Can you spot Riegl USA’s Jim van Rens?

Countdown to ASPRS/Mapps

We are preparing for our upcoming visit to San Antonio, Texas for the ASPRS/MAPPS 2009 Fall Conference.  ” MAPPS and ASPRS are once again organizing a dynamic conference around a specialty theme: Digital Mapping – From Elevation to Information.” (ASPRS).

The final program is packed with information sessions on the latest developments in Digital Mapping. Riegl USA’s very own Jim van Rens will be presenting on Tuesday, November 17th at 2:30

If you would like more information about Riegl USA’s presence at the ASPRS/MAPPS Fall Conference, contact us.

Riegl Unveils New VMX Lidar Mobile Scanning System

InterGeo, Karlsruhe, Germany: Riegl unveiled its new mobile lidar scanning system the VMX-250 to over 16,000 attendees. The new system’s ability to collect accurate and precise data at highway speeds provides unparalleled safety and significantly reduced project times.

The VMX-250 mobile scanning system consists of two VQ-250 scanners on a mounted platform accompanied by a GPS-INS, and up to 8 digital cameras or video equipment. Accommodating multiple cameras ensures a 360 degree field of view. Most standard station wagons or off-road vehicles can be optimized for easy installation and the scanners are powered directly from the car’s battery. Data acquisition is operator controlled using a standard laptop. The system was designed with the user in mind– set up is fast, easy and safe!

At 600,000 measurements per second, the VMX-250 mobile scanning system allows surveyors to capture highly accurate and high resolution dynamic 3D data at highway speeds. The ability to travel at high speeds significantly increases safety for all applications, including mapping of highways, railroads and waterways as well as extended urban area, construction sites and open pit mines. The speed also contributes to a significant reduction in project time. Traditionally mobile scanning of a 10-mile road was dangerous and took up to ten weeks, from data acquisition to post processing. The new VMX-250 is capable of completing a 10-mile project in a matter of hours.

The cutting edge echo digitization technology, used in the VMX-250 mobile lidar scanning system, penetrates foliage, fences and other obstacles. The system’s online waveform technology allows for more than 10 measurements per laser shot. The combination of these technologies results in laser precision of 1cm or better and accuracy 3cm or better.

The combination of scanning and inertial navigation hardware can be applied to transportation infrastructure and city modeling projects. 3D data collection has been used for navigation systems, network planning and security. Riegl’s RiAcquire, RiProcess and RiWorld software provide seamless processing of data from acquisition to system calibration, geo-referencing and pre-processing.

Today Riegl is recognized as the performance leader in the markets we serve. Riegl Systems, including the new VMX-250, are well known for their ruggedness and reliability under demanding environmental conditions. All of Riegl’s lasers use a class one eye-safe invisible beam and will not distract motorists during the day or night.

For more information about the VMX-250 mobile scanning system visit www.rieglusa.com or contact us at info@rieglusa.com

You can download this press release and associated images here.

Visit us at InterGeo

This week Riegl USA President Jim van Rens and Riegl USA CTO Ted Knaak, will be in Karlsruhe, Germany attending InterGeo with Riegl Laser Measurement Systems of Austria.

Visit the hall 1, booth no. 1.421 to find out about the unveiling of the new mobile scanning system the Riegl VMX 250.

Webinar Archive

Riegl USA’s webinar in collaboration with POB Magazine was broadcast on September 10, 2009. If you missed the live webinar – or if you just want to see it again– follow this link to access the archived session! It’s also available for download as a podcast.

A big thank you for all of those who attended the live webinar! We had a great deal of questions that we did not have enough time to answer, but Riegl USA President, Jim van Rens, will be getting back to everyone whose questions were left unanswered.

If you need an immediate answer to your question, feel free to contact us at 407.248.9927 or email us at info@rieglusa.com

Webinar Registration

Register for 3D Laser Scanning: the Power to Discover.  Show time is rapidly approaching so make sure you save the date.

Riegl LMS-Z390i featured in Professional Surveyor Magazine

If you haven’t seen it already, go get a copy of the most recent Professional Surveyor Magazine. On the cover you will find the Riegl LMS-Z390i and inside is a great story about the merging of LiDAR data with bathymetry data by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The article details a mobile scan of breakwater structure in Kaumalapau Harbor, Lanai. It’s interesting to read about how much LiDAR technology can increase safety when surveying in projects such as those featured in the article.

Be sure to check it out!

Riegl USA Scanner Operation and Post Processing Training

Riegl USA offers in-depth training sessions for companies looking to learn how to get the most of their new scanner or just wanting to use their old scanner for a new application. Riegl USA’s manager of processing software, Jennifer Triana covers a broad spectrum of topics that has successfully prepared dozens of companies to use their Riegl scanner and post-process their projects. A typical training session includes all of the following.

Scanner Training

During scanning operation training, students learn everything from the laser technology to scanning procedures.  The first two days include a great deal of material, which is put into practice during the last half of the training.

