AN ELECTRONIC-PHOTOGRAMMETRIC 
MEASURING AND MAPPING INSTRUMENT 
William T. Pryor, Chief, Aerial Surveys Branch 
Highway Standards and Design Division 
Bureau of Public Roads, U. S. Department of Commerce 
and 
Joseph H. Watson, President 
Watson Electronics and Engineering Company, Inc. 
(Paper for the Tenth Congress of the International Society 
for Photogrammetry, Lisbon, Portugal, September 7-19, 1964) 
ABSTRACT 
Among the needs of highway engineers is a versatile photogrammetric instrument 
to aid in solution of the numerous problems which occur in highway engineering 
utilization of photogrammetry. 
Such an instrument is the «Omnistereomeasurer BPR,» an electronic measuring 
and mapping system which utilizes all types and focal lengths of aerial photo 
graphy for compilation of planimetric and topographic maps, for measurement of 
profile and cross sections, and for the production of orthophotographs. 
There is no working limit to the ratio between photography scale and mapping 
scale; consequently, maps may be delineated and profile and cross sections drawn 
at any practicable scale. Corrections are made automatically for lens distortions, 
changes in photographic film dimensions, atmospheric refraction, and earth curva 
ture. Pertinent data can be digitally recorded to fulfill requirements of all types 
of electronic computers. One of the many advantages of this instrument system 
is successive stereoscopic models may be viewed at any feasible enlargement scale 
ratio, at the instrument or at any of several remote locations, by any number of 
persons, as each model is measured or mapped. 
Its flexibility and its reasonable initial, maintenance, and operational costs, along 
with the ability to provide a variety of data for solution of many engineering pro 
blems, large and small, will prove the «Omistereomeasurer BPR» to be a much 
needed development for modern utilization of photogrammetry in engineering fields. 
The Bureau of Public Roads of the U. S. Department of Commerce recognizes 
many problems yet exist in the highway engineering utilization of photogrammetry.