From the Conventional Total Station to the Prospective Image Assisted Photogrammetric Scanning Total Station: Comprehensive Review

Surveying technology as regards total stations (TS) has changed in the last fifty years. The original idea of measuring and storing polar coordinates has been progressively revolutionized by means of reflectorless distance measuring capabilities, as well as steer measurements, robotic, camera, and scanning functions. This enables the so-called intelligent tacheometry which is explained in detail herein, relying on the instruments capability to react autonomously on the object due to the reflectorless measuring device and eventually with image assistance and in interaction with the robotic drive. This paper revises thoroughly the evolution of conventional TS as figured out in the sixties until the promising image assisted scanning total station that are starting to come out with many surveying capabilities, but half way of what it might be an image assisted photogrammetric scanning TS (IAPSTS) with full photogrammetric functionalities. Following the writers' opinions, the IAPSTS might surprisingly change the way both field surveying and processing are carried out in scenarios such as documentation of cultural heritage and industrial factory measurements.