Gyromat gyroscopic measurement system
High-precision surveying for reliable planning
Request a consultation about the GYROMAT
High-precision surveying for reliable planning
Request a consultation about the GYROMATOur GYROMAT series gyroscope sensors offer the highest accuracy for high-precision measurements and provide a reliable solution when other measurement methods are no longer effective.
Please contact our expert, Volker Schäpe, and let us know what you need!
Volker Schäpe
Product Manager, Geo Instruments & Industrial Monitoring Solutions
+49 201 172-1974
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The DMT GYROMAT determines the geographical north direction fully automatically and, via the integrated total station, the azimuth of a route with unrivalled accuracy worldwide. Any directional errors arising from conventional surveying are almost entirely corrected by the GYROMAT’s results. You avoid having to make subsequent directional corrections and instead reach the end point of your surveying project accurately and reliably.
The DMT GYROMAT can be operated wirelessly or via a data cable from a PC. The measurement data can be downloaded and analysed directly using additional software. However, you can also operate the GYROMAT directly via its integrated keyboard and display; all data is displayed on the GYROMAT, stored internally and can be retrieved later.
The challenges posed by construction and surveying projects in tunnels, shipbuilding or other projects requiring the highest level of directional accuracy are quickly and efficiently resolved through the use of our gyroscopic sensors. Highly accurate GYROMAT data serves as the basis for all further calculations and analyses.
A new feature of the GYROMAT 6000 compared to its predecessor, the GYROMAT 5000, is the ability to detach the gyro module from the total station. The two modules can be combined in the field. This new function is particularly useful for transporting the equipment to hard-to-reach areas, such as microtunnels. If required, the total station can also be used for conventional surveying without the gyro module, resulting in further cost savings.
In this way, we ensure that the GYROMAT 6000 can also be used in locations that were inaccessible to previous models, and that projects carried out under such challenging conditions can still be completed on time and within budget.
The DMT Gyromat for your construction project:
In conventional tunnel surveying using traverse lines, directional errors inevitably occur, particularly due to the refraction of light paths caused by steep temperature gradients, the propagation of errors, or even surveying errors during tunnel driving operations that commence from shafts.
The GYROMAT, which uses the constant geographical north direction as a reference and measurement parameter at any location, determines an azimuth that is independent of error propagation. No surveying is required even for starting directions in shafts; the GYROMAT measures the uninfluenced azimuth in the shaft at the tunnel centreline level. Refractions in the light path are largely compensated for by counter-measurements with the GYROMAT and by calculating the differences between the measurement results.
A new feature of the GYROMAT 6000 is the use of a piezo drive to control the horizontal angle with exceptional precision using a high-resolution angle encoder. The advanced power management system, featuring a reliable power buffer and a replaceable battery, increases operational time on site whilst also making the unit easier to maintain.
The new, larger graphic display shows not only the measurement data but also additional values for status monitoring. This ensures that the GYROMAT is not damaged during use and remains ready for operation at any time and in any location.
Like its predecessors, the GYROMAT 6000 can be fitted with various theodolites or total stations, allowing the optimal systems to be configured for different measurement tasks.
Presentation of the next generation of world-class, high-precision gyroscopes
The GYROMAT 6000 is the successor to the GYROMAT 5000 and continues its tradition of precision by delivering measurement results with an accuracy of 0.8/1000ths of a gon. This corresponds to an angular deviation of approximately 1.2 cm at a distance of one kilometre. The measurement time for a direction measurement is approximately 6–9 minutes.
The new and improved GYROMAT 6000 is available in two versions:
The Gyromat is used wherever there is no GPS signal and where the highest degree of directional accuracy is required, as even the slightest deviation can result in costs running into millions. This is the case in the construction of kilometre-long tunnels, in the building of large ships, increasingly in the aerospace sector, and in other industrial sectors. “In longer tunnel projects, two or more of these huge tunnel boring machines are often used,” explains Niese. They start drilling at different points and must, of course, meet at the end with the smallest possible deviation. As a service provider, DMT has already provided surveying support for the Eurotunnel under the English Channel and the longest road tunnel in the Alps (the Gotthard Tunnel). “These were flagship projects that have earned us a strong global reputation,” says Volker Schultheiß, project manager of the surveying team at DMT. It is therefore no surprise that the company is also involved in the Brenner Base Tunnel, which, once completed, will be the world’s longest railway tunnel at 64 kilometres (including all access tunnels).
