Geospatial Systems, Inc. (GSI), a Rochester, NY-based company, designs and produces electro-optical, infrared and radar sensor products and solutions for the commercial, security and defense markets. GSI’s TerraPix, which includes a range of metric sensors (e.g., full-frame, interline, multi-spectral and thermal IR sensors), is a common platform for custom solutions tailored to the airborne survey and mapping, asset management, and tactical intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) markets.

TerraPix systems are based on the concept of modular building blocks that can be customized to meet the specific needs of each client. This approach was adopted to address the growing demand from customers for systems that could provide reliable high-resolution capabilities for airborne environments without the downside of added weight and high costs. The systems integrate with other pre-existing user programs, which allows customers to keep costs down by obviating their need to purchase additional compatible programs.

Recently, the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) was tasked with providing detailed images of the disaster areas in Haiti. Funded by the World Bank, RIT’s Wildfire Airborne Sensing Program (WASP) camera system was tasked by multiagency government and NGO organizations to fly the most devastated areas of Haiti. For seven straight days, RIT and Kucera International flew the WASP system in combination with LIDAR over Port au Prince and surrounding areas, collecting tens of thousands of high-resolution images of over 250 square miles.

Donald M. McKeown, RIT’s Project Manager, said, “The imagery captured by the GSI sensor is one of the highest-quality datasets, according to the users, and the sensor performed flawlessly, enabling the collection of over 1 TB of imagery data co-registered with LIDAR data in a very short period of time. This enabled the rapid production of accurate 3D maps to help first responders, rescue teams and military and civilian aid groups. Our imagery is now being shared across the disaster response community.”

In 2009, working with the Center for Emerging & Innovative Sciences (CEIS), RIT received funding from the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) to integrate GSI’s KCM-11 Metric Camera with the existing WASP camera system for a program called Airborne Sensing System for Near-Real-Time Emergency Response to support emergency response demonstration flights for Monroe County. The expectations for “demonstration” emergency response flights turned into an actual operational emergency scenario when called upon by the World Bank to support response efforts in Haiti.

2. How was Geospatial Systems created? Can you describe the relationships and collaborative efforts that were involved in bringing the technology to market?

Geospatial Systems, Inc. was created in 2005 through the merger of Pixel Physics, Inc. and Analux, Inc. Pixel Physics began in 1999 as an R&D company in Rochester, and their customers included Bausch & Lomb, Vistakon, Xenogen and Applanix, a leading provider of airborne navigation and imaging systems. After delivering over 120 medium-format camera systems to Applanix, GSI designed a next-generation medium-format system with features specifically designed for airborne applications, such as kinematic mounts, athermal metric lenses and field replaceable shutter. This was just the right fit for Leica Geosystems AG (Leica), who needed a frame camera to pair with its leading ALS line of LIDAR sensors.

We then proceeded to manufacture the systems for Leica under an exclusive arrangement for the commercial market. During the same period, GSI acquired the exclusive manufacturing rights to the well-known and accepted Duncantech 3CCD multi-spectral camera. The MS-4100 and its predecessors have enjoyed broad acceptance as a high-quality, multi-spectral camera product for use in a range of specialized applications requiring true multi-spectral capabilities and performance. GSI has since extended several new 3-, 4- and 5-band configurations, and also introduced the KCM-MS, which provides all the traditional benefits in a configuration more suited for delivering improved metric performance for airborne applications. Also, key to our TerraPix offering is our DGX Framework, which is now available as a new release with support for the multi-spectral and thermal infrared camera modules and, most importantly, has an extensible architecture and is portable to FPGA and DSP technology.

3. Would you briefly describe Geospatial Systems’ business plan?

GSI’s plan, moving forward, will include growth in three primary areas: 1) expanding on its success in the commercial airborne survey and mapping market by serving additional OEM customers and providing turnkey solutions directly to end-users for airborne survey and mapping; 2) continued development of major opportunities in the rapid-growing market for Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) solutions, which leverage GSI’s core engineering, manufacturing and systems capabilities; and 3) extending GSI’s reach in the overall value chain of EO/IR systems, including electronics integration and image processing for next-generation systems in our key markets of mapping and ISR, but also in markets for industrial and scientific applications.

