视频测量机器人星识别算法在自动天文定向中的应用

天文定向是通过观测天体确定方位的高精度定向方法,在天文测量中具有重要的作用,实现自动天文定向是目前天文定向的发展趋势。基于视频全站仪的工作模式,本文提出了一种星识别定向方法。首先通过视频测量连续快速拍摄多颗星,再将高度角和方位角差作为匹配条件,识别出各恒星,最后利用观测数据和解算的恒星数据关系获得定向结果,实现天文定向自动化。本文分析了因测站坐标误差和观测误差引起的星识别误差,由此给出匹配阈值,进一步提高了匹配的精确度和准确度。     

无水天线观测的船舶天文定位新方法

针对船舶天文定位需要同时观测天体和水天线来获取天体高度角,其定位的结果和精度常受制于水天线的可观测时段问题,该文提出了一种无需水天线观测的船舶天文定位新方法。该方法将双天体的方位角作为观测量,通过牛顿迭代法直接计算船位,不受水天线有限观测时段的限制,并且可避免画天文位置线的繁琐作业。基于天体高度方位表数据对该方法模型进行验证分析得:天体方位角测量精度越高,该方法的船舶定位误差越小,当天体方位角测量精度在±0.05°时,船舶定位误差在5nmile之内,该方法可用于夜间船舶定位,从而扩大传统天文定位使用时段。     

太阳历表的简便数学模型

在一般工程测量单位,观测太阳进行天文定位、定向时,必须依赖于中国天文年历中的太阳历表,这是极为不便的。本文首先根据纽康的太阳公式,对太阳历表的计算进行了分析,从而建立了一个适用于袖珍电子计算机或程序计算器的简便太阳历表数学模型。通过对该模型计算结果的精度分析,说明该模型的精度完全适用于目前一般工程测量进行天文定位、定向的要求,这样不仅摆脱了对中国天文年历的依赖,同时也提高了野外作业速度。     

一种亮星识别算法及其在天文定向中的应用

基于全站仪对任意亮星的观测采样,提出了一种利用高度角序列和水平角速率进行联合匹配的任意亮星识别算法。通过引入天体地平坐标计算程序,算法可正确辨别行星和恒星。本文分析了任意亮星高度角和水平角速率的观测误差和计算误差,以此给出了匹配阈值条件的设定依据,并在此基础上制定了有效的匹配策略。仿真计算及实际观测试验均表明,该算法具有100%的识别成功率,远优于现有算法。将此算法应用于任意亮星天文定向,定向结果的内符合精度达到2″,外部检核精度达到1.6″。采用多颗任意亮星进行定向,可有效减弱由测站位置误差引入的定向系统误差,提高绝对定向精度。本文提出的天文定向适用于多云及雾霾天气。     

利用多星矢量观测信息进行天文导航定位技术的研究

传统的天文导航定位原理都是基于天文定位三角形或高度差法来实现的,但是这两种方法均只能利用天体的高度信息,而不能利用天体的方位观测信息。介绍了与表示天体坐标相关的坐标系及天体位置的矢量表达式,详细推导了双星矢量天文定位模型,并基于此提出了实现多星矢量天文定位的原理。该方法同时利用了天体的方位和高度观测信息,不仅提高了观测量的利用率,而且还能够用于高精度、高自动化、大数据量的天文导航定位。     

月球视面中心拟合算法及其在测月快速定向中的应用

基于电子经纬仪对月球明亮区域边沿的观测采样,提出一种月球视圆面中心拟合算法,推导出详细的计算公式。通过实际观测试验验证该算法的可靠性,较好地解决了月面中心的确定问题。在此基础上,探索一种测月快速定向方法。运用此方法进行天文定向,内符合精度和外符合精度均优于±2.0″。测月定向可有效弥补传统天文定向夜间只能依靠观测恒星进行的不足,扩展天文测量的使用范围。由于太阳的视面也是正圆,测月定向方法同样适用于测日定向。     

