MoreThe Australian Department of Defense recently strengthened its ability to obtain wide-area aerial imagery with high-level accuracy, giving the country’s Army survey group a digital edge for obtaining and converting aerial information into geospatial products. From 11-16 February, at the 2003 Australian International Air Show, the Defence project team will demonstrate the beginning (obtaining aerial photography) to end (processing data into other software) workflow of the Leica ADS40 as it quickly merges photogrammetric accuracy with image analysis and interpretation.
Leica Geosystems’ ADS40 is an all-digital aerial sensor that requires no chemical film processing or scanning. Users can simply collect aerial imagery and return from a flight mission ready to process and archive their digital data. Its innovative three-line scanner principle (capturing imagery looking forwards, backwards and downwards from an aircraft) provides wide area coverage, and, aided by four multispectral lines, simultaneously captures multispectral data. The ADS40’s advanced features and design deliver superior photogrammetric accuracy and coverage.
With the recent Leica ADS40 purchase, the Australian Department of Defence now has access to true Rapid Response Mapping (providing military maps within a short time periods, such as days or hours), an advantage that, until now, wasn’t possible with standard film-based aerial cameras.
The showcase is of significant importance because the Australian Department of Defence is one of the first governmental departments in the world to own a digital sensor. The air show provides an opportunity to inform wider Defence stakeholders on the capabilities of the new ADS40 sensor. Many of those stakeholders can benefit from the enhanced range of products that the system will provide.
Air industry employees can view the demonstration from 11 to 14 February in the DMO Land Systems exhibit booth. The show, which attracts almost 500 exhibitors from 30 countries, will be open to the general public from 14 to 16 February. The Australian International Air Show draws leading government, industry and defense visitors from all around the world Today, it is recognized as a focal point for international aviation and aerospace technology.
The ADS40 unit will be mounted in an Australian army Beech KingAir B200 aircraft, which will carry the unit on a flight mission the first day of the show to obtain imagery from the air show site at Avalon Airport and nearby Melbourne.
Once the flight mission is completed, Leica professionals will download imagery and conduct ground processing on the dual screen workstation on hand at the exhibit booth. Attendees can watch them carry out image processing, photogrammetric functions, image analysis and visualization with Leica Geosystems’ ERDAS IMAGINE geographic imaging software and SOCET SET photogrammetry software.
