Since its origin in 2011, Mekong Consultants Company, Ltd. (MKC) has attracted an ever-increasing number of design, survey & consulting projects to further Lao construction. These projects have included all types of consultation resulting in the construction of new rural & urban roads, the resurfacing & repair of existing lanes, roads & highways, as well as the construction & completion of new pedestrian walkways (sidewalks) & bridges crossing rivers, gorges & streams in Lao PDR.

Our goal is connecting people. MKC wants to take the complexity out of the construction process for our clients. We have developed the experience & skill to liaise more efficiently with relevant leaders in government & private enterprise, connecting them & making progress more real & tangible. MKC’s consultation process is inclusive from beginning to end. We possess the technology & wherewithal to bring your vision for new construction or maintenance &/or repair to a successful on-time, on-budget completion.

In consulting & advising, we believe that ‘two heads are better than one’. Simply meaning, our approach is synergistic1; not only between our team members but with our clients. We fully value differences of opinion & feel that expression of those differences leads to better understanding of issues, which in turn results in better outcomes. Differences also exponentially increase the likelihood of new solutions to old & existing problems. Synergy is a process that has to be nurtured, it doesn’t happen by itself. It lets us discover things we are much less likely to discover by ourselves. It is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The most qualified people bring all their personal experience & expertise to the table. Together they can produce far better results than they could individually.

We embrace new technology by the utilization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) – also called drones – & robotic marine vessels (to efficiently chart the depths & constituent materials of the ever-changing floors & recesses of creeks, rivers, lakes & dams) to allow us to keep survey costs down while minimizing risks to our engineers & staff. These hi-tech tools are especially suited to Lao construction as most of the landscape in the country is rough terrain, mountainous & sparsely populated. Our county’s roads & bridges – their usefulness & drivability – will have a significant & direct impact on the speed & pace of development in Lao PDR in the foreseeable future.

More about UAV’s & their suitability for Lao construction

Our model P560 UAV offers:

• Large payload up to 10 kg
• Long flight times up to 50 min.
• Multifunctional flight carrying platform
• High stability of flights, even in Level 7 wind
• Intelligent flight mode
• Multi-functional ground control software
• Dual-differential RTK/PPK GNSS module
• FAD-W ground control station with hopping frequency technology

The P560 model is a high-end, multirotor UAV made from high strength composite carbon fiber. Its features are novel body design, smooth & stable flight, flexible mobility, low air resistance & flight noise. It consists of a one-piece body & only 8 min. are required for whole UAV assembly in the field.

The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) could be 20 kg & the maximum flight time is 50 min. Embedded frequency hopping technology gives the communication line high immunity against interference & jamming.

Additionally, GPS positioning can simplify the UAV operation & ensure excellent flying performance even in harsh environments. The craft can carry sensor systems such as an HD color camera (SLR camera), airborne lidar (CHC AS100), oblique photography system (CHC AP5600), multiple & hyper-spectral systems to give diverse equipment selection to the user.

More about robotic marine vehicles & their suitability for Lao construction

Our Apache 5 model incorporates:

• Intelligent water navigation robotic technology
• High maneuverability & efficiency of underwater monitoring
• Light body, less than 10 kg
• Single-person operation during bathymetric survey
• High-speed operation (up to 5 m/s)
• Standard endurance 6 h.
• Triple-hulled vessel design
• Strong anti-wind resistance – 9 m/s
• Strong wave resistance – 1.25 m.
• Equipped with high definition web video camera
• Easily runs over nets & weeds
• Absolute Linear technology
• Precise positioning
• Counter-rotating dual propellers
• Sediment deposition monitoring
• High flexibility to carry different sensors

The Apache 5 model is a robotic marine vessel which is very light & is easily able to be handled by one person. It is integrated with intelligent water robotic technology & topographic survey technology to provide smart, unmanned, motorized & networked measurement solutions. It has so far been used for geomorphological surveys, mapping, channel surveys, underwater geological exploration, etc. The system reduces personal security risks, improves the flexibility & efficiency of underwater monitoring as well as hydrographic surveys. Equipped with digital radio & high definition web video camera. It can collect data in local storage from multiple equipment in real-time. The triple hull adopts anti-corrosive sealing technology which can be tailored to different mission environments. It will navigate autonomously to complete the task assigned by its mission plan.

References

1Paraphrased from Habit 6: The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, Stephen R. Covey

Machinery sourced from:

Shanghai Huace Navigation Technology, Ltd.

599 Gaojing Road, Bldg C

201702, Shanghai

China

+86 21 5426 0273

www.chcnav.com