天文方位角测定精度的分析

本文对拱极星时角法测定天文方位角的几项主要观测误差：地面目标观测误差、天体观测误差、水准器位置和读数误差等等,提出了精度估算的公式,并就个别仪器和个别地区的实测资料,求定各项误差的大小和级别。在这个基础上,又提出了天文方位角测定实际精度（包括内精度和外精度）的计算公式,并列有实例。对于拱极星时角法测定天文方位角的几项主要系统误差：水平度盘直径误差与水平轴轴颈误差进行了探讨。并根据1960年和1961年的实测资料（包括两种类型的仪器）指出,水平度盘直径误差对于每一个测回方位角的影响是系统性的,但是对于方位角总平均值的影响则很小。水平轴轴颈误差对于天文方位角测定成果的影响是不可忽视的,也不可以从观测纲要和正反方位角测定中加以削弱和消除。当引入轴颈改正以后,不同类型仪器测定的同一方向的天文方位角,互差减小了约近1″,这是很值得注意的一点。因此,天文方位角测定必须考虑水平轴轴颈误差。此外,根据作者在个别地区的实测资料分析,初步表明,天文方位角测定的外精度,受人差和旁折光的影响也是不可忽视的,但是如果把各测回尽可能均匀分布于各时角,并对称于子夜,对于削弱旁折光和人差的影响,是简单易行,而又较为有效的。     

A Fitting Algorithm of the Apparent Moon Center and Its＇ Application on Fast Orientation

基于电子经纬仪对月球明亮区域边沿的观测采样,提出一种月球视圆面中心拟合算法,推导出详细的计算公式。通过实际观测试验验证该算法的可靠性,较好地解决了月面中心的确定问题。在此基础上,探索一种测月快速定向方法。运用此方法进行天文定向,内符合精度和外符合精度均优于±2．0”。测月定向可有效弥补传统天文定向夜间只能依靠观测恒星进行的不足,扩展天文测量的使用范围。由于太阳的视面也是正圆,测月定向方法同样适用于测日定向。     

地磁快速定向在天文测量自动化中的应用

通过自动寻星进行天文测量前需要概略定向。基于地磁定向高效、可靠的测量特点,提出在天文观测前利用地磁测量快速获得概略方位的方法。研究了地磁定向的使用条件,介绍了利用TCM-XB三轴罗盘定向的基本原理,测试了磁传感器的磁定向精度,进行了磁传感器与天文测量仪器实验平台组合设计。基于地磁与经纬仪的组合实验测试表明,在不同方向磁传感器定向最大互差约为1°,其固定方向定向内符合优于0.1°,可以满足基于视频全站仪/经纬仪的天文测量系统概略寻星要求。     

利用行星进行快速天文定向

提出并实现了利用行星进行快速天文定向;研究了计算行星测瞬中心位置的实用方法.探索了一种对行星进行精确测量的方法,并以木星为例进行了观测试验,解算了实测数据并给出了定向结果.从理论及实测数据两方面分析了影响定向精度的主要误差源,并给出了减弱其影响的措施.     

人口总量及其空间分布特征与经济发展关系的动力学研究

建立了人口—经济系统的微分方程组模型,并在方程中引入人口空间分布与经济发展协调的因子η,通过分析模型的稳定性特征得出以下结论:人口经济系统是复杂的非线性关系;人口的过于快速增长会使经济总量趋向于零;如果η>1并且较高,则人口经济系统发展稳定时,经济总量会高些,也即人口数量稳定在同样水平时,会因为空间分布的不同而有不同的经济产出。说明在控制人口数量的同时必须重视人口空间分布的问题。     

GNSS广播星历的精度评定

由于卫星广播星历有能被用户实时观测到的特点,因此为导航和实时定位提供了方便。精密星历是高精度的事后星历,而广播星历是由全球定位系统的地面控制部分所确定和提供,并经过卫星向全球用户公开播发的一种预报星历。本文选取了GPS和GLONASS卫星系统,并对GPS和GLONASS广播星历与精密星历计算的卫星位置对比分析,最后得出广播星历的精度与卫星和原子钟的类型有关的结论。     

Improvement of GPS/acoustic seafloor positioning precision through controlling the ship’s track line