Day One

• Product background information
• Safety
• Commonly used terminology
• Synergy with Photogrammetry and scanning operations considerations
• Software installation
• Equipment parts
• Set up
• Field strategies
• Scanning workflow
• Target placement and positioning

Everything taught during the first day or training is practiced inside the training facility, so that trainees can concentrate on learning the software and the scanning options.

Day Two

The emphasis on the first half of day two is on control (GPS points) placement and registration to global coordinates. The rest of the day is spent on post processing. The syllabus for day two includes the following:

• Image adjustment
• Multiple registration methods
• RiSCAN pro processing
• Transit to CAD environment

Topics covered in software training

• How to extract point cloud areas from multiple positions
• Filter, mesh, texture, smooth and export data
• Other types of software specific to application

Average amount of time spent in classroom
3-4 days (1 full day of training = approximately 8 hours)
Average amount of time spent in the field/using scanner
1-2 days

The types of projects that are used for practice depend on the customer’s applications, but we work with multiple sample projects from actual customers.

Are you ready to use your scanner to its full potential? Contact us today!

Riegl USA Hosting Webinar this Fall

Riegl USA Hosting VZ-400 Webinar: The power to discover

 For survey and civil engineering firms interested in investigating the 3D laser scanning market the Riegl VZ400 is an instrument that they must review carefully. The reason for this is the unprecedented speed and range of the instrument combined with the externally mounted photogrammetric cameras.

 The speed of the VZ400 is a critical component for surveyors that want to be competitive in the 3D scanning market.  The peak pulse repletion rate of the scanner is 300,000 measurements per second.  The effective measurement rate of 125,000 measurements per second is typically 15 times faster than they typical “survey” 3D scanner.  SO if you think about the amount of time that it takes to set up take a scan and move to the next position for a Civil Engineering project this speed determines that difference between success and project completion or explaining to your client why you are late again.

 The second principal aspect is the externally mounted Nikon camera.  The camera is calibrated photogrammetrically, allows you to adjust for varying light conditions and its output provides the engineering client with the ability to go to the field and to see “real” conditions from a 12 mega pixel image and not a false color point cloud.  The ability of the post processors to bring this image correctly referenced to the Lidar data is the difference between success and failure in the post processing area as well.

 While many surveyors have a desire for “brand” loyalty is clear that those brands only leave the surveyor ill equipped to meet the fast paced needs of his clients.

 

Target audience: Civil Engineers and Surveyors

 

Speaker Information

Jim van Rens

President, Riegl USA, Inc.

7035 Grand National Drive Ste. 100

Orlando, FL 32819

jvanrens@rieglusa.com

407-248-9927

 Bio

 Jim van Rens has been with Riegl USA INC for over a decade. In 1997 he came onboard as Vice President; this year, after organization changes, he stepped up to the position as Riegl USA’s new President. van Rens has over 15 years of experience in the laser industry and over 20 years of successful sales and marketing experience.

Riegl USA Announces Organizational Changes

Riegl USA recently announced a number of organizational changes.  Ted Knaak is now Chief Technical Officer of Riegl USA.  This new position will allow Mr. Knaak to use his enormous expertise in the development of new product and market initiatives. Mr Knaak is also heading up a new spin-off company Certainty 3D.   Jim van Rens having served as vice president since 1997, will become Riegl USA’s new president.    

Knaak and van Rens have worked together for over a decade and as a result this will be a seamless transition for all those associated with Riegl USA. 

Knaak has been president of Riegl USA since its foundation in 1992 with Riegl LMS of Austria. Prior to Riegl USA he was Marketing and Program Manager at Schwartz Electro Optics.  He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Brown University and a MS in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University.    In the Laser Scanning Industry, Knaak is a chairman of the ASTM Best Practices Committee. He is the author of a number of patents in Lidar applications and related fields and is active in various community organizations. 

Van Rens joined Riegl USA in 1997 as vice president.  Prior to that he was Principal of a Specialty Distributor, LDC, Inc focused on measuring devices.  Jim has a combination BA/BS from the schools of Business and Liberal Arts at Marquette University.  He is a member of MAPPS, ASPRS and serves on the Lidar Subcommittee. In the past, van Rens has also been active as a member of the IEEE/AIAG, JIT effort and was a contributor to the Packaging and Containerization Standards.

About Riegl

Riegl USA located in Orlando, FL, is the North American office for RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems, GmbH, with headquarters in Horn, Austria.   With over 31 years experience in the research, development and production of laser rangefinders, distance meters and scanners,

RIEGL delivers proven innovations in 3D.

 Worldwide sales, training, support and services are delivered from Riegl’s Austrian headquarters, the Riegl USA office and a regional office in Japan, and by a worldwide network of representatives covering Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia and Africa.   

Riegl products are used for terrestrial and airborne survey, geo-spatial monitoring, industrial process control, as-built 3D documentation, altimetry and aerospace applications.  Riegl Systems are well known for their ruggedness and reliability under demanding environmental conditions.