The Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the fifth century B.C.

, relates that
around 1400 B.C., the pharaoh Sesostris "distributed the land to all the Egyptians,
giving an equal square portion to each man, and from this he made his revenue
and if the river should take away any man's portion the king used to send men
to examine and to find out by measurement how much less the piece of land had
become, in order that for the future the man might pay less" Thus, it appears
that the first known reference to the science of surveying shows how it was used
to measure property boundaries in order to ensure the collection of taxes or rent
at the proper rate.

Crop survey, dated 1400-1390 B.C.

In this photograph, surveyors use an invar tape to measure a base line

through a house in Pasadena, California. Invar, an alloy of nickel and steel
having a very low coefficient of expansion, resolved the thermal
expansion problem associated with the use of other metal rods and tapes
for distance measurement.

Taping in southeast Alaska, 1916

This black and white illustration, included to give an

idea of some of the challenges of the equipment of
the era, shows Survey of the Coast Superintendent
Ferdinand Hassler directing the placement of his
specially designed "Great Theodolite" while
surveying on Fire Island, New York. The theodolite
was used for precise and accurate angle
measurements. He also designed and built an
apparatus consisting of four two-meter bars that
could be laid end-to-end to determine distance.

ntrebri studeni

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

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This illustration, drawn in 1854, shows a Coast Survey party measuring a base line
in Key Largo, Florida.The party is using an apparatus called the Bache-Wurdemann
device.This device, which was essentially two bars encased in aluminum, was
designed to help reduce errors caused by the expansion and contraction of metal
rods during measurements.

This photograph shows a surveyor using a

tape stretcher. In the early 1900s, tapes
eventually replaced the bar apparatus as the
practical means for measuring distances.

In this photograph, an iced-bar apparatus is being aligned with a

striding level. This apparatus, designed in ongoing efforts to combat
the problem of thermal expansion of metal rods used to measure
distances, is essentially a bar covered with ice.

Principiul general
Msurarea electronic de distane

und (luminoasa sau radio)

Istoria E.D.M.
Electronic Distance Measurement
1938, fizicianul suedez Erik Bergstrand studiaz posibilitatea
msurrii vitezii luminii cu ajutorul unui sistem optic original,
Sistemul controla frecvena undelor luminoase cu ajutorul unui
cristal oscilator,
Dup nou ani de cercetri ajunge la concluzia c viteza luminii
este de 299,79310,2 km/sec.
1948, Bergstrand sugereaz (i indic modalitatea) companiei
suedeze AGA, s produc un aparat de msurat electronic
distanele, care va fi denumit Geodimeter,
ACESTA ESTE NCEPUTUL EPOCII DE MSURARE
ELECTRONIC A DISTANELOR

 Primul aparat de tip EDM/Geodimeter cntrea cteva

zeci de kg. i putea msura distane pn la 35 km!
Este trecut i testul preciziei: se constat experimental
c aparatul msoar distane cu o precizie superioar
celei mai precise modaliti de msurare direct-firul
de invar.
1955, este lansat Geodimeter model 2, care putea
msura distane pn la 50 km.
Aparatul continu s se perfecioneze, crescnd
precizia.

Tellurometrul
Dup cercetri efectuate tot din anii40, n 1957
n Africa de Sud se lanseaz primul aparat.
Aparatul folosete n procesul de msurare
microunde.
Microundele sunt mai afectate de factorii
atmosferici ca i undele luminoase metoda
este mai puin precis.
Cu toate acestea aparatul poate msura
distane pn la 50 km.

Tellurometrul, cca 1959

Cea de a doua generaie

GEODIMETER
Geodimeter evolueaz rapid dup 1960, astfel:
1. Greutatea scade de peste 10 ori,
2. Timpul de msurare scade de la 45' la 10 ,
3. Lampa cu tugstren este nlocuit cu o
lamp cu vapori de mercur, n varianta 4.
4. Primul aparat laser este inventat de George
Leslay de la Coast and Geodetic Survey,
SUA, care nlocuiete lamp cu vapori de
mercur, cu un laser neon gaz, n 1966.

 n 1964 lmpile cu vapori sunt nlocuite cu tranzistori,

Geodimeter model 6,
Se reduce foarte mult timpul de msurare,
WILD DI 10 DISTOMAT este unul dintre primele
aparate de acest gen, care utilizeaz semiconductori,
foto-diode pentru undele luminoase.
n anul 1969 aparatul ptrunde n SUA, dar n paralel
HP, lanseaz modelul HP Model 3800B,
care utiliza o diod emitoare de unde luminoase de
cu ajutorul unui sistem de galliu-arseninid,
Amndou aparatele prezentau comparativ cu
metodele anterioare faciliti de utilizare,
Apar n acelai timp aparate pentru topografie i
cadastru care msoar distane scurte de pn la 10
km.

HP Model 3800B EDM

AGA MODEL 1976

Epoca Staiilor topografice totale

Staie topografic total= teodolit electronic+EDM

1983

ZEISS

1968 Zeiss combin cele dou instrumente

Numete noul aparat ELTA- tahimetru electronic
Precizia de msurare a unghiurilor 3',
Pentru distane prin unde n infrarou se pot
msura distane pn la cca.2 km.
Aparatul necesit prisme reflectoare(primele
aparate foloseau oglinzi plate, apoi sferice)

Prisme reflectorizante

A key component of an electronic

distance measurement instrument is the
reflector system, which bounces light
signals of a known wavelength to a
reflector to determine distance. The
prism system shown in this photograph
was one of the systems used in
Geodimeters.

