A Total Station combines which functionalities?

A Total Station combines which functionalities?

• A. A laser scanner without measurement capabilities.
• B. A GPS receiver only.
• C. A simple level and tape.
• D. An electronic theodolite with a built-in distance meter to measure angles and distances.

Answer: (D)

A Total Station is designed to capture both directions and distances in one instrument. It combines an electronic theodolite, which measures horizontal and vertical angles, with a distance-measuring device (EDM) that measures the line-of-sight distance to a target. With both angle and distance data, you can determine precise 3D coordinates of survey points directly, and you can store or transfer those measurements for processing. This integration makes it efficient for staking out and mapping.

Other options don’t fit because a laser scanner without measurement capabilities wouldn’t provide the angular and distance data together; a GPS receiver alone doesn’t measure the necessary angles and line-of-sight distances to a prism; and a simple level with a tape lacks the angular measurement and EDM needed for full coordinate positioning.