Market analysts predict that the construction technology market will increase in value from 2023 to 2033, with a compound annual growth rate of 16.9% over the forecast period.
Investing in new construction technologies can boost your company's competitiveness in this rapidly expanding market, improving your chances of winning important bids and helping you increase your profit margins. A robotic total station is one such example.
What Is a Robotic Total Station?
A robotic total station is an advanced version of a conventional total station that uses automated machinery and software to streamline workflows and maintain overall accuracy. The total station is set up on a tripod and can automatically adjust itself to aim at the prism, which the surveyor holds. The surveyor can move the prism to various points around the site, making it easier and more efficient to measure your site.
While specific features will vary between manufacturers, most robotic total stations for construction share the following characteristics:
- Robotic head: A robotic total station uses a machine head to automatically point and shoot the instrument at specific areas for measurement, saving valuable time and enhancing measurement accuracy.
- Data Collectors: Operators can use a computer or handheld mobile device, such as a tablet or smartphone, to control the total station from a distance. This capability makes it easier — and safer — to take measurements on sites with uneven terrain.
- Automation: Intelligent automation in both hardware and software eliminates unnecessary steps in key processes, streamlining your workflows and helping your teams stay on track.
5 Reasons to Invest in a Robotic Total Station
Robotic total stations can be a significant investment, so it's important to carefully weigh the costs of this technology against the benefits. Here are the top five advantages of having a robotic total station for construction projects.
1. Highly Precise Layouts
All manual processes are subject to human error, no matter how experienced the workers in question are. A robotic total station solution combines precision optics with robotic machinery, which enables more precise measurements of structures and sites.
Additionally, automatic correction capabilities help eliminate inaccuracies your team may otherwise miss, reducing the need to make repeat measurements. Trimble solutions use advanced analytics to more accurately place layout points, catch and fix discrepancies and incorporate your 3D plans into the real world for maximum precision.
2. Cost Savings and Return on Investment
While it can be a substantial investment, your company can achieve excellent cost savings with robotic total station technology. In addition to eliminating repeat work, robotic total stations can help you optimize resource usage and labor requirements with more accurate site data.
Plus, a robotic total station can help you avoid costly reputational damage by improving efficiency and work quality. Better work in less time helps boost customer satisfaction and improves the overall experience for stakeholders at every level of a project.
3. Enhanced Data Accuracy and Management
One of the most common issues with traditional manual data management is the risk of missing, incomplete or otherwise inaccurate data due to human error or lack of organization. A robotic total station that uses integrated software also improves data accuracy by creating a seamless data flow across your entire project.
By automatically routing all surveying data into one centralized hub in real time, you can establish a single source of truth for all your project information, which helps prevent errors and duplicate data from negatively impacting your work.
4. Efficiency and Productivity Boosts
One of the biggest advantages of robotic total stations is their ability to significantly upgrade your team's efficiency and overall productivity with advanced digital and hardware features. These features benefit construction projects in many ways, such as:
- Automated target tracking: Fast pointing, aiming and tracking enable robotic total stations to rapidly make minute adjustments without the need for human intervention.
- Work documentation: Integrated total station software enables you to simplify reporting and accountability with automatically generated documentation and rich visualizations.
- Reduced downtime: Generally, you only need one person to operate a robotic total station, unlike a manual total station, which requires both a surveyor and an assistant. This allows you to minimize downtime and keep operations moving along smoothly.
5. Safer Operations
Upgrading to a robotic total station does more than simply streamline your surveying process — it also makes it easier to protect your team from harm and comply with occupational safety requirements.
The ability to control the total station from a distance reduces the risk of workplace injury due to dangerous site conditions, such as uneven terrain or structural instability.
Additionally, your robotic total station can automatically generate detailed reports on demand for safety compliance documentation so you can prepare for audits and inspections.
Partner With BuildingPoint SouthEast
As a Trimble authorized partner, our team has decades of combined experience in the construction industry as well as in-depth expertise on the technologies we sell. But we're not just here to close a sale — our goal is to utilize advanced technology to help transform the industry in preparation for a strong future, with higher degrees of accountability and better quality work. Learn more about our mission and capabilities.
Getting Started With Robotic Total Stations for Construction
If you're looking for an upgrade that will help you boost project efficiency in surveying and beyond, a Trimble robotic total station equipped with FieldLink is an excellent option. Combining that technology with the right accessories can further enhance your ROI by adding functionality — as long as you partner with a reliable equipment vendor.
You can count on the team at BuildingPoint SouthEast to help you find the most appropriate solution for your next project. We carry various Trimble robotic total stations and accessories for rent and purchase, so you can adapt your investment to fit your job's specific requirements.
Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation and needs assessment.