Fritz Ackermann’s Photogrammetric Journey

1. Fritz Ackermann’sPhotogrammetric Journey Edward M. Mikhail Professor of Photogrammetry Former Head, Geomatics Engineering Purdue University mikhail@ecn.purdue.edu November 6, 2009

2. Fritz Ackermann’s Photogrammetric Journey • How it began . . . and developed • His working career • What has he done that is noteworthy? • Awards and recognitions • But, it is not all work • The last word

3. How it Began . . . and Developed • When and how we met • 1964 • At the ITC Pre. Congress Symposium, Netherlands • At ISPRS Congress, Lisbon, Portugal • 1966 • Symposium on Analytical Photogrammetry at Urbana/Champaign, IL, USA • 1971 • My first sabbatical leave in Stuttgart

4. How it Began . . . and Developed • 1966 : Symposium on Analytical Photogrammetry at Urbana/Champaign, IL, USA

5. How it Began . . . and Developed • 1971 : My first sabbatical leave in Stuttgart

6. His Working Career • Dipl.Ing – 1954 : Stuttgart (Following Physics – 1950 : Tübingen) • 1954 – 58 : Zeiss, Oberkochen

7. His Working Career • 1954 – 58 : Zeiss, Oberkochen

8. His Working Career (Cont’d) • 1958 – 66 : ITC • 1961, 64 : MS (ITC) and PhD (Stuttgart) • 1966 – 1992 : Professor and Director I.F.P., Stuttgart • 1981 – 2007 : Founder and early owner of INPHO; then consultant

9. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • One of the first to usher in analytical photogrammetry • Analytical Least Squares adjustment of, and error propagation in, long strips • Analytical block adjustment by independent models (PAT-M) and by bundles (PAT-M) • Self-calibration, blunder detection, and L.S. interpolation of blocks • Combined adjustment with airborne GPS; internal and external reliability of photogrammetric blocks • Digital Elevation Models – SCOP Program • Laser profilers – DEMs in forested areas • Least Squares digital image matching – fully auto triangulation and DEM extraction from overlapping imagery • German MOMS Program – digital camera on space shuttle

10. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • First to propose “composed polynomials” [later called segmented constrained polynomials] • Lower order per segment better than high order for long strips

11. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • One of the first to usher in analytical photogrammetry • Analytical Least Squares adjustment of, and error propagation in, long strips • Analytical block adjustment by independent models (PAT-M) and by bundles (PAT-M) • Self-calibration, blunder detection, and L.S. interpolation of blocks • Combined adjustment with airborne GPS; internal and external reliability of photogrammetric blocks • Digital Elevation Models – SCOP Program • Laser profilers – DEMs in forested areas • Least Squares digital image matching – fully auto triangulation and DEM extraction from overlapping imagery • German MOMS Program – digital camera on space shuttle

12. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • Work on long strips extended the concept to block adjustment by independent units … either models (PAT-M) or bundles (PAT-B)

13. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • One of the first to usher in analytical photogrammetry • Analytical Least Squares adjustment of, and error propagation in, long strips • Analytical block adjustment by independent models (PAT-M) and by bundles (PAT-M) • Self-calibration, blunder detection, and L.S. interpolation of blocks • Combined adjustment with airborne GPS; internal and external reliability of photogrammetric blocks • Digital Elevation Models – SCOP Program • Laser profilers – DEMs in forested areas • Least Squares digital image matching – fully auto triangulation and DEM extraction from overlapping imagery • German MOMS Program – digital camera on space shuttle

14. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • GCP requirements rather extensive for classical methods

15. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • Each camera station is essentially a complete GCP

16. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • GCP requirements drastically reduced resulting in significant economy when DGPS camera positions are used

17. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • One of the first to usher in analytical photogrammetry • Analytical Least Squares adjustment of, and error propagation in, long strips • Analytical block adjustment by independent models (PAT-M) and by bundles (PAT-M) • Self-calibration, blunder detection, and L.S. interpolation of blocks • Combined adjustment with airborne GPS; internal and external reliability of photogrammetric blocks • Digital Elevation Models – SCOP Program • Laser profilers – DEMs in forested areas • Least Squares digital image matching – fully auto triangulation and DEM extraction from overlapping imagery • German MOMS Program – digital camera on space shuttle

18. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • Good agreement of the accuracy of contours from DTM (by SCOP) with those from ground survey and extracted photogrammetrically

19. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • One of the first to usher in analytical photogrammetry • Analytical Least Squares adjustment of, and error propagation in, long strips • Analytical block adjustment by independent models (PAT-M) and by bundles (PAT-M) • Self-calibration, blunder detection, and L.S. interpolation of blocks • Combined adjustment with airborne GPS; internal and external reliability of photogrammetric blocks • Digital Elevation Models – SCOP Program • Laser profilers – DEMs in forested areas • Least Squares digital image matching – fully auto triangulation and DEM extraction from overlapping imagery • German MOMS Program – digital camera on space shuttle

20. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • At the heart of MATCH-AT is the automatic digital image matching

21. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • The culmination of years of research in block triangulation is the nearly fully automated MATCH-AT

22. So, What has he done that is Noteworthy? • German MOMS Program – digital camera on space shuttle As if in anticipation of the current proliferation of commercial satellite imagery he used his extensive experience on the MOMS program

23. Awards and Recognitions • There are so many ... only selected few • von Gruber (ISPRS), 1964 • Brock Medal (ISPRS), 1976 • Honorary Professor, Wuhan Univ., China, 1989 • Honorary Member of the following Photogrammetric Societies • British 1989 • U.S. 1995 • ISPRS 1996 • German 1999

24. Awards and Recognitions • Brock Medal (ISPRS), 1976

25. Awards and Recognitions • Honorary Member International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 1996

26. Awards and Recognitions • ITC Fellow, 1992 • Honorary Doctorates from the following Universities • Helsinki 1988 • Vienna 1991 • Hannover 1995 • Moscow 2009 • The Photogrammetric (Fairchild) Award, ASPRS, 1999

27. But it is not all work • An excellent skier

28. But it is not all work • Hiking and mountain climbing

29. But it is not all work • Hiking and mountain climbing

30. But it is not all work • An accomplished pianist

31. But it is not all work • Fritz can have as much fun as any one: Riding an elephant in Thailand (w/o proper license?)

32. But it is not all work • Fritz can have as much fun as any one: Lasso throwing in Finland

33. But it is not all work • Fritz can have as much fun as any one: Showing his fitness in Rovaniemi, Finland in 1986

34. The Last Word Very Happy 80th Good Health for Many Years to Come