Pioneering Provider of Laser Products

David Williams CEO and Jeremy Dunne CTO founded Laser Technology, Inc. (LTI) as a start-up company in 1985 in Littleton, Colorado, USA. It went public in 1993, then became a private organisation again in 2004, specialising in pulse-laser technology through calculation of time of flight of infrared light, providing speed and distance measurements. The main original focus was hydrographic survey systems for dredging survey of harbours and shipping channels.

LTI was responsible for creation of the first commercial Lidar speed gun, the LTI 20-20, for traffic safety speed enforcement, providing an alternative to radar. The company also introduced the first handheld total station, the Cri-terion, designed for the US Forest Service, which needed an instrument that could measure range, tilt, azimuth and upper-stem diameter of trees. NASA* selected the company to develop a custom laser to measure both closing speeds and distances during a satellite retrieval mission. The performance of the laser was so successful that nine more units were ordered. LTI lasers are now used on all space-shuttle missions involving docking manoeuvres. In 1994 LTI partnered with Bushnell Sports Optics to design YardagePro, the first low-cost recreational rangefinder primarily used for hunting and golfing. Since then over a million rangefinders have been sold worldwide. LTI currently holds more than forty instrumentation-based US patents, and its design and manufacturing processes have been ISO certified since 2000.

Laser-based Solutions
LTI designs, manufactures and markets laser-based measurement instruments, mapping accessories and industry-specific software solutions. The MapStar Angle Encoder precisely measures turned, relative horizontal angle between two points, whereas the MapStar Compass Module directly measures the absolute azimuth to a target. Both devices integrate seamlessly with our lasers for three-dimensional positioning. Each mapping system also integrates with GPS and is compatible with most field-data collection software. LTI offers field solutions that accommodate the needs of multiple industries, separated into two divisions: Traffic Safety, and Professional Measurement. Within the Traffic Safety Division we offer solutions for handheld and automated speed enforcement, Photo-Lidar, statistical traffic analysis, traffic sensors, crash and crime-scene mapping, and tactical measurements. Within the Professional Measurement Division we market to industries including Forestry, Mining, GIS Mapping, Electric Utilities, Telecom and Industrial Automation.

Laser-tech Team
LTI corporate offices are in Centennial, Colorado, and employ about ninety team members. Upper management consists of a CEO, CFO, CTO, president/COO and vice-president of sales and marketing, all overseeing their relevant departments. A few years after the company was founded in 1985 our president, Eric Miller, and CFO Pamela Sevy, joined LTI. A network of outside regional sales managers is employed for the Professional Measurement division, overseeing a variety of sales channels, exhibiting at trade shows and handling customer relations. A team of Traffic Safety sales managers handles trade shows and conducts direct sales to end users, primarily law-enforcement agencies. Teamwork is strongly encouraged and practised among the different departments and within individual departments. LTI offers a family-oriented environment and has an extremely low turnover rate among employees at all levels. Shirl Patton, LTI quality control supervisor has recently celebrated her fourteenth anniversary with the company, while one of our software engineers, Sam Andrews, has been with us for over fifteen years. Janet Patterson, at one time our entire production staff, now holds the title of production lead; she has over fifteen years of dedicated service to LTI.

International Business
LTI also believes in developing strategic business relationships with other successful companies marketing to similar industries. For example, LTI is an Authorised Business Partner of both ESRI and Trimble. We also support several highly regarded associations through membership, conference sponsorship and exhibition participation, including the Geospatial Information and Technology Association, the Society of American Foresters, the International Society of Explosives Engineers, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. In 1989 Laser Technology Inc. entered the international arena by recording several sales to government organisations in Canada. The company distributes through 120 dealers in more than fifty countries worldwide, in addition to the 150 authorised dealer locations within the USA. Approximately 50% of all revenue come from the international sector.

Smaller, Cheaper, More
The direction of technology development is almost the same everywhere: everything needs to be smaller and less expensive but with just as much, if not more, performance. Our direction in future products is no exception. We continue to manufacture the Impulse, a highly accurate and durable handheld laser, but we are trying to expand the market share by offering a more affordable laser with minimal sacrifice in terms of accuracy and functionality. The new TruPulse 200 is a low-cost, pocket-sized professional laser that is three times more accurate than the YardagePro recreational rangefinder and has the ability to measure heights. It also measures horizontal, slope and vertical distance, as well as the degree of inclination. The TruPulse can even range 1,000 metres to a non-reflective target. Other professional features include hard-wired serial and/or wireless Bluetooth connectivity for data communication, advanced targeting modes, and an in-scope data display with crystal-clear optics and 7-power magnification, all at a competitive price.

One-man Teams
In today’s competitive market place, more work is expected from fewer personnel and resources. The power of reflectorless measurement technology enables a single operator to remotely capture distance and height data without the need of a second person holding a prism pole and without having to physically occupy the point to be measured. This benefit alone has vastly increased field productivity and improved safety in the workplace. Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that more and more total-station manufacturers are now promoting a reflectorless option in their surveying instruments. Wireless Bluetooth communication and seamless integration between hardware and software is the future in data collection. Supplementing GPS technology with laser offset measurements is a steadily growing trend because of the many associated benefits

Laser Technology, Inc. has built a solid reputation as a leader in laser measurement devices. We will continue to exceed our customers’ expectations, so look forward to more great things to come!

Disclaimer: *NASA does not endorse any LTI product.