4. What is the current status of Geospatial Systems?

In the past year, GSI has been making excellent progress on all three fronts, and we expect continued progress in each throughout 2011. For example, GSI recently entered into an exclusive distribution agreement for its multi-spectral camera product with Sprint Scientific Co., Ltd., which allows its products to be used in the People’s Republic of China; and additional distribution agreements are forthcoming for other key regions of the world. Also, during the last year, we delivered our first multi-sensor TerraPix configuration, which included our multi-spectral and thermal infrared camera modules with our TerraPix DGX Control Framework, which provides camera control, integration with Inertial Navigation Systems, and image pre-processing capabilities. There are several other wins that will be announced over the next quarter, which demonstrate continued progress towards our plan. Finally, we continue to look for the right opportunities for our QUPID Ultra-Wide-Band Radar sensor technology for perimeter intrusion detection applications.

5. Who is on the Geospatial Systems team?

CEO, Maxime Elbaz
CTO, Kevin Kearney
VP Engineering, William Kent
VP Operations, Randy Olson
Acting CFO, Laurel Purdy
Director Sales & Marketing, Barry Cross

For more information about Geospatial Systems, Inc., please visit http://www.geospatialsystems.com/ or call 585-259-5277 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              585-259-5277      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

The original  NYSTAR Technology Law Center Innovation e-Review Newsletter: Company Spotlight on GSI can be accessed at http://nysstlc.syr.edu/Newsletter/companyspotlight/GSI/default.aspx

Max Elbaz, CEO of GSI said, “We are pleased to help Northrop Grumman deliver on this important project within a very short timeline. This demonstrates that GSI’s TerraPix Systems enable rapid deployment, integration and production with a diverse range of LIDAR, inertial navigation systems, and photogrammetric workflow processing environments.”

About Geospatial Systems, Inc.:
Geospatial Systems, Inc., a Rochester NY based company, designs and produces Electro-Optical, Infrared and Radar Sensor products and solutions for the commercial, security and defense markets. TerraPix, which includes the DGX Framework software and range of metric multi-spectral and thermal IR sensors, is a common platform for custom solutions tailored to the Airborne Survey & Mapping, Asset Management, and Tactical Intelligence Reconnaissance and Surveillance (ISR) markets. For more information about Geospatial Systems, Inc. please visit http://www.geospatialsystems.com/, or call 585-427-8310 x213.

GSI is the exclusive manufacturer of MS-4100 Multi-Spectral Cameras, which are based on a patented, single aperture multi-spectral camera design. The MS-4100 and its predecessors have enjoyed broad acceptance as quality, multi-spectral camera products for use in a broad range of applications; and the current MS-4100 systems continue to be the choice for specialized applications requiring true multi-spectral capabilities and performance. The MS-4100 design incorporates three (3) CCD imaging sensors, along with a Wavelength Separating Prism and Compensating Optics. The systems are available in Standard & Custom Spectral Configurations of 3, 4 or 5 Bands within the 400-1000 nm spectral range.

“GSI is pleased to announce our agreement with Spring Scientific which will ensure that GSI and our MS-4100 multi-spectral camera participate in this very large and rapidly growing market.” said Maxime Elbaz, CEO, Geospatial Systems, Inc. “With 15 regional offices, Spring has excellent geographical reach, as well as the broad vertical market knowledge required to successfully represent the MS-4100 product.”

In addition to scientific and industrial applications, the MS-4100 is also used extensively for airborne mapping applications. Like GSI’s TerraPix KCM metric camera modules, the MS-4100 is also available as the ruggedized KCM-MS; and the systems are plug-and-play compatible with the TerraPix DGX Control Framework which provides camera control, INS integration and image pre-processing capabilities for airborne mapping applications. The TerraPix Platform, enables configurable camera configurations for oblique or nadir imaging, including multi-sensor solutions which combine multi-spectral, high-resolution panchromatic, and/or long-wave thermal infrared modules into affordable, yet powerful solutions.

