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166 Commission II Invited paper
Preliminary Report on Standardization of Expressions
for Accuracy in Photogrammetry
by B. HALLERT
Stockholm 70.
At the meeting in Brussels May 10, 1958 the president of Commission II stated:
,Deuxiéme rapport. Standardisation de l’expression de la précision et des erreurs dans les
travaux et dans les contrôles des appareils. Les différents auteurs qui traitent de la pré-
cision s'expriment rarement de la même facon, d’ou confusions fréquentes; cette question
n’est d’ailleurs pas résolue dans les autres disciplines”.
This statement by the president is certainly very true. In the photogrammetric lit-
erature there is a great variety of expressions for accuracy to be found. As also was in-
dicated by the president of Commission II similar problems are found in other measuring
sciences than photogrammetry. Therefore it immediately seemed suitable to cooperate
with representatives for such sciences, in particular geodesy and surveying in general.
At the congress of the International Federation of Land Surveyors (Fédération Inter-
nationale des Géomètres, F.I.G.) in Delft, Holland, Aug. 28—Sept. 4, 1958, the author
suggested a cooperation primarily between the mentioned organization, the International
Assoc. for Geodesy and the International Society for Photogrammetry. According to cer-
tain statements at the congress, however, it seemed very doubtful that a joint commission
could be established for a preparatory work and for a preliminary report before the con-
gress for photogrammetry in London 1960. 1)
Further it seemed very desirable to survey the opinion among photogrammetrists
concerning the need for a standardization of the terminology for the theory of errors in
general and also concerning some principles and basic expressions, which since a long
time have been used in geodetic theory of errors and which it seems possible to use in pho-
togrammetry also.
Therefore a summary of the mentioned principles and terms was made, primarily
from the existing geodetic literature and was in Febr. 1959 sent to about 120 individuals
and organizations in photogrammetry for critical comments and suggestions. 38 answers
were received, some of which, however, were made by groups of individuals. The answers
contain very valuable critical and constructive comments as well as suggestions.
First it can be stated that everybody recognizes the need for a standardization of
the terminology for theory of errors in photogrammetry. The majority of the answers
also agrees with the presented summary of the terminology from the geodetic theory of
errors.
From the above mentioned summary of the basic geodetic terminology for theory of
errors and with respect to the received answers the following recommendations are made.
The recommendations are to be regarded as provisional while waiting for an accepted
general revision of the terminology for theory of errors in general as the result of the
work of the above mentioned joint commission.
1) In the resolution of Commission III of the F.I.G. published in Zeitschrift fiir
Vermessungswesen 1958 no. 10, page 380 among other things a cooperation between the
mentioned three organizations is recommended for the purpose of standardization of
terminology and notations. In a letter of May 5th, 1959 from the president of the F.I.G.
to the presidents of the International Association of Geodesy and the International So-
ciety of Photogrammetry, among other things the proposal for a joint commission for
the treatment of the terminology of the theory of errors was forwarded according to the
above mentioned resolution.
