DGPS/IMU-based Photogrammetry in China

People's Republic of China is one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world today. There is a great demand on highly actual and accurate spatial information of the whole country, especially of West China which becomes the focus of development of the Chinese government right now and in the next years, but where still not enough topographic maps are available. This raises great challenges to the surveying and mapping community in China. Facing the new challenges the Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping (CASM) started its pioneer work early 2002 to explore new techniques and technologies available today toward increasing the map productivity. With import of a CCNS/AEROcontrol system in November 2002 the first DGPS/IMU-based photogrammetric project in China was successfully accomplished jointly by CASM and the Germany-based companies IGI and Techedge. Two photogrammetric blocks of 1:4,000 and 1:20,000 photo scale, respectively, were flown in Anyang, China. Direct georeferencing and integrated sensor orientation were conducted. Results achieved were proven by using ground check points and compared with those of aerial triangulation. Orthophotos generated based on direct georeferencing shows the high efficiency and quality, and thus proved the promise of the new technology. Furthermore several DGPS/IMU-based photogammetric projects was accomplished one by one and a big project of more than 100,000 km2 in the Inner Mongolia will be started in August 2003. The paper presents experiences with DGPS/IMU-based photogrammetry in China. Results achieved in concrete projects are shown and evaluated. Politic and technical specialties in China are discussed. Conclusions outline the potential of DGPS/IMU-based photogrammetric production in China.