Baton Rouge, LA June 28, 2024: The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) is pleased to announce adoption of the Positional Accuracy Standards for Geospatial Data, Edition 2, Version 2 (2024), which includes important modifications and additions to Edition 2, Version 1 published in August 2023.

Edition 2, Version 2 introduces four new addenda for:

1. Mapping with Lidar.
2. Mapping with Photogrammetry.
3. Mapping with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).
4. Mapping with Oblique Imagery.

Together with the two addenda that were published in Edition 2, Version 1, the Standards offer the mapping community a total of six addenda detailing guidelines and best practices intended to help practitioners perform mapping and create geospatial products that comply with the adopted Standards. As the USGS Lidar Base Specification is well aligned with the ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards, users of 3DEP data will reap benefits from the modifications introduced in this new version.

Edition 2, Version 2 was adopted after a formal public review period ending April 26, 2024. Public comments were incorporated into the final version adopted by the ASPRS Board of Directors on June 24, 2024.

“The publication of this new edition of the accuracy standards came in response to evolving technologies and industry needs. It will have a positive and lasting impact on geospatial capabilities and all who benefit from these services, here in the United States of America and worldwide. It is a history-making accomplishment that we should all be proud of” said Dr. Qassim Abdullah, Vice President and Chief Scientist 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 these important Standards. This latest version represents a collaborative effort by 40 subject matter experts representing public, private, and academic sectors.” said Bandana Kar, ASPRS President.

The most significant changes introduced in Edition 2 of the ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data include:

1. Elimination of references to the 95% confidence level as an accuracy measure.
2. Relaxation of the accuracy requirement for ground control and checkpoints.
3. Consideration of survey checkpoint accuracy when computing final product accuracy.
4. Removal of the pass/fail requirement for Vegetated Vertical Accuracy (VVA) for lidar data.
5. Increase the minimum number of checkpoints required for product accuracy assessment from twenty (20) to thirty (30).
6. Limiting the maximum number of checkpoints for accuracy assessment to 120 for large projects.
7. Introduction of a new term, “three-dimensional positional accuracy."
8. Addition of Guidelines and Best Practices Addenda for:
   1. General Guidelines and Best Practices
   2. Field Surveying of Ground Control and Checkpoints
   3. Mapping with Photogrammetry
   4. Mapping with Lidar
   5. Mapping with UAS
   6. Mapping with Oblique Imagery

A more detailed explanation of the Edition 2 changes can be found in the Foreword. To download the complete Standards, visit https://publicdocuments.asprs.org/PositionalAccuracyStd-Ed2-V2.