Optech Incorporated, the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced lidar and camera survey instruments, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the MAAPS 2011 Geospatial Excellence Award for Technology Innovation.  The award was given to the ALTM Aquarius, an innovative compact solution for mapping coastal and inland waterways. Compatible with the ALTM Gemini system, Aquarius collects simultaneous land and water-depth measurements, enabling wholly complete data sets that span the land/water interface. Designed as a complementary sensor to Optech’s full- featured lidar bathymetry systems, Aquarius provides depth information in relatively shallow water environments not previously accessible to conventional topographic mapping sensors alone.

“We’re delighted that the ALTM Aquarius was chosen as the winner in the MAPPS Technology Innovation category,” said Optech CEO Don Carswell. “The award demonstrates our leadership in lidar bathymetry and imaging. Optech has been developing sophisticated lidar bathymeters for over three decades now, and Aquarius reflects our ability to use our expertise in one area to support developments for our customers in another application space—in this case coastal terrain mapping. This award is a great encouragement for us as we continue to develop our next-generation coastal zone mapping and imaging lidars.”

About Optech Incorporated

Optech is the world leader in the development, manufacture and support of advanced lidar and imaging-based survey instruments. With operations and staff worldwide, Optech offers both standalone and fully integrated lidar and camera solutions in airborne terrestrial mapping, airborne laser bathymetry, mobile mapping, terrestrial laser scanning, mine cavity monitoring, and industrial process control, as well as space-proven sensors.

About MAPPS

Formed in 1982, MAPPS is the only national association exclusively comprised of private firms in the remote sensing, spatial data and geographic information systems field in the United States. The MAPPS membership spans the entire spectrum of the geospatial community, including Member Firms engaged in satellite and airborne remote sensing, surveying, photogrammetry, aerial photography, mobile mapping, LIDAR, building information models (BIM), 3D mapping, hydrography, bathymetry, charting, aerial and satellite image processing, GPS, and GIS data collection and conversion services. MAPPS also includes Associate Member Firms, which are companies that provide hardware, software, products and services to the geospatial profession in the United States and other firms from around the world. Independent Consultant Members are sole proprietors engaged in consulting in or to the geospatial profession, or provide a consulting service of interest to the geospatial profession.