ProStar Partners with Vivax Metrotech to Integrate PointMan into the First Utility Locate Device with Integrated RTK GNSS Receiver
ProStar Holdings Inc. has announced the successful integration of its flagship product, PointMan, into the Vivax Metrotech vLoc3 with integrated RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) technology. The integration with the vLoc3 RTK-Pro creates the first utility locate device with an integrated RTK GNSS receiver running on PointMan. This integration will provide centimeter accuracy of the precise location of buried utilities in real-time without an external GPS/GNSS receiver.
The Vivax Metrotech vLoc3 RTK-Pro receiver is the first to add RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) accuracy to a utility locator. Using the RTK-Pro internal cellular module with 4G LTE capabilities, the operator now has the ability to connect to the NTRIP RTK caster that provides RTCM 3 corrections.
The integration of PointMan with the new vLoc3 RTK-Pro means that underground utility infrastructure buried anywhere in the world can now be precisely located, and the critical data quickly and efficiently recorded, displayed, and shared from a standard mobile device.
The convergence of technologies between equipment manufacturers and ProStar’s patented precision mapping solutions means that critical buried infrastructure can more easily and seamlessly be captured, recorded, and displayed at survey-grade without any additional external equipment or post-processing. With the integration of PointMan with the vLoc3 RTK-Pro, there is no longer a need to pair a third-party external GPS/GNSS receiver to a utility locating device or have delays from post-processing in order to collect and share mission critical data that includes the type of utility, the depth of cover and the utility’s precise location.
“We are very excited with the vLoc3-RTK locator and its integration with ProStar’s PointMan,” says Vivax-Metrotech President Mark Drew.
“The development of the new Vivax Metrotech RTK-Pro is a clear indication of a shift in the subsurface infrastructure industry, and the equipment manufactures recognizing the value of precision mapping,” says ProStar CEO Page Tucker. “For the entire infrastructure and construction industry, this is a pivotal moment, not only in the breakthrough technology but the precision and real-time delivery of the data where and when it is most needed.”
