GPS World

Tag: Trimble

  • Trimble adds scalable GNSS receiver to geospatial portfolio

    Trimble has added a new scalable GNSS receiver to its geospatial portfolio. The Trimble R9s GNSS receiver is scalable and flexible. Built on a sleek, modular GNSS platform, geospatial professionals can add functionality according to their workflow demands, such as being deployed as an RTK base station or an RTK rover mounted on a rod, in a backpack or on a vehicle.

    The Trimble R9s GNSS receiver provides access to multiple GNSS constellations, wide-band 450 MHz internal radio, Ethernet connectivity and is easily configurable via the front panel. The solution also offers scalability from an entry-level receiver for post-processing, to a full-featured triple-frequency GNSS base and rover.

    The R9s also supports corrections services, including Trimble CenterPoint RTX (better than 4 centimeters delivered via L-band satellite) and enhanced xFill technology, which allows surveyors to continue collecting data with centimeter-level accuracy indefinitely when RTK or VRS connectivity is lost.

    Options such as Trimble Access field software, Trimble DL Android app and Web user interface or front panel allow the receiver to be configured for optimal performance to support a broad range of survey workflows.

  • Trimble expands machine control system for wheel loaders

    Trimble has introduced version 12.81 of its Trimble GCS900 Grade Control System. The new version further expands the mix of machines supported to now include wheel loaders, demonstrating Trimble’s continued commitment to meet the contractor’s needs for construction technology across a mixed fleet and for all phases of the project life cycle.

    “Trimble GCS900trimble-gcs900forwheelloaders version 12.81 means big productivity gains for contractors who operate wheel loaders,” said Ryan Kunisch, marketing director for Trimble’s Civil Engineering and Construction Division. “We have seen up to a 40 percent increase in productivity for material placement and grading activities and typically a 25 percent reduction in undercutting when the GCS900 system is used.”

    The new configuration for wheel loaders allows contractors to realize productivity gains in both fine and rough grading applications. Operators can precisely control the amount of material being graded, improve fine grading accuracy and time, and reduce the potential for undercutting the surface during material placement or removal.

    Using a wheel loader equipped with GCS900, contractors can track material weight with a Trimble LOADRITE weighing system. In addition, material placement and grade can be monitored by adding a VisionLink Project Monitoring subscription for a more accurate and complete picture of project progress.

    Features of GSC900

    • Uses two GNSS receivers and solid state angle sensors and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to measure the precise 3D position of the bucket
    • Tracks GPS, GLONASS and Galileo signals
    • Quickly performs complex tasks and simplify finishing slopes with accurate 3D positioning

  • Trimble advances precision irrigation with uniform application for corner arms

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    Trimble’s Irrigate-IQ now has “uniform corner,” which allows farmers to apply a consistent amount of water on the area covered by a center-pivot corner arm.

    The solution prevents over- or under-watering through a uniform application, which can reduce crop stress, promote better nutrient absorption due to reduced run off and leaching, and ultimately improve crop quality and yield. In addition, it enables farmers to optimize water use. This can be beneficial for farmers located in areas with limited water resources or with water restrictions.

    Irrigate-IQ uniform corner uses advanced algorithms that enable consistent water application regardless of the position of the corner arm. Whether the corner arm is starting to extend, fully extended, or folding back, Irrigate-IQ uniform corner minimizes the risk of overlaps or gaps in application.

    Because it controls each individual nozzle based on the desired application depth and the position of the corner arm, uniform corner provides the highest level of accuracy to achieve maximum uniformity across the entire area covered by the corner arm. In addition, Irrigate-IQ uniform corner works with multiple brands of corner arm equipment.

    “Most farmers invest in a corner arm system in order to extend their irrigable land. However, typical systems do not provide consistent watering,” said Neil Douglas, Irrigate-IQ market manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “This means they are not optimizing their water resources, and potentially damaging their crop and reducing yield by over- or under-watering it. Irrigate-IQ uniform corner allows farmers to extend the capabilities of their current corner arm through consistent water application to achieve the greatest return on their investment.”

