`Introduction:

As we know that Survey is the science and art of determining relative

position of points above or below the terrain. Survey had its beginning in Egypt
about 1400 BC. After that Greeks came forward and make many efforts in survey.
Romans also contribute in the field of Survey and they introduced new methods
to develop there roads, aqueducts and land division systems. In 18
th
and 19
th

century the need for mapping and land marking claims caused extensive survey,
especially by the English. In 20
th
century and beyond as the technology advanced,
population increased and land value caused development of licensure for
surveyors in all states. As late as the 1990s, the basic tools used in planar
surveying were a tape measure for determining shorter distances, a level to
determine height or elevation differences, and a theodolite, set on a tripod, to
measure angles (horizontal and vertical), combined with the process
of triangulation. Starting from a position with known location and elevation, the
distance and angles to the unknown point are measured.
A more modern instrument is a total station, which is a theodolite
with an electronic distance measurement device (EDM). A total station can also
be used for leveling when set to the horizontal plane. Since their introduction,
total stations have made the technological shift from being optical-mechanical
devices to being fully electronic.
Modern top-of-the-line total stations no longer require a reflector or
prism (used to return the light pulses used for distancing) to return distance
measurements, are fully robotic, and can even e-mail point data to the office
computer and connect to satellite positioning systems, such as a Global
Positioning System. Though real-time kinematic GPS systems have increased the
speed of surveying, they are still horizontally accurate to only about 20 mm and
vertically accurate to about 3040 mm.
Total stations are still used widely, along with other types of
surveying instruments, however, because GPS systems do not work well in areas
with dense tree cover or constructions. One-person robotic-guided total stations
allow surveyors to gather precise measurements without extra workers to look
through and turn the telescope or record data.



What is Survey?
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science
of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points
and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the
surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish land maps.
A Brief History of Survey:
Surveying had its beginning in Egypt about 1400 BC. Egyptians
perform the following tasks using the Survey.
Land along the Nile River was divided for taxation. Divisions were washed
away by annual floods.
ROPE-STRETCHERS Egyptian surveyors were created to relocate the land
divisions (measurements were made with ropes having knots at unit
distances).
Extensive use of surveying in building of Egyptian monuments.
Greeks expanded Egyptian work and developed Geometry and also
developed one of the earliest surveying instruments called Diopter (a form of
level).
Romans developed surveying into a science to create the Roman
roads, aqueducts and land division systems. Romans also developed different
instruments like Groma (Cross instrument used to determine line and right
angles), Libella (a frame with a plumb bob used for leveling) etc.
In 18
th
and 19
th
century the need for mapping and marking land
claims extensive survey, especially by English.
In 1785 US began extensive surveys of public lands into one mile square
sections.
In 1807 US Geological Survey founded to establish an accurate control network
and mapping system.
The 20
th
century was golden period for the Survey history because in
this century great Surveyors were passed like Lambton and George Everest etc.
who were largely responsible for completing the section of Great Trigonometric
Survey of India along the meridian Arc.
Instruments use for Survey:
There are a lot of instruments used for Survey like,
Theodolite
Total Station
Topographic Abney Level
Gyro Theodolite
Dumpy Level
Gunters Chain
Leveling Staff etc.
Total Station:
Total station is an optical/electronic instrument used in modern
Surveying. Total Station is an electronic theodolite integrated with an Electronic
Distance Meter (EDM) to read distances from instrument to a particular point.
History of Total Station:
The instrument intelligent theodolite is basically called a total
station. The first occurrence of the word theodolite is found in surveying
textbook A geometric practice named Pantometria (1571) by Leonard Digges.
There is some confusion about the instrument to which the name
was originally applied. Some identify the early theodolite as an
azimuth instrument only, while others specify it as an altazimuth instrument. In
Digges's book, the name theodolite described an instrument for measuring
horizontal angles only. He also described an instrument that measured both
altitude and azimuth, which he called a topographical instrument.
The first instrument more like a true theodolite was likely the one built by Joshua
Habermel in Germany in 1576, complete with compass and tripod.
The earliest altazimuth instruments consisted of a base graduated with a full circle
at the limb and a vertical angle measuring device, most often a semicircle.
An alidade on the base was used to sight an object for horizontal angle
measurement, and a second alidade was mounted on the vertical semicircle. Later
instruments had a single alidade on the vertical semicircle and the entire
semicircle was mounted so as to be used to indicate horizontal angles directly.
Eventually, the simple, open-sight alidade was replaced with a sighting telescope.
This was first done by Jonathan Sisson in 1725.
The theodolite became a modern, accurate instrument in 1787 with the
introduction of Jesse Ramsden's famous great theodolite, which he created using
a very accurate dividing engine of his own design. In the 1870s, an interesting
waterborne version of the theodolite (using a pendulum device to counteract
wave movement) was invented by Edward Samuel Ritchie. It was used by the U.S.
Navy to take the first precision surveys of American harbors on the Atlantic and
Gulf coasts. With continuing refinements, the instrument steadily evolved into the
modern theodolite used by surveyors today.
Parts of Total Station:










































Function Keys:



Applications of
total station:

There are a number of applications that we can perform using total station.
Remote distance measurement:
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 reflected by a prism reflector or the
object under survey. The modulation pattern in the returning signal is read and
interpreted by the computer in the total station. The distance is determined by
emitting and receiving multiple frequencies, and determining the integer number
of wavelengths to the target for each frequency. A typical total station can
measure distances with an accuracy of about 1.5 millimetres.
Angle Measurement:
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 to 0.5 arc-second. Inexpensive "construction grade"
total stations can generally measure angles to 5 or 10 arc-seconds.
Resection:
Resection is an application used when setting up a station, to
determine the unknown station coordinates and station orientation.
Measurements with and without distances can mix up.
Area & perimeter:
Area is an application used to compute online areas to a maximum of
50 points connected by straights. The target points have to be measured, selected
from memory, or entered via the keypad in a clockwise direction. The calculated
area is projected onto the horizontal plane (2D) or projected onto the sloped
reference plane defined by three points.
Off Set & Stake Out:
This function calculates the target point coordinates if it is not
possible to set up the reflector, or to aim at the target point directly. The offset
values (length, trav. and/or height offset) can be entered. The values for the
angles and distances are calculated to determine the target point.

