History of Laser Tech: LTI Origins

Laser Technology Inc. (LTI) is an American international technology company that specializes in the design and manufacturing of innovative laser-based speed and distance measurement instruments. LTI maintains an intense focus on providing laser measurement technologies that address real-world needs. Major applications of Laser Tech’s current products either fall into traffic safety enforcement or professional measurement categories.

For traffic safety, LTI products primarily equip police and other professionals with speed measurement devices. On the professional measurement side, LTI products serve data collection needs in forestry, construction, GIS, utilities, and more. All LTI design and manufacturing processes have been ISO certified since 2000[1].  

The slogan “Measurably Superior” pairs with LTI’s company-wide quality policy of “Quality through Innovation and Dedication[2]”. Today, Laser Technology, Inc. is headquartered in Centennial, CO[3]. LTI has grown from a motivated two-person team to a company that employs a staff of around 100 individuals[4]. To date, Laser Tech owns more than 85 patents worldwide[5].

David Williams, CEO, and Jeremy Dunne, CTO[3] started the company’s core business in December of 1984. Since then, LTI has accomplished a notable history of product and market breakthroughs. In 1992, the company changed names from International Measurement and Control to current name of Laser Technology, Inc.[6]. 

Laser Tech’s Earliest Innovations

A dredging professional stands in a boat with their LTI Hydro system on shore in 1986

Hydro System

LTI’s history of innovation started with developing technology primarily for the United States government. A core example is the Hydro 1. This was a hydrographic survey system used by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for the dredging of harbors and shipping channels[3],[7]. LTI initiated exporting activities in 1990, shortly followed by the introduction of the market’s first commercial speed laser, the LTI 20/20 Marksman, in 1991[3].   

LTI 20/20 Marksman

Known for the integration of lidar technology, which offered precision advantages over the industry-standard RADAR systems that then dominated the market[8], LTI’s revolutionary commercial speed gun was the first to utilize a laser beam that spanned only three feet wide at a distance of 1,000 feet[1]. The LTI 20/20 Marksman speed gun kick-started LTI’s legacy as a leader in laser technology design and manufacturing.  

David Williams, founder of Laser Tech, poses outdoors with the LTI 20/20 Marksman, the world’s first commercial police speed laser.

This became especially true after the LTI 20/20 Marksman had been deemed agency-certified for New Jersey State Police, following a precedential court decision reached in 1998. That court case, “Admissibility of Motor Vehicle Speed Readings Produced by the LTI Marksman 20-20 Laser Speed Detection System” case[9] continues to hold relevance to this day. LTI continues to feature lidar technology in their products, including updated speed detection lasers, as the technology promises law officers the ability to take direct aim at cars in individual lanes, from up to thousands of feet away[8]. 

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station poses with a custom rangefinder designed by Laser Technology, Inc.

Rangefinder for NASA

A significant mark of LTI’s reputation as an industry leader was their contribution to NASA’s 1992 Intelsat repair mission, STS-49, which is cited as successfully performing the first use of a proximity operations situational awareness program with data from laser sensors[10]. A modified version of LTI’s 20/20 Marksman, referred to as a Hand-Held lidar Sensor[11] was chosen for the mission after being updated for the task of recording lidar readings through NASA’s space shuttle windshield[3][12][13]. The official STS-49 Mission Report would state that “(LTI’s) laser range finder performed very well… (and that) the instrument performed excellently for rendezvous and proximity operations”[14]. 

Building an International Presence

With established sales in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, products from LTI’s Traffic Safety, Professional Measurement, and Industrial Sensors divisions can currently be found in over 100 countries around the world[15]. In 2020, Laser Technology, Inc. earned Colorado’s Governor’s Award for Excellence in Exporting thanks to outstanding economic contributions toward advancing Colorado’s international trade[16].