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WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Our Colorado is filled with people from all parts of the country who have come here to work in all sorts of industries.
In Westminster, Trimble is a pioneer in GPS technology that is now changing the way we shape our world with a mixed-reality device. Jobs that require hard hats and heavy machinery aren't typically known for cutting edge technology.
“We’re going after construction, agriculture, surveying, and oil and gas and industries,” said Jordan Lawver, a portfolio manager for Trimble’s mixed-reality product line. “And, [we’re] applying very high-tech solutions to very simple problems, at the end of the day.”
Their latest model uses Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 technology and combines the real world with design plans downloaded from a computer.
“They’ll be building directly to the design, and there will be very little room to kind of mess it up,” says Lawver. “Ultimately, it's going to make buildings go up faster and under-budget, and everyone's going to be happier.”
It allows plumbers, electricians, and other contractors to be able to see others' work and visualize any changes.
Exposed ventilation and pipes on the fourth floor of the Trimble campus in Westminster allow the company to use it as a testing ground for many of their prototypes. Their latest, the XR10, retails for about $4,750, but that price pales in comparison to the construction flaws it can catch in real time.
But the software isn't just limited to construction.
“In agriculture, it can be self-guiding tractors,” says Lawver. “In transportation logistics, being able to track your trucks and their fuel efficiency across massive fleets.”
Trimble employs about 1,000 people in Colorado, and they chose this location for a reason.
“Building our campus in Colorado gives us an opportunity to drink our own Kool-Aid a little bit,” adds Lawver. “[We] test it out in the field and build a story about the whole workflow.”
It’s an invention they hope becomes as common as a cell phone and connects our growing state with unmatched precision.