AGA Geodimeter Model 6

Distance measurement
Physical unit = metre (m) = the length of the
path travelled by light in vacuum during a
specific fraction of a second (1/299 792 458 s).

kilo-

km

103

hecto-

hm

102

milli-

mm

10-3

deci-

dm

10-1

micro-

10-6

centi-

cm

10-2

nano-

nm

10-9
32

Distance measurement methods

1. measurement with a tape
2. optical methods
a) measurement of a parallactic angle
b) stadia range finder
3. electro-optical methods
a) phase distance meter
b) distance meter measuring transit time
33

1. Distance measurement with a tape

tape length 20 50 m, the smallest division 1 mm
material steel, invar (Ni, Fe), plastic
measured distance is split into sections which are
shorter than the tape length, these sections should
be in a straight line
horizontal distance is measured (it is assured by a
plummet)
measurement is always performed twice back
and forth in a flat terrain or down from the top
twice
34

90
90

90

35

Errors of measurement with a tape

if the real tape length is not known: the tape should
be calibrated,
if the temperature during a measurement is not the
same as the temperature during the calibration: the
temparature correction should be introduced
ot = (t t0). . d,
d measured distance,
thermal line expansion coefficient,
t temperature during the measurement,
t0 temperature during the calibration,
36

 if the sections are not in a straight line,

if the tape is stretched less than 50 N or more
than 100 N,
if the tape is not horizontal,
if the tape is sagged: it depends on the tape
length
if a wrong value is read on the tape
Accuracy of the distance measurement with a
tape is about 3 cm for 100 m (1: 3000 of a
measured distance).

37

2a) Measurement of a parallactic angle

90

D
38

 horizontal stadia rod of known length l is placed

perpendicular to the measured distance D
horizontal angle is measured by a theodolite
horizontal distance is calculated
l

D cot
2
2

accuracy 1 mm for 100 m (1:100 000)

39

2b) Stadia range finder horizontal line of

sight

90
l

f
D
40

 there are 2 short lines = stadia lines in the field

of view of all theodolites and levelling
instruments
angle is invariable (it is given by the distance
between stadia lines and by the focal distance
f), a rod interval l is measured (it is read on a
levelling rod)

l
1

D cot ,k cot
2
2
2
D k l

2
41

 measured distance D is horizontal

usually k = 100
if the line of sight is not horizontal, a rod
interval l and a zenith angle z are measured and
then

D k l sin z
2

accuracy 0,1 m for 60 m (1:600)

42

Stadia range finder slope line of sight

90

43

3. Electro-optical distance measurement

there is a transmitter of electromagnetic
radiation on a point and a reflector on another
one
reflector: 1. trigonal reflector
2. arbitrary diffuse surface
principles of distance measurement:
1. evaluation of a phase or frequence of
modulated electromagnetic radiation,
2. signal emission and transit time
measurement.
44

 slope distance is measured with an electronic

distance meter = length of a join between the
instrument and the prism (target)
additive constant of the instrument and the
target set = systematic difference between
measured and true distance given by the
positions of instruments and targets reference
points. The additive constant is given by the
producer of the instrument and it should be
introduced to a measurement.
electronic distance meter can be embeded in so
called total station (electronic theodolite +
electronic distance meter)
45

Accuracy of electronic distance meters

= X + Y ppm
X invariable part of the standard deviation,
Y variable part of the standard deviation (it
depends on the value of a measured distance)
E.g. = 3 mm + 2 ppm
the standard deviation of measured distance is
7 mm for the distance 2 km (= 3 + 2*2)
46

3a) Phase distance meter

D
47

 distance meter signals a modulated wave with

the phase 0 and a wave with the phase 1 is
turned back. The distance is characterized by
the phase difference .
the wave has to be longer than measured
distance (it is not possible to determine a
number of the whole waves)
more than one wavelength are usually used for
measurement, e.g. wavelengths 1000 m, 10 m,
1 m and then the values 382 m, 2,43 m,
0,428 m give the result 382,428 m.
48

3b) Distance meter measuring transit time

signal is emitted by the distance meter and
transit time t is measured
v t
2 D v t D
2
high accuracy of the transit time measurement
is needed therefore these distance meters are
less often used

49

Corrections of measured distances

1. physical correction of a distance for
measurements with electronic distance meters
2. mathematical reduction of a distance for
coordinate calculations

50

Physical correction
wavelength depends on atmosphere which the
signal comes through, it depends on
atmospheric temperature and pressure mainly
value of physical correction is set in a distance
meter (it is calculated using formulas given by
the producer of the distance meter)
it is possible to enter the temperature and the
pressure to the most of modern distance meters
and the correction is calculated automatically
51

Mathematical reduction
Measured distance d which is shorter than 6 km
has to be:
1. reduced to a curvature on the reference
sphere (to so called sea level horizon),
2. reduced to the plane of the cartographic
projection (e.g. S-JTSK)

52

1. Mathematical reduction to the sea level

horizon

53

d0
d

rh
r

r
d0 d
rh
r reference sphere radius (6380 km)
h sea level height (elevation)

54

2. Distance projection reduction (S-JTSK)

1
s d 0 m A m B
2

for short distances

s d 0 m A
The scale error value m is calculated or found
out using the scale error isolines map.
55

56

57

58