Reporter No. 50, April 2004 English (PDF, 1.5 MB) - Leica Geosystems

REPORTER 50 

The Magazine of Leica Geosystems 

Geosystems

2 

CEO Message 

The 2004 productivity offensive 

Contact 

You can find Leica 

Geosystems at numerous 

exhibitions, congresses and 

roadshows in your region. 

In addition, you can find 

information and 

documentation on our 

national websites or on 

www.leicageosystems.com. 

Here you 

will also find previous 

Reporter issues in different 

languages. Please visit us. 

IMPRINT 

Published by: Leica Geosystems AG 

CH-9435 Heerbrugg 

CEO Hans Hess 

Editorial Office: Leica Geosystems AG, 

CH-9435 Heerbrugg, Switzerland 

Fax +44 1908 246 259 

Email: Teresa.Belcher@leicageosystems.com 

Editors: Fritz Staudacher (Stfi); 

Teresa Belcher (Bt); Desktop and 

Publishing: Teresa Belcher, Niklaus 

Frei 

Production details: The Reporter is 

published in English, German, 

French and Spanish, four times a 

year. 

When competitive pressures are building up on our 

customers around the world, and tasks are getting 

bigger, there is only one way to gain an advantage: by 

increasing productivity! In the last two years our 

researchers and engineers have been examining the 

operating sequences and added value chains of our 

biggest customer groups in various key tasks. They 

have been examining the latest technologies with 

regard to their suitability for surveying, remote 

reconnaissance and geomatics, and have incorporated 

them where appropriate. They have also continued to 

develop existing methods and processes – such as the 

patented laser beam in our range of TPS stations. As its 

measuring field at the target point is only one tenth of 

the area in relation to other systems, it measures 

considerably more precisely. Our experts have also 

removed numerous barriers that once impeded the interoperability of data between 

previously isolated systems. 

In my last editorial, I introduced you to one of these new developments, our HDS3000 and 

HDS4500 high-definition surveying systems, together with our world-beating Cyclone 

Software, which enables even the most complex properties to be scanned rapidly, in three 

dimensions, and subsequently measured and transformed into 3D models in comfort back 

in the office. 

In this 50th issue of the Reporter, our customer magazine, you will find the presentation of 

our revolutionary Universal System 1200, which for the first time in the world, merges data 

from GPS and TPS sensors. With its standardized method of operation and power supply, it 

exploits the strengths of both technologies, and is capable of delivering productivity gains 

of 25 percent and more. 

Any of our readers who want to enrich and speed up the added value chain by means of 

products from the areas of photogrammetry and remote reconnaissance, will greet the 

new ALS50 83 kHz laser scanner with just as much enthusiasm as the new Leica Photogrammetry 

Suite – a well-rounded range of software for digital photogrammetry and 

integrated remote image reconnaissance. 

In addition, anyone who wants to be quicker and more accurate in the transportation 

industries, such as aircraft, automobile and ship building, can now secure a considerable 

lead on the basis of laser-scanning technology, using our T-Probe, the world's first 

coordinate measuring machine, including Horizon, the CAD-based application software. 

Also, our new DISTO Plus hand-held laser model, with Bluetooth data transfer and 

versatile application software offers previously unknown solutions for a large number of 

measuring and plan preparation tasks. 

With all these new developments, Leica Geosystems is still setting the technological 

standards in our industry. But most of all they are helping our customers to gain an 

advantage. So launch your 2004 product offensive now, with these revolutionary new 

solutions! It will start to pay off right away in terms of time saved, but above all in 

increased productivity and improved positioning in the medium to long term. 

Reprints and translations, including 

excerpts, are subject to the Editor's 

prior permission in writing. 

The publication is printed on 

chlorine-free paper made by 

environmentally compatible 

processes. 

Hans Hess 

CEO Leica Geosystems 

© Leica Geosystems AG, 

Heerbrugg, April 2004, 

Printed in Switzerland 

Editorial deadline for next issue: 

31 May, 2004

Contents 3 

4 

Gotthard Base Tunnel: 

Tunnel technology for 

the future 

7 

World-famous 

airplane model 

created with 

Leica Axyz software 

11 

Improving Cellular 

Coverage in Rio de 

Janeiro 

14 

Dealers' new 

addiction: The Leica 

Geosystems Partners' 

Store 

4 


Tunnel technology for the 

future 

7 

World-famous airplane 

model created with Leica 

Axyz software 

8 

High-Definition survey 

provides accurate DTM and 

cross sections of busy 

highway 

10 

Geographic imaging helps 

endangered birds find a 

new home 

11 

Improving cellular coverage 

in Rio de Janeiro 

18 

Leica's Universal 

System 1200 

12 

Surveyors charged with tall 

order 

14 

Dealers' new addiction: The 

Leica Geosystems Partners' 

Store 

26 

World first in 

precision paving 

at Heathrow 

22 

Laser 

trackers 

revolutionize 

industrial 

measurement 

procedures at 

Eurocopter 

28 

T16 #178277: 

a life of travel 

and tacheometry 

15 

Leica's latest top model in 

the DISTO family: Leica 

DISTO plus 

18 

Leica's Universal System 

1200 

20 

Emerging permanent 

reference station networks 

22 

Laser trackers revolutionize 

industrial measurement 

procedures at Eurocopter 

24 

News in Brief 

26 

World first in precision 

paving at Heathrow 

27 

Gradestar in New Zealand 

28 

T16 #178277: a life of travel 

and tacheometry 

30 

Recording movements on 

Mt Everest using GPS

4 

Tunnel Surveying 


Tunnel technology for the future 

The Alp Transit Gotthard is an ambitious railway construction project, which will incorporate the world's 

longest railway tunnel of 57 km travelling through the Swiss Alps and under the St. Gotthard massif. Future 

passenger trains will journey at speeds of up to 250 km/h, adding further to the highly successful European 

high-speed network and bringing a huge reduction in travelling time. The combined surveying systems of 

Leica Geosystems and Amberg Measuring Technique Ltd are greatly assisting the tunnel workers in their dayto-day 

work - not only reducing time needed to ensure that excavation is correctly undertaken, but also making 

the whole construction process much more efficient and accurate. 

The Gotthard Base Tunnel has 

been divided into five sections: 

Erstfeld, Amsteg, Sedrun, Faido 

and Bodio 

In order to integrate 

Switzerland into the 

modern rail network, lines 

must be prepared which 

can be travelled at high 

speed. The Gotthard Base 

Tunnel, which will cost 

around seven billion francs, 

is thus the foundation stone 

of the Swiss railway of the 

future. The connections in 

international transport, 

built up around the nodes 

of Zurich and Milan, will 

become considerably faster, 

thus presenting a real alternative 

to travelling by car 

or by air. It is anticipated 

that between 200-220 

goods trains will run daily 

following its completion. 

The Gotthard Base Tunnel 

consists of two single-track 

tunnels that lie approximately 

40m apart and these 

are linked by a series of 

connecting galleries every 

325m. The entire tunnel 

construction has been 

divided into five sections, 

each with its own separate 

access point: 

· Erstfeld - northern portal 

· Amsteg - horizontal access 

tunnel, 1.2km long 

· Sedrun - two blind shafts, 

800m deep and 8 m in 

diameter accessed 

through a horizontal 

tunnel about 1km long 

· Faido - a 2.7km long 

inclined access tunnel 

(adit) with a 12% gradient 

and a height difference of 

300m 

· Bodio - southern portal 

The Gotthard Base Tunnel 

will pave the way in quality 

and safety with an extremely 

comprehensive safety 

system. By using two tunnels 

the possibility of head 

on collisions is eliminated 

and the two pairs of crossover 

tunnels allow the 

trains to move from one 

tunnel to the other, which is 

particularly important during 

maintenance work. The 

Sedrun and Faido sections 

each include a Multi-functional 

Station that, in the 

event of an accident, provides 

safe rooms for passengers 

and emergency 

train stations. Connecting 

galleries provide track 

cross-over tunnels, a ventilation 

system and a quick 

route to the outside in the 

event of an evacuation. 

These intermediate access 

headings not only allow 

these safety features to be 

incorporated, but also allow 

up to four Tunnel Boring 

Machines (TBMs) to operate 

at the same time thus 

reducing the overall con-

Tunnel Surveying 5 

struction time of the tunnel 

by almost half to nine 

years. 

The geology and rock type 

of the area determines the 

method of tunnelling and 

therefore engineers must 

create different tunnelling 

profiles according to the 

rock encountered. Nearly 

90% of the Gotthard Base 

Tunnel has rock that is suitable 

for mining using TMBs, 

with the remaining areas - 

the Sedrun section and the 

multi-function station at 

Faido - having to be excavated 

by drill and blast. 

Over major sections of the 

tunnel, the overburden will 

be extremely high, including 

5km with more than 

2000m where rock temperatures 

can be as high as 

45 o C. These conditions all 

affect the methods and 

complexity of the tunnelling 

operation. 

Tunnel Measurement 

System 

It is in the depths of the 

tunnel at Faido that Leica 

Geosystems and Amberg 

Measuring Technique Ltd 

are providing an integrated 

surveying solution for the 

drill and blast method. Over 

300m of this section has 

been excavated so far, and 

due to the immense pressure 

from the rock, the tunnel 

in this section is being 

excavated in two sections - 

firstly the upper part of the 

face and then the lower 

part, known as the heading 

and the bench. Approximately 

450kg of explosive 

is required to advance each 

round and the tunnel 

advances at around one to 

three metres per day. 

The LEICA TMS (Tunnel 

Measurement System) 

offers automatic profile 

surveying and setting out 

using total stations from the 

LEICA TPS 1100 Professional 

series. The concept 

behind this was to identify 

the production tasks 

required for the job and to 

automate them so that a 

non-surveyor, such as the 

tunnel foreman, could carry 

out the setting out. 

Previously, in order to 

position the arches accurately 

in a tunnel, the excavation 

crew would finish a tunnel 

to the approximate profile 

required within which to fit 

the arches. The site surveyors 

would then be called 

back on site to examine the 

work, place the arches in the 

face and then direct further 

work. If the face had not 

been excavated to a large 

enough profile, then the 

arches had to be removed 

and the excavation continued. 

Alternatively, if the profile 

was too large, the quantity 

of shotcrete required in 

between the arches would 

be increased considerably. 

Both activities significantly 

increase the costs of the 

tunnel construction. 

In the tunnels, Leica 

TCRA1105 total stations are 

mounted high on the walls 

and are controlled by the 

Leica TMS which automatically 

performs the surveying 

and monitoring work such 

as alignment, excavated 

profile, position of arches, or 

thickness of shotcrete 

required. Each Leica total 

station contains the powerful 

onboard LEICA TMS 

SETout PLUS software. The 

surveyor prepares and 

enters all the project data 

and geometry using the 

Leica TMS OFFICE on an 

office based computer and 

then transfers this information 

to the total station via a 

PCMCIA card prior to job 

commencement. 

Kurt Weidner, Senior 

Surveyor from Amberg 

Measuring Techniques, is 

one of the contracting 

surveyors on-site at Faido. 

"We are using completely 

Leica tools here at this site," 

he said. "TMS, the combination 

of the Leica total 

stations and the Amberg 

software, is currently being 

used in four tunnel sections. 

The total stations are used 

directly for the controlling of 

the arc position and the 

profile situation after we drill 

and blast and to ensure that 

the surface of our gauge is 

in the right form." 

Setout made easy 

Obviously in the construction 

industry, time is 

money and as such the 

Gotthard Base Tunnel is a 

24-hours a day operation 

with eight-hour shifts for 

each six-person tunnelling 

crew. Every four days there 

is also an eight-hour period 

when the machines undergo 

maintenance. Handover 

between shifts only takes a 

couple of minutes and one 

or two people per crew are 

trained in using the TMS 

and are responsible for 

passing on information to 

the next shift. The Leica 

TMS greatly assists in a 

smooth handover and the 

continuation of work 

because all the project data 

is already there on the 

machine. 

"The principle is very 

simple: the installation is 

undertaken by the surveyor 

and then we can explain 

and train people so they 

know what points need to 

be entered into the 

program," Kurt said. "We 

prepare the information 

plate describing what the 

section is and what the 

points are. These people 

can then use the instrument 

alone without any 

more support from the 

surveyor." 

Once installed, the operation 

of the system is carried 

out by the construction 

site personnel, who do not 

need to have any specific 

knowledge about surveying. 

The key benefit of 

this approach is that there 

is no delay waiting for the 

surveyor and the work carried 

out by the excavation 

crew is more accurate and 

productive, thereby 

improving the process and 

saving costs. 

