Next Generation, Low Cost, Direct Geo-referencing of Aerial Images

Today, direct geo-referencing is performed with very expensive (>$50,000 in parts alone) differential GPS and inertial measurement units (IMUs) that produce precise measurements of the camera attitude and position in the sky. Further, most existing systems require the establishment of ground control points to achieve required accuracy, incurring further costs and limitations. Seagull proposes to develop a next-generation, low-cost direct geo-referencing system that will substantially reduce the cost (to <$4,000 in parts), size, and power requirements while still enabling better than 2 m spatial resolution and eliminating the need for ground control points. The innovation underlying Seagull?s position and attitude solution is our proven, advanced sensor fusion algorithms that combine differential carrier phase GPS with data from low-cost angular rate sensors and accelerometers to produce a highly accurate and stable platform attitude solution. The goal of this Phase I proposal is to leverage our recent experience in developing and deploying low cost, airborne portable sensor suites to produce a preliminary design specification for the next generation of an efficient, advanced, low cost position and attitude system for multi-sensor, multi-spectral airborne image registration without ground control points, which would then be prototyped and tested in Phase II.