The surveying discipline at Hefei University of Technology has a long history. The Surveying and Mapping Teaching and Research Office and Laboratory were among the first teaching units established at the university. In 1952, Professor Lü Jifang, who was the head of Hefei University of Technology's predecessor, Huainan Coal School, was a renowned national expert in railway surveying and authored the book Railway Surveying.

After the reform and opening up, the Surveying and Mapping Teaching and Research Office, which was originally part of the Department of Civil Engineering, received a boost in faculty strength. Besides teaching surveying courses for related majors at the university, it also took on significant research projects such as Research on Gigapulse Laser Rangefinder, Development of an Automatic Digital Level, and Research on Precision Engineering Surveying for National Synchrotron Radiation Facility. In 1978, these projects received major awards, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Significant Scientific and Technological Achievements Award and the National Science Congress Award.

In 1977, Hefei University of Technology was assigned to lead the compilation of the national engineering surveying textbook Surveying, a collaborative effort with five other institutions. The book was published in 1979 and became widely adopted as a surveying textbook in many engineering programs across the country. Over the years, this textbook has been continually improved and revised, with the second, third, and fourth editions published in 1985, 1990, and 1995, respectively. It had a total distribution of over 800,000 copies, making it one of the most widely used surveying textbooks in China. In 1996, the textbook received a national second-class award for excellent teaching materials.

In addition to textbook publications, the Surveying and Mapping Teaching and Research Office has actively engaged in teaching and research activities. They have undertaken various research projects funded by national and provincial grants, published numerous academic papers, received patents and awards for their contributions to the field of surveying.

The surveying discipline offers bachelor's and master's degree programs and has established practical training bases with organizations such as the Anhui Provincial Surveying Bureau, Anhui Provincial Basic Surveying and Geographic Information Center, Hefei Land Bureau Information Center, and more. In recent years, young faculty members from the surveying discipline have excelled in various national and provincial competitions, and their students have also performed well in surveying competitions and research contests.

The research focus areas of the surveying discipline include:

1. Precision Engineering Surveying and Engineering Deformation Monitoring: This area involves research on error analysis and processing methods of satellite navigation signals, such as GPS and Beidou, to obtain high-precision navigation and positioning information. It also includes the development of software and hardware systems for receiving, processing, and applying satellite navigation signals. This research is critical for applications in areas such as structural monitoring, natural resource surveying, environmental protection, and disaster monitoring.

2. Satellite Navigation and 3S Integration: This research area integrates Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Geographic Information System (GIS), and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies. It focuses on error analysis, processing methods, and the development of software and hardware systems for GNSS signals, including GPS and Beidou. The integration of indoor navigation, GIS, unmanned aerial photography, and remote sensing technologies enables real-time, all-weather, and highly accurate navigation, data collection, and environmental monitoring for various applications, including basic surveying, natural resource management, environmental and disaster monitoring, safety control, as well as urban planning and smart city development.

- Director: Tingye Tao

- Branch Secretary: Chunju Zhang

- Vice Director: Yongchao Zhu