Rainer Sandau
The attitude and positioning of the ADS40 is important as it partially determines the performance of the overall system.
This is being provided by an Applanix Position and Orientation System (POS) developed specifically to meet the
ADS40 requirements. The inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the POS is located in the camera head and senses the
motions of the focal plate. The electronics are located in the camera computer system and are, owing to their high level
of integration, transparent to the user. The data generated by the POS are stored as part of the mission data on to the
mass memory system and can be retrieved for post-processing after the flight without any overhead. For flight guidance
and navigation purposes the real-time data of the POS is provided to the navigation module.
7.4 | Operator and Pilot Interface
During flight missions a single, easy to use operator interface is important to handle complex projects. This becomes
more important as the complexity and performance of the imaging system increase. The ADS40 is a new milestone
along the road of digital sensor systems and features therefore a touch-screen, high-resolution terminal as the next
generation of user interface. Similarly, the pilot interface is independent from the operator interface and fulfils the -
requirements to be installed in the cockpit of an aircraft.
7.5 IO-Box
The IO-Box supports a flexible interface to external devices. It is based on a modular concept and allows the ADS40 to
be extended in the near future to a multi-sensor control system. For this reason it will be possible to operate the ADS40
together with other high-performance systems such as an RC30 or a PAV30, or almost any other sensor system, for
example spectrometer or laser scanner.
8 FLIGHT AND SENSOR CONTROL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (FCMS)
The best, most powerful, most advanced hardware for an airborne digital sensor is of no use without a heart that
controls, coordinates and monitors the individual subsystems and provides a graphical user interface to allow easy use
of the sensor system.
Survey flights are still a challenging task for pilots and
operators of an airborne imaging system. The main objective
is to perform the survey flight with the least possible flight
time and the best possible results during the imaging
sequences. This is a complex situation where the Flight and
Sensor Control Management System (FCMS) gives top
assistance to both the operator and the pilot. The FCMS can
logically be divided into five separate parts each of them
providing individual functionality within the sensor system
and to the operator (figure 6).
Figure 6. Components of the FCMS
8.1 Flight Management
The flight management module is the core of FCMS and coordinates the navigation system, the sensor control and the
flight and error data log. Using a graphical touch display the operator interacts with the flight management system. The
design of the graphical user interface is aimed at easy operation with highly recognisable screen representations.
Therefore the general layout is graphical, menus are selected via a button bar with icons and texts are kept to a
minimum in order to allow unproblematic internationalisation. A two-stage help system, including the user manual,
helps the operator become familiar with the system and to find the way back when lost.
8.2 Navigation System
Focussed on providing the best guidance throughout the survey mission, the navigation system is designed to reduce
flight time and optimise work sharing between pilot and operator. The pilot can concentrate fully on navigating and
steering the aircraft while the operator takes care of the sensor system and image acquisition. Based on flight plans from
LH Systems’ ASCOT product for film cameras and supported by the high accuracy attitude and position measurement
system, the navigation system performs the following tasks:
262 International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B1. Amsterdam 2000.
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