This new Optech ALTM product has a five-fold increase in laser pulse rate, which will shorten customers' project schedules.

John Copple, CEO of Sanborn, announced that the company has purchased a state-of-the-art LiDAR (light detection and ranging) system with a pulse rate of 50kHz. Acquired to enhance the end products that Sanborn delivers to its customers, the new system will improve data acquisition capacity and efficiency.

The new system, an Optech ALTM 2050 product, has a five-fold increase in laser pulse rate-the number of data points collected per unit of time-over prior systems. The increase allows Sanborn to reduce the average point spacing on a typical project from 6.0 feet to 2.7 feet, resulting in improved surface definition and better penetration of vegetation. The new system will shorten project schedules and provide customers with higher quality elevation models. Sanborn's new system is more reliable and has better data collection and transfer mechanisms than older systems.