph's GeoMedia software. For the past five years, the Parks Branch has been collecting information in the field regarding these assets. This integrated solution provides a means to easily track and better perform maintenance and condition assessments for all of its properties.

    "We have spent a significant amount of time collecting data regarding all of our assets, and now we need to continually assess their condition," said Michael Boychuk, GIS Coordinator, Parks Branch. "By running this pilot program, we now have a mechanism for our workers in the field to report back the condition of any asset within our expansive park system."

    The Parks Branch is currently using devices to download the existing asset data from its GIS database. The new mobile data will be updated when field workers perform condition inspections, as well as add on new data regarding new assets – streamlining the entire workflow.

    GeoMedia enables users to realize the maximum value of their geospatial resources, integrating them to present clear, actionable information. It provides simultaneous access to geospatial data in almost any form, uniting them in a single map view for efficient processing, analysis, presentation and sharing. GeoMedia's intuitive, dynamic analysis functionality enables concatenation of analysis processes so the results of one operation feed directly into the next process, as well as automatic updating of results in response to data changes.

    The Leica CS25 is a versatile tablet computer combining a 7'' screen, fully rugged and lightweight. It provides a highly useable means for accomplishing data collection tasks efficiently, taking the office to the field. The GG02+ Smart Antenna is the most accurate system for GIS data collection and update. It brings high-accuracy RTK positions to the GIS user in a seamless way. Centimeter accuracy can be achieved either in post-process or real time by using the Leica SmartNet correction service or radio links. Coupled with GeoMedia's flexible architecture, the two products provide a dynamic solution.

    "This pilot is a prime example of how two Hexagon companies can be fully integrated to provide real-world solutions for any organization that is tracking assets in the field," said Mladen Stojic, Vice President, Geospatial at Intergraph SG&I. "The combined offering provides a complete end-to-end solution for making data relevant and actionable, allowing any organization to be more efficient and effective."

    The City of Edmonton has more than 460 parks and hosts the largest expanse of urban parkland in North America with its North Saskatchewan River Valley parks.

  • Locata and Leica Geosystems Extend Partnership

    Leica Geosystems Mining and Locata Corporation have announced the extension of their technology partnership in the Mine Machine Automation and Mine Fleet Management Market until June 30, 2014. The extension guarantees the ongoing, commercial provision to the global mining industry of the Leica Jigsaw Positioning System (Jps), powered by Locata technology. 

    The continuance of the technology partnership between Leica Geosystems Mining and Locata Corporation comes on the back of a huge body of work, which has resulted in the first successful operational deployment of the Leica Jps network. The technology at the core of the Leica Jps is a combination of the “Local Constellation” (pioneered by Locata Corporation and adopted by the U.S. Air Force) and Leica Geosystems’ technology portfolio.

    The co-developed Leica Jps network is a high-precision solution that augments standard RTK GPS/GLONASS signals with Locata signals, ensuring no positioning signal loss or machine down time, even against high walls or in the deepest open pit mines, Leica said.

    “It is with great pleasure that we officially announce our continued alliance with Locata Corporation,” said Haydn Roberts, CEO, Leica Geosystems Mining. “Through this partnership, the Jigsaw Positioning System (Jps) will continue to meet and exceed industry expectations. In being available to augment any GPS/GNSS network on any site, we are truly providing a new capability for mining applications, enabling them to operate with unprecedented signal up time and benefit from the huge associated financial return. And we know it works — we have the data.”

    “Through Jps we offer autonomy from sole reliance on satellite-based positioning networks," Roberts said. "In accordance with Leica Geosystems Mining strategy, our technology for machine automation and now HP RTK positioning is completely OEM independent. No longer will machines stop work while waiting for the elusive satellite signal to reconnect. The Jps will seamlessly augment the signals, no matter on what machine, on what system, in what fleet.”

    Nunzio Gambale, CEO and co-founder of Locata Corporation, said, “Locata is truly delighted to extend, for a further two years, the global exclusive rights Leica Geosystems has to integrate and sell our revolutionary technology into the mining market. They deserve this extension. Mr. Haydn Roberts runs a team that is talented, experienced and motivated. They have proven to us many times over that they are some of the finest GPS engineers in the world.”

    The success of the combined technologies and continued relationship between both parties ensures the Leica Jigsaw Positioning System will be commercially available to the mining industry globally from August this year.

    “This Leica-Locata relationship has blossomed over what is now many years of cooperation, and it is one which we value highly,” said Gambale. “The Locata team is proud to be partnering with such a respected and incredibly innovative company.”

  • Entry-Level, Rugged PDA

    Leica Geosystems announced a further enhancement to the Leica Zeno GIS family – the Leica Zeno 5, an entry-level, rugged PDA for organizations that require a durable compact device with integrated modem and high-sensitive GPS. The new Leica Zeno 5 supports field workers by combining a mobile phone with asset collection and management capabilities.

