The OEEPE Test on Integrated Sensor Orientation – Results of Phase I

The European Organisation for Experimental Photogrammetric Research (OEEPE) has embarked on a test investigating integrated sensor orientation using GPS and IMU in comparison and in combination with aerial triangulation. The test consists of two phases. The first phase comprises the system calibration and the determination of the exterior orientation parameters. The second phase deals with the integration of the GPS/IMU data into the bundle block adjustment, i. e. the integrated sensor orientation itself. 13 test participants processed the distributed data and returned their results. In this paper we shortly describe the test setup and report about the results of phase I. The accuracy potential of direct georeferencing for 1:5000 imagery was found to lie at approximately 5-10 cm in planimetry and 10 – 15 cm in height in object space and at 15 20 μm in image space. The most important finding is the fact that direct georeferencing has proven to be a serious alternative to conventional bundle adjustment and currently allows for the generation of orthophotos and other applications with less stringent accuracy requirements. However, stereo plotting is not yet possible due to the relatively large remaining y-parallaxes. Future developments in the areas of GPS and IMU sensors and data processing will probably also reduce this problem. The best results in terms of accuracy and in particular in terms of reliability are expected from an intergration of GPS/IMU data into the bundle adjustment