FUNDAMENTAL SURVEYING Surveying Equipment and Technology 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary advantage of a robotic total station over a conventional total station?
- Higher angular accuracy
- One-person operation via remote control from the prism pole (Correct answer)
- Lower cost
- Works better in rain
Correct answer: One-person operation via remote control from the prism pole
A robotic total station can track a prism pole and be controlled remotely, allowing one person to perform surveys that traditionally required two.
Question 2: What does 'LiDAR' stand for and what is it used for in surveying?
- Light Detection and Ranging — used to collect dense 3D point clouds of terrain and structures (Correct answer)
- Laser Imaging Distance and Ranging — used only underwater
- Light Imaging Data and Recording — used for aerial photography
- Linear Distance and Ranging — used for tape measurements
Correct answer: Light Detection and Ranging — used to collect dense 3D point clouds of terrain and structures
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) emits laser pulses and measures return times to create dense, accurate 3D point clouds.
Question 3: What is the function of a retroreflective prism in total station surveying?
- To amplify the EDM signal
- To reflect the EDM laser beam directly back to the instrument for distance measurement (Correct answer)
- To measure vertical angles independently
- To provide a target for manual sighting only
Correct answer: To reflect the EDM laser beam directly back to the instrument for distance measurement
A retroreflective prism reflects the EDM light beam back parallel to the incoming beam, enabling accurate distance measurement.
Question 4: What type of level uses a compensator to automatically maintain a horizontal line of sight?
- Dumpy level
- Tilting level
- Automatic (self-leveling) level (Correct answer)
- Digital level
Correct answer: Automatic (self-leveling) level
Automatic (self-leveling) levels use a pendulum-based compensator to maintain a horizontal line of sight after rough leveling.
Question 5: What is the advantage of a digital level over an optical automatic level?
- It works without a rod
- It electronically reads bar-coded rods, reducing reading errors and allowing automatic data recording (Correct answer)
- It is more accurate over long sights
- It does not require a compensator
Correct answer: It electronically reads bar-coded rods, reducing reading errors and allowing automatic data recording
Digital levels use CCD sensors to automatically read bar-coded rods, eliminating manual reading errors and enabling electronic data collection.
Question 6: What is the role of a CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Station) network in GPS surveying?
- It provides real-time or post-processed corrections to improve GPS accuracy (Correct answer)
- It amplifies GPS signals in urban canyons
- It replaces the need for a GPS receiver
- It records seismic data
Correct answer: It provides real-time or post-processed corrections to improve GPS accuracy
CORS stations continuously record GPS observations and provide data for real-time corrections (NTRIP) or post-processing to improve rover position accuracy.
FUNDAMENTAL SURVEYING Surveying Equipment and Technology 1
What is the primary advantage of a robotic total station over a conventional total station?