About Geospatial Systems, Inc.:
GSI, a Rochester NY based company, designs and produces Electro-Optical, Infrared and Radar Sensor products and solutions for the commercial, security and defense markets. TerraPix, which includes a range of metric sensors including full-frame, interline, multi-spectral and thermal IR sensors, is a common platform for custom solutions tailored to the Airborne Survey & Mapping, Asset Management, and Tactical Intelligence Reconnaissance and Surveillance (ISR) markets. For more information about Geospatial Systems, Inc. please visit http://www.geospatialsystems.com/, or call 585-427-8310 x213.

About Spring Scientific Co., Ltd:
Spring Scientific Co., Ltd, is a leading provider of equipment, supplies, and services for the scientific research and manufacturing equipment markets. The company combines cutting-edge technologies with efficient and reliable customer service to build successful, long-term relationships with the scientific community. With offices and sales personnel in a total of 15 offices including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, Spring Scientific is well positioned to offer excellent service to new and expanding manufacturing facilities, academic institutions and scientists. For more information about Spring Scientific Co. please visit, www.springsci.com.cn. Customers in China who would like to receive GSI product information are invited to contact their regional Spring Scientific office.

Beijing: Ms. Yuan Ge Phone: (86) 10-83659576 Email: ge_yuan@springsci.com.cn
Shanghai: Ms. Shirley Zhang Phone: (86) 21 64825207 Email: zhang_xiaoyan@springsci.com.cn
Guangzhou: Mr. George Lee Phone: (86) 20－38310176 Email: li_xiaoyong@springsci.com.cn

Funded by the World Bank, RIT’s Wildfire Airborne Sensing Program (WASP) camera system was tasked by multiagency government and NGO organizations to fly the most devastated areas of Haiti.  For seven straight days, RIT and Kucera International flew the WASP system in combination with LIDAR over Port au Prince and surrounding areas collecting tens of thousands of high resolution images of over 250 square miles.

“The imagery captured by the GSI sensor is one of the highest quality datasets according to the users, and the sensor performed flawlessly, enabling the collection of over 1 TB of imagery data co-registered with LIDAR data in a very short period of time. This enabled the rapid production of accurate 3D maps to help first responders, rescue teams and military and civilian aid groups. Our imagery is now being shared across the disaster response community”, said Donald M. McKeown, RIT’s Project Manager.

Max Elbaz, CEO of GSI said “We are very pleased to be associated with the RIT relief effort, and that our metric camera system enabled the RIT team to accomplish its mission with such excellent results. There is no better testament to the capabilities of GSI’s TerraPix products than to be deployed successfully on such a rigorous Emergency Response operation. This is a great example of government, education and industry collaboration, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with RIT, CEIS and NYSTAR.”

In 2009, working with the Center for Emerging & Innovative Sciences (CEIS), RIT received funding from the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), to integrate GSI’s KCM-11 Metric Camera with the existing WASP camera system for a program called Airborne Sensing System for Near Real-time Emergency Response to support emergency response demonstration flights for Monroe County. The expectations for “demonstration” emergency response flights turned into an actual operational emergency scenario when called upon by the World Bank to support response efforts in Haiti.

Detailed information regarding the emergency response effort can be accessed at the Information Products Laboratory for Emergency Response (IPLER) site at http://ipler.cis.rit.edu/projects/haiti. IPLER is an NSF Partnership for Innovation between the RIT’s Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science (CIS) and the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) at the University of Buffalo.

About Geospatial Systems, Inc.
Geospatial Systems, Inc., a Rochester NY based company, designs and produces Electro-Optical, Infrared and Radar Sensor products and solutions for the commercial, security and defense markets. TerraPix, which includes a range of metric sensors including full-frame, interline, multi-spectral and thermal IR sensors, is a common platform for custom solutions tailored to the Airborne Survey & Mapping, Asset Management, and Tactical Intelligence Reconnaissance and Surveillance (ISR) markets. For more information about Geospatial Systems, Inc. please visit http://www.geospatialsystems.com/, or call 585-427-8310 x213.

The KCM-MS is a patented, single aperture, 3-CCD system available in 3, 4 and 5 band configurations. The MS-4100 and its predecessors have enjoyed broad acceptance as a high-quality, multi-spectral camera product for use in a range of specialized applications requiring true multi-spectral capabilities and performance. The KCM-MS provides all the traditional benefits in a configuration more suited for delivering improved metric performance for airborne applications. In addition, the KCM-MS is now fully supported by the TerraPix DGX Control Framework which provides camera control, INS integration and image pre-processing capabilities. This allows the KCM-MS to be deployed in a single sensor configuration, or readily combined with other TerraPix sensors such as the KCM-39, KCM-16 and KCM-IR to achieve powerful multi-sensor capabilities.