"During any one shift there 

are six surveyors available 

on-site. The new system 

saves a lot of time and the 

surveyors are freed-up 

to continue with design 

work and solving other 

problems." 

Leica TCR1105 total stations are 

mounted high on the walls 

where they undertake surveying 

and monitoring work 

Senior Surveyor from Amburg 

Measuring Techniques, Kurt 

Weidner 

Surveyor Elke Fischer prepares 

and enters all the project data 

and geometry using the Leica 

TMS OFFICE

6 

Tunnel Surveying 

About Amberg 

The highly specialised companies of the Amberg 

Group cover a wide spectrum of underground 

construction tasks, developing solutions in order 

to advance into new dimensions of underground 

construction. Amberg Engineering Ltd. plans and 

designs new structures and refurbishment 

projects, provides site management, delivers 

expert opinions and carries out damage and 

state assessments. Amberg Measuring Technique 

Ltd. develops systems and instruments that 

address measurement problems in underground 

construction and the rail industry, which includes 

initial reconnaissance, site supervision and 

surveying. 

The Sedrun section and the 

multi-function station at Faido - 

have to be excavated by drill 

and blast 

The tunnelling foreman can 

do routine production 

surveying tasks using the 

TMS SETout PLUS in 

production mode, including: 

· Drill and blast 

· Conventional advance 

· Roadheader advance 

· Jetting and pipe umbrella 

· Alignment laser 

· Position arches 

"It's very easy to use, 

people are working with it 

and they are happy with its 

performance. The remote 

control can be held in your 

hand, directly in front of 

you or you can control it 

over a wireless system," 

Kurt said. "We also have a 

special place for the 

computer that is set back 

100-150 metres away from 

the work, for safety 

distance." 

Adverse conditions at 

Faido 

Although geological sampling 

and assessment can 

be carried out prior to the 

commencement of tunnelling, 

it is not until the 

excavators actually begin 

work that they know for 

certain what type of rock is 

to be encountered. This has 

been the case at Faido 

where, in April of 2002, a 

partial collapse occurred in 

the cross cavern vault, leaving 

a cavity about eight 

metres high. Despite the 

prediction of exploratory 

drill cores, a fault zone containing 

a very poor rock 

layer of silty Lucomagno 

geniss was encountered. 

This meant implementation 

of modified work methods 

and strengthening of the 

excavation support was 

necessary with deformable 

steel arches and a dense 

anchoring system. 

"Deformations required 

some re-design of the tunnelling," 

Kurt said. "We 

prepare the theoretical profile 

based on the design 

drawings and change the 

profile according to the rock 

conditions. With the LEICA 

TMS, to prepare only a few 

coordinates of the profile, is 

no longer a problem. 

Previously, this all had to be 

done manually and took a 

lot of time." 

Profile measurement 

Another program available 

as part of the LEICA TMS is 

the LEICA TMS PROFILE 

which enables profile measurement 

and monitoring, 

providing a comprehensive 

comparison of design vs 

actual measurement and 

project data. 

"We can also now monitor 

our precise position in the 

tunnel. We can establish if 

we are in exactly the right 

position for the profile, by 

comparing the measured 

tunnel meter with the theoretical 

one and we can 

adjust this immediately if it 

is wrong," Kurt said. 

"Before we were never able 

to have this control and had 

to use a tape." 

"Electronic Distance 

Measurements (EDM) 

defined on the integrated 

software of the total station 

allows us to have each 

point measured precisely 

after 10 seconds," Kurt said. 

"Alternatively we can use a 

special function of the program 

when we want exact 

control so that we can also 

select individual points. 

This is the part that is new 

in surveying." 

Monitoring 

As the tunnel progresses, it 

is necessary to monitor the 

tunnel profile for deformation. 

A lot of pressure is 

built up using the drill and 

blast method, and as such 

there is normally a difference 

between the powerpoint 

direction and the control 

point at the front. A 

Leica TCA2003 is used for 

this type of monitoring as it 

is more precise when millimetre 

accuracy is needed. 

Yellow targets with a white 

faces are used for reflection, 

and these are placed 

in the heading (at three 

points) and the bench (two 

points) of the tunnel. 

"Over 300-400 targets have 

been installed so far for 

deformation monitoring," 

Kurt said. "These points are 

controlled one to two times 

a week in order to provide a 

record of the movement. 

The highest deformation 

measured so far has been 

50 cm. Using the software 

you can see the calculation 

and check the points from 

50-100 metres being the 

current head. Over a fourmonth 

period, the control 

points are checked twice, 

and the control brackets are 

checked once every four 

months. 

Bt

The Junkers W33 was developed from the passenger 

aircraft F13 as a single-engined freight transport, lowwinged 

monoplane. The first flight of the prototype took 

place on 17 June, 1926 on the Elbe at Leopoldshafen 

near Dessau, Germany. It was subsequently massproduced, 

with different versions, in the following period 

up to the year 1934, and became well known as an 

airplane with landing capabilities on the sea as well as 

the land. Besides the simple use as freight transport, and 

due to its collapsible (opening) floor, the plane was used 

as a passenger aircraft for aerial flights, as well as for the 

delivery of pesticides in pest control. 

3D Measuring Systems 7 

World-famous airplane model created with Leica 

Axyz software 

The world-famous airplane, Junkers W33, has been measured with extreme 3D precision and modelled 

using Leica's Axyz software. Leica Axyz is the world's only integrated, intelligent industrial 3D measuring 

system, which measures industrial objects, on an electro-optical non contact basis. Under the supervision 

of Professor Günther Stegner, Stefan Brüser undertook this work as part of his Engineering masters thesis, 

which involved data acquisition for modelling. Approximately 3000 object points of the areoplane’s 

outerskin were recorded, evaluated, and then realistically copied in a CAD system. The resulting model is 

an 'extremely realistic' copy of the airplane. Originally built in Dresden, 198 planes still exist worldwide. 

The W33 was generally regarded as a multi-purpose 

airplane. Initially, however, it was designed for the air 

goods traffic, and the view windows were missing. In 

newer versions, and in this model example, windows 

were refitted for composite freight passenger. Entry to 

the machine could be gained by a lateral door or by a 

hatch in the cubical roof. 

The W33 'Bremen' became world-famous (Work number 

2504, Signal 1167) on the 12-13 April, 1928 when it 

carried out the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight from 

east to west. The machine, crewed by German Kühl and 

Irishman Fritzmaurice, began the flight in Dublin, 

crossing Iceland, and reaching the island of Grennly, 

located between Labrador and Newfoundland after 

approximately 26 hours. 

(above): photo of the Junker 

W33 ‘Bremen’ in flight 

(below): wire netting model 

(bottom): phororealistic 

representation 

An attempt to continue the flight to New York was not 

possible, after a makeshift repair failed. Following this, 

the 'Bremen' was recovered by ship and returned to 

Germany, where it was repaired and exhibited in Berlin 

at ILA (International Aeronautics Exhibition) in the same 

year (1928). However, since no German museum showed 

an interest following this, the 'Bremen' was given to 

America. 

In America, the plane was displayed at various different 

museums, including the Edison Institute Museum in 

Dearborn, Detroit, and the 'Bremen' has remained in this 

museum of contemporary history since then. There have 

been several unsuccessful efforts from the Germans to 

have the machine returned to Germany, and an initiative 

of interested and enthusiastic Bremen citizens achieved 

it as a gift for one year. In March 2003, the Junkers W33 

was taken to pieces and transported to Detroit. During 

the dismantling, additional measuring documentation 

was done. 

Gunter Stegner

8 

High Definition Surveying 

High-Definition Survey provides accurate DTM and 

cross sections of busy highway 

“The Cyra scanning system saved us $24,000 in lane 

closure costs, cut our field surveying crew hours in 

half and allowed us to give our customer more than 

they expected without a return visit to the site. And 

since we worked on the side of the road, our crew was 

safe and drivers weren't aggravated by lane closures.” 

Ken Moscetti, 

Project Surveyor, 

Medina Consultants, P.C. 

From the side of the roadway, 

Cyrax ® 2500 laser scanner 

captures detailed road surface 

geometry 

Scope: 

Digital terrain model of 

6,500 feet of a busy 

four and six lane roadway 

and railroad 

bridge overpass; ASCII 

file of cross sections 

Owner: 

New Jersey 

Department of 

Transport (DOT) 

Date: 

July - August 2002 

Project Facts 

Field: 5 days; twoperson 

Cyrax crew plus 

two-person survey 

crew; 46 scans 

Office: 15 days; one 

person 

Deliverables: 

Digital Terrain Model of 

roadway and adjacent 

area 

ASCII list of points on 

cross sections at 25 ft 

intervals 

Background 

New Jersey Department of 

Transport (DOT) is replacing 

a traffic circle at a heavy 

traffic intersection of State 

routes 30 and 130. A professional 

engineering design 

and consulting firm hired 

Medina Consultants, P.C. to 

provide accurate crosssections 

and a digital terrain 

model (DTM) of the existing 

four and six-lane roadway. 

The contract was awarded 

based on conventional and 

aerial survey techniques. 

After winning the bid, 

Medina Consultants agreed 

to use their Cyrax ® 2500 

(since rebranded as 

HDS2500) for the project. 

The Cyrax system could save 

$24,000 budgeted for lane 

closure costs and halve 

survey labor to five days 

with a four-person crew from 

20 days with a two-person 

crew. In addition, operators 

would not be at risk in traffic 

lanes and drivers would not 

be aggravated by closing 

lanes. 

Project Workflow 

A four-person crew worked 

on the project for five nights, 

from 7pm to about 6am, 

when traffic was at its 

lightest. Two members of the 

crew moved and surveyed 

the targets with a Leica 

TCR 1101 reflectorless total 

station to tie them into the 

control system. 

The Cyrax scanner was 

mounted on a CST-Berger 

heavy duty, 42 ft tripod. A 

cable connected the scanner 

to a laptop controller at 

ground level. The crew 

moved the Cyrax system to 

positions at 150 ft intervals 

along each side of the 

roadway. The scanner was 

elevated about 11-1/2 ft to 

obtain scans with a wider 

and longer field of view with 

more detail of the shoulder 

and sidewalks. 

They obtained 46 scans, with 

the range typically between 

160 and 170 ft. The roadway 

was scanned with a minimum 

3.5 inch point density, 

each point better than 6mm 

accuracy. Each scan included 

a minimum of four hemispherical 

targets. Targets 

were scanned with a very 

high density point spacing to 

allow accurate extraction of 

the target center. 

In the office, one operator 

processed the field data in 

about 15 days using 

Cyclone, CloudWorx, 

Bentley MicroStation and 

InRoads software. 

Point clouds were registered 

and referenced to the 

control system in Cyclone 

software. Customers were 

shown the registered point 

clouds of the roadway, railroad 

bridge and surrounding 

features. They gained 

confidence in the accuracy 

and completeness of the 

scan data. They also realized 

they could obtain more 

data in the future - wire 

heights, railroad bridge 

clearances, pole size/locations, 

and information to 

settle potential encroachment 

disputes. After discus-

sion, Medina Consultants 

agreed to provide cross sections 

at 25 ft (instead of 

50 ft) intervals and define 

3D elevation points randomly 

at 7-1/2 to 12 ft intervals 

between cross sections 

at no additional cost. 

Cyclone software was 

used to extract the crosssections 

and define 3D elevation 

points for the DTM. 

Some cross-sections were 

also created using 

CloudWorx in 

MicroStation. They matched 

the Cyclone cross-sections 

accurately. 

The cross-sections and 3D 

points were imported to 

InRoads to create a DTM 

with contour lines at 1/2 ft 

intervals. The DTM data 

was imported to Cyclone 

and checked with the point 

cloud for errors. 

By using Leica's 3D laser 

scanning system instead of 

conventional equipment, 

Medina Consultants 

eliminated $24,000 in road 

closure fees, cut their field 

labor and per diem by 50 

percent, and gave their 

customer more accurate and 

complete information than 

specified in the contract. In 

addition, the scan data could 

be used in the future to 

provide more information. 

Laslo Vespremi 

High Definition Surveying 9 

Benefits: 

* Saved $24,000 in road closure fees and cut field labor cost by 50 percent 

* More detailed scan provided accurate DTM with contour lines and elevation points 

* 3D scan provided more cross sections at closer intervals, 3D elevations, other 

information needed in the future 

* Off-road operation kept operators safe and didn't interfere with traffic flow 

* Scan cloud gave customer confidence in data and showed information for future 

use 

Laser scans of roadway in 

Microstation 

High-Definition Surveying: Laser Scanning Re(de)fined 

Leica Geosystems has coined a new name for laser scanning 

technology: High-Definition Surveying or HDS. Why First, High- 

Definition better describes its single most distinguishing feature - 

high density data and rich images - compared to point-by-point 

surveying. Second, by describing it as High-Definition Surveying, 

Leica is stating that its new family of hardware and software 

products is fully fit and friendly for surveying and engineering. 

