EDMs give surveyors much more accuracy than metal measurement tapes. Various surveys, such as detail surveys and a control survey, use this technology. Surveyors calculate the horizontal distance between two control points using an EDM instrument. The device directs the energy to another surveyor holding a reflector.

George Washington One of America's most famous (and earliest) land surveyors is George Washington himself. The young future president got his bright start at the age of 17 in 1749.

The “total station” approach is the most often utilized land survey method. This method entails the use of an electrical instrument to calculate angles and distances between locations on a piece of land. The total station has a laser pointer that assists the surveyor in locating precise spots to measure.

This observation made the plumb bob the earliest surveying instrument. By 2600 BC, we know the Egyptians had taken this concept and created the earliest surveying instruments: the plumb board, the A-Level, T-Level and plumb square.