    Farmers can set the field depth and let the corner arm run, or they can add Irrigate-IQ monitor and control so they can remotely manage their whole pivot. For farmers who choose to add monitor and control, they can use the Connected Farm Irrigate app to remotely keep track of pivot status, or to turn their pivot on or off or change its direction.

    Irrigate-IQ uniform corner is expected to be available worldwide in the first quarter of 2016.

  • Trimble, Mapshots integrate agriculture software

    MapShots and Trimble have integrated MapShots AgStudio software platform with Trimble’s Connected Farm.

    AgStudio can now read as-applied maps and production data from Connected Farm. Previously, AgStudio software users could only read harvest data from Connected Farm.

    Users with current subscriptions to AgStudio software are able to communicate seamlessly with Trimble field devices and wirelessly transfer field data, as-applied maps and production data from planters, spreaders and sprayers as well as combines for harvest data.

    The recent integration taps into the new Trimble Connected Farm file transfer API, which provides data sharing access with the Connected Farm solution, and offers AgStudio software users more flexibility in importing data from an even wider variety of company systems.

    “This integration with Trimble’s Connected Farm solution allows our customers greater access to information that streamlines production management,” said Ted Macy, vice president of operations at MapShots. “Whether it’s variable rate seeding, variable rate fertility, or managing harvest data, AgStudio software users now can import even more valuable information and make decisions based on activities carried out by Trimble guidance and steering systems.”

    Trimble’s Connected Farm solution combines industry-leading hardware and software to increase efficiency and enable better decision making. Together, the two companies allow agricultural providers to better manage production data.

    “The integration with MapShots AgStudio software fits into Trimble’s Connected Farm strategy to provide growers a more complete picture of their field activities while allowing them a choice of software tools to analyze data and make production decisions,” said Pierre-Andre Rebeyrat, strategic marketing director of Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “We are excited to welcome MapShots to the growing list of companies that have taken advantage of the Connected Farm file transfer API.”
    For further information, users can contact their regional MapShots sales representative at 678-513-6093 or e-mail MapShots at [email protected].

  • Aerial mapping of Macchu Pichu: Drone helps preserve archaeological treasure

    Two flights were conducted at 120 meters and 100 meters to gather data to help the Peruvian government protect the site from erosion and wear from tourism. (Photo: Trimble)
    Two flights were conducted at 120 meters and 100 meters to gather data to help the Peruvian government protect the site from erosion and wear from tourism. (Photo: Trimble)

    High up in the Peruvian Andes Mountains lies Machu Picchu, an Incan citadel built in the 15th century, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    In the fall of 2014, Trimble demonstrated its UX5 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) — along with the Trimble Business Center and Inpho UASMaster processing software — at the famed archaeological site.

    Machu Picchu is under the threat of landslides and erosion — plus the site experiences heavy rains known to wash away roads. It has also seen an increase in tourism over the years.

    As a consequence, the preservation of the landmark is a growing concern for the Peruvian government. Data captured by a fixed-wing UAS is expected to help the many organizations that govern and preserve the site to visualize and monitor the location.

    Getting to Machu Picchu is a challenge in itself. A 3.5-hour train ride from the city of Cusco takes visitors almost 8,000 feet above sea level. When a Trimble team visited the site, access to Machu Picchu was arranged well in advance by its distribution partner Geosystems and the Peruvian Ministry of Culture.

    Orthophoto of the Macchu Pichu site. (Image: Trimble)
    Orthophoto of the Macchu Pichu site. (Image: Trimble)

    The day of the flight, a small area on one of the terraces was cleared of tourists (but not local llamas) for the flight. Two flights were conducted at 120 meters and 100 meters for enhanced data. Along with Trimble and Geosystems representatives, local archaeologists and surveyors from the Ministry of Culture attended the flight, which went off without any challenges.

    With the flight complete, Trimble and Geosystems went to work processing the data immediately in Trimble Business Center and Inpho UASMaster. Trimble Business Center allowed the data to be quickly processed into high-quality point clouds and orthophotos while Inpho UASMaster offers feature-rich photogrammetry workflows.

    The following day, Trimble and Geosystems presented government officials with orthophotos and a 3D point cloud model.

