Altus Introduces Three Products at Esri

Altus Positioning Systems has made three announcements at the Esri 2012 Users Conference in San Diego this week. The company introduced a new GPS-based data-acquisition system for the GIS industry, introduced a portable integrated system for GIS applications, and announced the commercial availability of a GNSS receiver.

New GIS system. Altus introduced a new GPS-based data-acquisition system for the GIS industry. The new system from Altus includes an ikeGPS multi-sensor data-acquisition system and a variety of built-in software tools for specific data-collection projects.

The ikeGPS product combines a GPS receiver, laser rangefinder, 3D compass and digital camera in a single ruggedized handheld device, providing a fully integrated low-cost solution for capturing geospatial data and 3D GIS imagery. The versatile system permits the user to geolocate objects quickly and easily from a single location with the laser rangefinder and compass, using the recorder’s GPS coordinates as a reference. The digital camera provides a visual reference for each object captured into the database, and the system can even calculate position coordinates for target items directly from the photographs.
 
“The ikeGPS multi-sensor platform enables the capturing of GIS data in situations that would be otherwise impossible using traditional GIS equipment,” said Neil Vancans, CEO and president of Altus Positioning Systems. “The ikeGPS mobile GIS solutions provide unique improvements on conventional GIS data-collection efficiency. It also enables the user to capture accurate measurements of remote objects — for instance, across a busy highway, barbed-wire fence, or stream — from safe distances with its point-and-shoot capability, producing verifiable, geo-referenced data collection.”

Vancans noted that for applications requiring higher-precision positioning, the ikeGPS device can be interfaced with Altus’ APS-3 GNSS RTK survey-grade receivers for centimeter-level accuracies.

Portable Integrated System for GIS Applications. Altus also introduced the new ProCyon, which integrates the flexible, rugged Psion Workabout Pro handheld computer with Altus’ APS-3 RTK GNSS receiver for a powerful GIS data-acquisition platform, the company said.
 
The ProCyon system delivers one-centimeter RTK accuracy using an external antenna, integrated camera, and quad-band GSM modem. Additionally, the ProCyon has hardware expansion slots, making the addition of new modules fast and easy, as well as a range of available add-ons, including fingerprint scanners and the largest selection of RFID readers on any handheld device, Altus said.
 
The ProCyon Windows Mobile operating system accommodates ESRI ArcPad and ArcGIS applications. Both programs use NMEA messages that are standard outputs from the integrated GNSS receiver in the ProCyon.
 
“The ProCyon is built on the industry-standard platform of the Psion Workabout, one of the world’s top-selling Windows Mobile devices,” said Neil Vancans, CEO and president, Altus Positioning Systems. “The ProCyon is an answer to the needs of many utilities already using Psion products.”

Commercial Availability of GNSS Receiver. Altus Positioning Systems also announced the commercial availability of its new APS-U GNSS receiver. For maximum flexibility, the APS-U is scalable from a single stand-alone GNSS receiver to full options with heading, wireless links, precise point positioning, and RTK capability. The unit has an additional processor for on-board configuration and custom applications separate from the GNSS engine. It has an extensive suite of interfaces for data output, timing, event marks and a second antenna port for GNSS heading.

“The APS-U provides multi-frequency capability together with GNSS heading, L-Band positioning and wireless communications, all within a hardened housing that meets military environmental specifications,” said Neil Vancans, CEO and president, Altus Positioning Systems. “With its wide range of interfaces and 9-30V power input options, the APS-U is an ideal GNSS solution for GIS data collection as well as machine control, agriculture, aerial photogrammetry, heading sensors and military applications. It can also be used in a variety of different formats, without heading information, in a robust receiver or base station configuration.”

The 136-channel receiver is designed to use all GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo frequencies. Integrated wireless options include Bluetooth for easy configuration, plus a GSM or CDMA cellular modem and UHF radio modem for transmission and reception of RTK corrections. It also works with WAAS, EGNOS, and other satellite-based augmentation systems.

The rugged new APS-U units incorporate Septentrio GNSS receiver engines, and meet MIL-STD-810G specifications for humidity, dust, shock, and vibration, and operates under temperatures from 30 to minus 65 degrees Celsius.