Monthly Archives: October 2017

October 1, 2017 · 7:24 pm

InterGEO 2017: A Few Videos

These movies should have been intermixed with the pictures, but…I don’t know how to do that. So they are on their own page.

The drone parachute device keeps your UAV from hitting the ground at mach 4:

The GeoSlam video comes in two pieces. You basically can take this device and walk around in a building and it will map everything in real-time (well, there is a second registration step that is detailed in the 2nd movie.)

Leica was showing off the full IMU based tilt compensation on their new GS18T GNSS receiver. They had a competition where you would take 10 shots, the person with the fastest score won. There was a computer scoreboard in the hall that tabulated the results.

But, there was no tabulation of the point results. In other words, it was a race to press the store button on each of the 10 ground marks, but there was no indication if the points stored were even close to correct.

This video shows one of the contestants completing the course.

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October 1, 2017 · 6:35 pm

InterGEO 2017: Day 3

Thursday 28 September 2017

I pretty much have seen it all and am just following up with suppliers on Thursday. So there are not a lot of new pictures.

: CHC has a new 2-second total station

: This is some interesting information about gathering road and sign information

: GPS Repair Shop in China

: They can fix ANYTHING

: So I stopped in and met Igor Vereninov of EMLID. They have a very interesting device. L1 GNSS using UBLOX engine and their own RTK engine. Each receiver is only $799. They ship from Hong Kong. Email support only (you can not call them). Works with SurvCE. Radios are unlicensed 900 Mhz. Pretty good story.

: Graffiti at the Messe Train Station.

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October 1, 2017 · 6:23 pm

InterGEO 2017: Day 2

Wednesday 27 September 2017

Train station at Zoo, waiting to ride 4 stops to Messe

Same as yesterday

GeoZone two story booth. Pretty cool!

???

Forest IT Design

This booth is pretty cool. The front has a cabin with a food cart.

Gexcel has pixel software and wearable lidar

I don’t know what they make, but it looked cool!

Velodyne is the leading mobile LIDAR sensor manufacturer.

20170927_090048

So, I blew it.

By the time I figured out there was a historic instrument museum in Berlin, I had no time to run over and check it out. I won’t make this mistake in 3 years when I return next.

I wanted to purchase this, but I think the German would be more than I could bite off on.

“Development of Instrument Building”

“Surveying History”

Trimble had the entire back of one hall, with AllTerra on the left, Trimble on the right, Nikon back and Spectra back right.

20170927_090631 20170927_090700

I spent 45 minutes playing around with the new Nikon ‘Auto Focus’ manual total stations. There are several modes of operation, but I am pretty sure that I am going to purchase a new TS for myself (like personally). Auto focus is worth having and the new guns are beautiful. Yes, the locks are back!

I think this company deploys GNSS CORS stations.

One comment for exhibitors is that I should be able to figure out what you do by looking at your booth. ‘Ahead with Precision’ does not an explanation make.

I like the orange color and they had a lot of cool UAV’s.

Gas powered UAV’s look a lot more interesting to me.

I really want one of these forward looking rotary LIDAR platforms.

20170927_090939 20170927_092734

Unfortunately my picture of the front of the cabin did not focus, sorry.

More cloud / point / pix processing

20170927_092805

???

Another food cart!

COWI supplies DEMS and Orthos for Europe.

Back to the Diamond, ‘Ahead with Precision’ booth

Nobody actually uses these location stickers on the floor. A waste of time.

So, I think that this Trimble company provides correction services in Europe. It is a cool looking booth.

Back to the auto focus total stations. I really-really need_want one. You do too.

Go Big rotary UAV or GO HOME. It is a big box too.

It was my real pleasure to meet Huiming Song. He owns HowayGis and is partners with eGPS. Based in Georgia, he also has a company that makes choke ring antennas (Atlanta RFTech). Huiming is a really nice guy.

More UAV, with Velodyne LIDAR

Delair has Aerial Intelligence which we can all use more of.

More RR inspection carts

Something to do with traffic monitoring and mapping.

20170927_112606

So, this is not a real tool. Basically these guys put every single instrument imaginable on a 4-wheeler just to grab your eye. It works.

