SpatialNews Press Release
Contractor Uses LEICA GPS/GIS Systems
To Map Golf Course Irrigation Systems
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Site Data, Inc., a Florida-based company specializing in golf course
applications, has found Leica's GS50 to be a valuable tool for creating
accurate "as built" maps of golf course irrigation systems.
Mike Pignato, president of Site Data, explains, "Golf course superintendents
need good-quality drawings of the installed irrigation systems to ensure
that all of the areas receive adequate moisture and to perform needed
maintenance and repairs on the various pipes, valves and fittings. The
problem is that the 'as built' drawings from the field crews installing the
irrigation system are often considerably different from the original
blueprints from the system designers, since changes are often made during
installation. What we needed was a tool to produce maps of the installed
irrigation systems quickly, accurately and efficiently without disrupting
the flow of golfers playing the course."
"Originally, we tried using aerial photographs combined with field notes
from the installation crews, but the resulting maps were not of sufficient
information depth. Hiring professional surveyors to do the job was
impractical and too expensive, and the presence of surveying crews with
tripods to gather data would disrupt golfing on the course. So we decided
to go with a GPS-based solution, and after a careful evaluation of
competitive systems we chose the Leica GS50."
Pignato says that it typically takes two to three days for a data collector
to walk the course and locate all the sprinkler heads, pumps, pipes, valves
and other components of the irrigation system. A typical system involves
some 1,200 points of data. For each item, the user records the location and
attributes using codelists prepared in advance. The user can create or
modify codelists in the field, a facility that comes in handy when capturing
forgotten points on the fly. The raw data from the GS50 data acquisition
unit is taken to the office, where it is downloaded from a PCMCIA storage
card into Leica's GIS DataPRO software. The file is edited and corrected to
eliminate any obvious misalignments, and the DataPRO file is exported into
an AutoCAD software package for production of final drawings.
"The GS50 has helped cut the costs of gathering, maintaining and updating
the data," stated Pignato. "It provides an important competitive edge over
other companies and creates a new source of revenue for the company, since
old customers are coming back asking for their courses to be remapped by
Site Data using the new, more accurate technology."
Pignato reports that the GIS databases have additional uses. "We can refer
to our data and provide a wealth of information to the golf course
superintendent. For instance, if the superintendent wants to know the area
of the 18th fairway, it is a simple matter to retrieve the file and extract
the information. Likewise, we can easily calculate the volume of sand
needed to replenish a bunker or top-dress sand for tees and greens.
The Leica Geosystems GIS and Mapping Division, headquartered in Atlanta,
Georgia, is a leading provider of integrated end-to-end solutions for the
acquisition, processing and 3-D visualization of spatial data. The Division
encompasses the operations of ERDAS, Inc., and LH Systems, which were
acquired by Leica in April 2001, along with Leica's existing GPS/GIS and LIS
business groups.
Leica Geosystems, with worldwide headquarters in Heerbrugg, Switzerland,
develops, manufactures and markets systems for surveying, mapping and
position determination. The company, with 2,750 employees, has a turnover
of over 600 million Swiss francs and is listed on the Swiss Exchange. It is
structured in six divisions: Surveying and Engineering, GIS and Mapping,
Industrial Measurement, Special Products, Consumer Products and New
Businesses (Cyrax). Along with the Swiss facilities, the company also has
development and production subsidiaries in America and Asia and is
represented by 20 sales units and more than 100 representatives worldwide.
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Aug 23, 2001
Jun 26, 2002
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