For example, the new Leica HDS3000 not only has the look and 

feel of a surveying instrument, now you can geo-reference to 

local or assumed coordinates more efficiently by setting up over 

a survey point. Other survey-friendly features include a standard 

tribrach mount, H.I. measurement capability, efficient battery 

swapping, and improved weight/portability. In addition, Leica's 

Cyclone and CloudWorx are feature-rich software products 

that make creating surveying and engineering deliverables easier 

than ever before. Welcome to the world of HDS! Learn more 

about the HDS family of products at www.cyra.com. 

The HDS family of products (left-to-right clockwise): The super-fast 

HDS4000, the all-new HDS3000, world's best selling HDS2500 and the 

Cyclone and CloudWorx software products.

10 GIS and Mapping 

Geographic imaging helps endangered birds find a 

new home 

Researchers at New Mexico State University (NMSU) 

have employed Leica Geosystems' remote sensing 

and GIS applications to evaluate the Chihuahuan 

Desert region in Mexico in order to identify habitat 

features most likely to sustain a population of the 

endangered Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis). The 

final products, a documented predictive model and a 

map depicting habitat suitability across a large 

portion of the species' range, are aiding in prioritizing 

areas for conservation consideration and making land 

use decisions that benefit falcon habitat restoration. 

The Transformed Divergence 

(TD) tool in ERDAS IMAGINE's 

Signature Editor tool was used 

to reduce the number of land 

cover classes produced from 

unsupervised classification to 

those with distinct spectral 

signatures. The distinct spectral 

signatures were then applied to 

the image to perform a supervised 

classification. Using this 

process, the number of spectral 

classes was reduced to 26 for 

the fall (wet season) image and 

33 for the spring (dry season) 

image. 

The Aplomado Falcon, once 

a common raptorial (predatory) 

bird in the coastal and 

interior grasslands of the 

American southwest, was 

declared an endangered 

species by the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service in 1986. 

Increased sightings during 

the 1990s renewed recovery 

effort interests in New 

Mexico to evaluate the 

Chihuahuan Desert region 

that stretches from the Rio 

Grande Valley in southern 

New Mexico far into 

Mexico. A thriving ecosystem 

of other large birds and 

small prey is needed to sustain 

the Falcon's population 

because rather than building 

its own nests, it takes 

over the abandoned nests 

of other large birds. 

Researchers needed to 

better understand the 

Aplomado Falcon's natural 

history by describing falcon 

use areas in northern 

Chihuahua, Mexico. The GIS 

predictive modeling section 

was part of a five-year 

research endeavor that consisted 

of three phases. The 

first and second phases 

involved surveying the 

Aplomado Falcon habitat in 

Mexico's Chihuahuan 

Desert to locate and 

describe the physical features 

of the landscape 

where the birds exist. 

During the third phase, 

researchers analyzed satellite 

imagery as well as terrain 

data derived from digital 

elevation models (DEMs) 

of the Chihuahuan Desert to 

digitally locate the features 

identified as indicators of 

possible falcon habitat. 

The NMSU research results 

will help government 

agencies make informed 

decisions about the allocation 

of federal resources as 

well as environmental and 

development planning. 

Analyses were conducted 

using Leica Geosystems 

GIS & Mapping's ERDAS 

IMAGINE®, ESRI's ArcGIS 

and FRAGSTATS public 

domain software packages. 

Falcon Facts: 

Population: Extirpated in U.S., extremely rare and endangered throughout Northern 

Mexico and reduced to remnant population in Southern Mexico. 

Range: Formerly ranged throughout the southwestern 

U.S. and Mexico. It has rarely been seen in the U.S. and 

northern Mexico since the 1940s. 

Description: A medium-sized, steel grey falcon 

(aplomado is Spanish for dark grey). It is characterized by 

a long tail, a black cummerbund, contrasting with a white 

upper body. A distinguishing field characteristic of this 

falcon is the white dash above each eye and along the 

tailing edge of their secondary feathers. 

Habitat: Open grasslands and savannahs where tall cacti, 

tree yuccas and taller pines and oaks grow in open 

stands. Uses old stick nests of hawks and other species 

which share the same range and habitat. 

The three components were 

key to the project's success, 

as they produced the 

accurate results needed. 

ArcGIS interacted with both 

ERDAS IMAGINE (provided 

under an educational agreement) 

and FRAGSTATS 

applications; and ArcGIS 

was familiar to most end 

users of the final model, a 

critical factor in the project. 

To visually identify the land 

cover patterns that corresponded 

to those found in 

the Aplomado Falcon habitat, 

imagery was collected 

for spring and fall seasons 

that produce different vegetation 

responses found in 

the Chihuahuan Desert. The 

falcons require a combination 

of vegetation types: 

grasslands (for their prey 

base) with shrublands 

(where they perch and 

nest). Because of cloud 

cover conditions, each set 

of 15 LANDSAT 7 ETM+ 

data imagery was collected 

over a five-week span. 

ERDAS IMAGINE software 

was used to import, 

reconcile, and analyze the 

two sets of data images 

covering the study area of 

246,848 km 2 . After the 

multispectral data was 

imported, the digital values 

were converted to spectral 

reflectance values to 

describe the vegetation 

around the habitat. Using 

the histogram bias technique, 

the images were 

standardized to a single 

date for each season while 

maintaining the true shape 

and distribution of the data 

in the image. When both 

data sets were standardized

(each roughly 20 gigabytes), 

the imagery was evaluated 

for spectrally distinct 

classes contained within the 

entire study area for both 

seasons. The distribution of 

falcon use sites among the 

land cover classes was 

examined to identify classes 

that corresponded with 

falcon presence. 

Once converted to ArcGrid, 

FRAGSTATS software was 

used on the classified 

images to calculate landscape 

metrics around falcon 

use sites using the thematic 

grids as input. This information, 

coupled with that of 

the configuration and 

composition of land cover 

classes within a larger 

landscape, was used in the 

habitat modeling process. 

Five predictor variables 

were converted to binary 

grids and added to create 

an output map representing 

ranges of Aplomado Falcon 

habitat suitability. Higher 

values in the map represent 

areas where a greater 

number of qualifying 

criteria were met, and lower 

values represent areas 

where fewer criteria were 

met. The binary input layer 

and final predictive model 

grids were converted to 

images in ERDAS IMAGINE; 

then all files were combined 

into one. 

Accuracy assessment 

analyses determined that 

the resulting model was 

highly effective in predicting 

"places of promise" for 

Aplomado Falcon conservation. 

At least 67 percent 

agreement was found 

between the field assessed 

and predictive model 

rankings at evaluated field 

sites. (Errors were largely 

attributed to differences in 

assigning like predictive 

values between field 

biologists and predictive 

model values.) Each of the 

21 prospective or known 

falcon habitat assessment 

areas that were identified 

independent of spatial 

modeling, contained habitat 

with high predictive 

ranking. Cartographic 

production was performed 

using the ArcMap tool 

within ArcGIS Desktop. The 

resulting predictive model 

and map of suitable 

Aplomado Falcon habitat 

now serves as an effective 

tool for identifying areas 

similar to falcon use areas 

in Chihuahua. 

Improving cellular coverage in Rio de Janeiro 

Telefonica Celular, one of the largest mobile telephone companies in Brazil, contracted 

IMAGEM, a GIS solutions company, to help them build a GIS database in 

order to plan and improve their cellular network. The goal was to simulate the 

actual cellular network coverage of Telefonica Celular in Rio de Janeiro. 

GIS and Mapping 11 

For more information about 

NMCFWRU, visit: 

http://leopold.nmsu.edu/fws 

coop/. 

For more information about 

Peregrine Fund falcon 

conservation initiatives, 

visit: http://www.peregrinefund.org. 

As IMAGEM was originally hired by Telefonica Celular to provide all the data they needed to 

deploy their cellular network, they contracted IMAGEM once again to help them improve 

their network. 

IMAGEM contracted a local aerial surveying company to obtain aerial photographs of Rio de 

Janeiro. With IMAGINE OrthoBASE, IMAGEM created orthophotos, and conducted aerial 

triangulation with OrthoBASE Pro to define the relationship between the project imagery, the 

sensor model and the ground. IMAGINE OrthoBASE Pro determined the position, rotation 

and internal geometry of the aerial sensor as they existed at the time of image capture for 

each exposure station, along with the X, Y and Z positions of any tie points. 

IMAGEM also produced Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) of the area with IMAGINE OrthoBASE 

Pro. The accuracy of each DTM was determined and verified. Multiple images were then 

orthorectified using the DTMs. 

With the help of Stereo Analyst, IMAGEM restored individual buildings, and aligned street 

and curb vectors within the orthophotos, and applied the result to the Base Building Heights. 

Image visualization was used with ERDAS IMAGINE V8.6. 

Throughout this process, analysts categorized the results 

and display them in the IMAGINE Viewer. Once they had 

enough accurate data, IMAGEM produced Base Building 

Heights, a detailed 3D model of Rio de Janeiro depicting its 

topographic terrain, including each individual building. 

The Base Building Heights were used in conjunction with 

third-party prediction software to simulate Telefonica 

Celular's network coverage. 

With the help of ERDAS IMAGINE software, IMAGEM was 

able to provide Telefonica Celular a GIS database that 

allows them to generate better maps depicting wireless 

coverage in their area, as well as conduct simulations of 

wireless coverage in the city. As a result of these accurate 

simulations, Telefonica Celular employees have a better 

idea of their current coverage and can plan the best ways to 

optimize wireless service to their customers. In return, their 

customers can enjoy improved coverage and services. 

Andrea Yegros 

Base building heights of Rio 

de Janeiro. IMAGEM used 

ERDAS IMAGINE, IMAGINE 

OrthoBASE and Stereo Analyst 

to create base building heights 

of the city to help Telefonica 

Celular analyze their cellular 

network coverage.

12 

Construction Surveying 

Surveyors charged with tall order 

Gold Coast surveyors, Treasure and Associates have been charged with a tall 

order - the surveying and monitoring of the world's soon-to-be tallest residential 

building - "The Q1 Tower". Currently being constructed in the heart of Surfers 

Paradise on the Gold Coast of Australia and planned for completion in 2005, the 

architecturally stunning tower will soar to a massive 80 storeys (323m / 1,058 ft). 

By March 2004, construction of the complex had reached level 30 and just 46 

apartments remain for sale. 

(below from left): Brian Rogers 

and Rod Stead from Treasure 

and Associates together with 

Lawrie Watson from Leica 

Geosystems’ Australian distributors, 

C.R.Kennedy and Company 

Pty Ltd. 

Developers, Sunland Group 

Ltd have designed the 

Q1 Tower to offer five-star 

resort living, with 527 apartments 

comprising of penthouses, 

as well as one-, 

two- and three-bedroom 

apartments. The fastest lifts 

in Australia travelling at 9.0 

m/s (1772 ft/min) will take 

visitors and residents to the 

observation deck at the top 

of the tower where they will 

enjoy the breathtaking 

views that encompass the 

crystal clear waters of the 

Pacific Ocean; the 42 kilometres 

of pristine sandy 

beaches of the Gold Coast; 

the green hills of the hinterland; 

as well as the extensive 

waterways and the 

Broadwater. A ten-storey 

Sky Garden from level 60 

upwards will showcase 

tropical Queensland's 

unique flora and fauna. 

Engineering innovation 

During construction, a polymer 

liquid was used prior to 

pouring of the concrete to 

prevent the sand falling in. 

The aboveground construction 

wasn't easy either, with 

the outside building 

columns needing to be 

linked to the central core to 

minimise wind movement 

and to strengthen the structure. 

Although concrete performs 

exceptionally well 

under compression, it does 

not perform so well under 

tension, so it was necessary 

to reinforce the concrete 

with steel bars (rebars). 

Despite its lavish features 

and impressive grandeur, it 

is the engineering behind 

its construction where Q1 

achieves real innovation. 

Construction challenges 

were encountered due to 

the sandy soil and proximity 

to the ocean, which 

meant that it was necessary 

for foundations to stretch 

almost 17 storeys underground. 

After boring 

through the ancient seabed, 

drillers eventually struck 

rock that was seven times 

harder than concrete and 

literally drilled the 26 building 

plings 5 metres into it. 

The six largest of these 

span 2.4m in diameter. 

Monitoring of the 

construction 

Brian Rogers and Rod 

Stead, Project Managers of 

surveying consultants 

Treasure and Associates, 

have been working closely 

on the logistics involved in 

monitoring the construction 

of the massive building. 

