68. Current Status: Two UNAMACE's are currently in use by 
the Army Map Service (AMS). A UNAMACE at USAETL is being used 
for continuous research and experimentation to improve its per- 
formance and versatility. New programs are being written and 
experimental electronics are being tested. Particular interest 
is in those aspects which, when applied, will significantly 
reduce the over-all cost of producing the final contoured ortho- 
photomap. 
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 
  
69. From this review it is evident that progress is being 
made in automating the map compilation process but that there 
is insufficient test data available at this time to determine 
which system is most economical for specific applications. As 
with all new equipment there must be a shake-down period, and 
a refinement period before effective operational use. Certainly, 
until the optimum mode of operation is attained, based on 
experience, tests, and refinements, the economics of each instru- 
ment individually will not be known, much less a comparison 
among them. It can be expected that each instrument will be 
found to excel in certain applications depending upon the specific 
conditions surrounding the application. 
70. Where economy is the primary consideration, as it is 
generally, over-all cost effectiveness, as reflected in the cost 
per map sheet, governs. Cost effectiveness must consider manpower 
needs, development costs, equipment production costs, accuracy 
or effective "C" factor, speed or output rate, percent of model 
which can be compiled automatically, ability to handle a wide 
range of input products, obsolescence rate, reliability, and 
maintenance factors. 
71. When evaluated against these economic considerations, 
the modification of conventional instruments is simple in concept 
and requires a minimum of development cost, training cost and 
initial capital outlay for equipment. The equipment can be 
expected to be reasonably reliable with low maintenance. In 
terms of ultimate speed and accuracy, this approach is limited 
if components with high inertia must be servo driven. If a 
requirement exists for handling other than vertical mapping 
photography, this approach is limited unless additional sophistication 
is built in. 
72. The computer controlled plotters are most costly to 
develop and require a greater initial capital outlay for equipment. 
In the case of the AS-11B/C and UNAMACE, basic development costs 
have been defrayed by the U. S. Government. Since this approach 
is new, initially less reliability and greater maintenance can 
be expected, but as experience is gained and equipment improvements 
made, both of these factors will improve. With this approach 
ultimate speed and accuracy are promising, but reaching the 
ultimate will depend upon optimizing the computer programs to handle 
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