GPS search for advanced total station operation
Lemmon, Tim and Chris van der Loo
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a widely accepted tool for navigation purposes. Surveyors have embraced the technology for a variety of survey applications. Since GPS is accepted within the survey industry, manufacturers are utilizing GPS technology to assist with conventional survey instrumentation, such as optical total stations. While some integration has focused on the application of survey grade GPS receivers with optical total stations, there has been limited integration with cheaper, low accuracy commercially available GPS receivers. Trimble has long been an industry leader in the application of GPS technology and has now extended that leadership through the use of low cost, commercially available GPS integrated with a Robotic Total Station system. Using a patented Trimble technique, a GPS position can be used to provide a robotic total station with an approximate position of the robotic rod. The instrument can be quickly directed to the GPS position and a search performed to re-acquire the target at the robotic rod. This GPS assisted technique, called GPS Search, provides a very efficient and effective method of acquiring the target on the robotic rod. The following sections describe the principles of GPS Search. The method of operation within the Trimble Survey Controller software is defined and the benefits to the advanced robotic total station user are explored.
Event: XXIII International FIG Congress : Shaping the change
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