A significant problem in 

monitoring is the wind 

movement. "We prefer to do 

the surveying work during 

times of low wind," Rod 

Stead said. "The sea breeze 

can cause the buildings to 

move up to 20mm." 

Plumbing of the lift shafts is 

undertaken by the builders

Construction Surveying 13 

World record holder 

The Q1 tower will hold a number of world records. 

When completed it will become the tallest residential 

tower in the world and will eclipse world famous 

structures such as New York's 319m Chrysler 

building and the 321m Eiffel Tower in Paris. Its ovalshaped 

spire, which starts at level 50 (146m high) 

and extends 47m above the glass fin, will be the 

world's longest at 176m in length. It also boasts the 

highest swimming pool in Australia (15m x 6m), 

which will be located in the penthouse on level 74, 

217m above ground level. Q1 will be the 16th 

building on the Gold Coast to hold the "tallest title" 

since the first highrise was built in 1957. 

for verticality. Surveyors 

then check the walls and 

columns using external control. 

This determines how 

straight the structure is and 

whether there is a twist. 

Brian Rogers said: "When 

plumbing, you get accumulative 

errors, and these 

errors are exacerbated when 

the cranes and hoist are 

working. Crane hours are 

paramount on these sites, 

and everything is scheduled 

around the crane so it's 

not ideal for this type of 

monitoring most of the time 

during the construction." 

'Radiation' surveying 

In an attempt to overcome 

this problem, the so-called 

'radiation' surveying 

method was used. This 

involves re-section with a 

free-standing total station 

from the control network 

(some are ground marks 

and others are on surround- 

ing buildings). 

"Prisms are 

permanently 

attached to 

surrounding 

buildings," 

Brian Rogers 

said. "These 

are checked 

using a Leica 

TCR1101 with 

Automatic 

Target Recognition 

(ATR) 

both day and 

night if 

required." 

"This method 

means we 

work from the 

whole to part 

and it allows 

us to establish our stations 

at the most convenient 

position," said Rod Stead. 

"Using a one-second 

machine with ATR means 

we can get results down to 

a 10mm accuracy." 

Bt 

(above): Surveyor, Brian Rogers 

of Treasure & Associates uses a 

Leica TCR1101 for monitoring on 

the Q1 construction site. 

(above): aerial view of the 

construction of Q1 in July 2003. 

(below): aerial view of the construction 

in December 2003. 

Photos courtesy of Sunland 

Group 

The Gold Coast is not only Australia's sixth largest 

city, it is also the tourist mecca for the country with 

over four million domestic and international tourists 

visiting the city every year. 

(below): an artist’s view of the 

Gold Coast landscape when Q1 

construction is completed. 

Image courtesy of Sunland 

Group

14 

E-Commerce 

Dealers' new addiction: 

The Leica Geosystems Partners' Store 

http://store.leica-geosystems.com is the entry to the 

Partners' Store, also known as B2B (Business to 

Business) Store - a new ordering channel established 

in November 2002 with the aim of making it easier 

and more valuable for our partners to do business 

with us. It aims to increase the productivity of 

ourselves and that of our dealers, as well as improving 

the value of our service to our partners by automating 

order entry and providing more control and information 

prior to and following the placement of an order. 

Curtis Finn of US dealer FLT 

Geosystems and Jeff Felker, 

Director of Sales US SE Region 

"I thought I would never 

use the store, but it is so 

easy to place an order, 

I use it now all the time." 

Bob Fintak, FLT 

Geosystems, USA 

Miren Kauer (front) with the 

team of Gradtek in Montreal, 

Canada. Gene Maynard, Director 

of Sales is taking the picture 

Before ordering, our dealers 

are able to quickly find products 

and bundles by part 

number, search by keyword 

or browse categories, obtain 

real-time quotations with 

product pricing, discover 

availability and shipment 

dates, choose whether to 

ship complete or not, select 

the shipping location and 

freight option, order on 

credit and pay by invoice as 

with fax orders. 

After ordering, an Order 

Confirmation is automatically 

emailed and a Shipping 

Confirmation is emailed 

once the goods have been 

dispatched. Dealers can subsequently 

check the order 

status online and track each 

shipment status, including a 

link to FedEx or UPS 

tracking system. In the order 

status our partners can also 

track the orders sent by fax. 

The B2B Store saves an 

enormous amount of time 

for our dealers, reducing 

phone calls to our busy Customer 

Service team who can 

be gradually freed up from 

part of the routine order 

entry tasks, thus enabling 

them to evolve into a proactive, 

problem-preventing, 

mistake-free and valueadding 

Customer Care. 

Because of the higher 

accuracy and controllability 

of online orders, failures and 

returns are being dramatically 

reduced. 

Current Store activities and 

the team 

The Store is currently open 

to our partners in the USA 

and Canada. In countries of 

Europe, Africa and Asia 

where we do not have a 

“The answer you get back 

from the website is instant 

and 99.99 percent accurate. 

Since I have started using 

the Leica Store the amount 

of purchase orders that 

have to be reprinted or 

changed due to in-accurate 

information has been 

cut drastically.” 

Steve Crane, 

Surveyors Service 

Company, USA 

Leica Geosystems Selling 

Unit, the store offers Spare 

Parts only for the time 

being. In 2004, our European 

countries' partners will 

also start to experience its 

benefits. 

The Store is driven globally 

by Miren Kauer, Business 

Manager E-commerce, and 

developed by Martin Brockmann 

from IT Heerbrugg. 

Our experience with the two 

previous Stores has helped 

us build up know-how and a 

small, but solid E-commerce 

team, which resulted in a 

speedy four-month initial 

Store set up project with a 

minimal investment. 

Of course it all came to life 

thanks to the enthusiastic, 

excellent job of our 

Customer Service and Sales 

teams in the USA and 

Canada. The Customer Care 

and Support and Service 

teams in Heerbrugg also 

proudly launched the Spare 

Parts B2B Store in non-Selling 

Unit areas in January 

2004. 

All works smoothly and reliably 

thanks to our Logistics 

teams at the warehouse 

facilities in our Customization 

Centers in Lawrenceville, 

USA and in Widnau, 

Switzerland. 

“18,300 products, about 

120 users to date, over 

1000 quotation or status 

checks per month… dealers 

ordering nearly 50% online 

and growing” 

The Partners' Store was 

opened for three pilot 

dealers in November 2002. 

Today, about 100 users from 

40 dealers are regularly 

using the Store to check 

availability, and easily place 

and track their orders. A 

large proportion of the 

products purchased are 

Spare Parts but there is also 

a growing request for 

Construction lasers, TPS, 

DISTO and all kind of 

accessories. 

Trust and acceptance is 

already proven: most 

Service dealers are set up 

and have placed 60 to 100% 

of their orders via the Store 

and the largest full-line 

dealers are submitting nearly 

50% of their total orders 

of all Divisions online!! 

The Store product offer 

opened end of 2002 with a 

select catalog of 100 topselling 

Construction lasers 

and Surveying Accessories. 

Today, it comprises about 

18,300 items including the 

full range of Spare Parts and 

is being constantly 

improved and expanded. 

Additionally, about 600 

items are browseable by 

navigation categories and 

include product pictures, 

texts and downloadable PDF 

brochures. 

Miren Kauer

Leica’s latest top model in the DISTO family: 

Leica DISTO plus 

A model that provides everything you could wish for 

and that ideally equips you and your customers for 

the future. The highest level of precision, the 

integrated BLUETOOTH® technology combined with 

elegant design: is the best equipment for every situation. 

The measuring process on the Leica DISTO 

plus isn’t over with the display of the results, as can 

be seen by the free software programs supplied. 

Creating automatic sketches and transmitting wireless 

recorded values - Leica Geosystems offers you a 

global solution for your measuring applications! 

The Leica DISTO plus is 

the only device in the world 

that offers the highest accuracy, 

attractive design and 

wireless data transfer by 

means of BLUETOOTH® in 

one package. Even if you 

are currently still working 

with paper and pencil, integrated 

BLUETOOTH® technology 

allows you to make 

the change at any time and 

to record your values 

electronically. The data can 

be transferred on site wireless 

to a PDA (Pocket PC) or 

directly to a laptop and easily 

used for other purposes. 

The free software programs 

help to ease your workload. 

"PlusDraw" allows you to 

create simple sketches with 

the values on the pocket PC. 

The sketches can be 

transferred as a graphic file 

(bmp-file) to the PC while 

your recorded data is stored 

in a dedicated Excel file. 

"PlusXL" enables you to 

record the recorded values 

immediately and directly 

into an Excel table and to 

edit them on the PC. 

Naturally you can also send 

the recorded results directly 

from your Leica DISTO 

plus to your laptop – 

wireless. 

Experience for yourself the 

comfortable interaction 

between Leica DISTO 

plus, PDA and PC! 

Petra Ammann 

(Above): Leica DISTO plus: 

providing high accuracy, 

attractive design, and wireless 

data tranfer 

New Product 15 

In its basic functions the Leica DISTO plus is identical 

with the tried-and-tested Leica DISTO classic5, and is 

based on its simple user navigation. The Leica 

DISTO plus, however, offers quite a bit more: 

· The highest precision ± 1.5 mm 

· Range of 0.2 - 200 m (use target plate from approx. 

70 m) 

· Integrated BLUETOOTH® technology for the wireless 

transfer of recorded values 

· Two free software programs (PlusDraw and PlusXL) 

for the electronic processing of recorded data and to 

create sketches 

· Direct navigation of the software via the Leica 

DISTO plus 

· Attractive, stylish design 

· Enhanced key comfort 

Peter Reed (Architect) 

“Along with the accuracy and 

efficiency of laser measurement, 

for me the ability to further 

process the measurement was 

crucial. The resulting increase 

in productivity is enormous.” 

Fritz Becker (Craftsman): 

“Since I have been using a Leica 

DISTO, I need only half the 

time for taking measurements. 

The investment has paid for 

itself in a very short time.” 

Lisa Miles (Real Estate Agent): 

“The Leica DISTO is child’s 

play to use - it makes taking 

measurements fun. I also now 

have more time for my 

customers. I recommend this 

instrument to anybody.”

ERDAS IMAGINE ® 

Comprehensive 

toolbox of software 

designed to process 

and exploit imagery 

data. 

Leica 

Photogrammetry Suite 

Seamlessly integrated 

suite of digital photogrammetry 

software 

that empowers users 

to transform raw 

imagery into reliable 

data. 

LEICA ADS40 Airborne 

Digital Sensor 

High-performance 

digital sensor delivers 

digital panchromatic 

and multispectral data 

and initiates the first 

all digital flowline. 

ArcGIS Extensions 

ArcGIS-compatible 

software enables GIS 

professionals to use 

imagery to collect, 

analyze and manage 

data in a GIS. 

The large aerial picture shows the “Earthman” of the LandArte project in Switzerland. The 

image documentation was made with Leica ADS40 digital aerial sensor, Leica RC30 aerial 

camera, and Leica Erdas IMAGINE ® software. 

Visit us at our exhibition 

booth at the ISPRS 

Congress in Istanbul 

(19-23 July 2004)

Discover your Partners in Productivity 

LEICA SYSTEM 1200 

The world’s first universal 

surveying system. GPS and 

TPS working together with 

uniform software, identical 

controls, and a common 

database. 

LEICA GPS Reference Networks 

Multi-purpose networked 

frameworks that deliver 

enhanced GPS positioning 

data across large sites and 

territories. 

LEICA DNA 03 Digital Level 

The second generation of 

digital levels with the largest 

LC-display on the market. 

Created by Leica Geosystems, 

the inventors of digital levels 

worldwide. 

LEICA HDS 2500/3000/4500 

High-Definition Surveying 

product family with 

Cyclone and CloudWorx 

software. 

Powerful partners providing high productivity. In the new 

range of technologies and products from Leica Geosystems 

there are a lot of productivity drivers to discover. 

Leica Geosystems provides the most comprehensive 

program of products and systems for capturing, 

modelling and presenting spatial reality world-wide in 

the fields of surveying, mapping, metrology and monitoring. 

