About

At Technidea Corporation “We Turn Ideas into Technology.” Accordingly, Technidea is short for Technical idea. Since its beginning in late 2001, Technidea has continued to turn numerous ideas into successful technologies. Most of the Technidea innovations have evolved from its highly successful ZIPLEVEL® High Precision Altimeter.

A Measurement Revolution

The origins of ZIPLEVEL® date back to 1987, when Dennis L. Vories, PE, an enterprising consulting engineer and former Department of Defense electronics engineer set out to build his new office and laboratory on six rugged acres in rural North San Diego County. Faced with challenging terrain and limited visibility, Vories needed a reliable way to measure elevations without line-of-sight and without relying on an assistant. Traditional builder’s levels and rotary lasers were ineffective for the complex grading and excavation work he needed to perform.
Drawing on his expertise in electronic and mechanical research, Vories adapted a pressure sensor system he had previously designed for an automotive instrumentation manufacturer. The result was an unpressurized hydrostatic altimeter prototype with a 30-foot clear tube, a sealed reference chamber using a toy balloon, and a simple analog display capable of measuring elevations within a 17-foot (5 m) range. Vories named his new instrument the Computer Level and used it in all phases of building his new office and lab including setting foundation and driveway concrete forms to within 1/16” (2mm).

After completing his building project, Vories initiated patent searches as the first step in patenting his precision altimeter. Vories noticed that existing patents proposed hydrostatic altimeters that were impractical to produce and/or use. Although the Computer Level already solved some of those problems, Vories solved other problems and acquired his first hydrostatic altimeter patent. In 1991, Vories signed licensing and development agreements with Stanley Works who provided the millions in funding to develop his invention into a practical product that Vories named Compulevel. Over the next five years, Vories acquired three additional powerful Compulevel patents and led nearly all aspects of product development, including industrial design, automated tooling, and production line installation at Stanley’s Connecticut manufacturing plant.
Compulevel launched globally in 1996 to widespread acclaim. That same year, Vories received innovation awards from Popular Science, IEEE, the California Society of Professional Engineers, ECN, and others. He accepted the $5,000 Grand Prize from Design News alongside Alan Mulally, later the celebrated CEO of Ford Motor Company.

From COMPULEVEL® to ZIPLEVEL®

In 2001, Vories exercised his licensing rights, acquired the Compulevel assets, and founded Technidea Corporation in Escondido, California. Under the new brand ZIPLEVEL, he continued to improve precision, speed, reliability, and versatility far beyond conventional leveling instruments.
Over the years, Technidea expanded the ZIPLEVEL line with the Basic, EZDepth, and Geotech ZIPLEVELs along with smart device connectivity that made applications possible in construction, engineering, surveying, landscaping, archaeology, forensics, and more. Service centers were established in France, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia to support global customers.

The First Major ZIPLEVEL Upgrade in 30 Years

Recently, Technidea Corporation introduced its most significant advancement in three decades - the new ZIPLEVEL PRO-2030 with unprecedented performance:

• Self-cased for instant setup and pack-up
• Now with Built-in BlueTooth for optional SmartLink App with bracket reduced
from $265 to $99 ($49 without bracket)
• Added display back-light
• Setup vertical range increased from 40’ (12m) to 50’ (15m)
• 0.010” (0.25mm) High Precision setup vertical range up from 4’ (1.2m) to 50’ (15m)
• Internal data storage increased from 137 to 10,000
• 9V battery life tripled for 2 - 3 years of typical daily use
• Display of % of 2 - 3 years gas charge and battery life remaining
• New invert function for excavators and tank level readings
• Superior accuracy & reliability over unlimited ranges
• 20 powerful built-in functions with audio indicators
• Improved access doors and audio
• Future software upgrades are now possible
• Job site rugged with proven use life up to 30 years
• Historic Compulevel & ZIPLEVEL upgrade cost: $399 ($349 with good trade-in
electronics). Included: new PRO-2030 Measurement Module,
PRO-2030 label & User Guide with additional cost for recharge (half price if
was done within 18 mos.)