  • Trimble’s Beijing airport construction contract extended with machine control

    Trimble’s Beijing airport construction contract extended with machine control

    Artist's concept of the new Beijing Airport terminal. (image © Zaha Hadid Architects)
    Artist’s concept of the new Beijing Airport terminal. (image © Zaha Hadid Architects)

    Trimble has received a contract extension for Beijing’s new airport project. In April, Trimble won the initial bid to supply the project with a construction information management system. Based on the success of the solution to date, the contract has been extended to include additional machine control systems for soil stabilization.

    Beijing’s new airport is projected to handle 72 million travelers, 2 million tons of shipping and 620,000 flights by the year 2025. It is a massive construction project with an unprecedented amount of civil aviation investment by the Chinese government. In order to construct the airport in a safer, more efficient manner, achieve transparent management, and maximize construction quality, the Beijing new airport project is using construction technology from Trimble to integrate construction and operations.

    Artist's depiction of the inside of the new Beijing Airport terminal. (image: Zaha Hadid Architects)
    Artist’s depiction of the inside of the new Beijing Airport terminal. (image: Zaha Hadid Architects)

    Trimble was chosen to implement a browser-based, locally hosted digital construction information management system for tracking and monitoring construction operations in real time. The Trimble solution allows users to create 3D constructible models, perform soil stabilization, automate construction processes and effectively manage information. Based on the successful soil stabilization results using Trimble machine control over the past four months, another 15 systems have been ordered.

    “The research results for dynamic compaction have been extremely promising,” said Li Qiang, chief engineer of the Beijing New Airport Construction Office. “As a result, the project is pushing forward with a larger scale deployment to further the research into creating new methods and standards for airfield construction.”

    “The Beijing new airport project is a significant win for Trimble, and we are very excited about the success of the project,” said Steve Berglund, president and CEO of Trimble. “The contract extension validates Trimble’s ability to provide innovative solutions that transform work processes by maximizing management capability, ensuring construction quality and improving productivity.”

    Trimble’s machine control solutions leverage a variety of technologies, including GPS, construction lasers, total stations, wireless data communications, the Internet and application software. As part of the Trimble Connected Site strategy, these solutions provide a high level of process and workflow integration from the design phase through to the finished project, delivering significant improvements in productivity throughout the construction lifecycle, the company said.

    Terminal construction: The technology used allows creation of 3D constructible models and automated construction processes. (Photo: Trimble)
    Terminal construction: The technology used allows creation of 3D constructible models and automated construction processes. (Photo: Trimble)
  • Dredging replenishes Australia’s Sorrento Beach

    Dredging replenishes Australia’s Sorrento Beach

    Shifting sands in Australia’s Port Phillip Bay left a popular beach without enough sand this past holiday season. As summer approached, the Mornington Peninsula Shire and Australian Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) decided to replenish Sorrento beach by dredging a nearby sandbank.

    DEPI awarded the contract to Sandpiper Dredging because of its history of minimizing environmental impact. Sandpiper has a decade of dredging experience and builds its own precision dredgers in Tweed Heads, New South Wales.

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    Erosion of Sorrento Beach required high-tech repairs. (Photo: Trimble)

    The contract specified the dredge ground extent and the minimum Australian Height Datum (AHD) height Sandpiper could dredge. To obtain precise 3D positions from the GPS receiver, GPS corrections were streamed in via cellular Internet from the Victorian government’s Continually Operating Reference System (CORS). Position and heading from the SPS461 receiver were interfaced into construction software to display dredge position. The inclinometer mounted on the dredge frame also interfaced with the software and allowed the AHD height of the cutter head to be displayed.

    The dredge position displayed in the software allowed operators to stay within the dredge grounds and ensure no over-dredging occurred. The software was the central hub in the wheelhouse displaying and logging dredge positions and the AHD height of the dredge head.

    Machine-control positioning enabled Sandpiper to precisely place in 3D the cutter suction head on the dredge frame in real time.
    Machine-control positioning enabled Sandpiper to precisely place in 3D the cutter suction head on the dredge frame in real time. (Photo: Trimble)

    The software also allowed the dredge operator to focus on controlling the dredge rather than trying to determine where to dredge. Using GPS and AUSGeoid09 removed the need for considering tide data because the software displayed the AHD height. The logged data could be delivered to the client as an as-built drawing.

