RIEGL Highlighted Among 2026 MAPPS Excellence Award Winners, with Customer Successes Taking Center Stage
RIEGL earned the Technology Innovation Award at the 2026 MAPPS Excellence Awards for a coastal evaluation conducted in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – a project that included field data collection in variable environmental conditions and verification activities at the established I ATLAS (formerly JALBTCX) / NOAA bathymetric testing range, and an honor that set the stage for a celebration defined by the success of the customers who bring RIEGL technology to life.
Customer achievements took center stage at the event, where RIEGL was proudly represented through multiple customer‑led project wins that highlighted the strength and longevity of its partnerships across the geospatial sector. One award‑winning project demonstrated the meaningful, real‑world impact of RIEGL‑powered solutions, while another showcased the consistent excellence delivered by long‑standing RIEGL users across diverse applications.
Together, these recognitions reaffirmed how RIEGL’s commitment to innovation and customer success continues to empower partners to achieve exceptional, industry‑leading results.
Customer Achievements Lead the Way
Two standout MAPPS Excellence Award winners showcased the breadth of achievement across the RIEGL user community and the wider geospatial industry.
McKim & Creed: Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Scan
McKim & Creed was recognized with top honors for their Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Scan, delivering a first-of-its-kind hybrid LiDAR survey powered by the RIEGL VZ-600i terrestrial laser scanner and the RIEGL VMX-2HA mobile mapping system.
By leveraging RIEGL mobile and static scanners, our team seamlessly registered point clouds using planar adjustments in areas where traditional ground control wasn’t safely accessible. Consistent scanning and registration platforms allowed us to triangulate static positions and calibrate mobile data on the vertical lift bridge - all while maintaining traffic operations and keeping crews out of active lanes.
The 1969 vertical-lift bridge - an essential transportation link in Wilmington, North Carolina - required a survey-grade, highly detailed 3D model to support North Carolina Department of Transportation’s replacement planning. McKim & Creed delivered exactly that by combining:
- Static scanning with the VZ-600i
- High‑speed mobile mapping with the VMX-2HA
- Advanced virtual control alignment
This workflow produced a precise digital twin of the bridge - captured without lane closures, safety risks, or compromises in accuracy. The project set a new benchmark for large-scale transportation structure documentation and demonstrated the powerful registration tools and software workflows of RIEGL’s terrestrial and mobile LiDAR technologies.
NV5 Geospatial: Kentucky Takes the Lead!
Category A – Data Acquisition & Processing
Members’ Choice Award
Grand Winner Award
NV5 Geospatial achieved a rare triple-crown sweep, earning three top MAPPS awards for their statewide imagery initiative, “Kentucky Takes the Lead!” While this specific imagery-based project did not utilize RIEGL systems, NV5 is a longstanding RIEGL customer, and their continued leadership reflects the same commitment to innovation and quality that defines our partnership - including this project work that was delivered using Vexcel Systems, a RIEGL partner that integrates the RIEGL VQ‑680 into its well-known Dragon Airborne System.
NV5 was proud to work with Commonwealth of Kentucky Office of Technology to bring high resolution imagery to all Kentuckians. This first-of-its-kind project, the simultaneous capture of 3” Ortho and Oblique imagery covering the entire state and made freely available to all, raised the bar in the industry for this critically important geospatial dataset.
The Kentucky program delivered the nation’s first statewide combination of:
- 3‑inch GSD Ortho imagery
- High-resolution oblique photography
- A free, centralized web viewer for all 40,660 square miles of the state
To see any point or all of Kentucky, visit the Commonwealth’s website at
https://explore.kyfromabove.ky.gov and enjoy exploring.
This effort democratized access to high-quality imagery for agencies, communities, and citizens - setting a new national standard for statewide geospatial modernization.
A Shared Celebration of Excellence
RIEGL is proud to stand alongside the innovators, partners, and longtime customers recognized in this year’s MAPPS Excellence Awards. Whether through projects powered by RIEGL technology or through the achievements of long‑term partners whose trust has been built over many years, this year’s recognitions reflect a shared commitment to accuracy, reliability, and forward‑thinking geospatial solutions. The momentum from these awards highlights the strength and diversity of the RIEGL user and customer community, and we look forward to supporting the next generation of breakthrough projects.