A test of position determination with PSO

Abstract

PSO has been used in combination with ultra-high resolution 360-degree panoramic images in positioning field objects at a landslide site. Although the computational efficiency was exceptional, the sum of errors was high. In order to demonstrate that the errors came from GPS readings instead of photography mistakes or erroneous computer codes, the authors designed and implemented an experiment and used it to verify the applicability of the PSO method. A conceptual layout was first sketched on paper and then tested on a rooftop of a campus building. Two sets of input data were constructed using the panoramic photos and the CAD drawing of the conceptual layout, respectively. Both data sets were computed using the brute force program and the PSO program developed in previous studies. The results showed that cm-level and sub-mm level accuracy was achieved in the experiment. Consequently, it was concluded that the PSO program was correct and the PSO method was applicable to the positioning problem. The accuracy of positioning in the field can be improved with the aid of better GPS devices. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.