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The International Archives of the Photogrammetry. Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. Vol. XXXVII. Part B4. Beijing 2008 
Since all data of the GPS/IMU data for each camera release 
event is stored in a database, a project can be flown over two or 
more days when required. At the end of the mission, all 
projection centres with their rotations, already saved in 
photogrammetric values, assist in speeding up the processing 
workflow. The vector data can be delivered directly to the 
customer as a first report since all relevant information (Date, 
time, Image number...) is stored in the point database. 
During the mission, user level decisions such as whether to use 
auto-zoom, whether to abort a mission due to cloud etc, are all 
available through large buttons on a floating toolbar and suited 
for rapid and easy use on a touch screen. 
5. OTHER APPLICATIONS 
The FMS capability can assist in with a range of tasks. Aerial 
survey with frame cajneras is just one application that was 
managed by GIS, it can be applied equally for LiDAR scanners. 
A rather new application in aerial survey is oblique imaging 
which is now possible with AeroTopoL FMS. The application 
of fertilisers for agriculture and forestry is a different domain, 
but uses the same principles and technology. The creation of 
zones and buffers is important in this task. Drop-speed and 
wind drift are additional parameters that have to be taken into 
account. A third domain is the control of power lines where the 
database access is of high importance. Errors on the cables or 
pylons have to be registered and the history recorded in the 
database has to be accessed automatically- a task that can be 
managed only using GIS. 
5.1 Oblique imaging 
The main difference to nadir viewing images is the offset of the 
flight line with the image centres and that images must be taken 
from 4 sides to cover an area. Rotating and tilting must be 
computed and the image centre computed. From that it must be 
back calculated to the projection centre. The flight direction is 
now fixed since the camera is facing relatively to the aircraft 
always in same direction. The footprints become trapezoids and 
the overlap is computed by the axes through the image centres. 
This finally is a rather difficult task but is already implemented 
using the GIS based software. 
Figure 9: Planning of oblique imaging is a much more complex 
task for FMS. 
Oblique imaging can be done also for synchronised cameras as 
well as sequentially handled single camera solutions. The tools 
are under developing for those special issues. Systematic 
Oblique photography is a strongly growing market with focus 
on two different customers. One who really needs 
photogrammetric accuracies to measure building facilities 
especially for security reasons, and others who need image 
coverage for internet-applications or data for city planning and 
monitoring without needs for a precise measurement. 
5.2 Laser Scanning 
Most FMS use normal imaging tools for guiding the aircraft. 
However planning a scan over DTM is of high important more 
that that, the monitoring of the coverage is essential for a 
successful and economic mission.There are possibilities to get 
information of the scanned extremes. In combination with the 
GPS and IMU information, the borders of the scan carpet can 
be displayed in real-time. 
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Figure 10: Planning for scanner missions in combination with 
aerial imaging is a challenge in modem FMS. 
5.3 Broad Scale Aerial Application of Lime in Forestry 
In Europe and world wide, the forests are damaged and their 
ecological integrity compromised because of air pollution such 
as S02 emissions which are cleaned from the atmosphere by rain 
but disastrous consequences caused by this acid rain, notably 
the acidification of forest soils. Forest management institutions 
and state government bodies undertake liming campaigns to 
address this problem. The lime is generally applied by 
helicopters. Every year in Germany, several thousand hectares 
are treated with lime applications. 
In the framework of ISO 9001 (the process standard for 
environmental management systems) and upcoming European 
rules, such applications must be documented by the institutions. 
A system, based on GIS, GPS, sensors and avionics, has been 
developed. The heart of the system is a data logger built using 
the AeroNav technology. In addition to logging the rate of lime 
application, the Aerologger sends a modified NMEA-string to a 
cockpit computer to navigate the pilot to the forest project sites. 
The software is able to start, stop or interrupt the lime 
application system, map its work and display the result directly 
on the monitor. An event on the lime distribution unit sends a 
signal to the Aerologger and to the FMS/lime application 
software, which is recorded and used to determine the state of 
the application. 
For the planning team, the most important details are the project 
areas. They may have been provided in vector format by the 
forest organisation or they have to be developed in house by 
digitising onscreen in the software. It is very likely that the