iTunes has Theodolite 2.0

Virginia based Hunter Research and Technology today announces Theodolite 2.0 on the iTunes App Store. This novel multi-function augmented reality app serves as a compass, GPS, map, zoom camera, rangefinder, and two-axis inclinometer. Version 2.0 adds multitasking support and background task completion for iOS 4, a new optical-mechanical calibration, use of the iPhone 4 gyro for improved inclinometer measurements, and high resolution artwork for the iPhone 4 Retina display.

Williamsburg Virginia – Hunter Research and Technology today announces the immediate worldwide availability of Theodolite 2.0 on the iTunes App Store. This novel multi-function augmented reality app for the iPhone serves as a compass, GPS, map, zoom camera, rangefinder, and two-axis inclinometer. Theodolite became the #1 selling navigation app in the US and UK App Stores in December 2009 after being featured by Apple in the New and Noteworthy category of the iTunes App Store, and broke into the Top 40 Paid Apps ranking in the US and Top 20 in the UK.

Based on the concept of a centuries-old astronomical instrument, Theodolite overlays real-time information about position, altitude, bearing, range, and horizontal/vertical inclination on the iPhone’s live camera image, turning the iPhone into a sophisticated viewfinder. Theodolite lets users take geo-stamped camera images directly from the app with 2X and 4X digital zoom options, and contains a built-in map with standard, satellite, and hybrid views. Uses are endless, and the app is great fornavigation , construction, hiking, boating, hunting, sightseeing, photography, and sports. The app is used in specialty fields by surveyors, geologists, architects, engineers, military personnel, and search and rescue workers around the world.

Theodolite comes in three versions – Free, Basic, and Pro – to cover a range of customer needs. The flagship Theodolite Pro includes features for serious users, such as a zero reference angle mode, an A-B calculator for height, distance, heading, position, triangulation, and relative angles, e-mail export with KML data, system-wide clipboard integration, percent grade display, optical rangefinders, military grid reference system (MGRS) coordinates, universal transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates, and four latitude/longitude formats.

Version 2.0 of Theodolite adds multitasking support and background task completion for iOS 4, along with revised graphics and a new optical-mechanical calibration. The app now makes use of the iPhone 4 gyro for improved inclinometer measurements, and includes high resolution artwork for the iPhone 4 Retina display. The result is a more accurate, more responsive display with amazing visual fidelity and detail.

“The iPhone 4 is an amazing sensor device, with improved horizontal and vertical GPS accuracy, a more robust magnetometer implementation, an improved 12-bit accelerometer, and a new MEMS gyro”, said Dr. Craig Hunter, Theodolite developer. “Combined with the stunning Retina display and an advanced SDK, it’s an engineer’s dream device that is ideal for augmented reality applications. I’m pleased that Theodolite is continuing its role as a technology demonstrator, showcasing the latest and greatest in iPhone hardware and software capabilities”.

Pricing and Availability:
As the name suggests, the demo version “Theodolite Free” is available for free on the iTunes App Store. The mid level “Theodolite Basic” costs $1.99 (USD), and the full featured “Theodolite Pro” is $3.99. The apps run on iPhones with OS 4.0 or later. GPS functionality requires an iPhone 3G, 3GS, or 4. Compass functionality requires an iPhone 3GS or 4. More information, including screenshots, is available on the Hunter Research and Technology website. Media professionals interested in reviewing Theodolite can request a promotional code to download the apps from iTunes at no cost.

Theodolite 2.0: http://hunter.pairsite.com/theodolite/
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/theodolite-pro/id339393884?mt=8
Media Assets: http://hunter.pairsite.com/pr/

Hunter Research and Technology is run by Dr. Craig Hunter, a practicing engineer with 20 years of experience in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, and software development. Craig received the 2004 NASA Software of the Year Award and a 2004 Apple Design Award (Best Scientific Computing Solution on Mac OS X) for his work in softwaredevelopment . Craig founded Hunter Research and Technology in 2008 to create innovative and compelling apps that take advantage of the advanced hardware and software capabilities of iPhone OS devices. The company has 15 apps available on the iTunes App Store, and develops software and apps for a range of clients worldwide. iTunes, iPhone, iPod, and Retina display are registered trademarks of AppleComputer Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Gyrotheodolite

A gyrotheodolite is used when the north-south reference bearing of the meridian is required in the absence of astronomical star sights. This mainly occurs in the underground mining industry and in tunnel engineering. For example, where a conduit must pass under a river, a vertical shaft on each side of the river might be connected by a horizontal tunnel. A gyrotheodolite can be operated at the surface and then again at the foot of the shafts to identify the directions needed to tunnel between the base of the two shafts. Unlike an artificial horizon or inertial navigation system, a gyrotheodolite cannot be relocated while it is operating. It must be restarted again at each site.

The gyrotheodolite comprises a normal theodolite with an attachment that contains a gyroscope mounted so as to sense rotation of the Earth and from that the alignment of the meridian. The meridian is the plane that contains both the axis of the Earth’s rotation and the observer. The intersection of the meridian plane with the horizontal contains the true north-south geographic reference bearing required. The gyrotheodolite is usually referred to as being able to determine or find true north.

A gyrotheodolite will function at the equator and in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The meridian is undefined at the geographic poles. A gyrotheodolite can not be used at the poles where the Earth’s axis is precisely perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the spinner, indeed it is not normally used within about 15 degrees of the pole because the east-west component of the Earth’s rotation is insufficient to obtain reliable results. When available, astronomical star sights are able to give the meridian bearing to better than one hundred times the accuracy of the gyrotheodolite. Where this extra precision is not required, the gyrotheodolite is able to produce a result quickly without the need for night observations.