Strong Emphasis on R&D in Lidar

Since its 1974 ‘spin-off’ from the Physics Department of York University in Toronto, Optech has grown to become a world leader in the development, manufacture and sale of advanced laser-based instruments and products incorporating pulsed, time-of-flight laser radar (Lidar) systems. Strong emphasis on R&D has led to these being applied in a wide range of applications. The company has received awards for business excellence, innovation, R&D and university collaboration.

您的公司在员工数量和市场份额方面有多大，您的主要客户是谁，您的客户基数如何分布在大陆上？

With over two hundred staff members, the company has a leading international position in the development and manufacture of Lidar systems for surveying, imaging and space applications. Our brands include ALTM, ILRIS, CMS, and SHOALS Lidar systems. We have a wide customer-base that includes surveying, mining and industrial corporations, research institutes and government agencies all over the world. Our products are used in well over a hundred countries. Our clients vary, based on type of application, such as space-borne, airborne, ground-based or under-
ground. Some internationally recognised customers of note are NASA, the Japan Coast Guard, US Army Corp of Engineers, the FBI, UK Environmental Agency, GeoKosmos, Swiss Photo, and TopScan GmbH.

您的（国际）国家分销网络如何组织，包括您的售后服务？

The organisation of our distribution network truly depends on the application. In some areas we sell directly to service providers or end-users. In other areas we support a dealer/reseller network which in turn sells to end-clients. Currently we provide an international 24/7 customer support network called ‘Optech Services’ for our ALTM product-line, in addition to a European Service Center to support our ILRIS line of products: support that many other manufacturers do not have the ability or commitment to maintain.

您为陆地应用生产哪些LIDAR产品？

我们为多种应用生产许多LiDAR产品。我们的陆地空降调查系统领导着激光雷达行业以扫描飞行时间的地面冲浪技术，并广泛用于城市规划，Powerline，管道，管道和走廊映射应用程序中。我们的基于地面的工业和3D成像产品包括我们的ILRIS 3D和ILRIS 36D产品线，它们非常适合采矿，历史保存/娱乐和犯罪现场调查等应用。Sentinel和Sentry产品线也包括在该专业领域。这些产品将LIDAR技术应用于将监视器和对象定位器进行平整，并广泛用作工业激光测量解决方案。我们的腔监测系统（CMS）填补了我们的工业产品产品，并设计用于采矿业务，在安全性和生产量的测量中，优先级最高。

What is your involvement in marine and space applications?

Our Marine Airborne Survey products enable survey in up to 50 meters of water and are specifically designed for applications such as coastline mapping, disaster management and object detection. The LARSEN system was the world's first operational airborne Lidar bathymeter, used for precise measurements of underwater marine topography. Playing a major role in advancing Lidar space applications, we developed together with our space partner MDA the first Canadian satellite-borne Lidar as part of the US Air Force XSS-11 mission. Our Space Division also designs products that are used to explore other worlds and enable humans to continue that exploratory journey. Our Lidar has been selected for inclusion in the NASA Mars Phoenix mission in 2007. This will be the first Lidar to operate on the surface of Mars and it will provide new information on the Martian atmosphere. We also collaborate in the development of space-based systems for spacecraft tracking and docking and precision planetary mapping and landing.

How do you see the future of Lidar technology in relation to the rapid developments going on in the GIS domain and the ‘democratisation of geo-information’?

近年来，涉及LiDAR系统开发和应用的技术已经迅速扩展，清楚地表明将来取得了重大进步。激光雷达（LiDar）证明了为GIS域中发生的发展提供额外贡献的高潜力。LIDAR提供快速，远程感知的3D信息高精度信息的能力将发现增加的应用，尤其是与其他集成的协同作用
remote-sensing instrumentation.

What technological developments do you expect in Lidar technology over the coming decade?

我们的LIDAR系统基于对激光，扫描仪，探测器和高速，宽动态范围电子产品的最新最先进技术的优化。他们还需要利用小型快速计算机和高容量数据存储系统的最新功能。对于许多应用程序，需要高分辨率位置（GPS）和方向（IMU）信息。所有这些技术都在快速发展，这些技术将有助于激光雷达系统的不断增长的能力。

Who do you consider to be your main (inter)national competitors?

我们国际竞争对手的性质和位置取决于特定的激光雷达应用。这些竞争对手包括一些主要的调查仪器公司，他们现在看到LiDAR对机载和表面映射应用的价值。188asia备用网址竞争技术包括摄影测量，超声波和声感应。在许多应用中，需求是确定LiDAR出色能力显而易见的市场部门。一开始，与潜在用户的密切合作非常有用，以确保LIDAR系统的最佳设计。

What are the prospects for the Lidar market in the rapid emerging economies of China and India? What are the prospects for Africa and South America?

我们的团队与全球范围内的客户合作，调查，映射和3D成像的需求量很高。我们预计所有这些地区都有丰富的增长机会和巨大的前景。我们最近庆祝了我们在中国的首次ALTM销售，并希望在未来几个月内有几次。在我们的某些产品类别中，我们在中国出售了40多个激光雷达系统。目前，我们在印度，巴西以及泛亚和南美国家的许多其他地点都有客户。我们目前在非洲和南美拥有ALTM客户。我们的其他一些部门也在所有这些国家 /地区都渗透了市场，并计划将来增加销售额。我们将继续在所有这些地区销售LiDAR系统，并扩展到LiDAR技术将是有价值的新市场。

您是否与大学和研究机构合作以改进和创新产品 - 请详细说明？

Since its inception Optech has had a high level of activity in research and development. Everything that we sell has been developed in-house and in close collaboration with associated research and user communities. We have very high-tech staff holding advanced graduate degrees. For example, we have at present 66 staff members with doctorate and master’s degrees in science, engineering and business. This allows us to interact easily and effectively with collaborators in universities and research institutes. Our major strength is the advanced state-of-the-art expertise that we have in the full range of Lidar-related technologies. As a result, our Lidar system capabilities have followed the leading edge of these technologies. As well as having the technical know-how, we have placed high priority on working closely with customers and potential Lidar users to ensure that we develop innovative systems specifically designed to meet the needs of the particular application. As part of our international interactions we have supported a variety of universities, providing scholarships, laboratory facilities and equipment.

Where do you want to be five years from now?

Our future is based on developing an expanding suite of Lidar instrumentation that offers high-level cost-effectiveness for our customers, along with increasing technical capabilities. With the rapid advances in both the technology and market applications, we see significant growth for Optech as a leading Lidar-systems provider in the coming five years. A significant portion of our revenue continues to be returned to fund our ongoing R&D projects to help us to remain at the forefront of this technology. We actively listen to the feedback of our customers and other key leaders within the industry to ensure that we meet their needs, not only of today but those of future generations. As the pioneer in applied Lidar we feel it is our duty to work with Lidar governing bodies within the industry to help establish industry standards needed to ensure that end-users can expect a quality end-product at all times. They should be able to expect consistent results while being able to compare core competencies consistently from manufacturer to manufacturer.