FUNDAMENTAL SURVEYING Surveying Equipment and Technology

Question 1

What is the primary advantage of a robotic total station over a conventional total station?

Accepted Answer

One-person operation via remote control from the prism pole

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Light Detection and Ranging — used to collect dense 3D point clouds of terrain and structures

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

To reflect the EDM laser beam directly back to the instrument for distance measurement

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Automatic (self-leveling) level

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

It electronically reads bar-coded rods, reducing reading errors and allowing automatic data recording

Answer

Digital levels use CCD sensors to automatically read bar-coded rods, eliminating manual reading errors and enabling electronic data collection.

FUNDAMENTAL SURVEYING Practice Test