    The beach was replenished within budget and on time for the holiday season, and the community is now enjoying the restored beach.

    Hydrographic Tech

    To achieve the job specifications and efficient operation of their dredge, Sandpiper needed hydrographic survey technology on board. SITECH Construction Systems, a Trimble distributor, provided the company with:

    • Trimble SPS461 GPS heading and positioning receiver
    • Inclinometer to measure the angle of the cutter head frame
    • Trimble HYDROpro dredge software to display and log seabed levels. The software can be configured for a wide range of dredgers.

    “After speaking about the challenges we had been facing, SITECH came back with the solution of the Trimble HYDROpro system, which meant we could dredge in exactly the right place and maintain coverage, all the while protecting the environment of the beach,” said Daniel Fristch, owner of Sandpiper.

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    HYDROPro at work on the Sorrento Beach project. (Photo Trimble)

  • Trimble acquires Telog Instruments for wireless water monitoring

    Trimble has acquired privately held Telog Instruments Inc., based in Victor, New York. Telog is a wireless water infrastructure monitoring and management company. The acquisition extends Trimble’s smart water strategy by adding advanced water management technology and productivity solutions to the company’s portfolio. Financial terms were not disclosed.

    Telog, founded in 1984, manufactures a suite of wireless remote monitoring, analytics and data acquisition systems that are used by thousands of water, wastewater and stormwater management utilities and private contractors throughout North America. Its Telogers family of battery-powered, environmentally rugged wireless monitors provide an automated means of collecting, archiving, presenting and sharing data from a wide variety of remote assets such as flowmeters, rain gauges, surcharge sensors, pre-treatment water quality sensors, lift stations and pressure sensors.

    Applications for Telog solutions include remote monitoring of flow rates, reservoir and tank levels, water quality, well and groundwater levels, pump station performance, hydrant and valve pressure and sewer overflows. The solutions can also be combined with automated metering infrastructure to provide smart water networks that improve sustainability and water conservation and reduce leakage and non-revenue water. Customers can benefit through improved drinking water quality, lower water loss and leakage, reduced wastewater and stormwater overflows and spills, and enhanced regulatory compliance.

    “Trimble remains focused on offering industry leading technology solutions for the water industry,” said Marcus McCarthy, general manager for Trimble’s Water Division. “The acquisition of Telog enables us to expand our portfolio of hardware and software products with industry leading real-time wireless sensors and monitoring solutions. The management of data in real time will provide value to customers facing a growing number of water supply, environmental and regulatory challenges.”

    “We are very excited to join Trimble,” said Barry Ceci, founder, president and CEO of Telog. “In addition to the continued focus on supporting our current customers and our core North American market, the acquisition will enable us to grow Telog’s suite of products and expand our global footprint. This is an exciting time for Telog and our customers, who can also benefit from Trimble’s comprehensive portfolio of smart water management solutions.”

     

  • Trimble to Acquire AGRI-TREND to Aid Crop Advisors

    Trimble will acquire the assets of privately held AGRI-TREND of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, which operates the largest network of independent agricultural consultants in North America. The acquisition will enable Trimble to provide agronomists and other crop advisors with a stronger set of brand-agnostic tools they can use to advise growers on how to better manage their operations, Trimble said in a news release.

    The acquisition is expected to close in November 2015. Financial terms were not disclosed.

    AGRI-TREND’s network of more than 200 specialists spread throughout the U.S. and Canada includes 110 independent “coaches” specializing in agronomy, precision farming, crop marketing and farm business management. Coaches are supported by a team of science specialists comprised of 30 Ph.D.s and M.Sc.s providing in-house research, training and insight support for both the coaching network and the AGRI-DATA Solution platform — a proprietary farm data-management solution. As a result, AGRI-TREND’s solutions enable growers to make informed business decisions that better allocate scarce resources to produce safe and environmentally sustainable food.

