total station

Noun

• An instrument used in land surveying that combines electronic and optical equipment to evaluate an area's location, features, and topography.
• An optical surveyor's instrument that combines a transit and an electronic distance measuring device. A total station calculates angles and distances for surveyed objects.
• An electronic survey instrument that combines a theodolite and distance meter. Machine-mounted targets can be robotically measured by total stations to provide very accurate positioning data in real time