Category Archives: Evolution of Land Survey Technology
These articles trace land survey measurement technology from the time of early mapping in Western Canada to the relatively recent application of GPS technology. They depict the greatest evolution in land surveying technology in history – the period from about 1960 to the early 2000s. This period witnessed the transformation in measurement technology from transit and chain to GPS, and in survey computation from logarithms to the sophisticated programs and computers of the early 21st Century. They were originally published from 2021 to 2023 in ALS News, a quarterly publication of the Alberta Land Surveyors Association.
11. Early Geodetic Theodolites were King
The Geodetic Survey of Canada was officially established in 1909 with William Frederick King as...
12. Wild – The Leader in Optical Theodolites
The story is that, in 1902, Heinrich Wild, a 24-year-old Swiss surveyor stood behind his...
13. Kern – 170 Years of History
Kern & Co. was founded in 1819 by Jakob Kern in Aarau, Switzerland. Jakob Kern...
14. A Town in Devonshire, England and the Tavistock Theodolite
With the introduction of the smaller, lighter Wild T2 theodolite in 1924, it became apparent...
15. The “Vagaries of that Instrument” – The Altimeter
Altimeters measure the height above sea level by measuring barometric pressure.
16. Not Quite Redundant – The Surveyor’s Compass
In Article 2 of this series, it was explained that the difference between a surveyor’s...
17. On the Bubble – Wye and Dumpy Levels
Land surveyors who mainly do boundary surveys only occasionally are required to do survey level...
18. Philadelphia or Chicago – Level Rods
Two types of level rods have been well recognized for years – the Philadelphia rod...
19. There were no Stories about Drafting
In history books about surveying, there are lots of stories involving adventure, transportation, climbing mountains,...
20. They Doubled the Life of Astronomers – Logarithms
The credit for developing the concept of logarithms in the 17th century is given to...