A Theodolite is an instrument used by surveyors to measure angles in the horizontal and vertical plane. Hunter Research and Technology has developed an app that brings the functionality of the theodolite to the iPhone. It is an augmented reality nav app works as a compass, GPS, map, zoom camera, rangefinder, and two-axis inclinometer. It’s AR overlays real-time information about position, altitude, bearing, range, and horizontal/vertical inclination on the live camera image of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
In our community, Theodolite is frequently used for forward observation and advanced tactical navigation. Recently, they released version 3.0, adding geo-stamped movies and additional military rangefinder scopes.
HR Apps provides some in-depth info on Theodolite’s capabilities –
Theodolite lets users take geo-tagged camera images, screenshots, movies, and screen movies directly from the app, with 2X and 4X digital zoom options and fast buffered saves. Users can choose to stamp geographical data and custom notes directly on photos and movies for later reference.
Theodolite includes features for serious users like a zero reference angle mode, an A-B calculator for height, distance, heading, position, triangulation, and relative angles, data logging, e-mail export with KML data, system-wide clipboard integration, percent grade display, mil compass readout, optical rangefinders (including a mil-based reticle and sniper-style stadiametric graphs), colored lens filters to improve use in dark conditions and preserve night vision, military grid reference system (MGRS) coordinates, universal transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates, and six latitude/longitude formats.
Theodolite lets users manage custom markers on the built in map with standard, satellite, and hybrid modes, compass rose, and bearings. Users can share map markers and A-B points with other users of Theodolite via SMS text messages and e-mail. This powerful capability opens up a wide range of collaborative uses which include team land surveying, accident investigations, spotting of wild fires, triangulation of landmarks, and advanced tactical observation and targeting operations.
Theodolite 3.0 introduces a new movie recording feature, with optional screen/watermark overlays and multiple video quality settings. Version 3.0 also includes three large-format sniper-style stadiametric rangefinders showing distance multipliers, yards, or meters, revised position formats with a new decimal minutes option, and color options for photo/movie data stamp watermarks.
hrtapps.com/theodolite or to purchase on iTunes.
With Suunto‘s 2.0 firmware update to its Ambit GPS watch, users can use a web-based interface in the Suunto App Zone to develop their own apps. In addition to creating their own from scratch users can also search for apps created byothers and even tweak them for further customization.
