Instruments used in

surveying Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the land, terrestrial Plane (mathematics), two-dimensional or Three-dimensional space#In Euclidean geometry, three-dimensional positions of Point (geom ...

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Alidade An alidade () (archaic forms include alhidade, alhidad, alidad) or a turning board is a device that allows one to sight a distant object and use the line of sight to perform a task. This task can be, for example, to Triangulation (surveying), tr ...

* Alidade table *

Cosmolabe The cosmolabe was an ancient astronomical instrument resembling the astrolabe, formerly used for measuring the angles between heavenly bodies. It is also called pantacosm. Jacques Besson also uses this name, or universal instrument, for hi ...

Dioptra A dioptra (sometimes also named dioptre or diopter, from ) is a classical astronomical and surveying instrument, dating from the 3rd century BC. The dioptra was a sighting tube or, alternatively, a rod with a sight at both ends, attached ...

Dumpy level A level is an optical instrument used to establish or verify points in the same horizontal plane in a process known as '' levelling''. It is used in conjunction with a levelling staff to establish the relative height or levels (the vertical se ...

* Engineer's chain *

Geodimeter __NOTOC__ The Geodimeter (acronym of geodetic distance meter) was the first optical electronic distance meter surveying instrument. It was originally developed for measuring the speed of light. It was invented in 1947 by and commercialized in 19 ...

Graphometer The graphometer, semicircle or semicircumferentor is a surveying instrument used for angle measurements. It consists of a semicircular wiktionary:Limb#Etymology 2, limb divided into 180 degrees and sometimes subdivided into minutes. The limb is s ...

Groma (surveying) The groma (as standardized in the imperial Latin, sometimes ''croma'', or ''gruma'' in the literature of the republican times) was a surveying instrument used in the Roman Empire. The groma allowed projecting right angles and straight lines and ...

Laser scanning Laser scanning is the controlled Deflection (physics), deflection of laser beams, visible or invisible. Scanned laser beams are used in some 3-D printers, in rapid prototyping, in machines for material processing, in laser engraving machines, i ...

Level Level or levels may refer to: Engineering *Level (optical instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights * Spirit level or bubble level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical *C ...

Level staff A level staff, also called levelling rod, is a graduated wooden or aluminium rod, used with a levelling instrument to determine the difference in height between points or heights of points above a vertical datum. When used for stadiametric range ...

Measuring tape A tape measure or measuring tape is a long, flexible ruler used to measure length or distance. It usually consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fibreglass, or metal (usually - hard steel alloy) strip with linear measurement markings. Types Ta ...

Plane table A plane table (plain table prior to 1830) is a device used in surveying, site mapping, exploration mapping, coastal navigation mapping, and related disciplines to provide a solid and level surface on which to make field drawings, charts and maps. ...

Pole (surveying) In surveying, a pole is bar made of wood or metal and normally held vertical, upon which different instruments can be mounted: a prism (surveying), prism, a GPS device, etc. It may be manufactured with a predetermined length (e.g., 2 meters) or m ...

* Prism (surveying) (corner cube retroreflector) *

Prismatic compass A prismatic compass is a navigation and surveying instrument which is extensively used to find out the bearing of the traversing and included angles between them, waypoints (an endpoint of the course) and direction. Compass surveying is a type o ...

(angle measurement) * Ramsden surveying instruments *

Ranging rod A ranging rod, or range rod, is a surveying instrument used for marking the position of stations, and for sightings of those stations, as well as for ranging straight lines. Initially these were made of light, thin, and straight bamboo, or of wel ...

Surveyor's chain Gunter's chain (also known as Gunter's measurement) is a distance-measuring device used for surveying. It was designed and introduced in 1620 by English clergyman and mathematician Edmund Gunter (1581–1626). It enabled plots of land to be accu ...

* Surveyor's compass *

Tachymeter (surveying) Tacheometry (; from Greek for "quick measure") is a system of rapid surveying, by which the horizontal and vertical positions of points on the Earth's surface relative to one another are determined using a tacheometer (a form of theodolite). It ...

Tape (surveying) A tape measure or measuring tape is a long, flexible ruler used to measure length or distance. It usually consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fibreglass, or metal (usually - hard steel alloy) strip with linear measurement markings. Types Ta ...

Tellurometer The tellurometer was the first successful microwave electronic distance measurement equipment. The name derives from the Latin ''tellus'', meaning Earth. History The original tellurometer, known as the Micro-Distancer MRA 1, was introduced in ...

Theodolite A theodolite () is a precision optical instrument for measuring angles between designated visible points in the horizontal and vertical planes. The traditional use has been for land surveying, but it is also used extensively for building and ...

Half theodolite A theodolite () is a precision optical instrument for measuring angles between designated visible points in the horizontal and vertical planes. The traditional use has been for land surveying, but it is also used extensively for building and i ...

Plain theodolite A theodolite () is a precision optical instrument for measuring angles between designated visible points in the horizontal and vertical planes. The traditional use has been for land surveying, but it is also used extensively for building and i ...

Simple theodolite A theodolite () is a precision optical instrument for measuring angles between designated visible points in the horizontal and vertical planes. The traditional use has been for land surveying, but it is also used extensively for building and i ...

Great theodolite The Ramsden surveying instruments are those constructed by Jesse Ramsden and used in high precision geodetic surveys carried out in the period 1784 to 1853. This includes the five great theodolites—great in name, great in size and great in accur ...

Non-transit theodolite A theodolite () is a precision optical instrument for measuring angles between designated visible points in the horizontal and vertical planes. The traditional use has been for land surveying, but it is also used extensively for building and i ...

Transit theodolite A theodolite () is a precision optical instrument for measuring angles between designated visible points in the horizontal and vertical planes. The traditional use has been for land surveying, but it is also used extensively for building and i ...

** Seconds theodolite ** Electronic theodolite ** Mining theodolite ** Suspension theodolite ** Traveling theodolite ** Pibal theodolite ** Registering theodolite ** Gyro-theodolite ** Construction theodolite ** Photo-theodolite ** Robotic theodolite ** Vernier theodolite *

Total station A total station or total station theodolite is an electronic/optical instrument used for surveying and building construction. It is an electronic transit theodolite integrated with electronic distance measurement (EDM) to measure both vertic ...

Transit (surveying) A theodolite () is a precision optical instrument for measuring angles between designated visible points in the horizontal and vertical planes. The traditional use has been for land surveying, but it is also used extensively for building and i ...

Tripod (surveying) A surveyor's tripod is a device used to support any one of a number of surveying instruments, such as theodolites, total stations, Dumpy level, levels or transits. History The modern sturdy, but portable, tripod stand with three leg pairs hing ...

* Universal instrument (surveying)

See also

Further reading