Max Elbaz, CEO of GSI said “We are pleased to announce the KCM-MS as the newest addition to the TerraPix product line. Our customers can now, even more quickly, configure and deploy robust multi-spectral imaging capabilities for applications in natural resources and asset management such as precision agriculture and forestry, as well as defense and law enforcement.”

About Geospatial Systems, Inc.:
Geospatial Systems, Inc., a Rochester NY based company, designs and produces Electro-Optical, Infrared and Radar Sensor products and solutions for the commercial, security and defense markets. TerraPix, which includes a range of metric sensors including multi-spectral and thermal IR sensors, is a common platform for custom solutions tailored to the Airborne Survey & Mapping, Asset Management, and Tactical Intelligence Reconnaissance and Surveillance (ISR) markets. For more information about Geospatial Systems, Inc. please visit http://www.geospatialsystems.com/, or call 585-427-8310 x213.

GSI will provide exclusively to Leica its 39-megapixel, direct geo-referenced, medium format aerial mapping camera system. The 39-megapixel camera is part of GSI’s modular family of direct georeferenced aerial imaging systems, based on the TerraPix technology platform, including electro-optical, infrared, multi-spectral mapping sensor systems and camera controllers for multi-camera arrays.

“Geospatial Systems is pleased to team with Leica to support their strong commitment to product innovation. This agreement is another step in our overall strategy to bring state of the art, customer focused products to the aerial survey and mapping market”, said Maxime Elbaz, President and CEO, Geospatial Systems, Inc.

“Our agreement with GSI is exciting as it allows two companies to combine their technical expertise, thus reducing the time to bring new, innovative products to the marketplace”, said Juergen Dold, Sr. Vice President, Leica Geosystems AG.

About Geospatial Systems, Inc.:
Geospatial Systems, Inc., a Rochester, NY based company, designs and produces premier airborne georeferenced remote sensing systems for commercial and military applications, including mapping, environmental monitoring, homeland security, reconnaissance and persistent surveillance. For more information about Geospatial Systems, Inc., or its products and services, call 585-427-8310 or contact us online.

About Leica Geosystems AG:
With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information. Those who use Leica Geosystems products trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 2,400 employees in 22 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden. For more information about Geospatial Systems, please visit www.leicageosystems.
com

• Henrietta aerial imagery company plans for growth

As part of the joint effort, GSI donated a TerraPix sensor controller, along with one of their ruggedized, high-precision KCM digital imaging modules to RIT.  GSI and RIT worked on the integration of the imaging system payload, including the geo-positioning device, as well as on the ability to process and compress high volumes of data and stream it over a digital data link.  The project was co-funded by GSI, RIT, and the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR).

The system was successfully flown over Rochester and resulted in outstanding image quality, resolution, and geo-positioning capabilities.  “Our long-standing partnership with GSI continues to demonstrate the value of pairing the talent and expertise of a university with the drive and innovation of industry”, said Dr. Harvey Rhody, Director of the Laboratory for Imaging Algorithms & Systems at RIT.

GSI is commercializing the technology as part of their TerraPix platform product line for airborne survey and mapping.  The TerraPix system is designed for use in Homeland Security, Incident Response, Asset Monitoring, and Defense.  The TerraPix is already being installed in a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) for a US Army urban surveillance program, as well as in a UAV for a US Navy sponsored project.

“Geospatial Systems is pleased to combine our leading-edge technologies and products with the educational resources of RIT to make advances in the airborne imaging market”, said Maxime Elbaz, President and CEO, Geospatial Systems, Inc.  “Equipping emergency response teams with the essential tools to provide the highest quality assistance to the community is a project we are very proud to take part in.”

About Geospatial Systems, Inc.:
Geospatial Systems, Inc., a Rochester, NY based company, designs and produces premier airborne georeferenced remote sensing systems for commercial and military applications, including mapping, environmental monitoring, homeland security, reconnaissance and persistent surveillance.  For more information about Geospatial Systems, Inc., or its products and services, call 585-427-8310 or contact us online.