As a customer you are able to take advantage 

of the easy integration of data and the extension of the 

value chain into new growing areas. Visit us at our 

website, or contact a Leica Geosystems representative 

directly to learn more about these new possibilities. 

www.leica-geosystems.com

The Harmonisation 

18 New Product 

Leica Geosystems introduces System 1200: Working Together 

TPS1200 – Setting the Standard in Total 

Stations 

More flexibility with new improved ATR 

Improved range with accuracy 

New patented precision and reliability 

PinPoint R300 

Improved ergonomics and flexible 

configurations RX1200 

Meets all your requirements with the most 

comprehensive range in the industry 

One Learning Curve 

Learn one, use both 

Common graphical user interface 

Same display and keys 

Common applications 

Highly configurable 

One Database 

Two sensors – one database 

One common database – simplified data management 

Complete data storage to database 

Storage on CompactFlash cards 

Seamless data transfer between sensors 

User-definable output formats 

One office package - Leica GEO Office 

One Office package for all sensors 

User-friendly Windows interface 

Visualisation and management of survey data 

Simplify data management with common tools 

for all sensors 

One Battery and Charger

New Product 19 

GPS Innovations – System1200 

More productivity and confidence in hostile 

environments 

New improved AX1200 antenna 

Improved ruggedness 

Improved ergonomics and flexible 

configurations 

Works with complimentary technology 

Future proofing your GPS investment 

of GPS and TPS 

High performance Lithium-Ion batteries 

The most advanced battery technonogy today 

Work all day – 15 to 16 hours battery life 

Carry less and be more comfortable 

One charger for all batteries 

Backwards compatibility 

One onboard application suite 

Identical applications on GPS/TPS 

Autopoints – automatic logging 

Stakeout with Active Map 

DTM Stakeout 

Road Runner 

Quality Assurance with user defineable log files 

XFunction 

Represents the convergence of GPS & TPS 

By using System 1200, your staff will become more 

productive, more efficient and more skilled 

Making your business more efficient and more 

profitable 

Setting new standards in Quality, 

Performance, Robustness & Flexibility

20 Reference Station Networks 

Emerging permanent reference station networks 

(right): members of the CTC 

Positioning and Navigation 

Group (from left): Stephan 

Seeger, Dejan Seatovic, Frank 

Takac, Benedikt Zebhauser, 

Hans-Juergen Euler and Oliver 

Zelzer 

Over the last few years, permanent reference station 

installations have emerged in several countries. 

These installations allow for roving GPS users in the 

field to achieve instant centimetre accuracies without 

the need of setting up a GPS reference station on a 

known station. This is quite appealing, since in areas 

with considerable GPS surveying activity, a number 

of users might share the infrastructure and the associated 

costs. Some of the installations are operated 

by companies and provide a service to the surveying 

community. 

Background 

Group leader Hans-Jürgen 

Euler: “Researchers in CTC are 

observing the upcoming opportunities 

and are investigating the 

modern approaches for our 

products for the future.” 

Installations can be just 

single reference stations, a 

number of single reference 

stations, or networking reference 

stations. A single 

reference station set-up 

within up to 20-30 km is 

required if a user is operating 

in baseline mode. 

Otherwise the performance, 

accuracy, and with some 

systems the reliability of 

user's RTK is degraded. 

The integration of several 

reference stations into a 

combined network is providing 

benefits for the user 

by increasing distances to 

reference stations and 

overall user system performance. 

These permanent 

reference station networks 

are requiring real-time 

communication to a networking 

computation center 

and real-time estimation 

of biases between reference 

stations. Leica Geosystems 

is actively participating 

worldwide in setting up and 

maintaining all kinds of 

installations. 

A key factor of success is 

the distribution of the information 

generated within the 

networking computation 

center to the roving user in 

the field. Some of the 

installations are relying on 

proprietary formats and 

restricting themselves with 

the field equipment. 

However, in general it is in 

the interest of service 

providers to supply the 

service for more than a single 

type of RTK field equipment. 

Therefore, the 

detailed understanding of 

the supplied information 

such as applied corrections 

or the way of processing is 

absolutely mandatory. 

Two approaches 

Today, installations are 

supplying the information 

basically in two ways: the 

so-called FKP-approach 

(FKP stands for the German 

word of spatial correction 

parameter) and the VRS 

approach (Virtual Reference 

Station). Both approaches 

deliver observations that 

are supposed to be operational 

with modern RTK 

equipment. However, as 

noted above, the way the 

computational algorithms 

running at the networking 

computation center are proprietary. 

The optimal interoperability 

is not guaranteed, 

since the definition 

and an interface mechanism 

is missing. While the 

roving user equipment 

might work optimally with 

one vendor's networking 

SW providing a service, it 

might have degraded 

performance with another 

vendor's software. 

Independent RTCM format 

Traditionally, the communication 

interface between 

different manufacturer's 

equipment is the manufacturer 

independent RTCM 

format, which is jointly 

defined in a committee and 

all manufacturers have the 

possibility to participate in 

the definition discussions. 

Networking services based 

on either FKP or VRS 

approaches are providing 

the observations via the 

RTCM standard, but are 

basically operating in a 

mode not defined in the

Reference Station Networks 21 

standard document. 

Figure 1 shows the 

schematic sequence of 

operations and calculations 

required until a rover's 

position has been calculated. 

Several steps are distinguishable 

and are realized 

in one way or another in all 

environments where several 

permanent reference 

stations are providing their 

observation for a combined 

rover solution. In principle, 

the best approach would be 

to run the full calculations 

for the rover's position in 

one place, either the networking 

SW or the rover's 

firmware, since than the 

whole process can be 

optimized for performance 

and reliability. Only when 

all computations are 

completed in one location 

do the programmers have 

the full knowledge of 

applied models and bias 

estimations within the software. 

However, the current 

networking approaches are 

distributing the principle 

calculations over the 

software of the network and 

the rover. The arrows, 1 

through 5, indicate possible 

interfaces that could be 

utilized for the information 

transmission from the 

reference station network to 

the roving user system. It 

should be mentioned that 

as long as calculation steps 

are performed within the 

same software, these steps 

can be combined into one 

step. This is actually done 

in some approaches. 

Interfaces for information 

transmission 

Some of the interfaces are 

easily described while 

others are quite sophisticated 

and need a detailed 

description of the manipulations 

completed, since all 

these manipulations are 

affecting the remainder of 

the processing chain. The 

first two interfaces, 1 and 2, 

marked in green are quite 

easily described. Through 

the first, the raw observations 

of all reference stations 

are transferred. Within 

the second schematic box 

the main calculations for 

fixing and removing are the 

so-called integer ambiguities 

are summarized. 

Through the interface afterwards 

basically the raw 

observations leveled to a 

common integer ambiguity 

level transferred to the next 

calculation step. 

The next three interfaces 

are carrying information 

modified by algorithms of 

the previous boxes and 

need detailed descriptions. 

In order to keep the computational 

burden low on the 

roving user system the 

most logical is interface 2, 

since the network has 

already resolved the integer 

ambiguities between 

reference stations. The 

remainder of the calculations 

can be optimized 

within one software, the 

roving user's firmware. 

The future: a standardised 

way of interfacing 

In the RTCM committee, a 

Network RTK working 

group is working on the 

future standardized way of 

interfacing between networking 

reference stations 

and roving field users. Leica 

is actively participating in 

the definition of the standard 

messages. Interface 2 

as described above has 

been identified and proposed 

by Leica as the most 

common ground between 

all vendors. After the initial 

proposal in 2001, the 

Network RTK messages of 

RTCM are being jointly 

discussed with other 

vendors and reached in the 

meantime conclusion. After 

some testing the RTCM 

standard for Network RTK 

should be released soon. 

Continuing research 

Several publications were 

prepared and published 

by researchers of Leica's 

Corporate Technology 

Center (CTC) in Heerbrugg, 

Switzerland for detailing the 

basis of the Network RTK. 

These publications define 

and describe the advantages 

in comparison to the 

currently used approaches. 

The focus is on the interface 

itself. More recent publications 

by the same authors 

are focusing on methods 

used at the roving equipment. 

During the ION GPS/GNSS 

2003 symposium in Oregon 

held in September 2003, 

Hans-Juergen Euler, Oliver 

Zelzer, Frank Takac, and 

Benedikt Zebhauser 

published their research 

results of approaches for 

RTK field equipment 

utilizing Network RTK information. 

The significance of 

the publication was 

recognized by the selection 

for a Best Presentation 

Award in its session. The 

paper investigates two 

different approaches for 

required calculations within 

a roving platform for 

optimal performance of the 

system. It proves the 

functionality of the interface 

definition for interoperability 

and provides a first 

stepping-stone for further 

investigations in that area. 

Detailed statistics show the 

improvement of observation 

quality for the final 

steps of positioning calculations. 

By using these 

methods, remaining geometry 

and ionospheric 

biases have been greatly 

reduced. 

Another session’s Best 

Presentation Award was 

given to Leica Geosystems’ 

second publication during 

ION GPS/GNSS 2003. The 

team consisting of Holger 

Kotthoff, Christian Hilker 

and Christian Ziegler was 

awarded for their paper 

“Strategy of Reliable 

Ambiguity Resolution for 

Static and Kinematic Applications”. 

Within this decade the 

European Community is 

establishing the new 

satellite positioning system 

Galileo. The system will be 

interoperable with the 

American GPS. In the future 

both systems will help to 

provide better performance 

Figure 1, Schematic Sequence 

of Processing 

for Leica Geosystems' rover 

equipment. Researchers in 

CTC are observing the 

upcoming opportunities 

and are investigating the 

modern approaches for our 

products for the future. 

Hans-Jürgen Euler

22 Metrology 

Mobile 

Lasers 

Trackers 

optimize the 

measuring 

technique 

at 

Eurocopter 

The laser tracker is an easily 

transportable coordinate 

measuring system 

Laser Trackers are commonly used primarily in the automobile and 

aerospace industries and are gaining increasingly greater popularity due 

to their flexibility and high measuring precision. Eurocopter, the world's 

leading helicopter manufacturer, has improved production line efficiency 

by up to 70% in just a few years - thanks to two new state-of-the-art Laser 

Tracker measurement systems from Leica Geosystems. 

Metrological testing in 

helicopter and airbus 

manufacture 

Eurocopter Deutschland 

GmbH in Donauwörth not 

only produce helicopters, 

but are also the main supplier 

for the airbus industry. 

Around 95 percent of passenger 

doors, emergencyexit 

doors and freight gates 

for the A-380 airbus come 

from the manufacturers. For 

each door type there is a 

different specification that 

must be controlled and 

checked regularly. In order 

to be examined, the devices 

must be taken from the regular 

production and transported 

to the device-making 

department. 

Reinhold Grosskopf, head 

of FEMI development, said: 

"The pressure is great. With 

regard to the manufacture 

of doors and doorways for 

the Airbus assembly operations, 

our employees have 

to cope with a huge work 

and maintenance turnover. 

These problems can only be 

solved in a goal-oriented 

way with a flexible measurement 

system such as the 

Leica Laser Tracker." 

Until only a few years ago 

theodolite systems were 

used for these metrological 

tasks. The large assembly 

devices for helicopter components 

were physically 

checked, however, using 

these measuring tools 

proved quite inflexible. 

Eurocopter's ultimate aim 

was to perform direct 

measurements during manufacture, 

rather than having 

to temporarily remove the 

item from the production 

line and move it to the fixed 

examination point. The time 

was ideal for a new measuring 

technique. 

Reinhold Grosskopf did not 

make his decision lightly: 

after an intensive market 

study, two technologies 

represented the solution: 

photogrammetry and the 

mobile Laser Tracker. Three 

companies: Leica 

Geosystems, another Laser 

Tracker manufacturer, as 

well as a supplier of a 

Photogrammetry system, 

began to demonstrate their 

knowledge on a test assem- 

bly device. After an assessment 

a following detailed 

criterion catalog, the choice 

to use the mobile Laser 

Tracker of Leica 

Geosystems was finally 

made, based on its high 

precision, long-term stability 

and proven customer 

support. 

A mobile coordinatemeasuring 

system 

The Laser Tracker is an easily 

transportable, mobile 

coordinate-measuring 

system. Thanks to the builtin 

laser interferometer, fast 

measurements with high 

precision can be carried 

out. Whether measuring an 

individual point or surface, 

the tracker can capture 

objects with a precision of 

+/- 10ppm (µm/m), from one 

single position in a 

measurement range of up 

to 80 m diameter. "Trackers 

are very exact engineering 

tools used for geometrical 

examination applications, 

especially in the automobile 

and air-plane industries," 

Christian Hellwig, Leica

Metrology 23 

Geosystems' Sales 

Engineer and Eurocopter 

Key Account Manager said. 

"Periodical checks, repetition 

tests and additional 

tasks can be undertaken 

fully automatically. The 

Laser Trackers can adapt 

the list to the object size or 

the restricted location 

conditions well." 

