In the race to achieve better, faster and cheaper 3D laser scan data, RIEGL is in a class of its own.
In the race to achieve better, faster and cheaper 3D laser scan data,
RIEGLis in a class of its own. The
company’s philosophy isn’t simply to innovate, but to do so in a way that
provides the best possible sensors for each application and fully supports its
customers. It’s what Dr. Johannes Riegl, CEO of RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems
GmbH headquartered in Horn, Austria, calls an “incessant pursuit of
excellence.”
At the RIEGL LiDAR 2012 conference held in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 27-28, the
company’s leaders shared insights on RIEGL’s technology and approach. Dr. Riegl
pointed out that the company has been a major player in laser scanning since
1996, when it released its first 2D laser scanner for airborne and mobile
mapping, the LMS-Q140. Other innovations quickly followed, and by 1998, RIEGL
had developed a 3D laser scanner, the LMS-Z210, for surveying and for industrial
applications.
Research and development continues to be a high priority for the
technology-oriented company. In the last three years alone, RIEGL has registered
26 inventions at the Austrian Patent Office. In January 2012, the company was
honored by the Austrian Patent Office and the Austrian publishing company
Bohmann with the Inventum 2011 award for a device and method for determining the
exact timing and amplitude of an incoming signal-a principle that allows RIEGL’s
V-line scanners to simultaneously provide high timing accuracy and resolution
along with a high dynamic range.
Some of the company’s technology advances have been met with skepticism. For
example, Dr. Andreas Ullrich, CTO, noted that the full waveform analysis
capabilities of RIEGL’s echo digitizing LiDAR technology are considered by some
to be theoretical and impractical. However, he said, the technology is in
everyday use by numerous service providers and delivers the best resolution with
a host of additional valuable attributes. These statements were substantiated by
the many users who shared their experiences at the conference, both in formal
presentations and informal discussions.
Where will RIEGL go next? Look for continued software advances from company
as it seeks to further streamline and optimize users’ workflow. Additional
technology innovations are also on the horizon, including some exciting
developments in unmanned airborne systems (UAVs). Above all else, look for
RIEGL’s unwavering dedication to excellence to continue to raise the bar for
performance in the laser scanning market.