Theodolite-camera videometrics system based on total station

A novel measuring system, named Theodolite-camera Videometrics System (TVS) based on total station, has been introduced in this paper, and the concept of theodolite-camera which is the key component of TVS has been proposed, it consists of non-metric camera and rotation platform generally, and can rotate horizontally and vertically. TVS based on total station is free of field control points, and the fields of view of its theodolite-cameras are nonfixed, thus TVS is qualified for targets with wide moving range or big structure. Theodolite-camera model has been analyzed and presented in detail in this paper. The calibration strategy adopted has been demonstrated to be accurate and feasible by both simulated and real data, and TVS has also been proved to be a valid, reliable, precise measuring system, and living up to expectations.