Metrological assurance system cannot be imagined without well organized and equipped geodetic laboratory. Metrology laboratory of the Institute for Geodesy and Geoinformatics is the first laboratory on this territory that has been and still does perform aligning with original measures of all geodetic measuring equipment – instruments, poles, bands…

Metrology laboratory had started to operate on January 21st, 1985, right after the Law on measuring units and equipment from 1984 had been legislated. This Law for the first time deals with the issue of examining of geodetic measuring equipment - instruments. 

In the beginning, only examining of geodetic measuring equipment had been perform, since it was prescribed by the Law from 1984, and the Verifications on correctness had been issued by State Authority for Measures and Precious Metals. By the end of year 1994, the Laboratory becomes authorized geodetic metrology laboratory that, besides examining of the geodetic measuring equipment, also issues the Verification on measuring equipment correctness. After the legislation change regarding the metrology laboratories in 2002, the Laboratory becomes the accredited Metrology laboratory for control of measuring equipment for angles and distances by he Yugoslav accreditation body (JUAT). According to the accreditation rules, appropriate documents necessary for the laboratory work were legislated. After the adoption of new legislation, not only in Serbia but also in the world, Metrology Laboratory is accredited again in 2010, this time according to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. The scope of accreditation is basically the same as in the previous period. 

The resolution on accreditation of laboratory appoints the head and deputy head of the laboratory and three members of laboratory. All laboratory members posses the necessary experience in the area of metrology and they had all passed test of knowledge of metrology regulations, performed by the professional commission of the Authority for measures and precious metals before accreditation. According to the law provisions, all measures that can be controlled in metrology lab were listed in the resolution: leveling equipment, theodolites, distancemeters (optical, electro-optical and laser), total stations, all kinds of GPS receivers and measuring equipment for which only this laboratory is accredited: bands, leveling poles (regular and precise). Since the beginning of work of the accredited laboratory, approximately 300 different types of measuring equipment had been examined per year.

Within the previous work of Metrology laboratory, comparing and examination methods had been developed for geodetic measuring equipment, as well as the analysis of the method with accuracy evaluation. Problem of metrology of angles, distances and other measures that appears during geodetic measuring is being dealt with by the team of experts with university education and scientific level of Master of Science and Philosophy doctor.

Laboratory has on its disposal all technical conditions providing transfer of units (for distance, angle and frequency) from secondary standards of measure to working standards of measure and measuring equipment used in geodetic practice. Secondary standards of measure are regularly examined and compared with primary standards of measure for distance, angle and frequency SAMPM, which provides the continuity of standardization of measure and measuring up to International measure units system (SI).

The basic component of the laboratory is appropriate measuring equipment, examined by SAMPM for which the laboratory possesses the verification of standard of measure correctness. Measuring equipment covers all work areas and examination methods for the geodetic measuring equipment.

Specific for metrology assurance of geodetic instruments and tools is that, besides laboratory, it requires field examinations on standard-of-measure bases and test networks. Working polygon for metrology examination consists of:

•       Fixed angles polygon;

•       Two fixed distances polygons and;

•       GPS polygon.