    Senior Product Manager Johannes Hotz comments ”Together with our Leica Zeno Field and Zeno Connect applications, the Zeno GIS family continues to grow and further addresses all mobile GIS market segments ranging from utilities and natural resources to municipalities”.

    The new Leica Zeno 5 provides a complete, integrated package of positioning, imaging and communications tools:

    • 48 channel, high-sensitivity GPS receiver (SirfStarIV)
    • GSM HSPA+ and CDMA with full phone capabilities, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
    • Texas Instruments latest high performance processor, the Sitara 3715 (OMAP3) at 800 MHz
    • Large 3.7” full VGA transflective display
    • Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5.3 Operating System
    • Rechargeable and hot-swappable all-day battery (10 hours +)
    • Full range of interactive sensors including camera, digital compass, gyroscope, light sensor, proximity sensor and accelerometer

    “The new Leica Zeno 5 is the fastest and best equipped rugged PDA for a mobile user”, said Johannes Hotz. “Designed to be, at the same time, a mobile phone, GPS-enabled data collector and a controller for our out-standing Leica GG02 plus GNSS SmartAntenna. This new handheld will help users to get the maximum out of from their investment. Together with our Zeno Field application, the Zeno 5 provides an easy-to-use, streamlined GIS data collection and management solution. The Zeno Connect, as stand-alone application or SDK, enables our software partners to combine their industry specific solution with our high-accuracy data collection solutions”.

    According to the announcement, the Leica Zeno 5 is shock resistant, withstands a drop from to 1.8 m, and is protected against water and dust. The large 3.7 inch screen is optimized for sunlight readability and maintains exceptional clarity in outdoor conditions, including direct sunlight. Field workers can collect features and descriptive information using the in-built, high-sensitive GPS data, attach photos to the collected assets, and synchronize, with high-speed up- and download times, with the office using a single and compact device, all in a full working day without re-charging the Zeno 5.

  • Leica Introduces Zeno 5 Rugged GPS Handheld

    Zeno 5 by Leica Geosystems.
    Zeno 5 by Leica Geosystems.

    Leica Geosystems announced a further enhancement to the Leica Zeno GIS family – the Leica Zeno 5, an entry-level, rugged PDA for organizations that require a durable compact device with integrated modem and high-sensitive GPS. The new Leica Zeno 5 supports field workers by combining a mobile phone with asset collection and management capabilities.

    Senior Product Manager Johannes Hotz comments ”Together with our Leica Zeno Field and Zeno Connect applications, the Zeno GIS family continues to grow and further addresses all mobile GIS market segments ranging from utilities and natural resources to municipalities”.

    The new Leica Zeno 5 provides a complete, integrated package of positioning, imaging and communications tools:

    • 48 channel, high-sensitivity GPS receiver (SirfStarIV)
    • GSM HSPA+ and CDMA with full phone capabilities, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
    • Texas Instruments latest high performance processor, the Sitara 3715 (OMAP3) at 800 MHz
    • Large 3.7” full VGA transflective display
    • Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5.3 Operating System
    • Rechargeable and hot-swappable all-day battery (10 hours +)
    • Full range of interactive sensors including camera, digital compass, gyroscope, light sensor, proximity sensor and accelerometer

    “The new Leica Zeno 5 is the fastest and best equipped rugged PDA for a mobile user”, said Johannes Hotz. “Designed to be, at the same time, a mobile phone, GPS-enabled data collector and a controller for our out-standing Leica GG02 plus GNSS SmartAntenna. This new handheld will help users to get the maximum out of from their investment. Together with our Zeno Field application, the Zeno 5 provides an easy-to-use, streamlined GIS data collection and management solution. The Zeno Connect, as stand-alone application or SDK, enables our software partners to combine their industry specific solution with our high-accuracy data collection solutions”.

    According to the announcement, the Leica Zeno 5 is shock resistant, withstands a drop from to 1.8 m, and is protected against water and dust. The large 3.7 inch screen is optimized for sunlight readability and maintains exceptional clarity in outdoor conditions, including direct sunlight. Field workers can collect features and descriptive information using the in-built, high-sensitive GPS data, attach photos to the collected assets, and synchronize, with high-speed up- and download times, with the office using a single and compact device, all in a full working day without re-charging the Zeno 5.

  • Leica Geosystems Introduces Version 4.2 of Spider Software Suite for GNSS

    Leica Geosystems has released version 4.2 of its Leica Spider software suite for GNSS RTK networks and reference stations. Leica Spider software is an integrated suite of programs for GNSS networks, consisting of Leica GNSS Spider, Leica SpiderWeb and Leica SpiderQC. With its scalability and modularity, it can be tailored to suit various GNSS surveying, machine control, GIS, seismic and structural monitoring applications, Leica Geosystems said.

