A Method for the Precise Coordinate Determination of an Inaccessible Location

Area of Science:

• Geomatics Engineering
• Geodetic Surveying
• Spatial Coordinate Determination

Background:

• Determining coordinates for inaccessible points is crucial in civil engineering and geospatial data acquisition (photogrammetry, LiDAR).
• Traditional methods often involve complex coordinate transformations and setup limitations for surveying instruments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and investigate a novel method for estimating Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) coordinates of inaccessible locations.
• To bypass conventional coordinate transformation steps for direct geocentric coordinate output.

Main Methods:

• Utilizes the surveying intersection method combined with data from an Earth Gravity Model (e.g., EGM 2008).
• Employs a total station to measure angles and distances from at least two known sites to the unknown point.
• Applies least-squares adjustment within the Gauss-Helmert method for coordinate estimation.

Main Results:

• Field tests demonstrate the successful determination of coordinates for inaccessible points.
• Achieved accuracy for the determined coordinates is at the centimeter level (1 cm).

Conclusions:

• The proposed method offers an accurate and efficient solution for surveying inaccessible points.
• Directly provides geocentric coordinates, simplifying the workflow compared to traditional approaches.