Determination of geographic position of object by applying 3D polar observations

Abstract

The geographic position of an object is determined by geodetic latitude, geodetic longitude, geodetic and normal height, and height of the object above the surface of the earth. To determine the geographic position of an object, a technologic scheme is recommended: by applying 3D polar observations, the 3D Cartesian coordinates of the object in the local horizontal coordinate system (for example, with an airport runway tied system) are determined; local horizontal 3D Cartesian coordinates are recomputed into the system of geocentric equatorial 3D Cartesian coordinates; the geodetic coordinates (geodetic latitude, geodetic longitude, and geodetic height) are computed from the geocentric equatorial 3D Cartesian coordinates; based on information about geodetic height and the digital geoid model, the normal height of the object is computed; and object height above the earth is computed from normal height and the digital terrain model. Algorithms for the realisation of this technologic scheme are presented.