I know a similar topic has been closed in 2025, but I find myself, probably like many surveyors, wondering about an Emlid Flow360 integrated ecosystem. Flow360 has undergone some excellent upgrades in the last while, and I am seriously enjoying what it can do with the Reach GNSS antennae.
However, as a professional surveyor, I would absolutely love an integrated ecosystem in which Flow can work with an optical total station (because Flow is really coming a long way and doing ‘the things’). Not saying you need to necessarily produce your own one to start, but as most optical total stations are now running on Android, I can see a real case for a total station workflow on Flow360. This would put all of my data in one place, and make switching between instruments as a project demands really simple. I think I, like many surveyors who are not running the big name brand equipment in the global South, are tired of piecing together hardware and software where nothing is really optimised.
And you don’t even need to build your own total stations - you can simply purchase, rebrand and distribute a Japanese or Chinese built total station as an Emlid if the API route for getting Flow360 to work with any optical total station (running on Android with bluetooth) is too complex? Although, even for that I imagine there should be standard protocols for these kinds of things… (clearly not an expert here)
In essence, I want Flow360 to be able to work on an optical total station (let’s even keep it manual for the time-being if robotic machines are a stretch too far) so that all my data is in one place and to make field operations where I need to switch between GNSS and total station seamless. Please tell me that you guys are seriously thinking about this? So far you are wonderfully responsive to community needs, and I think hardware integration is going to become even more attractive as you keep developing Flow and improving its functionality.
I appreciate you taking the time to share this. Feedback like yours is incredibly helpful, and we take our users’ suggestions very seriously.
As you know, we currently don’t have any plans to produce the total stations, but I will add it as a +1, and if that ever changes in the future, I’ll be sure to keep this thread updated.
Yes, this has been discussed a few times… with MUCH HOPE. You can write off that +1 for the Emlid Eternal Road Map for this.
It’s a pipe dream unfortunately. But read until the end. ; ) The optical side of this really is much different than what Emlid offers or ever will. It’s really left to the big dogs, Trimble and Leica. There are obviously others such as Topcon, but personally if you are going to take out a second mortgage for this equipment, either Trimble or Leica (or GEOMAX). Leica at least is a little more open system that works with LEGACY Microsurvey FieldGenius (FG) as a nice cost efficient option. The NEW Fieldgenius for Android (and basically a port of it for Windows) support is very minimal and disappointing. I hate it. I use the Legacy version to work with my older Leica Robotic Total Stations. Trimble equipment does NOT work with FG. (there is a VERY VERY OLD version of FG Legacy that works with very old Trimble 5600 series though, but not worth messing with and got stripped out).
Now, besides this “pipe dream”, the ONLY route I see Emlid ever even taking is something along the lines of a less fully optical system but a hybrid of optical and digital. It would not be as highly precise and accurate as traditional optical total stations, but may be sufficient depending on what you need. Of course it would also have GNSS capability and hell… might as well build in full LiDAR capture, point by point AND/OR millions of point cloud capture.
Yes. GAME CHANGER AND DISRUPTOR AGAIN. This could be a whole different hybrid animal of all its own.
Emlid is doing great with their software side, but personally, it’s SLOW as molasses. I tried it, I don’t use it. It’s still WIP for me and not paying a monthly subscription for it… no way. I remember years ago, i put the idea of a online subscription out there here for it… but it’s been years still not up to par. For it to be up to par it must at least have everything FG does and/or more. Yes, it takes money to make money, but I fear if they don’t get on the ball, all the Chinese survey solutions will overcome them even with Emlid’s established ecosystem. There are some Chinese manual total stations also, but never even consider those. Would hope Emlid would never just rebadge Chinese junk like this also just to “add” a total station option.
If you REALLY need a total station or better yet, robotic, you can always look for older used total stations online and hobble radios together to use with Legacy Windows Fieldgenius. It’s not pretty, but works. You can save a boat load of cash if you don’t absolutely need a full fledge brand new Leica or Trimble system. But that depends on the individuals needs. Or just buy a used older Trimble or Leica system that includes its brand tablet, radios, and software.
Yes, nothing will be cheap, and they won’t work with Emlid Flow. Good Luck.
