Technology Milestones in the story of Wild Heerbrugg Ltd.
Reflectorless total stations
1998 - The new Leica TPS1100 Professional Series and TPS300 Basic Series are the first systems to measure with a coaxially-integrated laser meter completely without prism.
VECTOR Binoculars
1994 - Leica VECTOR, the "intelligent" binocular with Leica DMC digital magnetic compass.
DISTO Hand held distance meter
1993 - Leica DISTO, the first hand-held laser meter. Awarded the Batimat innovation prize, Paris.
Laser tracker
1991 - Leica SMART310, the first dynamically-measuring, interference-based laser tracker for use in industry.
Digital level
1990 - Wild NA2000, the world's first automatic digital level, awarded the innovation prize of the U.S. high-technology magazine "Photonics".
GPS
(* marked files are in .pdf format and require acrobat reader)
1967 - Won contract to conduct first feasibility study for the 621B program, which was the U.S. Air Force predecessor to the Global Positioning System
1968 - Introduced the world's first commercial Transit satellite navigator, the MX702CA, immediately after the U.S. Navy released Transit for non-military use
1969 - Submitted the 621B report, which defined many of the basic concepts underlying the Global Positioning System
1970 - Began manufacture of the world's first portable Doppler geodetic survey instrument for the Defense Mapping Agency, the AN/PRR-14 Geoceiver
1970 - Delivered the first of a long series of Integrated Navigation Systems, combining Transit, Doppler sonar, Gyrocompass, and other radio aides, for precise navigation of offshore exploration vessels
1971 - Designed and built early prototype receivers for the U.S. Navy's Timation satellite navigation program, which helped demonstrate the validity of the high precision clocks which were adopted for GPS
1971 - Designed and built the first prototype receivers for the 621B program, which demonstrated the effectiveness of spread spectrum techniques for GPS
1971 - Received contract to define the Timation Satellite Navigation Modulation (Timation was the Navy's predecessor to GPS)
1972 - Introduced the MX902, the first single frequency Transit navigator expressly designed for merchant ship navigation
1972 - Received contract to define the 621B Signal structure
1974 - Received contract to develop Phase I GPS user equipment
1976 - Developed and delivered more Phase I GPS equipment than any other company, including the five channel XSet, the two channel YSet, the single channel ZSet, and the Manpack
1976 - Introduced the world's first fully-integrated, microprocessor-based Transit satellite navigator, the MX 1102
1976 - Received contract to develop GPSPAC Spaceborne Receiver for the Landsat Satellite
1977 - The Magnavox X-Set was the first to track a GPS signal from space (NTS-2 Satellite GPS Experimental Satellite).
1978 - Introduced the world's first integrated Transit and Omega navigator, the MX1105
1978 - Introduced the world's first microprocessor based satellite survey instrument, the MX1502 Geoceiver
1980 - Delivered the first space qualified GPS equipment (GPSPAC) used to determine orbits for several types of spacecraft
1981 - Introduced the MX4102 marine satellite navigator, which brought high quality Transit satellite navigation to the pleasure boat community
1984 - Introduced the first five channel commercial GPS receiver, the T-Set
1985 - Introduced a GPS upgrade for the MX 1100 series satellite navigators, thus extending the life span of these popular and durable products
1985 - Was one of only two companies to develop the full range of military Phase II GPS user equipment
1986 - Introduced the compact and rugged MX4400 commercial GPS navigator
1986 - Introduced the WM 101 GPS Surveyor, the first truly compact, fully sealed GPS survey instrument.
1987 - Introduced the MX4818, the first six channel differential GPS reference station and navigator
1988 - Introduced the WM 102 dual frequency GPS Surveyor, featuring the patented code aided squaring technology, which provides a 13 dB advantage in tracking the encrypted L2 signal
1989 - Developed FARA (Fast Ambiguity Resolution Approach) for solving integer ambiguities with a very short observation time. FARA is the basis for Leica Rapid Static and set the industry standard
1990 - Developed and delivered the worlds first combined GPS + GLONASS navigation receiver
1990 - Introduced the first all-digital six-channel GPS receiver, the MX 4200
1991 - Developed the first commercial DGPS systems using marine radiobeacons to transmit error correction data, which were first deployed in Sweden and Finland
1991 - Developed the first single board GPS EngineTM. The Engine is still highly regarded in the performance segment of this market.