    One of the major enhancements is the added support for the Leica GR25 reference server. The newest member of Leica Geosystems’ GNSS Spider family is designed for numerous permanent and semi-permanent GNSS network installations and monitoring applications, which include RTK and static networks, single base station, field campaigns, structural monitoring, atmospheric and seismic studies and offshore positioning.

    “The suite of Leica Spider software programs now perfectly complements this new device for use in RTK networks with comprehensive remote control and advanced data quality analysis,” said Frank Pache, senior product manager at Leica Geosystems.

    Leica Geosystems has enhanced the SpiderNET processing strategies and algorithms to best cope with the current significantly increasing solar activity,” Pache said. “Within the 11-year cycle of solar activity we are currently approaching, the next sunspot maximum is expected in early 2013. During these times, reliable fixing of ambiguities becomes more difficult due to the increasing impact of the ionosphere on the signal propagation. This is particularly relevant to GNSS networks that typically have large station separations of up to 70 km. Therefore, an optimum handling of the ionosphere effects is required. With this new version of GNSS Spider, we are now minimizing the impact of the ionosphere disturbance to the data processing and optimizing the quality, availability and reliability of network correction information provided to the rover.”

    In addition, the updated Leica SpiderQC features an improved version of the Leica Geosystems patented Network Online Visualisation of Accuracy (NOVA).  “This unique feature allows visualization of the spatial and temporal quality of single base and network RTK positioning across a customer’s network.  Real time maps show the distribution of residual ionosphere and troposphere/orbit error, enabling our customers and their clients to monitor the network status and identify problem areas in the network, or get an indication of expected field performance,” Pache said.

  • How Flat Can You Incline?

    The field at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, recently received a CDN $2 million renovation. The old natural-grass field had become expensive to maintain properly, and the Grey Cup game, Canada’s Super Bowl, will be played at Commonwealth Stadium this year. The stage needed to be re-set.

    Renovation required total removal of the existing medium and subgrade materials to a 1.2-meter depth. Wilco Contractors Northwest replaced the subgrade to a planarity or flatness tolerance of 3 millimeters over a 3-meter length. To achieve this precision, Wilco used a machine automation system on a Volvo G-960 motor grader fitted with a GPS receiver, and base station nearby. A second grader carried a robotic total station.

    “We probably have a quarter-million dollars invested in this,” said Wilco President Art Maat. “The machine-control equipment pays for itself on an annual basis. It enables us to construct projects to tolerances that other contractors cannot match, even though they have the same big iron capabilities we do.”

    Work began with removal of existing soil mixes, drainage rock, and subgrade clay. A bulldozer and the two motorgraders graded the subgrade to a 0.5 percent slope on both sides of the field’s center spine. The work included the D-shaped zone behind each goal post, created by a running track encircling the field. In all areas, the slope must be constant. “The problem is, how do you grade that half-circle?” said Maat. “Grader operators and surveyors want to work in straight lines or on rectangular grids. We use the geo-tracker, or robotic total station, to control the grader blade three-dimensionally. It is one step more accurate than a GPS system.”

    Using the robotic total station involves entering a digital terrain model, called a TIN-file, into the grader’s onboard computer. The grader is fitted with a mast and prism, which has a fixed relation to the grader blade. The robotic total station can see the prism, read its 3D location, and communicate it back to the grader. The computer processes the differences between the actual blade location and the digital terrain model to control the blade.

    The GPS-equipped grader did the rough grading at 20-millimeter accuracy, and the prism-equipped grader handled the fine grading at sub-centimeter accuracy. With final subgrade complete, Wilco dug trenches to install a drainage system, covered with a geotextile. Working in four lifts of 300 millimeters each, Wilco filled the excavation with coal bottom ash, a gritty product like playground sand. “We took the TIN file and offset the elevation by 300 millimeters at a time.”

    Savings. The machine-control equipment saved Wilco $15,000–$20,000 on surveying, for 100 hours or more at $150 an hour for a crew. “The systems make our equipment 25 percent more efficient on low-tolerance sites such as fields and running tracks where grades are critical,” Maat added.

    To test planarity, Wilco stretched a stringline over a 3-meter distance at many points on the field and measured with a Canadian dollar coin, a looney. If they could fit a couple of loonies under the string, they had found a low spot. If they could fit only one, the 3-millimeter tolerance had been met. “Our feedback from the consultants was that they had never seen a field prepared this well, with very little adjustment required. The slope of the field had to be 0.25 percent from the centerline spine to the sides. And the slope of the D-shaped areas behind the goal posts was exactly the same.”

    Manufacturers

    Wilco uses a Leica PowerGrade GPS/GNSS receiver, Leica Redline base station, Redline Power Tracker robotic total station, and Geo-Tracker.

    Dan Brown is a freelance technical journalist.