    “Trimble’s acquisition of AGRI-TREND is another step towards total farm management for the grower. Together with Connected Farm, we will provide growers and their trusted advisors with a combined offering that is unique in the marketplace today,” said Joe Denniston, vice president for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “AGRI-TREND is a leader in providing expert advice and decision support for growing crops, marketing commodities and managing a farm’s finances. Trimble is a leader in precision agriculture technology that precisely applies those decisions whether it is seed, nutrients or water. Together, Trimble and AGRI-TREND will enable the integration of decisions and execution to give greater control over the outcome, resulting in maximized productivity for the grower.”

    “AGRI-TREND has been working side by side with farmers for over 17 years. With the strength that Trimble provides, we aim to help even more farmers as the move to precision agriculture continues to gain momentum globally,” said Rob Saik, founder of AGRI-TREND. “The combination of our advanced agricultural technical expertise and Trimble’s exceptional precision agriculture tools provides us with a platform that will support production practices that are sustainable both from an environmental and financial perspective for today’s farmers. We’re excited to be a part of the future of agriculture, and we’re pleased to work with the great people at Trimble.”

    Full Farm Support

    Grow the Crop: To assist in optimizing crop growth, AGRI-TREND has a network of experienced agronomists who serve as a personal Agri-Coach to help farm customers assess the performance of every acre on a yearly basis. Agri-Coaches work on the analytics, looking at the cost of production as well as nitrogen and water use efficiency, interpreting the data and making customized recommendations for each field. Recommendations are then followed up with field scouting and performance tracking to ensure farm goals are met.

    Sell the Crop: To maximize crop sales, AGRI-TREND creates a Strategic Marketing Plan that includes business analysis, operational strategy, risk management and a harvest review. This customized plan is developed by an AGRI-TREND Market-Coach who works closely with each farm client to understand the unique situation of their farm and the cost of production for each field. The AGRI-TREND Market-Coach then provides advice on how to best achieve better selling prices, risk mitigation and optimal cash flow for their farm customers.

    Manage the Money: In order to enable farmers to better manage their money, AGRI-TREND provides a network of business-coach professionals, which consists of experts in specialized areas such as accounting, banking, corporate finance and insurance. The business-coach starts by gaining an understanding of the farm business including strengths and weaknesses, measuring the farm’s performance against benchmarks, creating the Strategic Farm Business Plan and then implementing the farmer’s long-term growth plan.

    The AGRI-DATA Solution

    The AGRI-DATA Solution is a complete farm management platform that focuses on the unique agronomic challenges that farmers face every year as they work to maximize yields and profits. This platform is the foundation for AGRI-TREND advisors as they work on crop planning, crop input tracking, soil sampling, tissue testing, manure analysis, fertilizer blending, field scouting, harvest data tracking and more. The platform supports over 75,000,000 legacy acres with over eight million acres added in 2015. Farmers have also adopted the AGRI-DATA mobile applications for both Android™ and iOS devices, preferring to work with their information on the go.

    Trimble Connected Farm Advisor

    Trimble Connected Farm Advisor — a field data management tool for the farmer’s trusted advisor — will be integrated with the AGRI-DATA platform to empower AGRI-TREND coaches with a greater toolset to deliver more services to their growers.

    If you would like to learn how to become an AGRI-TREND coach, visit w3.agritrend.com/join-agritrend. Growers interested in finding an AGRI-TREND coach to work with can visit www.agritrend.com/contact-us/find-a-coach-professional.

     

  • Trimble adds apps to TMX-2050 display for precision ag

    photo: Trimble

    Trimble has added several new third-party apps to its Android-based Trimble TMX-2050 display for precision agriculture.

    The new apps fall into several categories, including:

    • Diagnostic tools to identify and address implement error codes.
    • Fertilizer calibration charts for various brands of spreaders.
    • Identification of nutrient deficiencies.
    • Planter adjustment recommendations for various planter brands.
    • PDF reader.
    • Work order and documentation-based software applications for agriculture.

    The apps are available for download from App Central marketplace on the TMX-2050 display. App Central provides farmers with enhanced flexibility to install apps, view descriptions and images, report issues, connect with developer partners and stay current with on-demand updates, Trimble says in a news release. Users can search and find the apps most useful to their farm operations, language and regional compliance requirements.

