New mobile survey equipment launched

JAKARTA (JP): PT Remedial Piranti Jaya trading company and the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) have launched a new mobile survey equipment unit that can produce surveying results faster and cheaper on location.

PT Remedial's President Sugiarto Muljadi said here over the weekend that the mobile equipment -- called the integrated terrestrial survey system (SSTT) -- has been developed since last year and is now ready to provide survey services.

The mobile equipment, which is mounted on a jeep, can be used to conduct underground mapping, particularly for mining; aboveground mapping for property and agriculture; geotechnic study; monitoring and analyzing pollution; and other types above- ground surveys, he added.

The system comprises a mobile laboratory, which is equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) and geographical information system (GIS), visual sensor, heat tracking sensor, geophysics sensor, geological data base and data processing system.

He did not elaborate on the system's tariffs.

The project manager of the mobile equipment, Iwan Gunawan of BPPT, said that the unit was the 40th in the world and the second in Asia, after the one developed by Japan.

"By using this mobile equipment, we don't need to take all the data from survey locations to our office for further processing because the data is processed on the site of surveying activities. We can do all the processing in the jeep and we can access its computer for any kind of geological information," he said.

The GPS and GIS systems were modified by BPPT from the U.S. company GeoResearch's GPS and GIS technology, which was brought to Indonesia through PT Remedial Piranti Jaya.

Previously, the Indonesian private firm, in cooperation with BPPT, launched a new sophisticated and portable mapping machine called Geolink. "Geolink products are now on sale here, costing US$10,000 per unit," said Muljadi.

He said that a Geolink, which is linked to 27 satellites, comprises a satellite data receiver, data recorder, data monitor and range finder.

He said that his company received a license to develop and market the portable mapping machine in Indonesia from GeoResearch last year.

Muljadi is upbeat that the two kinds of technological equipment, which cost his company about Rp 1 billion ($431.03 million), will be widely used in the country. (bnt)