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A total station is an optical instrument used in modern surveying. It is a combination of an electronic theodolite (transit), an electronic distance measuring device (EDM) and software running on an external computer. Surveyor at work with a leveling instrument. ...
Diagram of an Optical Theodolite. ...
The distance between two points is the length of a straight line segment between them. ...
Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ...
A computer is a machine designed for manipulating data according to a list of instructions known as a program. ...
With a total station one may determine angles and distances from the instrument to points to be surveyed. With the aid of trigonometry, the angles and distances may be used to calculate the coordinates of actual positions (X, Y, and Z or northing, easting and elevation) of surveyed points, or the position of the instrument from known points, in absolute terms. The data may be downloaded from the theodolite to a computer and application software will generate a map of the surveyed area. Some total stations also have a GPS interface which combines these two technologies to make use of the advantages of both (GPS - line of sight not required between measured points; Traditional Total Station - high precision measurement especially in the vertical axis compared with GPS) and reduce the consequences of each technologies disadvantages (GPS - poor accuracy in the vertical axis and lower accuracy without long occupation periods; Total Station - requires line of sight observations and must be setup over a known point or within line of sight of 3 or more known points). Most modern Total Station instruments measure angles by means of electro-optical scanning of extremely precise digital bar-codes etched on rotating glass cylinders or discs within the instrument. The best quality total stations are capable of measuring angles down to 0.5 arc-second. Inexpensive "construction grade" total stations can generally measure angles to 5 or 10 arc-seconds. Measurement of distance is accomplished with a modulated microwave or infrared carrier signal, generated by a small solid-state emitter within the instrument's optical path, and bounced off of the object to be measured. The modulation pattern in the returning signal is read and interpreted by the onboard computer in the total station, and the speed-of-light lag between the outbound and return signal is translated into distance. Most total stations use a purpose-built glass prism as the reflector for the EDM signal, and can measure distances out to a few kilometers, but some instruments are "reflectorless", and can measure distances to any object that is reasonably light in color, out to a few hundred meters. The typical Total Station EDM can measure distances accurate to about 0.1 millimeter or 1/1000 foot, but most land surveying applications only take distance measurements to 1.0 mm or 1/100 foot. Wikibooks has more about this subject: Trigonometry Table of Trigonometry, 1728 Cyclopaedia Trigonometry (from the Greek trigonon = three angles and metro = measure) is a branch of mathematics dealing with angles, triangles and trigonometric functions such as sine, cosine and tangent. ...
See Cartesian coordinate system or Coordinates (elementary mathematics) for a more elementary introduction to this topic. ...
This article is about the computer terms. ...
Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ...
Look up interface in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Some modern machines are 'robotic' allowing the operator to control the machine from a distance via remote control. This eliminates the need for an assistant staff member to hold the reflector prism over the point to be measured. The operator holds the reflector him/herself and controls the machine from the observed point.
Mining Applications
Total stations are the primary survey instrument used in many mining applications. The El Chino Mine located near Silver City, New Mexico is an open-pit copper mine This article is about mineral extraction. ...
Underground Mining As the development drifts in an underground mine are driven, a total station will be used to record the absolute location of the tunnel walls (tope), ceilings (backs), and floors. This data can then be loaded into a CAD program, such as AutoCAD, and compared to the designed layout of the tunnel. In mining jargon, a drift is a nearly horizontal underground tunnel, as opposed to a shaft which is a nearly vertical tunnel. ...
Tope is the popular name in Buddhist countries for a species of cupola-shaped tumulus surmounted by a finial, in shape like an open parasol, the emblem of Hindu royalty; these parasol finials were often placed one upon the top of the other until a great height was reached; one...
AutoCAD 2006 drawing. ...
At regular intervals, the survey party will install stations. These are small steel plugs that are drilled into the walls or the back. The plugs are installed in pairs. For wall stations, two plugs are installed in opposite walls, forming a line perpendicular to the drift. For back stations, two plugs are installed in the back, forming a line parallel to the drift.
When the survey crew wants to set up the total station in a drift, they use a set of plugs to locate the total station.
References
See also Surveyor at work with a leveling instrument. ...
LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging; or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) is a technology that determines distance to an object or surface using laser pulses. ...
External links - PENTAX Total Stations
- Leica total station
- Trimble total stations
- Sokkia total stations
- Topcon total stations
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