HOUSTON, TX — (Marketwire) — 03/14/12 — Power Line Systems Incorporated (PLSi) and ikeGPS have collaborated to develop ikeSolutions PLS that is specifically designed for users of PLS-POLE software.
Utilities routinely conduct utility pole audits, where thousands of poles must be measured accurately and safely. These audits can require hundreds of man days in labor. Companies can now turn to ikeGPS and PLSi to dramatically reduce field data collection costs and improve the design integrity of their transmission and distribution networks.
ikeGPS is an all-in-one handheld GIS data capture device that combines GPS, laser range finder, 3D compass, and digital camera. The device provides geo-tagged images of targets that can be accurately measured. ikeGPS is now compatible with PLSi–s PLS-POLE software, the industry standard for utility pole analysis and design — which means that building PLS-POLE structures is now automated and as simple as marking up a photograph on a screen.
For Pole Audits, ikeGPS enables the quick and accurate location and measurement of attachments, heights and distances of a pole. This is done from a single image that can be captured from a safe distance by a single person. Using the ikeAnnotate PLS software that comes with ikeSolutions PLS, all field data measurements and photos are automatically imported into PLS-POLE to generate instant models. Using the Pole Audit field data collected by the ikeGPS, PLS-POLE can perform design checks of the structures for the actual as-built field conditions utilizing dynamic tensions due to temperature, wind, and ice variables. These PLS-POLE models can also be further integrated with PLS-CADD for a complete system structural analysis as well as clearances at the structures and interspan using industry accepted for code compliance. No other solution can provide such comprehensive and accurate results.
“We are pleased to announce the release of ikeSolutions PLS and are confident that our collaboration with PLSi to produce the integration of ikeGPS and PLS-POLE will help utilities significantly reduce field data collection costs while improving the design integrity of their transmission and distribution networks,” said Ronald Elsis, Vice President of Product Management for ikeGPS.
“Being the industry leader in Overhead Line Design Software solutions, one of the common questions we hear is –How do we capture the existing configuration of existing poles and lines in PLS-POLE and PLS-CADD?– While LiDAR has been used quite extensively for many years for transmission line wire and structure positions, we have also been looking for a quick and simple way to model existing distribution pole models in PLS-POLE/PLS-CADD. We came across the ikeGPS solution and thought it would be a perfect fit with our applications. We think this is a fantastic opportunity in the field to bridge existing Pole structures and modelling for engineering calculations through PLS-CADD,” said Otto Lynch, Vice President of PLSi.
Since 2003 ikeGPS has become a global leader in mobile GIS data collection. ikeGPS technology is used by utilities and telecommunications companies around the world, and any organization with assets that need to be mapped, tracked, or monitored. For more information, please contact the ikeGPS team in the Americas: (281) 681-0356; in Europe, Africa and the Middle East: +44 1962 711 473; or in Asia and Australasia: +64 4 382 8064; or visit us on the Web at .
Power Line Systems was founded in 1984 to develop engineering software for the structural and geometric design of electric power lines. Since then Power Line Systems has become the world-wide leader in software for overhead transmission and distribution lines. For more information, please contact PLSi on the Web at .