A surveying instrument comprises a distance measuring unit configured to measure a distance to an object to be measured, an optical axis deflector configured to deflect a distance measuring light, a measuring direction image pickup module configured to acquires an observation image and an arithmetic control module, wherein the arithmetic control module is configured to continuously cut out sighting images around a tracking point set in the observation image, to set a first cutout sighting image as a reference sighting image, to calculate a movement amount of the sighting image with respect to the reference sighting image by an image matching of the reference sighting image and the sighting image and to control the optical axis deflector based on a calculation result in such a manner that the tracking point is positioned at a center of the sighting image.

A surveying instrument includes a distance measuring module for measuring a distance to the object, in which the distance measuring module includes a light projecting optical system configured to project a distance measuring light and a light receiving optical system configured to receive a reflected distance measuring light, the light receiving optical system includes a prism having a quadrangular shape and a photodetector, the prism includes a first plane, a second plane, a third plate and a fourth plane, configured to enter the reflected distance measuring light in the first plane, sequentially internally reflect on the second plane, the first plane, and the third plane, transmit through the fourth plane, and project, and the reflect distance measuring light projected from the prism configured to be received by the photodetector.

A method is for installing a ceiling system attached to a structural ceiling surface. The method includes illuminating, in sequence and by a projector, different subsets of a set of optical sensors separately arranged in a known distribution pattern on the structural ceiling surface. Each optical sensor of the set of optical sensors is arranged to output a temporal signal indicative of a level of illumination. The method also includes determining an image plane relative to the projector based on the known distribution pattern of the set of optical sensors and the outputted temporal signals of each of the optical sensors, and displaying, by the projector, an image indicative of installation locations of the ceiling system at the image plane.

A reflector arrangement having at least one retroreflector and at least one sensor arrangement arranged downstream of the retroreflector in relation to a beam incidence direction, having a sensor. The sensor arrangement comprises a code element—having a code pattern, and the retroreflector, the code element—and the sensor are arranged in such a way that the code element—is arranged between the retroreflector and the sensor and an angle-dependent position with respect to the optical axis of a projection of the code pattern onto the detection surface can be determined by means of the sensor.

Various laser level designs including the ability to physically/mechanically mask light emitted from the laser level are shown. In one example, the laser level includes physical barriers that can be moved between open and closed positions to selectively block or mask a desired portion of the projected laser plane.

An augmented-reality system is combined with a surveying system to make measurement and/or layout at a construction site more efficient. A reflector can be mounted to a wearable device having an augmented-reality system. A total station can be used to track a reflector, and truth can be transferred to the wearable device while an obstruction is between the total station and the reflector. Further, a target can be used to orient a local map of a wearable device to an environment based on a distance between the target and the wearable device.

A method for calibrating a laser level. includes arranging the laser level and a detector on a same horizontal plane to cause the laser level to be at a detected position, setting the laser level to be in a dot-sweep mode or a fan-sweep mode, when the detector detects the first laser beam for calibration emitted by the laser level, generating first position information by the detector, when the laser level rotates to a first rotation angle, rotating a laser projection direction of the laser level relative to the laser level along the opposite direction by a first rotation angle to cause the detector to detect the second laser beam for calibration emitted by the laser level to generate second position information, and determining whether the laser level needs to be calibrated based on the first position information and the second position information.

The present disclosure provides a method for determining a direction to a geodetic target from a geodetic instrument. The method includes emitting an optical pulse from the geodetic target, capturing a first image and a second image of the geodetic target using a camera arranged at the geodetic instrument, obtaining a difference image between the first image and the second image, and determining a direction to the geodetic target from the geodetic instrument based on the position of the optical pulse in the difference image. The method further includes synchronizing the geodetic instrument and the geodetic target for emitting the optical pulse concurrently with the capturing of the first image and nonconcurrently with the capturing of the second image. The present disclosure also provides a geodetic instrument, a geodetic target and a geodetic surveying system.

A laser measuring system comprising a laser transmitter and a laser receiver is provided. The laser transmitter includes one or more laser sources for projecting an initial laser pulse and a reflective surface. The laser receiver includes a first reflective surface for reflecting the initial laser pulse to provide a first reflected laser pulse, and a second reflective surface for reflecting the initial laser pulse to provide a second reflected laser pulse. The laser receiver further includes a photo detection unit for receiving 1) a first double reflected laser pulse produced by the first reflected laser pulse reflecting off the reflective surface of the laser transmitter, and 2) a second double reflected laser pulse produced by the second reflected laser pulse reflecting off the reflective surface of the laser transmitter. The laser receiver determines an orientation angle associated with the laser receiver based on the first and second double reflected laser pulse.

The present disclosure discloses a method for using a laser level to track a detector and a laser tracking system. The method is applied to the laser level, which needs to use a fan-sweep mode or a dot-sweep mode. The method includes emitting a laser beam by the laser level to perform circular scanning, during the circular scanning, when the detector detects the laser beam, sending a detection signal to the laser level by the detector, when the laser level receives the detection signal, using the laser beam emitted by the laser level to perform circular scanning in an opposite direction, and when a frequency of the detection signal received by the laser level is greater than a first threshold, determining that the laser level tracks the detector.