Teledyne Optech has released its Polaris terrestrial laser scanner, which automatically detects its location with a built-in GNSS receiver and selects the planned survey parameters for the site. Alternatively, operators can set up surveys in the field and resection/backsight the system using the menu-driven graphical user interface (GUI) on its touchscreen. The announcement was made at the SPAR 3D Conference... read more
Trimble has introduced its next-generation Trimble Indoor Mobile Mapping Solution (TIMMS) that produces fast and accurate maps of difficult-to-navigate indoor spaces and translates them directly into 2D and 3D models of structured interiors. TIMMS 2 is a fusion of technologies for capturing spatial data of indoor and other GNSS denied areas, the company said. It provides both lidar and spherical video, enabling... read more
u-blox has announced the ODIN-W160, a rugged multiradio module for demanding industrial, vehicle, medical, and security applications. “u-blox’ compact ODIN-W160 module is perfect for small sensor applications in rugged environments, where faultless operation 24/7 is a requirement,” says Herbert Blaser, vice president of short-range radio at u-blox. “With this module, u‑blox customers can shorten their product development cycle significantly by integrating a robust,... read more
Facebook has purchased Occulus, a virtual reality gaming startup, for $2 billion. “Today, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve joined forces with Facebook to create the best virtual reality platform in the world,” Occulus announced via a blog post. “Facebook understands the potential for VR,” the blog said. “Mark [Zuckerberg] and his team share our vision for virtual reality’s potential... read more
Google’s 3D mapping project, Project Tango, is putting prototypes into developers’ hands. Google has been collaborating with universities, research labs, and industrial partners in nine countries, to concentrate the past 10 years of research in robotics and computer vision into a mobile phone. “We now have prototypes ready to put into the hands of eager development partners that can help... read more
TomTom has begun a strategic partnership with indoor-mapping company Micello Inc., extending its range of mapping products to include indoor venues. Integrating Micello’s maps and venue content gives TomTom’s business customers access to accurate pedestrian friendly indoor maps with points of interest data in venues worldwide. “The indoor mapping functionality means that step-by-step guidance can be integrated into daily life... read more
Epson Electronics America has announced a strategic partnership with Geodetics Incorporated of San Diego, California, for production of a new variant of its Geo-iNAV product. According to the announcement, Geo-iNAV is a fully-integrated GPS-aided inertial navigation system that provides real-time, high-precision positioning and navigation for manned and unmanned air, sea and ground vehicles. It combines GPS and proprietary sensor fusion... read more
The global market for location-based applications is poised for rapid growth, as the mass adoption of global positioning system (GPS)-enabled smartphones is encouraging developers to introduce numerous advanced applications, says market research agency Frost & Sullivan. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that indoor connectivity, augmented reality, big data and wearable devices are the key technology trends likely to fuel the... read more
Google announced a new professional mapping tool, Google Maps Engine Pro, which lets businesses visualize their data on a map. By importing data like addresses, names, office locations and sales leads from various file formats onto a map, businesses can edit, analyze and share their information in a simple format. Google Maps Engine Pro can be as easy to use as... read more