More UAV, this one has blades top and bottom

I did not understand.

More UAV

More UAV

More UAV

Fixed Wing UAV

Ok, gift time.

I really need one of these

Panono 360 spherical cameras. I think they are made right in Berlin

which is great because I am ready to fly back for dinner at the HB again.

You know that I am serious about purchasing one when I…

Take pictures of every page….

in the brochure

It will hold 600 images internally.

36 cameras, Single capture for 108 MP image

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UAV Insurance.

Mejzlik makes REALLY strong propellars

Look, not even this fat guy can break one!

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I have no idea what this was

Now, this is neat. It is a small cylindar that you place on your drone. if it decides that your UAV has failed it will jettison the parachute and safely bring your UAV to the ground

I have a movie that I will put online in a 4th blog post.

More point cloud pix processing

More UAVs

Epson UAV’s

I personally saw this UAV fly. It is VTOL and it works GREAT. Fully autonomous flight.

Simple to setup flights, simple to fly because the device makes all of the decisions. I really want one of these.

More UAV’s with the promise of business intelligence!

Google glasshole from brother. I guess the world does need this.

More UAV

Big UAV, but this is a printed magazine.

Okay, who could resist

taking a picture of themselves? Not me obviously! Proof of how hot I really am.

Sorry, I don’t know….

More LIDAR

More LIDAR, with a GIANT VTOL.

More VTOL

Go GIANT or go home.

More LIDAR

Big rotary with BIG LIDAR

More rotary UAV

More fixed wing UAV

more. more. more.

So, syrphus is a tricky way of spelling surface

This pair was videotaping a presentation.

Lufthansa Aerial Services

Drone Deploy: more pix, point cloud processing.

This is not the right VTOL design in my opinion.

20170927_114936

Services…

UAV flight planning software

microDrones: more uav

More UAV

Sad UAV

Wow: more GIANT rotary UAV

IMU modules.

More UAV

More fixed wing UAV

More (you guessed it) UAV

RotoKonzept: VTOL

More VTOL

Short and Fat: more UAV

There is only one name you need to know when considering rotary UAV and that is…

dji I believe that dji owns the rotary business. Completely.

20170927_115330

Spectral Imaging is pretty cool.

20170927_115400

dji UAV

more dji

more big dji

dji

dji

fixed wing, not vtol, rail launch

Cameras

multirotor: lots more rotary UAV

20170927_115546 20170927_115555

GermanDrones: UAV

20170927_115603 20170927_115609

more UAV

I think these guys use Terus for PPK on drones

20170927_115653

more UAV

20170927_115744

more UAV

more UAV

data radios for UAV

GIS software for tablet data collection

I think this is more VTOL

DroneX: more rotary UAV

Later we will see an actual drone port

Shandong is a big Chinese manufacturer who makes UAV’s

This is a really big UAV

20170927_115948

3-blades!

8-motors

Flydeo: folding arm rotary UAV

20170927_120037 20170927_120040

Italdron: more rotary UAV

on the way to the drone demo area

The drone port

do not touch, do not open.

This is a Volkswagen pickup. Do they sell these in the USA?

20170927_120650 20170927_120707 20170927_120711 20170927_120742 20170927_120833 20170927_121053 20170927_121646

Now for the important stuff: CURRYWURST. Hard to believe that this is not available in Salt Lake.

Lunch. Excellent.

Septentrio / Altus

The GIS receiver

It is always a GREAT day when you meet Sarah Winters! She showed me a lot of new features coming in the V6 of SurvCE

Carlson’s new mine scanner.

So, you drill a hole from the surface into a cavern. Then you push this into the hole, then the motorized head scans the cavity. It is like IP99

I will have a separate video section. This is the GEOSLAM booth which was pretty cool.

20170927_140331

Hard to resist photobombing Gavin

In the GINTEC booth I found this Geoelectron radio. Supposedly it has FCC certification. It is a nice package

GINTEC is a subbrand of Unistrong.

They sell the same receiver as Carlson, but with a BD970 engine.

Has bluetooth!

specs

Javad is looking great!