    “As we continue to add third-party apps on our TMX-2050 display, we are providing farmers with more localized choices so they can select the tools that best fit their machines, applications and regional needs,” said Pierre-Andre Rebeyrat, marketing director for Trimble’s agriculture division. “These apps can enable farmers to obtain needed information more easily and quickly, leading to more efficient management of their farm operations.”

    Every new TMX-2050 display solution includes wireless connectivity allowing farmers to view ongoing field activities, real-time commodity prices, real-time weather conditions to guide irrigation and field deployment decisions, and other valuable task information in the Connected Farm dashboard. It also enables wireless data transfer of as-applied maps and other field activities such as planting, spraying or harvesting, simplifying the overall management and transfer of farm data files.

  • Trimble Thunderbolt PTP Grandmaster Clock Designed for Next-Generation Networks

    Trimble has introduced a new grandmaster clock to address the synchronization needs of the fast growing next-generation LTE-Advanced and small cell network market. The Thunderbolt PTP Grandmaster Clock (GC), coming in the first quarter of 2016, was introduced at the ITSF 2015 Time and Synchronization in Telecoms Conference, held in Edinburgh, UK, Nov. 2-5.

    Trimble said it value-engineered the industry-standard grandmaster clock, focusing on the features required in next-generation networks, including dual gigabit Ethernet ports and a small form-factor pluggable module port for optical connections. Its low price point enables network architects to move the timing source from the core to the edge of the network, enabling higher phase and frequency precision at the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) clients.

    “Trimble entered this market to expand on our success in GNSS timing solutions for telecom networks,” said Karen Guldan, general manager of Trimble’s Time & Frequency Division. “The design and development of the GC focused on creating an optimized solution for network providers — at a price point of less than $2,000, it is intended to be a game-changer in small-cell network design. The GC’s features provide superior value to service providers.”

    With flexible network interface protocols and easy integration, Trimble optimized the GC to deliver precise frequency and phase synchronization signals for LTE-Advanced and small cell networks supporting IEEE 1588 PTP, Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Synchronous Ethernet simultaneously. The GC supports up to 250 simultaneous PTP clients and 5,000 NTP transactions per second, and is designed for small- and medium-scale deployment.

    With a small form factor of half rack 1RU, users may deploy the Trimble GC either indoors or outdoors. In a server room, the Trimble GC deploys in a side-by-side configuration to provide timing redundancy. For outdoor applications, the Trimble GMC also features an extended operating temperature range for use in non-typical networking environments such as a telecom cabinet. The Trimble GC configures for AC and DC power.

    The GC was designed to provide continuous availability of traceable time. The GC includes an embedded, multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo-ready) receiver to generate precise 10MHz and pulse per second outputs. Utilizing the latest in GNSS technology combined with a precision oscillator, the GC provides better than 3 microsecond phase holdover over a 24-hour period.

    The Trimble Thunderbolt PTP Grandmaster Clock is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2016.

  • Trimble to Provide Geospatial Software, Training for UNIGIS Distance Learning Programs

    Trimble will provide access to Trimble geospatial software products and online training for UNIGIS post-graduate distance learning students. Students can also take part in Trimble’s User Community to access training materials and participate in forums and discussions.

    The UNIGIS International Association is a distance education initiative offering masters and postgraduate diploma and certificate programs in geographical information science and systems.

    “We are pleased to provide geospatial software and online training programs to students in UNIGIS programs,” said Alain Samaha, business area director of GIS and Software for Trimble’s Geospatial Division. “Working with UNIGIS, we can further support the industry by providing technology tools that enable students to be prepared for their careers.”

    Trimble will provide UNIGIS distance learning students worldwide with access to eCognition, Inpho, UASMaster, GPS Pathfinder Office, SketchUp Pro and other software technologies for their study assignments and thesis development.

    “UNIGIS is addressing the geospatial industry’s critical bottleneck of capacity building. This needs the sustained support of leading-edge companies like Trimble. Working together we can enhance the educational experience for students to promote future innovation and advancement of the geospatial industry,” said Prof. Josef Strobl at University of Salzburg and chair of UNIGIS International.