HEIGHTS FROM SIMULTANEOUS RADAR AND INFRARED

STEREO MAPPING IS POSSIBLE USING TWO IMAGES PRODUCED FROM THE SAME VANTAGE POINT, PROVIDED THEIR PARALLAX DISPLACEMENTS ARE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. SIDE-LOOKING AIRBORNE RADAR (SLAR) AND INFRARED LINE-SCANNER MAKE A NATURAL PAIR FOR THIS PURPOSE, BECAUSE BOTH HAVE THE SAME SIDE-LOOKING GEOMETRY AND THEY HAVE SIMILAR IMAGE RECORDING TECHNIQUES. A FLAGPOLE APPEARS TO LEAN TOWARD THE RADAR, BUT AWAY FROM THE LINE SCANNER, HENCE, THE CONDITIONS FOR SINGLE-VANTAGE-POINT STEREO ARE MET. RELATIONS PRESENTED SHOW THE STEREO EFFECT FOR THIS SENSOR PAIR USING BOTH NATURAL AND TRUE-GROUND-RANGE PRESENTATIONS. IN NEITHER CASE CASE IS THE VISUAL STEREO EFFECT PERFECT EXCEPT NEAR 45 DEGREE DEPRESSION ANGLE, BUT A DISTORTED VISUAL STEREO EFFECT IS POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE. USE OF STEREOMETERS WITH PROPER CALIBRATION OF STEREO DISPLACEMENT VS. LOOK ANGLE SHOULD PERMIT QUANTITATIVE MAPPING OF HEIGHTS EVEN THOUGH THE VISIBLE EFFECT IS SOMEWHAT DISTORTED. /PE/