1991 - Introduced the most compact and portable GPS Survey instrument, the System 200, featuring the SR299 receiver, also with patented code aided squaring. The System 200 included the world's first Rapid Static GPS Surveying capability. Leica also pioneered the concept of the handheld GPS controller.
1992 - Introduced SKI, the first Windows-based GPS Planning and Postprocessing Software.
1993 - Announced as one of the first winners of a Technology Reinvestment Project (TRP) by the US Government to develop GPS-based Computer Aided Earth Moving (CAEM) technology in cooperation with Caterpillar and Spectra-Physics Laserplane
1995 - Introduced an enhanced GPS Survey System, the System 300, featuring the SR399 receiver with patented code aided cross correlation to retain a 13 dB advantage while providing full wavelength phase measurements
1995 - Introduced the world's most accurate L1 GPS navigation receiver, the MX 9400, featuring code tracking and patented, extended, carrier aided code smoothing (Accucode)
1995 - The Leica System 300 was the first to successfully complete FGCS testing of Real Time Kinematic (RTK)
1996 - Introduced the compact and rugged SR9500 GPS survey receiver with 12 satellite dual frequency tracking and an extended temperature range capability
1996 - Leica Geosystems designs and installs * the world's first high-precision real time reference station network for the Oresund project between Denmark & Sweden. The system comprises 6 automated, permanent reference stations with integrated integrity monitoring.
1997 - Development of GPS earth monitoring technology *
1997 - GPS Milestones - a summary *
1997 - Leading the field in new interference rejection technology *
1997 - Leica Geosystems Code and Phase Multipath Mitigation techniques *
1999 - ClearTrak™ GPS receiver technology from Leica *
1998 - The new Leica TPS1100 Professional Series and TPS300 Basic Series are the first systems to measure with a coaxially-integrated laser meter completely without prism.
VECTOR Binoculars
1994 - Leica VECTOR, the "intelligent" binocular with Leica DMC digital magnetic compass.
DISTO Hand held distance meter
1993 - Leica DISTO, the first hand-held laser meter. Awarded the Batimat innovation prize, Paris.
Laser tracker
1991 - Leica SMART310, the first dynamically-measuring, interference-based laser tracker for use in industry.
Digital level
1990 - Wild NA2000, the world's first automatic digital level, awarded the innovation prize of the U.S. high-technology magazine "Photonics".
GPS
(* marked files are in .pdf format and require acrobat reader)
1967 - Won contract to conduct first feasibility study for the 621B program, which was the U.S. Air Force predecessor to the Global Positioning System
1968 - Introduced the world's first commercial Transit satellite navigator, the MX702CA, immediately after the U.S. Navy released Transit for non-military use
1969 - Submitted the 621B report, which defined many of the basic concepts underlying the Global Positioning System
1970 - Began manufacture of the world's first portable Doppler geodetic survey instrument for the Defense Mapping Agency, the AN/PRR-14 Geoceiver
1970 - Delivered the first of a long series of Integrated Navigation Systems, combining Transit, Doppler sonar, Gyrocompass, and other radio aides, for precise navigation of offshore exploration vessels
1971 - Designed and built early prototype receivers for the U.S. Navy's Timation satellite navigation program, which helped demonstrate the validity of the high precision clocks which were adopted for GPS
1971 - Designed and built the first prototype receivers for the 621B program, which demonstrated the effectiveness of spread spectrum techniques for GPS
1971 - Received contract to define the Timation Satellite Navigation Modulation (Timation was the Navy's predecessor to GPS)
1972 - Introduced the MX902, the first single frequency Transit navigator expressly designed for merchant ship navigation
1972 - Received contract to define the 621B Signal structure
1974 - Received contract to develop Phase I GPS user equipment
1976 - Developed and delivered more Phase I GPS equipment than any other company, including the five channel XSet, the two channel YSet, the single channel ZSet, and the Manpack
1976 - Introduced the world's first fully-integrated, microprocessor-based Transit satellite navigator, the MX 1102
1976 - Received contract to develop GPSPAC Spaceborne Receiver for the Landsat Satellite
1977 - The Magnavox X-Set was the first to track a GPS signal from space (NTS-2 Satellite GPS Experimental Satellite).
