International Association of Geodesy   COMMISSION 4: Positioning & Applications Sub-commission 4.1: Multi-sensor Systems

Sub-commission 4.1 web site ... click here ...

Terms of Reference

To coordinate research and other activities that address the broader areas of multi-sensor system theory and applications, with a special emphasis on integrated guidance, navigation, positioning and orientation of airborne and land-based platform. The primary sensors of interest will be Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and inertial navigation systems; however the important role of other techniques used for indoor and pedestrian navigation is also recognised. The SC will carry out its work in close cooperation with other IAG Entities, as well as via linkages with relevant scientific and professional organisations such as ISPRS, FIG, IEEE, ION.

Steering Committee

Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska (Ohio State Univ., USA) - Chair
Naser El-Sheimy (Univ. of Calgary, Canada) - Vice-Chair
Jinling Wang (Univ. of New South Wales, Australia) - Secretary
Guenther Retscher (Vienna Univ. of Tech., Austria) - Member at Large
Joao Fernando Silva (UNESP, Brazil) - Member at Large

Objectives

• To follow the technical advances in navigation sensors and algorithms, including autonomous vehicle navigation, based on:
  - positioning sensors and techniques such as GPS (and pseudolites), INS, including MEMS-IMU, wheel sensors, ultrasonic and magnetic sensors, and
  - positioning methods based on cellular networks and their combination with GPS.

• To follow the technical advances in mapping sensors, such as CCD cameras, laser range finders, laser scanners and radar devices.

• To standardise definitions and measurements of sensor-related parameters.

• To study and report on the performance of standalone and integrated navigation systems.

• To stimulate new ideas and innovation in:
  - navigation algorithms, sensor calibration, synchronisation and inter-calibration,
  - real-time sensor information processing and georeferencing o sensor and data fusion, and
  - automation techniques for information extraction from multi-sensor systems using expert systems.

• To study and monitor the progress in new applications (not limited to conventional mapping) of multi-sensor systems (transportation, engineering, car navigation, personal navigation, indoor navigation, etc.).

• To study and report on the progress in performance, market availability and pricing of multi-sensor mapping systems and their hardware and software components.

• To promote research and collaboration with countries with no or limited access to modern multi-sensor technology.

Working Groups

WG4.1.1 Advances in Inertial Navigation and Error Modelling Algorithms

Chair: Sameh Nassar (University of Calgary, Canada)
Co-Chair: Jay Kwon (Sejgon University, Korea)
Terms of Reference: To study and report the performance of the currently used inertial error modelling algorithms, and to promote the development of new methods and techniques for modelling inertial sensor errors. To implement innovative ideas for processing inertial data and integrating inertial systems with other sensors. To report the advances in the development of new inertial sensor technologies.

WG4.1.2 Indoor and Pedestrian Navigation

Chair: Guenther Retscher (Vienna University of Technology, Austria)
Co-Chair: Bertrand Merminod (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland)
Terms of Reference: To promote research and development in the area of indoor and pedestrian navigation using multi-sensor integrated systems, based on medium to low-accuracy small-sized inertial systems, including micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), and other positioning sensors, such as wheel sensors, ultrasonic and magnetic sensors, integrated with imaging sensors. To report progress on positioning methods based on cellular networks and their combination with GPS.

WG4.1.3 Advances in MEMS Technology and Applications

Chair: Mikel Miller (Sensors Directorate, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, USA)
Co-Chair: Jan Skaloud (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland)
Terms of Reference: To promote research into the development and integration of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based inertial measurement units (IMU) that have practical applications to engineering and mapping. To promote research and development into precise, low-cost, low-power, small-sized, and high reliability IMU's for integration with other position, navigation, attitude, and time systems.