International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Commission II " Systems for Data Processing, Analysis and Presentation"
1996 - 2000

Working Group (WG) II/1 "Real Time Mapping Technologies"

Newsletter No.1, December 2, 1996

Dear Colleagues,

Real Time Mapping Technologies sound very far from us. However, we are approaching it everyday by our efforts in developing and applying recent technologies of satellite navigation, multi-sensor integration, image and signal processing, object recognition, and spatial data modeling. The current development of mobile mapping technologies by institutions, government agencies and private companies has resulted in very existing prototype and production systems, which form a firm step toward real time mapping systems. We believe that real time mapping technologies will have a very rapid development and promising impact on spatial data acquisition within 1996 - 2000. Involvement and exchange of ideals are key issues for those who are interested in the technologies.

Attached are please find

a) Membership return slip of ISPRS Working Group (WG) II/1,
b) Objectives and terms of reference of WG II/1, and
c) Planned WG activities until 2000.

The WG will organize / co-organize meetings and sessions on issues related to real time mapping technologies. Survey and review of existing real time / mobile mapping systems will be conducted. The WG II/1 Newsletters will provide a forum for problem definition, idea exchange, and information updating. Only if we work together, we can reach our goal and benefit each other. We are glad to invite you to join this Working Group by returning the attached membership (free) slip. Members will receive WG Newsletters and related information, which will be mostly electronic in order to save trees. Hardcopies are only distributed to members without email access. We look forward to your cooperation.

Sincerely,


Chair:
Dr. Rongxing (Ron) Li, Associate Professor
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Geodetic Science
The Ohio State University, 470 Hitchcock Hall
2070 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210-1275
Tel. (614) 292 6946, Fax. (614) 292 2957, Email: li.282@osu.edu


Co-Chair:
Dr. Holger Schade
Leica AG, CH 9435 Heerbrugg, Switzerland
Tel. 41-71-727-3239, Fax. 42-71-727-4691
Email: hschah@lah.leica.ch

Secretary:
Dr. Charles Toth
Center for Mapping, The Ohio State University
1216 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212
Tel. (614) 292-7681, Fax. (614) 292-8062, Email: toth@cfm.ohio-state.edu
Web: http://www.cfm.ohio-state.edu/staff/toth.html


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Attachment A: Membership Return Slip

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Name_______________________________ Surname____________________________
Title_____________________________________________________________________
Institution_______________________________________________________________
Street___________________________________________________________________
City________________________________ State_______________________________
ZIP Code____________________________ Country_____________________________
Telephone___________________________ Fax________________________________
E-mail__________________________________________________________________

Are you developing a real-time / mobile mapping system ? YES or NO
If YES, please specify the name of the system ____________________

Are you using a real-time / mobile mapping system ? YES or NO
If YES, please specify the name of the system ____________________

Please return the completed slip to li.282@osu.edu or mail it WG chair.


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Attachment B: Objectives and terms of reference of WG II/1

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Objectives of the WG are

a) to define problems of and research in real time mapping technologies,
b) to provide a forum for discussing challenging issues and exchanging ideas and
information, and
c) to collect information of existing prototype and production systems and report the
state of the art of real time mapping.

The long term objective is to coordinate activities for advancing the technologies and promoting applications.


Terms of reference are

- Design and development of integrated real time mobile data collection systems and
autonomous vehicle navigation systems which include positioning sensors and techniques
such as GPS, INS and wheel sensors, and mapping sensors, for example CCD cameras, laser
rangers and radar devices;
- Research in real / near real time processing of mobile mapping data;
- Systems aspects related to sensor calibration, data reduction and optimization and
sensor information processing;
- Automation of information extraction from mobile mapping sensor data; and
- Integration of navigation and mapping sensors.


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Attachment C: Planned WG activities until 2000 (tentative)

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a) WG Newsletters distributed irregularly
b) Co-sponsor of a mobile mapping systems session at KIS 97, June 3 - 6, 1997, at Banff,
Canada. Deadline for abstracts: February 15, 1997. You are invited to submit abstracts
and attend the conference. For more information, please check web site
http://www.ensu.ucalgary.ca
c) A survey of existing real-time / mobile mapping systems in year 1997-1998
d) Co-sponsor of the Conference of Mobile Mapping to be organized by The OSU Center for
Mapping in Columbus, OH, USA in 1998
e) A possible joint workshop with another ISPRS WG in 1999
f) Sessions at the 19th ISPRS Congress in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 2000