Experiences with the airborne three-line camera system DPA

The digital stereo and multispectral imaging system Digital Photogrammetry Assembly (DPA) was developed for airborne photogrammetric and thematic mapping. Its special feature is the simultaneous image acquisition of high resolution (~0.2m ground pixel size) panchromatic imagery with multispectral data (~0.4m ground pixel extension). This combination delivers for the first time geometric and thematic data for airborne applications, which were only made available so far by using different sensor systems. With this concept the DPA system is for the time being outstanding and can be used for new and therefore most challenging mapping applications. This paper gives an overview on the first rigorous tests of the stereo and multispectral DPA modules. For this reason three epochs were flown over testsites carefully selected and controlled by the Institute of Photogrammetry (ifp), University of Stuttgart. After a brief review of the DPA components the main objective of the paper is directed to photogrammetric restitutions and thematic mapping applications. First test results are presented although the final accuracy analysis could not yet be accomplished while writing this paper. The paper concludes with an outlook on possible digital camera design architectures which is an important issue for the development of new operational photogrammetric camera systems being able to substitute the analogue aerial cameras in use.