High Accuracy Autonomous Image Georeferencing Using a GPS/Inertial-Aided Digital Imaging System

This paper describes the implementation of a GPS/Inertial integrated navigation system, the GI-Eye, that is designed to automatically georeference imagery collected from a digital camera without requiring any ground control for registration. This is accomplished through the use of Wide-Area DGPS (WADGPS) GPS updates, combined with NAVSYS’ tightly coupled GPS/inertial alignment software to provide both the precise location and the precise attitude of the digital image when the data is collected. Using this information, the GI-Eye system can georeference features extracted from airborne imagery to meter-level accuracy. The system design has been used in both airborne and ground-based survey applications, with the resulting imagery and associated navigation data used to geolocate reference points and to produce ortho-rectified and registered airborne imagery. In this paper, flight test results of the GI-Eye are included demonstrating the precision geolocation performance and the ability to perform autonomous image rectification and georegistration without requiring any ground control points.