The Foundation Geographical Information Institute (FGII) of Shanxi Province, China, recently introduced new technology – Topcon IP-S2 Mobile Survey System – in the region.

Mr. Wu Boyi, deputy director of Shanxi FGII, said, “To my knowledge, we are the first entity to introduce a vehicle-mounted mobile survey system in our country. As an exclusive publisher of maps, cityscape models and other geographical information of Shanxi province, we needed to utilize this new technology to revolutionize our workflow in order to meet the exploding demand for our products.”

Incorporating around-the-corner sensing technologies such as high-precision GNSS receivers, IMU (inertial measurement unit), vehicle wheel encoders, 360° digital video camera and laser scanners, “The IP-S2 offers high-speed, cost-effective 3D spatial data collection solutions,” said Mr. Osamu Hoshida, Topcon Corporation’s special adviser for the mobile surveying and mapping technologies.

Mr. Wu said, “Most of the detailed maps in our region (specified maps and analyzers) are available to licensed surveyors only, and the maps for general public often have incomplete information. We have an ambitious plan to create new web-based digital maps that provide the general citizen with additional values. For these goals, we were looking for the most effective surveying technologies and the IP-S2 was exactly the one we needed.”

Mr. Hoshida said, “The IP-S2 will provide an ideal solution to increase the data collection efficiency. It is our pleasure to be able to support the creator of new digital maps and geographical information databases that will certainly benefit the Chinese society.”

The IP-S2 system was delivered to Shanxi FGII in January 2010. A number of government officers attended the delivery ceremony held at their premises. Mr. Niu Laiyou, director general of Shanxi Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, and Mr. Qin Yanping, director of Shanxi FGII, welcomed Topcon executives including Mr. Norio Uchida, director and managing executive officer of Topcon Corporation, and Mr. Zou Xiguang, representative of Topcon Beijing office.

Shanxi Bureau of Surveying and Mapping recently established the first and only training center in Asia specialized for the 3D mobile surveying and mapping technologies, in cooperation with Beijing Topcon Business & Trading Limited (BTBT), a Topcon distributor. At the opening ceremony of this facility, Mr. Wu Boyi and Mr. Ni Han, vice president of BTBT, confirmed their common goal to revolutionize the surveying and mapping industry in China by implementing next generation mobile data collection technology.