Total Station

A total station is a precision surveying instrument that integrates an electronic theodolite for measuring horizontal and vertical angles with an electronic distance measurement (EDM) device that uses infrared or laser pulses to measure distances to a reflective prism or directly to surfaces. By combining angle and distance measurements, total stations compute three-dimensional coordinates of surveyed points with millimeter-level precision. Capabilities and featuresModern total stations include motorized servo drives for automated target tracking, robotic operation allowing single-person survey crews, onboard computers with survey software, and data storage for thousands of measurements. Reflectorless EDM technology enables measurement to surfaces without a prism at distances up to several hundred meters, useful for measuring inaccessible features like building facades and cliff faces. ApplicationsTotal stations are used for boundary surveys, topographic mapping, construction layout and as-built verification, monitoring structural deformation, and establishing geodetic control networks. They remain essential where GNSSGNSSGlobal Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is the umbrella term for satellite-based positioning systems that provide a... signals are obstructed, such as in urban canyons, tunnels, inside buildings, and under heavy tree canopy. Despite the rise of GNSS and laser scanning, total stations remain indispensable in professional surveying for their combination of angular and distance measurement precision, reliability in GNSS-denied environments, and versatility across diverse surveying tasks.