Revolutionising the 

metrological process 

The first of two Laser 

Trackers was delivered to 

Eurocopter in 1999. Since 

then, this tracker technology 

has virtually revolutionalised 

the metrological 

processes in Donauwörth. In 

the past, the examination 

process involved dismantling 

of the devices with a 

crane, transportation to the 

measuring machine and 

rebuilding again with the 

forklift truck. Following 

measurement, the devices 

were then returned to the 

production line. Employees 

were busy undertaking this 

task for at least six hours 

during a whole working day. 

"Today we drive the Laser 

Tracker system directly to 

the unit that requires measurement 

and build up the 

instrument right there. This 

takes about a quarter of an 

hour - the ease of mobility 

of the trackers is a significant 

advantage to us," 

Reinhold Grosskopf said. 

The Laser Tracker is used 

most frequently for the construction 

of large assembly 

devices. Whereas slipways 

previously had to be built in 

modular fashion within the 

coordinate measurement 

machine prior to subsequent 

assembly, this can 

now be done completely 

during the building process 

- in other words, right in the 

place where they will later 

be needed. Examples are 

the large devices built for 

the transport helicopter 

NH-90, which are 7m long, 

3m wide and 4m high. As 

even the base frame is 

measured with the Laser 

Tracker, the technicians 

have few problems with 

retrospective changes. 

These can simply be added 

to the existing systems, 

without the need to involve 

the construction department 

again. This application 

of the Laser Tracker at 

Donauwörth has resulted in 

time savings of at least 

70 percent. 

New robot facility 

One other application worth 

mentioning is the new 

robot facility at Eurocopter. 

With the help of the Laser 

Tracker, the quality of error 

compensation can be measured 

precisely. The Kuka 

robot has the task of undertaking 

very exact drilling on 

the door and gate assembly 

and carrying out milling 

work to precise distances in 

the process line. This application 

is novel because it is 

the first worldwide use of 

robots on a flying device. 

The robot-worker must 

work to a precision of 0.05 

mm, something that it is 

not usually achieveable. 

The specialists from 

Donauwörth have collaborated 

with a special software 

company to teach the 

robot the necessary precision. 

With the help of the 

Laser Tracker, the quality of 

the error compensation and 

safety is metrologically documented. 

The Laser Tracker 

checks whether the robot 

really has drilled and milled 

with the same precision as a 

NC machine. These applications 

can continue running 

later without the Laser 

Tracker, however, the 

mobile measuring device 

from Leica Geosystems has 

the central controlling function 

for the installation of 

the robot into the operation. 

Examination of Airbus 

doors 

The Laser Tracker also plays 

a key role during the examination 

of Airbus doors, as 

virtually every door has different 

specifications. For 

example, spherical doors 

for the left or right sides, 

and cylindrical doors in 

four variants. In the past 

there was a special gauge 

for each door type, which 

had its own place in the 

hall, and the space cost 

according to the area. In the 

meantime, with the help of 

the Laser Tracker, 

Eurocopter had started 

moving to the future too. 

"We have one gauge for all 

doors now, and this universal 

gauge allows us to 

simulate the processes of 

measuring for all types of 

doors," Project Manager 

Florian Brix said. 

If the door in the fixture is 

closed, the positions of socalled 

doorstops have to be 

measured, an additional criterion 

for interchangeability 

and a further quality requirement 

for Eurocopter's 

French partners. 

The positioning of the 

doorstops are carried out 

with the Laser Tracker. For 

this application, Florian Brix 

uses the newest model of 

Leica, the LTD800, in combination 

with the optional 

T-Probe (Tracker-Probe), 

which allows users to reach 

test points that are 

concealed or deep within 

the fixture. Brix himself can 

freely move the wireless 

and armless T-Probe 

equipped with Renishaw 

sensors. 

The Tracker has about 5 m 

distant from the universal 

gauge its fixed and 

measured place. Because the 

doorstops are located behind 

the door lining, they can't be 

directly reached by the laser 

beam. Using the T-Probe, this 

problem can be solved easily 

and economically. 

Eurocopter, the world's leading 

helicopter manufacturer, has 

improved production line efficiency 

by up to 70% in just a few 

years 

The Laser Tracker system is 

driven directly to the unit that 

requires measurement. 

Eurocopter's ultimate aim was 

to perform direct measurements 

during manufacture, rather than 

having to temporarily remove 

the item from the production line 

and move it to the fixed 

examination point.

24 News in Brief 

Leica Geosystems establishes a direct 

presence in Belgium 

Leica Geosystems has signed an agreement 

to acquire the Geodesy business of 

Van Hopplynus Instruments SA in Belgium. 

This will further develop and strengthen 

the high level of service and support 

provided in the region and will bring direct 

benefits to both customers and company. 

Van Hopplynus Instruments has been 

known as the preferred partner for the 

supply of quality instrumentation in 

Belgium for over 60 years, and has been 

the main distributor of Leica Geosystems 

products since 1946. During this time it 

has created a reputation for offering a 

comprehensive product range, as well as 

high level support and service facilities. 

Van Hopplynus has established and maintained 

close relationships with leading 

customers in the survey, construction and 

associated markets. The integration of the 

Van Hopplynus Geodesy team into Leica 

Geosystems' global organization will 

enhance the local professional presence 

valued by the market. 

The new business will be consolidated 

into Leica Geosystems' Surveying and 

Engineering Division together with the GIS 

and Mapping Division, operating from the 

Van Hopplynus offices in Brussels. Direct 

customer contacts are a strong advantage 

of Leica Geosystems and will be important 

for the future development of the business. 

Mark Concannon, Leica Geosystems' 

Surveying and Engineering Vice President 

for Europe and Africa said: "The acquisition 

of Van Hopplynus Geodesy business 

is an exciting development for both 

parties. It is also a great opportunity for 

Leica Geosystems' business in Europe, 

particularly given Brussels' role in the 

European Union. We envisage that this will 

enable us to offer an exceptional service to 

our customers and partners in the region, 

as well as realising immediate sales 

growth through more formal sales and 

marketing management". 

Leica DISTO makes movie debut in 

"The Italian Job" 

DISTO, the first name in portable laser 

measuring tools, recently made its motion 

picture debut in the hit movie "The Italian 

Job." 

The DISTO product played an important 

role in one of the movie's opening scenes, 

when a band of burglars used the handheld 

device to make critical measurements 

for the placement of explosive charges 

when stealing a safe. The cameo 

appearance included a close-up of the 

product, in which the DISTO name 

clearly appeared on camera. 

"The movie appearance showed the 

capabilities of DISTO to good effect," 

said Matt Miles, Marketing Manager for 

DISTO. "It is the ideal tool for making 

measurements in places where it is 

impractical to use a steel tape. With 

DISTO, you can measure with an accuracy 

of 1/8 inch or better, at distances up to 

300 ft., with simple point-and-click 

operation." 

Now in their fifth generation of technology, 

DISTO products provide unprecedented 

speed and convenience for measuring 

distances, areas and volumes. "With 

DISTO, one person can take literally 

hundreds of measurements in a matter of 

minutes," said Miles. "DISTO measuring 

tools have become indispensable tools for 

a wide variety of users, such as architects, 

builders, flooring and carpet layers, 

plumbers, air conditioning contractors, 

painters, real estate agents, insurance 

adjusters and law enforcement agencies." 

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

News in Brief 25 

New Shanghai Bridge takes title of 

largest arch bridge in the world 

From June 2003, the Shanghai Lu Pu 

Suspension Bridge, became the "No.1 Arch 

Bridge in the World". The central 550 

meter-long steel arch, which spans the 

new 3,900 meter-long bridge over the 

Huang Pu River, is 32 meters longer than 

the previous world record holder - the 518 

meter-long New River Gorge Bridge, West 

Virginia, United States. To place the steel 

arch elements with the highest accuracy, 

the most precise surveying methods 

required the use of an automated laser 

Total Station Leica TCA2003. 

Construction of the huge six-lane Lu Pu 

Bridge began in October 2000 and has cost 

2.25 billion yuan (272 million US dollars). 

The main section of the 3,900 meter-long 

bridge is 750 meters long and 28.7 meters 

wide. The 550 meter-long main arch is 

made up of 27 box connectors, assembled 

by jointing, and 28 pairs of hangers linking 

the bridge deck. Over 35,000 tons of steel 

has been used in its construction. 

The final stage of installation - the connection 

of the two bridge sections - proved to 

be the most difficult part of the project. In 

order to ensure that the final two segments 

from both sides of the river met exactly, 

precision surveying equipment of Leica 

Geosystems was also used in this phase of 

construction by monitoring the movements 

of the arch elements with an automated 

laser Total Station Leica TCA2003 

providing an accuracy of fractions of a 

millimetre. 

According to Vice-mayor Han Zheng, the 

bridge will help to relieve traffic crossing 

the river, and also contribute to Shanghai's 

bid for the World Expo 2010. The Lu Pu 

Suspension Bridge represents one of the 

three new river crossings to be opened for 

public in 2003 in the fast developing 

metropolitan area of Shanghai, the two 

other crossings being constructed in form 

of tunnels. 

Leica GS20 helps measure tropical 

glacial recession in Ecuador 

When gathering geospatial data in a 

remote and hostile location like a mountain 

glacier 16,000 feet above sea level, it 

pays to have a rugged, reliable mapping 

instrument that's easy to use. That's why 

the International Non-Traditional Teaching 

Initiative 2003 Expedition (INTI 2003) chose 

a new GPS/GIS receiver from Leica 

Geosystems for their recent expedition to 

Ecuador's Nevado Cayembe to study 

glacial recession in the tropics. 

As a major sponsor of INTI 2003, an allgirls 

scientific mountaineering expedition 

in May-June 2003, Leica Geosystems 

supplied a GS20 professional data mapper, 

which played a key role in taking vital 

measurements aimed at determining the 

extent of glacial recession on one of the 

world's highest tropical glaciers. 

The INTI 2003 expedition was made up 

of a group of girls, age 14-18, from the 

Oldfields School, Maryland. "Paramount 

among the expedition's many successes 

was the data collected, which included 

meteorological data, glacial mass balance 

data and glacial geometry data," 

Expedition leader Red Talbot said. 

A major goal of the expedition was to map 

the glacier and its environment to facilitate 

future studies of the nature and extent of 

tropical glacial recession. In addition to 

being an important indicator of global 

climate fluctuations, glacial recession in 

the tropics could have a major impact on 

water resources in the region, which has a 

disproportionate amount of the world's 

readily available freshwater reserves. 

"The cable-free operation facilitated by the 

GS20's Bluetooth wireless technology 

made data collection efficient and 

streamlined," said Talbot. "In a highaltitude 

mountaineering environment 

where efficiency means safety, this gave us 

peace of mind."

26 Machine Automation 

World first 

in precision 

paving at 

Heathrow 

The demanding 

tolerances of concrete 

slab laying required at 

T5 and Heathrow Airport 

has called for the use of 

the high-tech 3-D 

Machine Guidance 

Systems of Leica 

Geosystems installed on 

Gomaco GHP2800 Slip- 

Form Pavers. 

BENEFITS: 

· a better quality surface 

· laying of concrete with 

precision, reliability and 

speed 

· concrete is laid with less 

paving preparation 

· elimination of on-site 

obstructions improves 

overall airport logistics 

The project saw the deployment 

of the world's first entirely 

string line free paving system at 

a major international airport. 

This four year project funded 

by the BAA and AMEC 

Pavement Team will deploy 

the world's first entirely 

stringline-free paving 

system at a major international 

airport. After 

installation of the system in 

February this year and the 

start of production in July, 

the system is delivering real 

savings and quality 

improvements at Heathrow. 

Gone are the days of the 

time consuming and costly 

installation of steel pins, 

flags and guide wires traditionally 

used in slip-form 

guidance. This error-prone 

method severely restricted 

site logistics, impacted on 

safety and increased costs. 

Today at Heathrow, the 

Pavement Team are 

completing all the slipform 

concrete paving for T5 and 

the upgrade of existing runways 

at Heathrow Airside 

by using two Leica LMGS-S 

Machine Control Systems 

and 6 x TCA1101+ total 

stations. Once the sub base 

has been prepared, the road 

/ slab design is imported 

into the Leica LMGS-S 

system and the engineer 

sets up a pair of TCA1101 

total stations adjacent to the 

working area to start 

tracking the slip-form 

paving machine. 

The paver - a Gomaco 

GHP2800, receives real-time 

digital commands for steering 

and height corrections 

via an on-board Leica computer 

from the TCA1101's. 

This also includes the 

machine's attitude (roll and 

pitch) from two dual-axis tilt 

sensors and adjusts the 

machine's hydraulics if 

necessary, affording an 

extremely accurate position 

and heading data. The 

machine is automatically 

steered according to the 

design and allows the 

concrete to be placed in. 

Two instruments guide the 

Gomaco and a third checks 

the final surface and 

re-aligns the machine if 

required. 

