Global Geomatics is set to revolutionise the survey market in Africa following the purchase of a StreetMapper mobile laser mapping system. It is the first system of its kind to be operational in Africa and will provide Global Geomatics with a competitive advantage with a world-leading rapid surveying capability.

Global Geomatics is a multidisciplinary geomatics company specialising in the provision of geographic data to support engineers, planners, government departments and utility companies. The acquisition of the StreetMapper system will compliment existing capabilities in the fields of aerial mapping, underground detection and 3D laser imaging.

“We are proud to set the standard for the geomatics industry,” commented Altus Strydom, managing director of Global Geomatics. “We were the first survey company in Africa to adopt satellite positioning (GPS), the first to embrace geographical information systems (GIS) and one of the first to purchase a static laser scanner. The acquisition of the StreetMapper mobile mapping system will help us maintain this position and continue to offer our international client base a first class service and best possible value for money.”

StreetMapper 360, which is a joint development between UK-based 3D Laser Mapping and German-based guidance and navigation specialist IGI, has been specifically designed for the rapid 3D mapping of infrastructure, mines, highways, railways and buildings. Using vehicle-mounted lasers offering a 360° field of view StreetMapper enables high precision mapping to a range of 300m, a capacity of 300,000 measurements per second per sensor and recorded accuracies in independent real world projects of better than 10mm.

Travelling at speeds of up to 70km/hr StreetMapper can capture every detail along a route including workings, plant, overhead wires and building facades, helping surveyors to create highly accurate 3D computer models for planning, maintenance and incident management.