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Reprinted from
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING
Vol. XXVI, No. 2, April, 1960
Automatic and Semi-Automatic Mapping"
HE terms Automatic and Semi-Automatic
Mapping have been applied to certain
steps in the mapping process as well as to the
overall operation. This has led to confusion in
my mind and possibly in that of others. To
clarify this and have an understanding or a
foundation to work on, the following defini-
tions are considered applicable:
1. Automatic Mapping includes performing
automatically.
a. The utilization of geodetic data to fix
presentations of a section of the earth's
surface in correct position using elec-
tronic or visual contact with the ground
and data recording instruments in the
air-borne vehicle, to record relationships
of the sensor to the earth while gathering
the information.
b. The gathering of images of the area of
the earth being covered, properly relat-
ing them to each other in scale and posi-
tion, and presenting them in a form that
will meet the requirements of the user.
2). Semi-Automatic Mapping includes the in-
corporation of automatic procedures in one or
more steps of the mapping process.
Achieving automatization in one overall sys-
tem appears feasible but is expected to re-
quire several more years of study and experi-
mentation before accomplishment. In the ad-
vancement of culture in the world, the natu-
ral course has been to utilize materials in
their natural state or changed by develop-
ment, and intersperse action by humans or
animals and natural phenomena to obtain the
objectives desired. Starting slowly at first,
but gaining momentum through the cen-
turies, the trend has been to expand the use of
material things, reduce the human or animal
effort, and more fully utilize natural phenom-
ena. This trend has now reached the point
where something has been developed to re-
place practically every physical effort re-
quired of man.
WILLIAM C. CUDE,
Chief, Topographic Engineering Dept.
Engineer Research and. Development Labs.,
Fort Belvoir, Va.
[n recent years the mental processes and
various senses of man have also, to a limited
extent, been duplicated by scientific develop-
ment. Not only have the electronic brains
produced amazing results but also sight,
hearing, feeling, taste, and smell have in some
applications been carried even beyond human
capability. There is, therefore, no basic reason
why mapping which includes some physical
effort, machine operations, mental processes,
and application of the senses, cannot even-
tually be performed automatically.
This accomplishment, as in most other
cases, will not come in one specific effort, but
will gradually evolve from advances in one
specific operation, then in another, then in a
third one, until eventually all the steps in the
mapping process can be fitted together into
a system or systems.
From the practical point of view, however,
the achievement must show positive results.
In other words, the combination of time,
effort, expense, etc. must show a saving or
profit. This is a very important factor and
must always be kept in mind. Even though in
the early research and development stages of
a project this matter can seldom be ascer-
tained, it should not be forgotten, but should
be considered wherever possible as the proj-
ect progresses.
At present, successful automatization in
varying degrees has already been achieved in
a number of steps and encouraging progress
is being made in others.
'The progress of Hiran and similar distance
measuring systems offers a way of fixing the
airborne vehicle and sensor in space relative
to the earth. Stabilizing devices and data de-
termining and recording instruments are
available for providing auxiliary information
necessary to obtain adequate performance
from this step in the process.
Photographic and electronic sensors, as
well as combinations of both either exist or
are in various stages of development. These
can or will fulfill the requirement of collecting
* This was prepared in connection with the program of Commission IV of the International Society
for Photogrammetry.
