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THE NATIONAL PROJECT AND THE APPLICATIONS IN THE FIELD OF 
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF 
ROMANIA’S INTEGRATION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION 
I. Gr. Sion 
Geodetic and Photogrammetric Department, Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest (TUCEB), 
B-dul Lacul Tei 124, Sector 2, Cod-020396, O.P. 38, Bucharest, Romania 
Commission VI, WG IV/2 
KEY WORDS: Aerial Photogrammetry, Data Management, Digital Photogrammetry, Feature Generalization, Cadastre, 
Technology, Digitalization, National 
ABSTRACT: 
The process of Romania’s integration in EU went along with the obligation of aligning to the community legislation and standards, 
including the spatial data infrastructure. Thus, the 2005 Working Project INSPIRE contributed to the introduction of new concepts 
and methodologies uniting the Member States at the infrastructures level, including Romania. The Institutional Cadastral Reform 
was prepared by 7/1996 Law with it’s afterwards changes. The management is assured, at a Governmental level, by The National 
Agency of Cadastre and Real Estate Advertising (NACREA), and at regional levels there are Offices of Cadastre and Estate 
Advertising. According to the long term strategy, NACREA as a unique state authority, decided to cover the entire country with 
orthophoto images, frame work of the National Project. There were presented the workflow of the management in producing the 
orthophoto: the flight, the approval, aerial triangulation, Digital Terrain Model and the obtaining of the orthophoto itself. Thus, it 
can be said that in the transition - post transition period the project and its applications in digital photogrammetry met the national 
interest and the integration demands: economic development, social stability and environment management. Indeed, according to the 
long term strategy, the orthophoto represents the informational background for producing the cadastral index map and also for 
thematic GIS, especially LPIS (Land Parcel Information System). 
1. INTRODUCTION: THE OLD AND NEW PARADIGM 
OF CHANGES 
1.1 The performances of photogrammetry: criteria and 
evolution 
The first criterion (technological) which stood at the base of 
primary photogrammetric data processing system configuration 
was the changing of the opto-mechanical sensors for the 
medium and large format digital aerial cameras. The second 
criterion (methodological) aimed at the processing system of 
the data which allowed, in the end - as a corollary of the 
“calculus device’s” performances and of the afferent 
functioning programs - the affirmation of a new paradigm, 
moving the applications from plans and maps to the creation 
and actualization of GIS systems. 
The superiority of digital aerial cameras over the classic photo 
cameras was proved on several levels: economicity, image 
quality, image quantity, geometrical precision and a new 
photogrammetric technological flux. The photographic 
coverage increased considerably, and by eliminating film, the 
digital images obtained directly have a radiometry unaffected 
by developing errors. There was also an increase in the volume 
of data and information, fact which is especially valuable to the 
3D modeling concepts. Amongst the great opportunities of 
affirmation of the new evolution also stood the high quality 
software that accompanied the data collection and processing 
technology, permanently removing the conventional frontiers 
between photogrammetry, remote sensing, cartography and GIS. 
By combining efficiency and high precision with the simplicity 
of automatic processing, the evolution of modeling based on 
reality won the battle of operationality. This constitutes one of 
the last victories of the 20th century. 
In the present, the GIS technology has the possibility of directly 
using the data collected not only from remote sensing captures, 
rather precise according to the recent sensorial capabilities of 
the satellite platforms, but more expensive, especially for our 
current needs, but also from the data collected, with perfectible 
methodologies, from the captures of digital aerial cameras, with 
a precision comparable with photo-aerial cameras. Of course, 
the competition is only at the beginning. Not between the old 
paradigm of change (traditional photogrammetry) and the new 
one (digital photogrammetry), where the verdict was set: “The 
film is dead!” The battle that has begun now is between remote 
sensing and integrated digital photogrammetry. Because the 
first decade of the 21 st century seems to be reserved to the 
problematic of aero-carried sensors, related to the image quality 
and the automation of processes. We know that the most 
significant investments were made within the “emergence of 
digital sensors” and that we can anticipate, in this time of major 
changes, the appearance of aerial platforms with multiple 
purposes in photogrammetry, the fundaments based on the 
concepts of “sensor fusion” or “geo-sensor network”. 
It is important to underline that, without the management of 
sensors with the aid of GPS technology, the controlled 
functioning and automated monitoring would have been 
impossible to imagine. Of the same priceless support will 
further beneficiate, also within the inertial measurement unit, 
the interferometric radar or light and space detection sensors.