Concrete is laid with less 

paving preparation (as by 

previous methods) at a rate 

of 1m / minute (510mm x 

7.5m slabs) with a resulting 

accuracy of +/- 3 mm in 

height and +/- 10mm in plan 

(standard deviation). This 

increase in productivity is 

estimated to be around 20% 

and a better, smoother 

surface results without any 

costly wastage of concrete. 

Kevin Robinson, Works 

Superintendent, who is 

responsible for the day-today 

operation of all of 

AMEC's paving machines, 

said: "This machine automation 

system means much 

easier and safer access to 

the machines, without the 

restrictions previously 

placed with the old 

stringline system." 

"The elimination of on-site 

obstructions has considerably 

improved overall airport 

logistics." 

These new Heathrow terminal 

taxiways and associated 

paved areas will have had 

all the benefits of using this 

major new 3-D Machine 

Guidance System. This has 

been the first time such a 

system has been used on 

such a scale on such a large 

and prestigious project. 

The results speak for themselves 

- a better quality 

surface, laid with precision, 

reliability and speed - the 

only choice for large-scale 

projects and an end to 

string line guidance. 

"This machine automation system means much 

easier and safer access to the machines, without 

the restrictions previously placed with the 

old stringline system." 

Kevin Robinson 

Works Superintendent, AMEC

Laing Contractors invest in Gradestar 

Machine Automation 27 

(left): Laing's grader with mast 

and 360o prism for tracking by 

the Robotic Total Station 

Laing Contractors Christchurch, New Zealand, have invested in a GradeStar 3D 

machine control from Leica Geosystems to deliver engineering value and provide 

greater job site accuracy. The GradeStar machine control system, based on the 

robotic TPS1100 Total Stations series, was installed on a Cat 12G grader over an 

existing Sonicmaster system. This 3D machine control system enables grader 

operators to complete grading work in a shorter amount of time, more efficiently 

and with greater accuracy. 

(above): Ray Copeland from 

Global, trains Laing's staff on the 

operation of the Powersearch 

Robotic Total Stations 

Laing Contractor's management 

and staff soon 

realised the benefits that 

the new 3D GradeStar, Total 

Control Concept would 

have on the efficiency of 

their business and on projects 

that featured complex 

designs. "The GradeStar 3D 

control system proved to be 

invaluable on the earthworks 

stage of the recently 

completed Warehouse 

Distribution Centre Project 

in Rolleston," Managing 

Director, Duncan Laing said. 

"Job site tolerances were 

exceeded and large floor 

areas were completed in 

record time with fewer men 

on the ground and less 

material wastage, resulting 

in a very happy customer." 

The GradeStar-TPS system 

offers enormous advantages 

compared to conventional 

machine control 

methods. The system does 

all the work for the operator. 

On site pre-preparation 

work such setting out centreline 

pegs or grade stakes 

is no longer required. 

Digital Terrain Models 

(DTMs) can be loaded 

directly onto the GradeStar 

computer mounted in the 

driver's cab, allowing grading 

to be undertaken exactly 

according to the project 

data. The GradeStar system 

controls vertical curves and 

superelevations automatically 

- enabling more efficient 

construction of subdivisions, 

roading and earthworks 

projects where fine 

grading tolerances are 

required. 

A Robotic Total Station is 

used instead of a rotating 

laser. The Leica TCRA 

Robotic Total Station tracks 

a 360-degree prism that is 

attached to a mast mounted 

on the grader blade. The 

exact position of the grader 

blade is known at all times 

and the onboard GradeStar 

computer (mounted in the 

cab) compares the position 

of the blade with the design 

data and automatically 

adjusts the elevation and 

cross slope of the blade to 

within a tolerance of 5-10 

mm. This is truly 3D operation 

controls the blades' 

elevation and slope as well 

as the position. 

"It is our mission at Laing 

Contractors to deliver 

excellent quality to the 

client," Duncan Laing, said. 

"The Leica 3D GradeStar 

lets us achieve this by 

enabling increased job site 

efficiency, a reduction in 

waste as well as employing 

an environmentally friendly 

technology." Most recently, 

Laings have ordered a 

second GradeStar system 

for their new Volvo grader. 

Included in the GPS 

GradeStar purchase is a 

Sonicmaster blade control 

system. Laings have also 

decided to purchase the 

recently released GPS1200 

Surveying System and will 

use this state of the art 

product in the form of a 

GPS base and GPS rover for 

their future work. 

Bt 

About GradeStar 3D machine 

control 

The GradeStar 3D machine control system can work 

with either GPS sensors or TPS total stations and has a 

standard control panel that can be used with sonic, 

laser and 3D systems. Special benefits of the 

GradeStar 3D GPS solution are the long control range 

(up to six miles); no need for direct line of sight and 

unlimited machines can be controlled simultaneously 

from one base station. The GradeStar TPS solution is 

the perfect choice when highest accuracy is required or 

when works in tunnels, under bridges or other areas 

are need to be carried out, where obstructions could 

impede GPS signals. Other typical applications for the 

GradeStar 3D machine control system include fine 

grading on roads or highways, airport and runway 

projects, and the grading of parking lots.

28 Archaeology 

T16 #178277: a life of travel and tacheometry 

Leica Geosystems' worldwide reputation for quality precision 

instruments stems from the legacy of research and development 

left by forefathers Kern Swiss and WILD Heerbrugg. Most surveyors 

would have begun their professional careers using Wild 

instruments and for many years, a Wild T2 was synonymous with 

precision work. Today, the foundation of Leica Geosystems is 

based on this legacy - on the commitment of quality and 

precision and on the continuous application of the most modern 

technology. Customers know and trust Leica Geosystems' quality 

precision instruments and are confident that they will stand the 

test of time. One such example is that of a T16 optical theodolite, 

used for optical distance measurement, and now owned by 

archaeological surveyor, Dr Hans Barnard. Nearly 3-decades old, 

this instrument has certainly done its share of work. Yet Barnard 

continues to use it in the field despite the accession of new models. 

Here is its story..... 

My best photograph, taken in 

1999 in Cairo between the 

medieval city and the encroaching 

high-rises. 

The Roman fort in Wadi Umm 

Wikala (Wadi Semna) as it 

could still be seen in the 

Summer of 1998. 

Allow me to introduce 

myself: my serial number is 

178277 and I am a T16 optical 

theodolite. Back in 1975, I left 

my home of manufacture in 

Heerbrugg, Switzerland to 

begin my working life in the 

Netherlands. In 1979, I was 

sold to the municipality of 

Purmerend, which was a 

growing community just 

north of Amsterdam. Most of 

my work had to do with 

laying out the streets and 

houses that were going to 

be built in the existing 

agricultural land. It was 

honest work and, apart from 

the rain, not very difficult. 

After a while I was replaced 

with more advanced, 

electronic equipment even 

though I had been outfitted 

with a heavy DI4 Distomat. 

Being from a generation of 

durable all-metal theodolites, 

with not too many moving 

parts and without vulnerable 

electronics, there were still 

many things I could do - 

maybe not as fast or as accurate 

as the younger generation 

- but certainly more 

straightforward and reliable. 

The first to appreciate this 

was a company called Passepartout 

in Gouda, who undertook 

contract survey work 

and the maintenance and 

trading of survey instruments. 

They also trained construction 

workers in various 

survey techniques, and it was 

for these classes that I 

became the practice instrument. 

A career as archaeological 

surveyor 

When I was about to retire 

from this job, my life took the 

dramatic turn that justifies my 

claim to fame. In 1993, a 

young medical doctor named 

Hans Barnard, used most of 

his life savings to purchase 

me in pursuit of his second 

vocation: archaeology. He 

had been to Egypt a couple of 

times as a member of the 

British expedition to Qasr 

Ibrim. Once an eagle's nest 

high above the Nile Valley, 

this city is now on an island in 

Lake Nasser, as a result of the 

construction of the Aswan 

High Dam in the early 1960's. 

Hans' first responsibility was 

the health and safety of the 

foreign archaeologists and 

the Egyptian workmen. Fortunately 

this was not a full time 

job, and in his spare time he 

studied the excavated human 

bones, whilst at the same 

time teaching himself 

planning and surveying. 

Soon he was able to not only 

expertly use the line level, 

plumbob and planning frame, 

but also the plane table and 

tacheometry. At the time we 

became partners, he had 

decided to pursue a career as 

an archaeological surveyor 

and consequently he needed 

to own the tools of that trade. 

Mapping in Egypt 

From this time on my life was 

filled with adventure. Hans 

took me all over Egypt to 

map fascinating places and 

meet interesting people. First 

was Abu Sha'ar on the Red 

Sea just north of Hurghada, 

the site of a Roman fort that 

was subsequently transformed 

into a monastery. 

Here we met Brian Cannon, 

an American surveyor who 

worked for the court, but had 

previously surveyed the route 

of an oil pipeline in Alaska 

and had a short spell of 

selling survey equipment. 

Next we visited Berenike, the 

most important harbour on 

the Egyptian Red Sea coast in 

Graeco-Roman times 

(between the 3rd century BC 

and the 6th century AD), and 

worked with British surveyor 

Fred Aldsworth, a former 

Ordnance Survey surveyor 

who now specialised in 

archaeological survey work 

and conservation. Fred, Brian 

and Hans drew a detailed 

plan of Berenike and of a 

number of the ancient 

settlements and road stations 

nearby. 

Soon after the potential of a 

small team in the desert was 

established, my life became 

even more interesting, but

Archaeology 29 

also more difficult than 

before. Together with Steve 

Sidebotham and Hans, 

I started planning ancient 

settlements in the Egyptian 

Eastern Desert. Steve is a professor 

of Ancient History and 

Classical Archaeology at the 

University of Delaware (USA), 

with a particular interest in 

the ancient Red Sea trade and 

the Egyptian Eastern Desert. 

He directed the excavations at 

Abu Sha'ar and co-directed 

those at Berenike. He also 

traced the Graeco-Roman 

trade routes through the 

desert and planned the way 

stations associated with 

these. When he decided to 

start mapping the ancient 

settlements in the desert he 

asked for our help. As there 

was only time for this during 

the summer holidays we 

went out when the desert 

was at its most inhospitable. 

The project had no budget, 

and so I usually travelled in 

the back of an old Toyota 

Hilux pick-up truck, and I was 

even loaded on a camel a 

couple of times to go places 

that could not be reached by 

car! 

Most of the settlements we 

visited were associated with 

“I also got some compensation 

for my hard work - not 

only did I see places that 

few have visited, but also 

from time to time I was 

cleaned and calibrated.” 

T16 #178277 

ancient gold mines or stone 

quarries. Others were related 

to the ancient road system 

or served a still unknown 

function. All consisted of 

simple structures of local 

un-worked stone, built 

without the use of mortar. 

The roofs must have been 

made of cloth or mats over a 

wooden frame and the buildings 

may have looked more 

like tents than like houses. 

They had all been abandoned 

1500 years before and had 

since been slowly reclaimed 

by the desert, a process aided 

by the removal of useful 

parts, the occasional flash 

floods, treasure hunters and 

tourists. After all these years 

we were the first to once 

more spend a couple of 

nights in the settlement that 

we studied during the day. 

These nights were silent 

under an impressive dome of 

stars at which I sometimes 

had a look to establish North. 

The days were hot and more 

than once my spirit levels 

followed the sunlight rather 

than gravity. 

Taping and tacheometry in 

the desert 

Survey work in the desert is 

seriously hampered by the 

lack of electric power. 

Ordinary batteries can be 

brought in large quantities, 

but recharging battery packs 

is impossible without 

bringing special equipment 

or driving long distances. As 

the environment is harsh to 

delicate electronics as well as 

to the human brain, simple 

non-electronic survey 

methods are the preferred 

methods anyway. The loss in 

accuracy is irrelevant as the 

objects to be surveyed are 

usually too poorly constructed 

and too damaged to allow 

extreme precision. A possible 

loss in speed is more than 

compensated for by the additional 

information that can be 

gathered during the extra 

time on site. I was therefore 

mostly used to lay out a grid 

for taping or involved in 

tacheometry on the site. 

For the first method I was 

only needed to construct a 

grid of 50 x 50 m squares. 

After this I could rest in the 

shade while a tape was laid 

out along one of the grid 

lines. A second tape perpendicular 

to the first allowed 

Hans to measure the co-ordinates 

of whatever needed to 

be surveyed and draw this 

directly to scale. Square 

angels were obtained by 

either a third tape parallel to 

the first one or, more often, 

by an optical square. For the 

task of tacheometry I was 

required to work all the time. 

