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GPS Laser Offsets

Easily collecting accurate GNSS / RTK data.

Challenges to capturing data

GNSS receivers in mapping are powerful tools, and there are times when even the best tools have limitations. Receivers are designed to compute the location of the antennas, requiring you to occupy a location in order to accurately map a feature. This is not always safe or practical when positioning features such as a manhole in the middle of the street or features which are on private property. Trees, steep terrain or high-rise buildings are also obstructions that block satellite signals.

 

Offsets: Making the job easier and safer

Measure distance offsets to features by recording both a GPS position and an associated distance and direction to the object of interest in a challenging location.

For example, to record the attributes of a tower that is on the other side of a steep, narrow ravine, use the offset capability to stand and record the position at one side of the ravine then simply record the offset to the tower on the other side. Integrate a laser rangefinder and an electronic compass (providing distance, inclination and azimuth) with your GIS data collection system and eliminate the need to physically occupy every point. Reduce the time and risk involved in gathering field data with laser offsets.

Our TruPulse® laser rangefinders measure vertical angles and horizontal distance, providing highly accurate positioning for 2D data. The addition of an azimuth measurement enables accurate 3D data when needed for your project. LaserGIS® is our term for the offset mapping practices that TruPulse rangefinders can perform.

Streamline your Field Data Collection

By combining TruPulse laser rangefinders with one of many popular GIS data collection apps, you can streamline your field data collection workflows. We’ve made it easy to integrate a TruPulse laser seamlessly into practically any system and workflow.

Benefits of Offsets in GPS Data Collection
  • Collect data easily in GNSS-challenged environments
  • Decrease safety liabilities in dangerous situations
  • Reduce traverse time to objects and total time on site
  • Record distance offsets and attributes for hundreds of features from a single vantage point
Examples of Laser Offset Mapping Applications
  • Objects located in steep terrain
  • Safe recording of data near busy highways
  • Manholes and other features located in the middle of the street
  • When the GNSS signal is blocked by buildings or trees
  • Features which are on private property

LaserGIS Mapping Success Stories

Modern Mapping Project at Woodland Park Zoo

"For lead gardener Dann Block, large trees, exhibit structures, and zoo animals such as lions proved to be significant obstacles to collecting data points for GIS mapping." Insert LaserGIS, and the rest is history.

TruPulse 200X helps map assets in Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo

Timmons Group Joint Use Inventory

"Timmons Group Project Manager, Dylan Sheets, knew this project would require specific equipment that could not only handle these challenges, but also work in the sometimes-difficult environments." Sheets turns to LaserGIS with a TruPulse 200X and accomplishes the mission with ease.

Laser offset mapping saves time and money for inventory project

Rahway NJ Updates Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater System Records

"A TruPulse 200X Laser Rangefinder from Laser Technology, Inc. allowed a GIS technician to capture [about 130] storm drain locations from a safe distance off the highway while retaining accuracy."

LaserGIS keeps NJ mapping project fast, safe, and accurate

More about systems we connect with.

Eos® Laser Mapping Integration

Eos Positioning Systems, Inc.® (Eos) is the world’s leading provider of GPS/GNSS receivers for the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) market and the first to integrate with Esri® ArcGIS® Field Maps to allow for laser offsets. Eos brings you affordable, high-accuracy Bluetooth® GPS (GNSS) location to any smart device and provides submeter, sub-foot, and centimeter accuracy.

Arrow Series® GNSS Receivers

Arrow Series® receivers provide survey-grade or submeter positioning via Bluetooth® to any iOS®, Android or Windows device running a data-collection app. The newer Arrow Gold+™ and Arrow 100+™ (plus models) GNSS receivers offer additional GNSS support and have the Eos Bridge Bluetooth® connector built-in.

Eos Tools Pro

Eos Tools Pro is a monitoring utility for the Arrow Series™ receivers from Eos. Eos Tools Pro provides advanced GNSS information such as RMS values, PDOP, Differential Status, and Satellites Tracked and Used, which are critical for submeter and centimeter GIS and Surveying data collection. It is also what makes laser mapping possible within the Esri ArcGIS Field Maps app.

Eos Bridge™

Want to connect a TruPulse 200 or 360° model to an Apple device? The Eos Bridge is a Bluetooth® connector that makes it happen by connecting to our laser rangefinder and your iOS device. Your offset and dimension data can then flow directly into your iOS app, such as Eos Tools Pro.

RTK Laser Mapping

Enhance your ArcGIS Field Maps workflow efficiency with laser integration and maintain RTK-level accuracy where you traditionally have not been able to before. Help eliminate mistakes by capturing accurate dimensional measurements and automatically entering them in as attribute data.

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Esri ArcGIS® Field Maps

Esri® is the global market leader in GIS and was founded to help solve some of the world’s most difficult problems by supporting their users’ important work with a commitment to science, sustainability, community, education, research, and positive change. Esri supports organizations everywhere with the most powerful mapping and spatial analytics technology available that helps drive collaboration, innovation, and digital transformation in communities around the globe.