About RIT:
Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging technology, and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for students with hearing loss. Nearly 16,000 full- and part-time students are enrolled in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs at RIT, and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.  For nearly two decades, U.S. News & World Report has ranked RIT among the nation’s leading comprehensive universities. The Princeton Review features RIT in its 2007 Best 361 Colleges rankings and named the university one of America’s “Most Wired Campuses.” RIT is also featured in Barron’s Best Buys in Education.

The KCM-IR is a ruggedized, large format (640×480) Thermal Infrared Kinematic Camera Module that produces detailed images day or night. The KCM-IR includes a precision lens and opto-mechanical framework that is designed to maintain geometric precision under airborne operating conditions.

Like all KCM metric cameras in the product line, including the mid-frame 39 MP Camera recently announced, the KCM-IR is plug-and-play compatible with the TerraPix DGX line of direct georeferenced sensor controllers. The TerraPix platform enables multiple camera configurations for wide-angle oblique or nadir imaging, and supports open standard connectivity and data dissemination. The addition of the KCM-IR allows users to capture Thermal-IR images day or night, using the same flight management system, onboard processing and production workflow.

“With the introduction of the new georeferenced thermal infrared camera, complementing the TerraPix digital sensor product line, GSI is pursuing its strategy to provide customers with high quality, efficient airborne remote sensing systems, maximizing their ROI,” said Maxime Elbaz, CEO, Geospatial Systems, Inc.

Applications of the KCM- IR include tactical nighttime mapping, law enforcement and border control surveillance, search and rescue, forest fire mitigation, environmental impact surveys, and preventive maintenance of electrical power lines and pipelines.

About Geospatial Systems, Inc.:
Geospatial Systems, Inc., a Rochester, NY based company, designs and produces premier airborne georeferenced remote sensing systems for commercial and military applications, including mapping, environmental monitoring, homeland security, reconnaissance and persistent surveillance. For more information about Geospatial Systems, or its products and services, call 585-427-8310 or contact us online.

The KCM-39 is a ruggedized, large format, 39 Megapixel (5412 x 7216 pixels), full-frame CCD Kinematic Camera Module that produces detailed, high-fidelity images in monochrome, color, or Color-IR. The KCM-39 includes a precision lens and opto-mechanical framework that is designed to maintain geometric precision under airborne operating conditions. In addition, the KCM-39 features the industry’s first field-replaceable shutter cassette. This patent-pending feature allows in-field replacement (with no recalibration needed) of the precision shutter mechanism with no impact on camera geometry or operation.

Like all KCM metric cameras in the modular product line, the KCM-39 is plug-and-play compatible with the TerraPix DGX line of direct-georeferenced sensor controllers. The TerraPix platform enables multiple camera configurations for wide-angle oblique or nadir imaging, and supports open standard connectivity and data dissemination. The addition of the KCM-39 allows users to capture large footprint imagery by combining multiple sensors and can be deployed with existing flight management and navigation systems, and final production workflow environments.

“GSI is pleased to bring to market a georeferenced 39 Megapixel camera complementing the TerraPix digital camera product line and enabling the efficient use of our customer’s remote sensing infrastructure,” said Maxime Elbaz, CEO, Geospatial Systems, Inc. “The ability to expand upon a common platform and receive additional capabilities without having to reinvest in an entirely new workflow provides a good business value.”

Applications of the 39 Megapixel module(s) include stand-alone imaging or sensor fusion with leading LIDAR systems. By adding a TerraPix system which includes the 39 Megapixel module(s), existing investments in navigation and LIDAR infrastructure can be leveraged to provide simultaneous capture of imagery and LIDAR. This has become a common request of the marketplace, and for applications such as corridor mapping, offers potential operational cost savings to customers and providers of mapping services.

About Geospatial Systems, Inc.:
Geospatial Systems, Inc., a Rochester, NY based company, designs and produces premier airborne georeferenced remote sensing systems for commercial and military applications, including mapping, environmental monitoring, homeland security, reconnaissance and persistent surveillance. For more information about Geospatial Systems,Inc., or its products and services, call 585-427-8310 or contact us online.