Accuracy assessment of QuickBird stereo imagery

The Geographical Survey Institute of Japan has recently carried out an evaluation of the metric performance of QuickBird stereo satellite imagery. This paper describes the accuracy assessment of the sensor orientation and geopositioning phases of the study, the aim of which was twofold. First, it was desired to confirm the metric potential of QuickBird imagery for 1:25 000 scale topographic mapping. Second, a determination was to be made of the accuracy attainable from the Basic image product. The techniques of rational functions and affine bundle adjustment were employed, the former with bias compensation. The results obtained both reassert the high precision of the rational functions approach and cast doubt upon the applicability of the 3D affine model for accurate geopositioning from QuickBird imagery.