High-end aerial digital cameras and their impact on the automation and quality of the production workflow

The IGN digital camera project was established in the early 1990s. The first research surveys were carried out in 1996 and the digital camera was first used in production in 2000. In 2004 approximately 10 French departments (accounting for 10% of the territory) were covered with a four-head camera system and since summer 2005 all IGN imagery has been acquired digitally. Nevertheless the camera system is still evolving, with tests on new geometric configurations being continuously undertaken. The progressive integration of the system in IGN production workflows has allowed IGN to keep the system evolving in accordance with production needs. Remaining problems are due to specific camera characteristics such as CCD format, the optical quality of off-the-shelf lenses, and because some production tools are ill-adapted to digital images with a large dynamic range. However, when considering the pros and cons of integrating these images into production lines, the disadvantages are largely balanced by the numerous benefits this technology offers.