Instruments used in surveying include: *

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 triangulate a scale map on site ...

* Alidade table * Cosmolabe *

Dioptra A dioptra (sometimes also named dioptre or diopter, from el, διόπτρα) 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 ...

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, and is used in conjunction with a levelling staff to establish the relative height levels of objects or marks. It is ...

* 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 195 ...

Graphometer The graphometer, semicircle or semicircumferentor is a surveying instrument used for angle measurements. It consists of a semicircular limb divided into 180 degrees and sometimes subdivided into minutes. The limb is subtended by the diameter with ...

* Groma (surveying) * Laser scanning * Level *

Level staff {{short description, Graduated rod used to measure differences between heights 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 ...

Measuring tape A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible ruler used to measure length or distance. It consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fibre glass, or metal strip with linear measurement markings. It is a common measuring tool. Its design all ...

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, a GPS device, etc. It may be manufactured with a predetermined length (e.g., 2 meters) or may be graduated f ...

* 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 lcourse) and direction. Compass surveying is a type ...

(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 well ...

* Surveyor's chain * Surveyor's compass * Tachymeter (surveying) *

Tape (surveying) A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible ruler used to measure length or distance. It consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fibre glass, or metal strip with linear measurement markings. It is a common measuring tool. Its design al ...

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 1 ...

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 an ...

** Half theodolite ** Plain theodolite ** Simple theodolite ** Great theodolite ** Non-transit theodolite ** Transit theodolite ** 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 (TS) or total station theodolite (TST) 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 ...

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 ...

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, levels or transits. History The modern sturdy, but portable, tripod stand with three leg pairs hinged to a tri ...

* Universal instrument (surveying)

See also

Further reading