According to the invention,
on board a
machine (1) adapted to move along a predetermined path (21, 22), a
database contains
object definition data constituting reference points along the path and associated with its 3D geographic coordinates and an acquisition block (18) provides images of the scene in front of the
machine (1), said acquisition block comprising a
remote sensing block adapted to create an image from received echoes and to calculate, from said echoes, a direction and a distance, relative to the
machine, of said reflecting object; these steps being repeated: acquire at least one image from the
remote sensing block; identify in said image an object constituting a reference point (50) according to the
object definition data constituting reference points in the
database;Using the image from the
remote sensing unit, determine a direction and distance, relative to the machine (1), of the object constituting an identified reference point; determine the current 3D location of the machine (1) as a function of said direction and distance determined relative to the machine and the 3D geographic coordinates associated with the object constituting an identified reference point in the
database. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1;