AutoOrtho is a GCT SCOTS AGIW that autonomously orthorectifies source agnostic imagery utilizing control data (controlled image base and a terrain surface) and a codified sensor model in SensorML. Orthorectification is essentially a process whereby a source image is transformed into a precisely located map overlay registered in a geographic coordinate system, such as latitude and longitude. Thus, AutoOrtho is a fully automated process for identifying new raw (unorthorectified) images, selecting the corresponding control data required to drive the orthorectification engine from the EGI-SOA SDI, generating the orthorectified product with corresponding metadata, and then registering the resultant ortho-image with the Catalog service and archiving it within the SDI. 

AutoOrtho can support a wide variety of imagery sources, including:

• Commercial Satellite Imagery (CSI)
• National Technical Means (NTM)
• Tactical imagery
• Civilian air photos

AutoOrtho employs an image to image correlation method that exploits dynamically extracted ground control points (GCPs) and a corresponding terrain surface and sensor model description in SensorML to orthorectify a source image. AutoOrtho can utilize any reasonable controlled image base, including CIB, NITF, GeoTIFF, or previous AutoOrtho ortho-images. AutoOrtho can utilize any reasonable terrain surface, including DTED, SRTM, or a previous AutoTerrain product. 

As a compliant EGI-SOA component workflow, AutoOrtho utilizes web service interfaces to communicate with other EGI-SOA components, including the Catalog and SDI. CS-W services are used to interface with the Catalog; WCS and WFS services are used to access SDI products; WCS services chained to the AutoTransform workflow are used to ETL resultant ortho-images into the SDI.