For the first time, a number of features and design principles of the GENA platform and model toolboxes have been publicly presented in a joint paper co-authored by Dr. Ismael Colomina, Dr. Marta Blázquez, Dr. José A. Navarro (Institue of Geomatics, IG) and Mr. Jaume Sastre (GeoNumerics, GN). The paper discusses the relevance of extensible network adjustment programmes in view of the current wave of sensor technology and the needs for rapid sensor prototyping (in the sensor design phase), rapid sensor orientation and calibration modelling (in the sensor commercialization phase) and accurate sensor orientation and calibration (in the sensor exploitation phase).
In the paper, the need for software tools that allow for rapid and safe development of models -with protection of intellectual property rights if desired- is translated into software specifications of simplicity, genericity and extensibility that, in turn, lead to architectural constructs where the general robust non-limear least-squares (RNLLS) functionality is concentrated in a software platform and the specific sensor features (models) are concentrated on reusable software components.