The method used required a 

stadia rod to measure both 

angle and distance between 

the surveyor and the point to 

be surveyed. Depending on 

the local situation these two 

methods were often combined, 

or supplemented with 

data from trigonometry or 

GPS-receivers. All these 

measurements had then to 

be converted into a drawing. 

At first Hans did so on site, 

using ruler and protractor, 

enabling him to immediately 

check the final result. As he 

became more confident he 

started working at home, 

using sketches and notes to 

explain his long lists of measurements. 

From ruler and 

protractor he moved on to 

Excel and AutoCad. The final 

drawing was, however, 

always made by hand using a 

Rotring pen on drawing film. 

PhotoShop was then used to 

clean the drawing and add 

the necessary captions. Many 

sites were mapped this way 

and many of the resulting 

plans were published, or will 

be soon. One of the nicest 

projects we worked on is the 

plan of the Roman fort in 

Wadi Umm Wikala that was 

destroyed only a short while 

after this plan was drawn. 

To Iceland and back 

Hans was rewarded now and 

again by seeing his name in 

print, and I also got some 

compensation for my hard 

work - not only did I see 

places that few have visited, 

but also from time to time I 

was cleaned and calibrated. 

At some point I also got a 

new set of legs, bought 

second hand from a foreign 

company involved in the construction 

of several tunnels in 

Cairo, both for sewage and 

traffic. 

Less fortunate were the times 

when Hans left me to use different 

instruments elsewhere. 

At one stage he went to 

Travelling rough, in the back 

of an old Toyota Hilux pick-up 

truck (photograph S.E. 

Sidebotham, August 1997. 

Yemen to survey the environments 

of Baynun using a 

Wild RDS (serial # 218107) 

belonging to the German 

Institute in Sana'a. 

More recently he was in 

Iceland to find early structures 

in Skagafjör∂ur, in the 

north of the island, with geophysical 

methods. At one 

stage, the use of a Wild T1000 

(serial # 333638) with 

attached DI1000 Distomat and 

GRE4 datalogger was 

required. When he contacted 

the Leica Geosystems' 

helpdesk, to ask for the necessary 

software to run this 

combination, he not only 

promptly received technical 

support, but was also asked 

to share some of his 

adventures. As so, here we 

are.... 

T16 #178277 

& Hans Barnard 

Further information about Hans 

Barnard’s work can be found at 

http://www.barnard.nl/desert/ 

and associated pages.

30 Geological Survey 

What's happening on Mt. Everest and K2 in 2004 

For the first time ever, a Leica GPS system records 

movements around Mt. Everest every 30 seconds... 

Mountain climbers and scientists aren't the only 

things that move around on the world's highest 

mountain; in fact, Mt. Everest and the entire 

Himalayan region is constantly transforming itself. In 

order to capture the positions of people and nature 

as well record their movements, a permanent, 

solar-powered Leica GPS 530 surveying station was 

installed in 2003. It is located on the Nepalese side of 

the mountain, near the glass research pyramid that 

was set up more than a decade ago by the Italian 

research team "Ev-K2-CNR". 

In a flank overhanging the 

mighty Khumbu Glacier and with 

a good view of several 8000- 

meter mountains - including 

Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse - the 

Italian research pyramid (left) 

was set up in 1992 with 

numerous laboratory facilities 

for medical and environmental 

research. In 2003, the lab 

received a GPS 530 station 

located on undisturbed rock 

(red circle). 

Photo: Ev-K2-CNR Poretti/Leica 

Geosystems 

The newly erected Leica GPS 

hemispheric antenna at the foot 

of Mt. Everest receives GPS signals 

year all year round, 24 

hours a day. The Leica GPS System 

530 calculates the signals 

and transmits exact positioning 

data for researchers, climbers 

and emergency teams in the 

region every 30 seconds. Solar 

technology supplies the 

equipment with energy throughout 

the entire year. The data are 

also transmitted directly to the 

Italian research center in order 

to track tectonic changes. 

Photo: Ev-K2-CNR Poretti/Leica 

Geosystems 

The GPS system from Leica 

Geosystems receives 

signals around the clock 

from the 24 Navstar GPS 

satellites, allowing it to 

determine its exact position 

and to also transmit a 

precise positioni signal 

every 30 seconds. This 

reference signal allows 

researchers and climbers in 

the region with their own 

GPS receivers to orientate 

themselves with centimeter 

accuracy. 

GPS technology and equipment 

from Leica Geosystems 

was used to survey 

the highest mountain in the 

world for the first time in 

1992, by an international 

team led by Italian geophysicist 

Giorgio Poretti. 

The Leica GPS system is 

now permanently installed 

at base-camp altitude. It 

delivers the extremely 

precise referential data to 

researchers and climbers 

and at the same time 

records valuable information 

on changes in the 

earth's crust. "After a series 

of tough tests and based on 

our many years of positive 

experience in extreme 

situations, we decided once 

again in favour of GPS 

equipment from Leica 

Geosystems. In this climatic 

zone, with no way to 

maintain the equipment 

over the course of many 

months, precision and 

reliability are the top 

priority," says Giorgio 

Poretti. 

Mt. Everest ice cover and 

the 50th anniversary of the 

first K2 conquest 

To this day it is not known 

exactly how thick the ice 

cover is on the top of 

Mt. Everest, and thus the 

course and height of the 

profile of the summit are 

not known. In a GPS 

surveying campaign to be 

led by the Italian research 

team "Ev-K2-CNR" under 

the direction of the Triestebased 

geophysicist Giorgio 

Poretti in 2004, the two 

highest mountain peaks in 

the world will be climbed 

and surveyed with state-ofthe-art 

GPS systems from 

Switzerland, in such a way 

that even the precise profile 

of the summit can be 

recognized. 

The combined expedition 

on Mt. Everest and K2 

marks the 50-year anniversary 

of the first successful 

climb of 8611-meter K2 

in 1954, accomplished by 

an Italian mountaineering 

team led by Professor 

Poretti's "Ev-K2-CNR" 

predecessor, Ardito Desio. 

Leica GPS surveying instruments 

will accompany the 

teams to the world's two 

highest summits in 2004. 

It will be the first GPS topographical 

survey of K2's 

summit ever! 

Stfi

Double prism solves curves in tunnel monitoring 

The Mass Rapid Transport 

(MRT) underground train system 

in Singapore is constantly 

being improved with new 

tunnel additions. The Land 

Transport Authority (LTA) first 

commissioned the installation 

of an automatic tunnel 

monitoring system at Bugis 

Junction over eight years ago 

- the first system in the world 

to monitor in a live tunnel. 

The latest project involves the 

building of the Singapore 

Management University City 

Campus, over two tunnels of 

the Dhoby Ghaut Station. In 

addition, the new Marina 

Tunnel, phase one of the Circle 

line, is being constructed 

alongside these existing tunnels 

and extend into the back 

of the Station where monitoring 

is also required. 

Installation of monitoring 

system 

With such jobs, it is always 

necessary to make sure that 

the monitoring system works 

before construction commences. 

If the excavation is anticipated 

to reach what is defined 

as the first and second 

reserves (zones that are 

defined by the distance they 

are away from an existing 

tunnel), then monitoring for 

movement or distortion must 

be undertaken. The project 

team can then be forewarned 

if any preventative measures 

are needed. Wisecan 

Engineering Services Pte Ltd 

were selected as the surveyors 

for the project in February 

2002. "We first completed 

the tunnel geometry and 

then started to do the planning 

in accordance for authority 

requirement," Managing 

Director, Mr Chua Keng Guan 

said. 

Wisecan was formed in 1992 

and begin by providing 

survey work for cable laying 

in Singapore. Prior to that Mr 

Chua worked for the MRTC 

and had a particular interest 

in tunnel projects. They 

began cooperation with Leica 

in 1994 and have worked 

together on many projects 

since then. 

"The monitoring zone is a 

500-metre long tunnel and 

this is too big for one instrument, 

making it necessary to 

use four total stations to 

cover its length for southbound, 

and another four for 

the northbound," said 

William Tang, Sales and Project 

Manager for Leica Geosystems' 

Singapore agent 

SiberHegner (SEA) Pte Ltd. 

"It is also on a curve, creating 

the need for the bi-directional 

prism." 

Over 2000 prisms, including 

sixty bi-directional prisms 

were needed to cover the 

roof, walls and floor of the 

tunnels. 

Installation in live tunnel 

Because the tunnel is live - a 

train passes every four 

minutes - and it is very costly 

to have the tunnel closed during 

the day, the team had to 

install the prisms and monitoring 

system at night. Due to 

continual maintenance and 

repair activities also during 

this time, the team were lucky 

to be granted one or two 

nights per week for tunnel 

access, and then are only 

allocated three hours to 

undertake their work. Only a 

total of 30 access nights - 15 

for each tunnel - have been 

approved so the schedule is 

very tight. 

"The train stops at 1am and 

starts again at 5am," William 

Tang said. "Because it is a 

high voltage area, safety is a 

high issue and the power 

needs to be turned off and 

signals need to be working 

properly." 

It takes 16 people working in 

three teams to install up to 

200 prisms per night. Leica 

TCA2002 total stations were 

used for the measurement. 

"There is only three metres 

between each prism which is 

Tunnel Monitoring 31 

In today's big cities, there is often new construction under already existing infrastructure. This raises a big 

safety issue, making it necessary to stringently monitor the stability of existing buildings and also for signs of 

movement or distortion during construction. Specific requirements of projects are always creating new 

challenges for surveyors, and in Singapore the new tunnel construction at Dhoby Ghaut station has done just 

that - necessitating the use of bi-directional prism to enable monitoring along the curved tunnel. 

extremely dense 

and therefore 

quite a challenge," 

said 

William Tang. 

Monitoring of 

this particular 

project will continue 

for three 

years until 2005. 

However, 

despite installation 

of the automatic 

monitoring 

system, 

manual checking will also 

need to continue as a backup 

every one to two months. 

Data flow 

The four TCA2003 measure 

simultaneously and after 

each measurement cycle the 

raw data is being transmitted 

via GSM modem to a Server 

at Wisescan office. The data 

will be automatically processed 

and transmitted to the 

client almost instantly. 

Should the measurement 

exceed the trigger levels, 

SMS warning messages will 

be automatically generated 

and broadcast to the responsible 

people. This proc-ess 

ensures that client gets the 

data on time for corrective 

action to be taken. 

"If anything is found to be 

moving, we need to be able 

to provide convincing 

answers to the authority," Mr 

Chua said. "We are very confident 

that Leica instruments 

are able to provide consistency, 

and that is what we want 

for the important jobs - especially 

government authorities 

- we are able to tell the LTA 

that we are using a reliable 

instrument." 

He added: "We have always 

believed in accuracy, 

performance and reliability. I 

liken Leica to a Mercedes - it 

lasts a long time and at the 

end of the day Leica 

outperforms the rest." 

Bt 

William Tang and Ghua Keng 

Guan with the purpose-designed 

bi-directional prism 

"We have always 

believed in accuracy, 

performance and reliability. 

I liken Leica to 

a Mercedes - it lasts 

a long time and at the 

end of the day Leica 

outperforms the rest." 

Chua Keng Guan 

Managing Director 

Wisecan Engineering 

Services Pte Ltd 

Over 2000 prisms - over the roof, 

walls and floor were intalled in 

the tunnel

Solutions in Geospatial Imaging 

230,000 

10,800 

City of Pasto residents safer from the 

Galera Volcano 

Hours saved calculating Colorado 

Springs Utilities' irrigated lands 

x 

80 

City of Bellevue communities 

accessing ecological data 

2,345 

Man-years of Leica Geosystems GIS 

and Mapping expertise 

1Company powering geospatial imaging! 

Two new software solutions from 

Leica Geosystems GIS & Mapping 

As the expert in enabling 

image-based maps, Leica 

Geosystems GIS & 

Mapping empowers 

geospatial professionals to 

create and put precise imaging to work. We are proud 

to introduce two new software solutions - the Leica 

Photogrammetry Suite and ERDAS IMAGINE ® 8.7. 

The Leica Photogrammetry Suite integrates technologies 

to create a package that incorporates photogrammetry, 

remote sensing, 3D visualization and image processing 

into one powerful tool. 

ERDAS IMAGINE 8.7 provides the latest software for 

remote sensing, complex image analysis, radar analysis 

and advanced classification. 

With Leica Photogrammetry Suite and ERDAS IMAGINE 

8.7, regardless of your imaging needs - we have the solution! 

All this and the exceptional service and support 

you expect from the company powering geospatial 

imaging. 

Visit us at www.lggm.com for information on these two 

exciting geospatial solutions. 

Geosystems

Reporter No. 50, April 2004 English (PDF, 1.5 MB) - Leica Geosystems

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?