Insights into the affine model for high-resolution satellite sensor orientation

Abstract

As a model for sensor orientation and 3D geopositioning for high-resolution satellite imagery (HRSI), the affine transformation from object to image space has obvious advantages. Chief among these is that it is a straightforward linear model, comprising only eight parameters, which has been shown to yield sub-pixel geopositioning accuracy when applied to Ikonos stereo imagery. This paper aims to provide further insight into the affine model in order to understand why it performs as well as it does. Initially, the model is compared to counterpart, ‘rigorous’ affine transformation formulations which account for the conversion from a central perspective to affine image. Examination of these rig..