November 02, 2009 -- Picayune, MS – Aerotec, LLC is pleased to introduce its second-generation airborne LIDAR-based mapping product for identifying and locating vegetation in the vicinity of electric power transmission rights-of-way that presents a significant risk to the operation of the transmission lines’ conductors. A featured component of the vegetation management product is a handheld unit that provides the utility forester with the capability to measure, locate, analyze, and report the vegetation violation on-the-spot, with a two-second response time, using a single-shot of the handheld unit’s laser rangefinder.

Using AeroTec’s 3-D models of the rights-of-way, the utility forester is able to use and re-use the right-of-way models with the handheld unit to re-inspect, conduct on-site analysis, map, and report on vegetation violations well into the future.

“With this product, we have realized our goal of adding long-term future value to the initial airborne LIDAR data capture, modeling, analysis, and mapping of electric power transmission vegetation violations inventory results,” stated Jim Dow of AeroTec.

Aerotec’s handheld unit is based on the TOPCON GRS-1 unit integrated with the Laser Technology TruPulse 360 laser rangefinder. Aerotec’s proprietary software for this application produces GIS-compatible (shape-file) results to provide the end-user with complete vegetation violation inventory maps both inside and outside the transmission right-of-way based on an initial airborne LIDAR data capture and processing operation.

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Aerotec, LLC is a value-added services company that uses state-of-the-art airborne remote sensing (data capture) and data analysis technologies to provide topographic maps and models to its customers throughout North America. Aerotec's primary technologies include Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR/laser-scan), digital photography, proprietary and commercial (off-the-shelf) software, and specialized engineering analysis packages. AeroTec is a member of the EIGS geospatial technology cluster of the University of Mississippi. For more information, visit www.aerotecusa.com.