These are two new full-featured CORS stations from CHC, (back)

(front)

I love the Haufbrau Berlin, I love Germany too

Spetzel: wonderful

The combo plate

20170927_205953

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October 1, 2017 · 10:49 am

InterGEO 2017: Day 1

Tuesday 26 September 2017:

Disclosure, I have removed some photos to keep from upsetting some individuals. I don’t think that the general feeling is changed.

You can click on the pictures to get full sized images.

: The is the Subway entrance to the hall.

: I just love all these targets. This particular brand is distributed in the USA by Bernstein.

: There were some cool attachment methods for these rail prisms, magnetic bases.

: Stackable so you can shoot from both sides. These prisms have magnetic covers so you can leave them out in the elements. The covers actually have a special stick for removing and placing in high locations

: More pixel processing software, I think.

: This is a 1-watt Satel repeater with an integrated internal battery. This is one of the neatest things that I saw and I am going to stock them.

: Full data sheet for the 1-watt repeater

: Satel now has a 900 Mhz unlicensed module that is pin compatible with the UHF radio. I think this means that I can convert our 400 MHz UHF Base/Rover to 900 Mhz.

: The Satel Booth

: There are quite a few construction laser suppliers who are reselling similar equipment.

: More pixel processing.

: Drones with radars, sliding radars at crotch level. ?

: UAV’s with radar.

: Walk, drive fly LIDAR systems

: Big LIDAR

: Hexagon (Leica) has a HUGE booth

: Leica rail monitor

: I want GPR and big is better. For sure. This is a pretty big device. Hexagon purchased the maker last year.

: This is another Hexagon company

: Just amazing monuments, markers and accessories.

: More on GeoSLAM on a later day.

: I think this is a European network franchise.

: Taiwan GIS software developers. These guys are actually very nice and they have a great product.

: Carlson had a great booth this year, we will return later for more pictures of the new mining products. This is a pano shot, that is Louis Mullen walking toward me.

: GeoFennel is a reseller, those are ComNav receivers.

: This is the trading company that supplies David White with Site-Pro poles, accessories.

: This is the most unfortunate choice of names for a company at this show. Fuk-U-Da. Clearly there are no native English speakers at this Chinese supplier.

: So Hi-Target and SatLab are the same now. (So SatLab is a sub-brand of HiTarget.) HiTarget has a new rover that has a color OLED touchscreen. It is amazing small.

: Sokkia had a pretty large booth across the path from HiTarget.

: The HiTarget boat.

: Another rail monitor.

: Really expensive high-res cameras.

: Just amazing van conversions.

: This is a VW van.

: The van office is pretty nice.

: Your crew can be completing drawings while you drive to the next job.

: Geo++ present.

: IMU units

: I love this company. Covered them well last year.

: More amazing German survey accessories.

: OCAD was there

: Our neighbors ‘Juniper Systems’ had a nice booth. I like the orange carpet color.

: A Carlson competitor (I think.)

: More Juniper Systems.

: More processing software

: UniStrong is the parent company. I met XP the owner for just a second. Stonex and Hemisphere are ‘sub-brands’. More on these guys later.

: FOIF is part owned by UniStrong.

: Foif has a robot, but I don’t think it works and I never saw the device move under it’s own power.

: Pentax lives (kind-of). The Pentax GPS is an Altus device.

: Pentax UAV

: Point cloud processing software.

: Autodesk was there.

: GIS

: ComNav: So many of the ComNav guys are ex CHC guys and friends of mine. We can talk about their devices later.

: ComNav OEM boards

: 5D BIM

: Datumite

: Sensfly

: Bently

: Topcon had a big booth.

: FARO

: EMLID (more on this later)

: Kind of sad…

: More point cloud

: Big UAVs

: Did I mention I want GPR?

: This is the JAVAD booth. Big, open, approachable.

: More point cloud

: Mobile LIDAR

: Accessory company. But they also sell the collumators.

: FLIR

: More UAVs.

: Fujitsu

: More CAD

: CHC’s booth (was always packed)

: ESRI in German

: I think this was the Galileo satellite guys.

: EOS

: EOS (huge empty booth)

: Global Mapper. I talked with Dave for an hour about the old days of Delorme. The real company is BlueMarble but I think that Global Mapper is the primary product.

