Utsi Electronics, one of the UK’s premier designers and manufacturers of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) systems reached the significant milestone of 21 years in business on 8 June, 2021.
While GPR today may be regarded as a very established, recognised and respected technology that is regularly relied upon within many fields of endeavour around the world, it was not always like that.
Before the millennium, when the very first Utsi designed GPR prototype was busy proving its worth to the archaeological world, things were very different. Back then anyone would have struggled to find anyone outside of the scientific community who had heard of GPR, let alone knew what it was or, what it was used for. Now, there is hardly a country on the entire planet that does not regularly have someone doing something with GPR.
Over the 21 years since being founded on 8 June, 2000 Utsi Electronics has built itself an enviable reputation amongst discerning GPR professionals working within the worlds of Environmental research, buried utility location and Inspection of highways and bridges, right through to those working on the non-destructive testing of concrete structures, detection of land mines and Forensic examination. The company has continued to innovate as its grown and with it the ‘Groundvue’ range of GPR produced by the company has also grown and now features a wide range of models from single channel general use systems and specialist handheld units for NDT use, through to vehicle based Multi-channel, Multi frequency systems for operation at posted traffic speeds.
At the beginning of 2021, the company took a major step change in its journey path when it passed from the hands of the Utsi family into those of another but no less renowned UK manufacturer of GPR technology in the form of PipeHawk plc group. Until now these two stalwarts of the UK GPR scene have carved their own place in the history of UK GPR with very different approaches to system design. With them now being in common hands raises the interesting prospect of working together on the innovations of tomorrow. Shall the future usher forth a flurry of hybrid systems such as a multi frequency e-Safe, a cart -ased e-Spott or even a Multi- channel Groundvue array equipped with automated 3d processing, or will we see something completely radical and new emerge? Happy Birthday Utsi Electronics!