Measuring Heights:
Raw data collected by total station is horizontal angles and slope
distance and horizontal distance too. By using this data we can easily
demonstrate the height of a point.
Coordinate measurement:
Coordinates of an unknown point relative to a known coordinate can
be determined using the total station as long as a direct line of sight can be
established between the two points. Angles and distances are measured from the
total station to points under survey, and the coordinates (X, Y, and Z or northing,
easting and elevation) of surveyed points relative to the total station position are
calculated using trigonometry and triangulation. To determine an absolute
location a Total Station requires line of sight observations and must be set up
over a known point or with line of sight to 2 or more points with known location.
GNSS:
A satellite navigation system is a system of satellites that provide
autonomous geo-spatial positioning with global coverage. It allows small
electronic receivers to determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude)
to within a few metres using time signals transmitted along a line-of-sight by radio
from satellites. Receivers calculate the precise time as well as position, which can
be used as a reference for scientific experiments. A satellite navigation system
with global coverage may be termed a global navigation satellite system or GNSS.
INS:
Inertial Navigation System is a navigational aid uses a computer, a
motion sensors and rotating sensors to continuously calculate via dead reckoning
the position, orientation without the need for any external references. Other
terms used to refer to inertial navigation systems or closely related devices
include inertial guidance system, inertial reference platform, inertial instrument
and inertial measurement unit etc.
Total Station with GNSS:
Some total stations also having Global Navigation Satellite
System interface which do not require a direct line of sight to determine
coordinates. However, GNSS measurements may require longer occupation
periods and offer relatively poor accuracy in the vertical axis.
Survey-Grade GNSS receivers can be used to position survey markers,
buildings, and road construction. These units use the signal from both the L1 and
L2 GPS frequencies. Even though the L2 code data are encrypted, the
signal's carrier wave enables correction of some ionospheric errors. These dual-
frequency GPS receivers typically cost US$10,000 or more, but can have
positioning errors on the order of one centimeter or less when used in carrier
phase differential GPS mode.
Traditional total station:
Manual total station:
It was necessary to real the horizontal and vertical angles manually in
this type of instrument. The only value that could be read electronically was the
slope distances.
Sami automatic total station:
The user has to manually read the horizontal angle for these
instruments but the vertical angles were shown digitally. Slope distances were
measured electronically. And it was used to reduce the horizontal and vertical
components.
Automatic total station:
This type is most common total station used now a day. The sense
both the horizontal and vertical angles electronically and measured the slope
distances, compute the horizontal and vertical distances and determine the
coordinates of observed points. The data acquired during the survey can either be
stored in the total station memory or by using an external data collector.
Almost all the total stations in the market now a day are automatic
and used infrared as the carrier for distance measurement.

Advantages:
Traditional survey methods are laborious and time consuming
Fully automatic electronic measurement
Digital display of staff reading and distance
Data storage in instrument possible
Direct transfer to personal computer of data stored in instruments
Disadvantages:
Total stations are dependent on batteries and electronics. The LCD screen does
not work well when it is cold.
Battery life is also short, batteries and electronics both do not work well when
wet.
Loss of data is an important consideration.
Advancements in TS:
Refinements to an existing technology are the servo-driven and robotic optical
total stations. Their suited functionality for intense mapping and their capacity to
improve the surveying operation has increased their importance in the last few
years.
Servo Driven Total Stations:
In this type of total stations a motor is used to aim and position the instrument.
These are appealing where automatic pointing is desired.
In the case of setting out, it makes it feasible to set the control points with very
less sighting through telescope. It automatically set the horizontal and vertical
angles when used with pre-determined coordinates.
In the case of traverse, it can be used to point the instrument in the direction of
next target of the observing program, requiring only fine adjustment by hand.
In case of manual usage, their friction clutches offer great speed in pointing also
fine pointing is aided by having unlimited travel in tangent screws.
Auto Tracking Servo-Driven Total Stations:
It is the further enhancement in the previous version of auto tracking. This
enables the servo-driven total station to lock onto and follow it. Since the target is
followed as it moves, the person holding the rod seldom has to wait for the
instrument person. Aiming and focusing are eliminated from the manual
operations. Errors in the observations due to parallax are eliminated as well and
phenomenal increase in accuracy has been reported. Furthermore, in mapping or
setting out operations, multiple rods (rod persons) can be used for higher
productivity.
Robotic Total Stations:
The robotic total station can be setup over a control point and left there while the
surveyor carries the prism to the various points that are to be located. The
instrument itself will track the prism when the surveyor presses the button, and
instrument will take and record the necessary readings. Furthermore a wireless
communication link is added between target and instrument so that one person
surveying is possible and to improve the usability and quality of the data.