: More CAD

: More CAD

: More LIDAR

: Avenza was behind BlueMarble

: Pix4D

: GeoMax had a big booth (and it was a long way’s from the parent company Hexagon’s booth.)

: These look like great cable locators.

: More insanely nice van converstions.

: Rear facing office.

: Top quality drawers.

: So, I think this is a UAV company. But the name, the slogans are confusing.

: GINTEC is a sub brand of UniStrong. They sell the Carlson BRx GPS receiver with a Trimble engine

: More on GINTEC later.

: You have to stop at any booth with a tank in it.

: The Gods of NTRIP

: Sad CAD (sorry…)

: Orange CAD

: More on these guys later. They are the ones who put EVERYTHING on a UAV.

: More UAV

: More GIS software

: Okay, I admit these guys have big balls and they are great.

: Hasselblad’s booth is amazing.

: More GPS

: That’s Gavin, Alan and Ray (from Stonex) Ray has setup a large Stonex distribution network in the USA (about 40 distributors.) Stonex is fully owned by UniStrong and they have good pricing. Basically Stonex has turned the GNSS business in Europe upside-down.

: This is font and back of the Stonex base station.

: Cool GIS pocket receiver.

: Mark and Gavin

: John Deer’s NavCom has new receivers that are way different looking. Way different. I believe that they were not real, but just mockups.

: I think that Sanding is a sub-brand of one of the Chinese manufacturers.

: Ruide is a sub-brand of South? Or is it Hi-Target?

: TeXcel is not a Texas company. I think it is a sub-brand of South.

: Jeff from Lidar USA was there with the BriSIght guys from China.

: South’s new rover.

: South’s GPS based heading receiver.

: This is Harxon’s new radio module. Supposedly it is FCC certified.

: Backside.

: Sideside.

: I do not understand why the antenna connector is on the bottom of the receiver and the power connector is on the top. WTF?

: More LIDAR

: Riegl

: PPK and RTK manufacturer

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October 1, 2017 · 10:48 am

InterGEO 2017: Day 0

This year, InterGEO 2017 was in Berlin. I had a fantastic time. I luckily had plenty of time for sightseeing and some great meals. Not to spoil the rest of the pictures, but here is a picture of me at Hoffbrau Berlin:

20170927_194038

That is a 1-liter beer, it was perhaps the best beer I have ever drank and the food was even better. I can not wait to return.

For about $40 you can purchase a Bus/Subway pass that allows unlimited travel in Berlin for 1-week. So, I took the X9 (express bus) from the airport to the Zoo. It took about 13 minutes and dropped me off 200 meters from my hotel:

Walking around the hotel, I found this amazing vehicle. I think it might make a fantastic survey chariot:

Did a bunch of sightseeing Sunday and Monday, plus some business meetings.

I am going to add most all of the pictures that I took in three additional postings, one posting for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Unlike last year, I am going to try to add some meaningful comments to most of the pictures. I took a lot of pictures that were just overall booth shots, those won’t be detailed. But the booths that I found interesting will be commented.

These are my important take-aways:

Every surveyor should go to InterGEO once to see all the cool accessories and the overall size of the business. Europe is different, but until you see the size and complexity of the Leica, Trimble, UniStrong, ESRI, and other BigGuy booths; I don’t think you can have a good picture of the size of this bussiness.
If you think you have a good idea for the ‘UAV’ market, you need to temper your enthusiasm with the reality of how many REALLY BIG and small companies are already full in. If your name is not DJI, you probably are not going to be successful in the rotary business.
It is not that difficult to go to a show in Germany. My trip cost less than $1800 and I stayed in a very nice hotel, did a lot of expensive entertaining and sightseeing. I think I could have reined in my spending and kept the entire trip under $1200 which is less than I would spend on the Carlson convention in Maysville probably.

It may take me a few more days to post my pictures, stay tuned!

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Monthly Archives: October 2017

InterGEO 2017: A Few Videos

InterGEO 2017: Day 3

InterGEO 2017: Day 2

InterGEO 2017: Day 1

InterGEO 2017: Day 0

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