1978 - Introduced the world's first integrated Transit and Omega navigator, the MX1105
1978 - Introduced the world's first microprocessor based satellite survey instrument, the MX1502 Geoceiver
1980 - Delivered the first space qualified GPS equipment (GPSPAC) used to determine orbits for several types of spacecraft
1981 - Introduced the MX4102 marine satellite navigator, which brought high quality Transit satellite navigation to the pleasure boat community
1984 - Introduced the first five channel commercial GPS receiver, the T-Set
1985 - Introduced a GPS upgrade for the MX 1100 series satellite navigators, thus extending the life span of these popular and durable products
1985 - Was one of only two companies to develop the full range of military Phase II GPS user equipment
1986 - Introduced the compact and rugged MX4400 commercial GPS navigator
1986 - Introduced the WM 101 GPS Surveyor, the first truly compact, fully sealed GPS survey instrument.
1987 - Introduced the MX4818, the first six channel differential GPS reference station and navigator
1988 - Introduced the WM 102 dual frequency GPS Surveyor, featuring the patented code aided squaring technology, which provides a 13 dB advantage in tracking the encrypted L2 signal
1989 - Developed FARA (Fast Ambiguity Resolution Approach) for solving integer ambiguities with a very short observation time. FARA is the basis for Leica Rapid Static and set the industry standard
1990 - Developed and delivered the worlds first combined GPS + GLONASS navigation receiver
1990 - Introduced the first all-digital six-channel GPS receiver, the MX 4200
1991 - Developed the first commercial DGPS systems using marine radiobeacons to transmit error correction data, which were first deployed in Sweden and Finland
1991 - Developed the first single board GPS EngineTM. The Engine is still highly regarded in the performance segment of this market.
1991 - Introduced the most compact and portable GPS Survey instrument, the System 200, featuring the SR299 receiver, also with patented code aided squaring. The System 200 included the world's first Rapid Static GPS Surveying capability. Leica also pioneered the concept of the handheld GPS controller.
1992 - Introduced SKI, the first Windows-based GPS Planning and Postprocessing Software.
1993 - Announced as one of the first winners of a Technology Reinvestment Project (TRP) by the US Government to develop GPS-based Computer Aided Earth Moving (CAEM) technology in cooperation with Caterpillar and Spectra-Physics Laserplane
1995 - Introduced an enhanced GPS Survey System, the System 300, featuring the SR399 receiver with patented code aided cross correlation to retain a 13 dB advantage while providing full wavelength phase measurements
1995 - Introduced the world's most accurate L1 GPS navigation receiver, the MX 9400, featuring code tracking and patented, extended, carrier aided code smoothing (Accucode)
1995 - The Leica System 300 was the first to successfully complete FGCS testing of Real Time Kinematic (RTK)
1996 - Introduced the compact and rugged SR9500 GPS survey receiver with 12 satellite dual frequency tracking and an extended temperature range capability
1996 - Leica Geosystems designs and installs * the world's first high-precision real time reference station network for the Oresund project between Denmark & Sweden. The system comprises 6 automated, permanent reference stations with integrated integrity monitoring.
1997 - Development of GPS earth monitoring technology *
1997 - GPS Milestones - a summary *
1997 - Leading the field in new interference rejection technology *
1997 - Leica Geosystems Code and Phase Multipath Mitigation techniques *
1999 - ClearTrak™ GPS receiver technology from Leica *