ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data

ASPRS Approves Edition 2 of the ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data

The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) is pleased to announce approval of the Positional Accuracy Standards for Geospatial Data, Edition 2, Version 1.0, which includes Addendum I: General Best Practices and Guidelines and Addendum II: Best Practices and Guidelines for Field Surveying of Ground Control and Checkpoints. Modifications implemented in Edition 2 respond to evolving technologies and industry needs. The new edition was drafted by ASPRS subject matter experts representing public, private, and academic sectors. Public review was conducted from February 8 – April 30, 2023. Comments were incorporated into the final version adopted on August 23, 2023.

https://publicdocuments.asprs.org/PositionalAccuracyStd-Ed2-V1

“The new edition of these standards will have a positive impact on our geospatial capabilities and all who benefit from these services here in the United States of America and worldwide for years to come, it is a historical moment that we should all be proud of” said Dr. Qassim Abdullah of Woolpert who led the ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards Working Group. “We are fortunate to have among our members such talented and willing volunteers who worked hard during the last two years to update this important Standard” said Lorraine Amenda, ASPRS President.

Significant changes in Edition 2 are summarized in the Foreword. Please note that there are three additional Addendums listed in the Table of Contents:

  • Addendum III: Best Practices and Guidelines for Mapping with Photogrammetry
  • Addendum IV: Best Practices and Guidelines for Mapping with Lidar
  • Addendum V: Best Practices and Guidelines for Mapping with UAS

These three Addendums will be distributed for public comment in the coming weeks and will be added to Edition 2, Version 2.0, which ASPRS anticipates approving in late Fall 2023. 

New ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data Released

BETHESDA, Md., March 2, 2015 – The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) is pleased to announce the release of the new Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data. The new standards are available at: http://www.asprs.org/a/society/committees/standards/Positional_Accuracy_Standards.pdf. The new ASPRS accuracy standards fill a critical need for map users and map makers alike. For centuries, map scale and contour interval have been used as an indication of map accuracy. Users want to know how accurately they can measure different things on a map, and map makers want to know how accurate maps need to be in order to satisfy user requirements. Those contracting for new maps depend on some form of map accuracy standard to evaluate the tradeoff between the accuracy required vs. how much time and expense are justified in achieving it, and then to describe the accuracy of the result in a uniform way that is reliable, defensible, and repeatable. The new ASPRS standards address recent innovations in digital imaging and non-imaging sensors, airborne GPS, inertial measurement units (IMU) and aerial triangulation (AT) technologies. Unlike prior standards, the new standards are independent of scale and contour interval, they address higher levels of accuracies achievable by the latest technologies (e.g. unmanned aerial systems and LIDAR mobile mapping systems), and they provide enough flexibility to be applicable to future technologies as they are developed. Finally, the new standards provide cross references to older standards, as well as detailed guidance for a wide range of potential applications. No prior U.S. accuracy standard comprehensively addresses the current state of mapping technology, which is why the new ASPRS standards were developed. The National Map Accuracy Standards (NMAS), developed in 1947, are still used because they are simple, but there is no scientific correlation between those standards and current mapping methodologies. The ASPRS 1990 Standards were an improvement over NMAS; however, they did not do well in representing the capabilities of LIDAR, orthoimagery, digital mapping cameras or other current technologies in wide-spread use today. The National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy (NSSDA) is a reporting standard that references the old ASPRS 1990 standards and is cross-referenced in the new ASPRS standards.  NSSDA provides no accuracy thresholds and does not by itself provide any new or updated guidance on how to select or specify an appropriate accuracy for intended applications. The new ASPRS standards were developed by the ASPRS Map Accuracy Standards Working Group, a joint committee under the Photogrammetric Applications Division, Primary Data Acquisition Division and LIDAR Division, which was formed for the purpose of reviewing and updating ASPRS map accuracy standards to reflect current technologies. A subcommittee of this group, consisting of Dr. Qassim Abdullah, Dr. David Maune, Doug Smith, and Hans Karl Heidemann, was responsible for drafting the document. Draft versions of the standard underwent extensive review, both within ASPRS as well as through public review by other key geospatial mapping organizations, prior to final approval by the ASPRS Board of Directors on November 17, 2014.

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