The precision of GPS/acoustic seafloor positioning was improved by introducing a hull-mounted onboard system in March 2008, which allows us to conduct acoustic ranging measurements with the vessel sailing along the pre-determined track lines, while the early system before 2008 could only adopt the uncontrollable drifting observation. The continuity of the positioning results due to the transition was first confirmed through the comparison between results from sailing and drifting observations conducted in parallel. Using the data acquired for about 3 years since 2008, the repeatability of the determined position for the sailing observation was evaluated to be about 2 cm in root mean squares in the horizontal component, significantly better than that for the early drifting observation. The improvement of positioning precision probably resulted from the improvement of geometric distribution of acoustic ranging data by controlling the track lines. It was also shown that the sailing observation allows to obtain reliable results with a smaller amount of data. Comparison between the results in different sea regions suggests that positioning precision is better in the region along the Nankai Trough than in the region along the Japan Trench, probably because of the complicated acoustic velocity structure of seawater often observed in the latter. Furthermore, the precision of height determination was also improved, which leads us to expect that vertical crustal movement will be detectable in the future through accumulation of data as well as further technology development.     

Orbit determination of the SELENE satellites using multi-satellite data types and evaluation of SELENE gravity field models

The SELENE mission, consisting of three separate satellites that use different terrestrial-based tracking systems, presents a unique opportunity to evaluate the contribution of these tracking systems to orbit determination precision. The tracking data consist of four-way Doppler between the main orbiter and one of the two sub-satellites while the former is over the far side, and of same-beam differential VLBI tracking between the two sub-satellites. Laser altimeter data are also used for orbit determination. The contribution to orbit precision of these different data types is investigated through orbit overlap analysis. It is shown that using four-way and VLBI data improves orbit consistency for all satellites involved by reducing peak values in orbit overlap differences that exist when only standard two-way Doppler and range data are used. Including laser altimeter data improves the orbit precision of the SELENE main satellite further, resulting in very smooth total orbit errors at an average level of 18 m. The multi-satellite data have also resulted in improved lunar gravity field models, which are assessed through orbit overlap analysis using Lunar Prospector tracking data. Improvements over a pre-SELENE model are shown to be mostly in the along-track and cross-track directions. Orbit overlap differences are at a level between 13 and 21 m with the SELENE models, depending on whether 1-day data overlaps or 1-day predictions are used.     

Rule‐based Integration of Remotely‐sensed Data and GIS for Land Cover Mapping in NE Costa Rica

Abstract

A classification method was developed for mapping land cover in NE Costa Rica at a regional scale for spatial input to a biogeochemical model (CENTURY). To distinguish heterogeneous cover types, unsupervised classifications of Landsat Thematic Mapper data were combined with ancillary and derived data in an iterative process. Spectral classes corresponding to ground control types were segregated into a storage raster while ambiguous pixels were passed through a set of rules to the next stage of processing. Feature sets were used at each step to help sort spectral classes into land cover classes. The process enabled different feature sets to be used for different types while recognizing that spectral classification alone was not sufficient for separating cover types that were defined by heterogeneity. Spectral data included the TM reflective bands, principal components and the NDVI. Ancillary data included GIS coverages of swamp extents, banana plantation boundaries and river courses. Derived data included neighborhood variety and majority measures that captured texture. The final map depicts 18 land cover types and captures the general patterns found in the region. Some confusion still exists between closely related types such as pasture with different amounts of tree cover.     

A comparison of ASCAT and SMOS soil moisture retrievals over Europe and Northern Africa from 2010 to 2013

A comparison between ASCAT/H-SAF and SMOS soil moisture products was performed in the frame of the EUMETSAT H-SAF project. The analysis was extended to the whole H-SAF region of interest, including Europe and North Africa, and the period between January 2010 and November 2013 was considered. Since SMOS and ASCAT soil moisture data are expressed in terms of absolute and relative values, respectively, different approaches were adopted to scale ASCAT data to use the same volumetric soil moisture unit. Effects of land cover, quality index filtering, season and geographical area on the matching between the two products were also analyzed. The two satellite retrievals were also compared with other independent datasets, namely the NCEP/NCAR volumetric soil moisture content reanalysis developed by NOAA and the ERA-Interim/Land soil moisture produced by ECMWF. In situ data, available through the International Soil Moisture Network, were also considered as benchmark. The results turned out to be influenced by the way ASCAT data was scaled. Correlation between the two products exceeded 0.6, while the root mean square difference did not decrease below 8%. ASCAT generally showed a fairly good degree of correlation with ERA, while, as expected considering the different kinds of measurement, the discrepancies with respect to local in situ data were large for both satellite products.     

