Comparative study of the Ferranti, Honeywell and Litton inertial surveying systems testnet Ebersberger Forst

Abstract

In order to assess the accuracy, reliability and efficiency of current inertial surveying systems a joint project has been started at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich. As a part of this project the testnet Ebersberger Forst has been established. It consists of 60 monumented points located at cross-roads in a flat area and it makes up a grid pattern of6 N-S and9 E-W traverses with a spacing of1–2 km. The points are determined by classical surveying techniques with a standard deviation of less than1 cm forE, N andH. Observation campaigns were carried through with a Ferranti, a Honeywell and a Litton system. Each campaign consisted of three independent missions performed under identical observation schemes. The preliminary evaluation of the data sets leads to standard deviations of between8 and16 cm for each coordinate if determined in a single mission with a Honeywell or Litton system. The correlations along a traverse follow approximately the series ρ, ρ², ρ³, ... with ρ⋟0.9. Cross correlation is only present betweenE orN, respectively, andH. The positions observed with the Ferranti system are less accurate, which might be explainable by the applied software and by two gross input errors during the missions. A rigorous post-mission adjustment of the data considerably improved the results.