DMT’s expertise and the surveying gyroscope were also utilised for the metro tunnels leading to the FIFA World Cup stadiums in Qatar, where Volker Schultheiß and his team supervised 16 tunnel boring machines simultaneously. During their assignments, the surveyors sometimes encounter extreme conditions: temperatures of up to 45 degrees in the tunnel, for example. “The humidity is really extreme; it can really get to you sometimes,” explains Schultheiß, who travels extensively in the Middle East. Projects ranging from smaller-diameter tunnels – such as the three-metre-diameter power line tunnels in Berlin or the supply tunnels for the EXPO in Dubai, which are over ten metres in diameter – are just as much a part of their repertoire as the large road and rail tunnels with diameters of around 15 metres.
The Gyromat is also the gold standard in underground railway construction in Scandinavian cities such as Gothenburg and Stockholm, where tunnels are blasted through hard rock. “We’re also a sort of insurance policy for our customers,” says Schultheiß. In many cases, the Gyromat’s measurements confirm the customers’ data, giving them peace of mind. However, Volker Schultheiß is also familiar with other scenarios: “We’ve used the Gyromat to uncover instances where a tunnel was several metres off-axis.” Thanks to DMT, the customer was able to rectify this.
“The Gyromat’s accuracy is its unique selling point,” says Jens Schweitzer, Head of Geo Instruments & Industrial Monitoring Solutions at DMT. “It is a very durable, high-end system that we are constantly refining.” The Gyromat is also sold commercially and is now in use all over the world. With each new version over the past few years, the device has become more precise, faster and safer.
Other industries have now recognised the value of this precision. “In shipbuilding, the measurements are needed to align the engine components,” explains Niese, who, as a product manager, trains and supports customers in operating the device. Many large shipyards use the Gyromat to calibrate their own calibration systems. There, the navigation equipment of the ships being built is calibrated on turntables. DMT’s surveying gyroscope allows them to determine exactly when the turntable is aligned with true north. Aerospace companies also use the Gyromat as a reference standard to calibrate their own gyrocompass systems, which are used, for example, in aeroplanes, helicopters or satellites. And so the Gyromat, developed in 1978 for use underground, continues to provide customers around the world with orientation on land, at sea and in the air in 2023.
In our video, we show you how to set up the GYROMAT 6000 in a tunnel environment. Discover the features and operation of the GYROMAT 6000. Whether you’re an experienced professional or a beginner, our step-by-step guide will help you get to grips with the GYROMAT 6000. Learn how to set it up, calibrate it for accurate measurements and make the most of its features for optimum performance.
The measuring system of a gyroscope consists of a rotating mass whose axis of rotation is freely movable and suspended from a torsion cord in such a way that the mass aligns itself with the direction of gravity. Due to the Earth’s rotation, the rotating mass is slowly but continuously displaced from the direction of gravity. As the mass is freely suspended, it constantly moves in the direction of gravity. This results in a relative rotational movement between the axes of rotation of the rotating mass and the Earth, with a corresponding physical interaction, such that the freely moving gyroscopic axis aligns with the Earth’s axis of rotation, i.e. geodetic north. Only when both axes are parallel do no forces act on the axis of rotation of the rotating mass, and the direction of the gyroscopic axis corresponds to the geodetic north direction. In practice, this is referred to as a ‘https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyromat’.
A gyroscope operated on Earth indicates the geodetic north direction. It is influenced only by the Earth’s rotation and gravity. A gyroscope measures true north independently of the Earth’s magnetic field. A surveying gyroscope can be used to determine the orientation of any survey line relative to true north.
Gyroscopes can be used wherever the north direction needs to be determined, or where existing directions need to be transferred to other locations – a process known as parallel displacement. The GYROMAT is used in particular in areas where GPS surveying is not possible, for example due to signal obstruction. Examples include direction measurements in tunnel construction or the establishment of reference lines on different decks in shipbuilding. For instance, precise direction measurements were successfully carried out using the GYROMAT in the Eurotunnel and the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
The GYROMAT 5000 is already the world’s most accurate survey gyroscope. This world-leading accuracy has also been incorporated into the GYROMAT 6000. A version of the GYROMAT 6000 is available in which the tachymeter can be detached from the gyroscope unit. This offers a transport advantage; particularly in confined spaces or passages, such as microtunnels or ship hatches, the GYROMAT 6000 can be transported and deployed, unlike the non-detachable GYROMAT 5000.
The GYROMAT 6000’s menu navigation has been significantly revised and simplified. Thanks to the large graphical display – in contrast to that of the GYROMAT 5000 – a wide range of system and measurement information is presented clearly.
Furthermore, the GYROMAT 6000 is equipped with a collimation laser, which allows for further verification of the system directly on site.
Yes. Both the GYROMAT 5000 and the GYROMAT 6000 can be used in conjunction with high-precision total stations from various manufacturers, such as Leica, Hexagon, Topcon or Sokkia.
To provide support to customers internationally, selected Geomess systems from the DMT GROUP are available through official sales representatives in numerous countries. Here you will find our international contacts for selected markets.