Predicting agricultural drought in eastern Rajasthan of India using NDVI and standardized precipitation index

In the present study, prediction of agricultural drought has been addressed through prediction of agricultural yield using a model based on NDVI-SPI. It has been observed that the meteorological drought index SPI with different timescale is correlated with NDVI at different lag. Also NDVI of current fortnight is correlated with NDVI of previous lags. Based on the correlation coefficients, the Multiple Regression Model was developed to predict NDVI. The NDVI of current fortnight was found highly correlated with SPI of previous fortnight in semi-arid and transitional zones. The correlation between NDVI and crop yield was observed highest in first fortnight of August. The RMSE of predicted yield in drought year was found to be about 17.07 kg/ha which was about 6.02 per cent of average yield. In normal year, it was 24 kg/Ha denoting about 2.1 per cent of average yield.     

Improving the Elevation Accuracy of Digital Elevation Models: A Comparison of Some Error Detection Procedures

The widespread availability of powerful desktop computers, easy‐to‐use software tools and geographic datasets have raised the quality problem of input data to be a crucial one. Even though accuracy has been a concern in every serious application, there are no general tools for its improvement. Some particular ones exist, however, and some results are presented here for a particular case of quantitative raster data: Digital Elevation Models (DEM). Two procedures designed to detect anomalous values (also named gross errors, outliers or blunders) in DEMs, but valid also for other quantitative raster datasets, were tested. A DEM with elevations varying from 181 to 1044 m derived from SPOT data has been used as a contaminated sample, while a manually derived DEM obtained from aerial photogrammetry was regarded as the ground truth to allow a direct performance comparison for the methods with real errors. It is assumed that a “better” value can be measured or obtained through some methodology once an outlier location is suggested. The options are different depending upon the user (DEM producers might go to the original data and make another reading, while end users might use interpolation). Both choices were considered in this experiment. Preliminary results show that for the available dataset, the accuracy might be improved to some extent with very little effort. Effort is defined here as the percentage of points suggested by the methodology in relation with its total number: thus 100 per cent effort implies that all points have been checked. The method proposed by López (1997) gave poor results, because it has been designed for errors with low spatial autocorrelation (which is not the case here). A modified version was then designed and compared with the method proposed by Felicísimo (1994). The three procedures can be applied both for error detection during DEM generation and by end users, and they might be of use for other quantitative raster data. The choice of the best methodology is different depending on the effort involved. The conclusions have been derived for a photogrammetrically obtained DEM; other production procedures might lead to different results.     

Introducing landscape accuracy metric for spatial performance evaluation of land use/land cover change models

Performance evaluation is a critical step for land use/land cover (LULC) change modelling. It can be conducted through pixel quantity and its geographical location according to majority of current approaches. It is hence important to know to what extent spatial patterns of a given landscape are properly replicated in simulated LULC maps. Therefore, a new validation metric, named as landscape accuracy metric (LAM), is introduced by inspiration from landscape ecology. Unlike pixel quantity validation metrics, model performance is measured by LAM through quantifying spatial patterns including structure, composition and configuration attributes. The functionality of LAM was studied to assess the performance of the built-up change simulation under historical, ecological and stochastic scenarios, applying Cellular Automata Markov model. LAM is a flexible measure such that modellers can apply this metric through adding or eliminating various metrics of their interest in a selective manner and under different environmental circumstances.     

Real World Map Reading Strategies

Abstract

A main component of an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) is the navigation system to be used in the 'intelligent' vehicle. In fact, driving a vehicle is a complex task as the driver has to control the vehicle as well as make decisions about getting to his/her destination. Too much information on the map (i.e. a complex map) would confuse the driver, while too little information would not be sufficient for the user to compare with the actual environment. Sufficient information but poorly presented would also result in confusion.

This paper reports on a study of the design of dynamic maps for land vehicle navigation through an investigation of different designs with different levels of information contents and visual effects using various dynamic variables. Different colours were assigned to the road and building names according to the position of the vehicle, and blinking symbols were used to indicate direction restrictions. Also, a set of maps with different degrees of complexity was designed such that the users would be provided with different levels of contents and representation by zooming in and out. The effectiveness of the design was investigated in the map evaluation process.