Every day more fieldworkers are using mobile smart devices to capture and edit data. ArcGIS® Field Maps is a mobile data collection app that makes it easy to capture accurate asset data. Need to map assets in GNSS-impaired areas? Check out the Eos Arrow + TruPulse! Watch the video to see it in action.

ArcGIS® Marketplace: Laser Tech TruPulse® Rangefinders for Mapping Assets

Release Ready Specialty

Partners in the Release Ready Specialty have industry expertise and solutions, services or content offerings for the ArcGIS system, and are ready to help you leverage the latest capabilities.

ArcGIS Marketplace Provider

View Laser Tech’s Marketplace Page.

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Trimble®

Trimble® and Laser Tech have been business partners for years. Their integrated solutions allow customers to collect, manage, and analyze complex information faster and easier. With Trimble’s advanced positioning solutions, productivity increases and safety improves, especially when LTI lasers are used.

Trimble® Geospatial Mapping Software Solutions

Trimble provides a variety of software solutions that are pre-integrated with laser offset functions that allow users to collect features and attribute data from one position.

Trimble® TerraFlex™

Trimble® TerraFlex™ software is a flexible and easy-to-use cloud-based solution for field data collection. This software streamlines your GIS data collection, updates tasks, and delivers high accuracy positioning when you need it. Remote feature capture functionality embedded directly into the TerraFlex app simplifies the offset mapping workflow and enables you to accurately capture features in more places easily and safely.

NEW: Capture Remote features using the TruPulse® series laser rangefinders.

Users can capture the location of multiple assets from one place for efficient data collection.

Users can overcome physically inaccessible, hazardous or poor GNSS environments using the TerraFlex software and LTI TruPulse lasers.

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Leica Geosystems

Leica Zeno Mobile Laser Integration and Software Solutions

Leica Geosystems and Laser Tech team together to provide a field data collection solution. Professionals have been measuring offset points with earlier Leica Zeno software applications, and with the new release of the Leica Zeno Mobile app for Android™, you can continue to pair our TruPulse laser rangefinders for streamlined asset collection workflows.

  • Leica Zeno Mobile is a complete tool for data capture with the simplicity of an Android app. With an outstanding intuitive way of data collection, managing assets has never been so simple
  • New: Professionals can measure offset points quickly and simply using a single distance measurement, distance-distance or distance-bearing workflow
  • Access hard-to-reach and dangerous points (highways, rivers, dams) using offset measurements with the TruPulse laser rangefinder series
  • The first app in the market that can measure multiple features with only a single measurement. This saves time and assures topologic requirements are met

Downloads:

Bad Elf Flex® Laser Offset Workflows

Bad Elf offers trailblazing, survey-grade receivers that deliver flexible accuracy at highly affordable prices. Bad Elf’s Flex® receivers empower GIS and survey professionals to collect high-accuracy field data using any phone, tablet, or laptop.

Pair a Flex receiver with TruPulse laser rangefinders to perform laser offset workflows within Esri ArcGIS Field Maps, or use Bad Elf’s standalone app as an alternative. The Bad Elf Flex app seamlessly integrates the Bad Elf Flex receiver with TruPulse laser rangefinders for laser offset collection workflows that use a unique checklist-based approach to deliver flexible field choices to work crews of all skill levels.

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Other 3rd Party GIS Software/App Solutions

LTI’s TruPulse laser rangefinder is compatible and integrates with a number of 3rd party GIS software solutions, making your job quicker and easier. We have put together a few Quick Reference Guides to walk you through the integration steps.

Downloads:

LaserGIS Mapping Method 1 of 3

Range-Azimuth Offset Mapping Method

Laser Tech’s TruPulse 360R *discontinued as of May 2022*

Technical Setup: Your preferred GNSS receiver, Laser Tech’s TruPulse 360°/360°R Rangefinder, mobile tablet with TruPulse integrated data collection software running

Procedure: log your GPS location, use the 360° rangefinder to start mapping assets

Key advantage: one shot per asset

LaserGIS Mapping Method 2 of 3

Range-Range Offset Mapping Method

Laser Tech’s TruPulse 200X laser rangefinder

Technical Setup: Your preferred GNSS receiver, Laser Tech’s TruPulse 200X Rangefinder, mobile tablet with TruPulse integrated data collection software running

Procedure: log position 1 and use the 200X rangefinder to range your asset, move to position 2, log position 2 and use the 200X to range the asset a second time

Key advantage: available for crews of all sizes

LaserGIS Mapping Method 3 of 3

Range-Angle Offset Mapping Method

Laser Tech’s TruPulse 200X & MapStar TruAngle

Technical Setup: Your preferred GNSS receiver, Laser Tech’s TruPulse 200X Rangefinder, Laser Tech’s MapStar® TruAngle® encoder, mobile tablet with TruPulse integrated data collection software running

Procedure: Log position one, move to position 2, use the MapStar TruAngle to establish your angle from position 1, use the 200X rangefinder to map your asset(s)

Key advantage: most accurate method

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