Leica Geosystems Inc. today announced that Ayres Associates and Applied Ecological Services have jointly purchased the Leica RCD30 digital imaging camera. While Ayres and AES have extensive experience acquiring, processing, and using aerial imagery, the RCD30 purchase is a first 
for both, and the two Wisconsin-based firms plan to deploy it in a wide variety of projects from environmental assessment to engineering-grade mapping.
“Ayres and AES bring a unique combination of geospatial, engineering, and ecological sciences expertise that will enable the firms to offer innovative services to the market place,” said Jean Gardiner, General Manager of Leica Geosystems Geospatial Solutions. “The price of the RCD30 makes it an attractive choice for geospatial firms who are interested in providing their clients with a nice balance between project size and budget.”
Introduced by Leica Geosystems as a digital follow-on to its RC30 film cameras, the RCD30 is a medium-format digital imaging system developed for a variety of photogrammetric and remote sensing applications. The 60 MP single-camera-head design delivers co-registered, multispectral imagery in four bands of the spectrum (Red, Green, Blue, Near-Infrared). The sleek modular design allows the camera to fit easily in aircraft previously outfitted with film cameras, and the RCD30 integrates with many LiDAR sensors, including the Leica ALS series.
“Recommendations from digital camera owners and our experience with other Leica Geosystems equipment were key factors in our decision to buy the RCD30,” said Kirk Contrucci, Ayres Vice President of geospatial services. “And the ability to seamlessly integrate the RCD30 with a Leica LiDAR system in the future gives us added flexibility.”
“Another important reason we chose the Leica RCD30 was its co-registered four-band multispectral capabilities,” said Steven I. Apfelbaum, AES Founder and Senior Ecologist. “Multi-spectral imaging technology has allowed AES to do what ecologists have only dreamed of doing for many years – remote sensing and imaging of ecosystems using detailed measurements that could otherwise take weeks to collect in the field.”
Co-ownership of the new camera allows Ayres and AES to provide rapid mobilization and cost-effective aerial acquisition and image processing services to government agencies, non-profit organizations, land trusts and private-sector clients throughout North America.
“This digital camera will enable our firms to better serve our existing clients, while also opening up new markets to us,” said Ayres’ Contrucci, whose geospatial group has been a strong player in the mapping industry for more than 35 years.
“Ownership of the RCD30 will enable our firms to respond quickly to our client’s needs, adding a ‘just-in-time’ dimension that’s critical for capturing vegetation at specific stages in its growth, which usually offer only narrow windows of opportunity for acquisition,” said Apfelbaum.
Ayres Associates
Ayres is an employee-owned, multi-specialty engineering consulting firm that has served public and private clientele since its incorporation in 1959. The firm provides services in geospatial mapping and imagery; transportation, civil, structural, water resources, levee, and river engineering; energy corridors; architecture; environmental science; surveying; and grant and planning services. Its staff of almost 300 provides services from 13 offices in seven states, with corporate headquarters in Eau Claire, WI. Learn more atwww.ayresassociates.com
Applied Ecological Services
Established in 1978 and headquartered in Brodhead, WI, AES consulting and design services offer comprehensive, coordinated expertise in ecological science, sustainable civil engineering, landscape architecture, and GIS. Consulting and design services are supported by an experienced contracting division that implements on-the-ground ecological projects. These two divisions are backed by AES‘ in-house nursery – Taylor Creek Restoration Nurseries – one of the largest, most diverse native seed and plant nurseries in the U.S. This unique combination of in-house staff experience brings together critical aspects associated with implementing and designing ecological restoration and research projects. Learn more at www.appliedeco.com.
Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right
With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information. Those who use Leica Geosystems products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 3,500 employees in 28 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden.
