Technical Note AIMS (TM): An Alternative Tool for Coastal Mapping

Space technologies, such as kinematic Global Positioning System (GPS), often combined with an inertial navigation system (INS), provide an efficient direct georeferencing tool for remote sensing and aerial surveying. Practically, these systems are now able to deliver high-precision orientation data for spatial data acquisition platforms in a timely manner, at relatively low cost, as compared to traditional methods. The Airborne Integrated Mapping System (AIMS (TM)), developed at The Ohio State University Center for Mapping, integrates high-resolution digital imagery, differential GPS/INS, and precise timing for high-quality data acquisition supporting large-scale mapping and other precise positioning applications. In this article, the AIMS (TM) system hardware/software configuration, its current operational capabilities, and the test results of airborne mapping of the coastal zone are presented.