AUTOMATED cars that drive themselves and pilot-less planes that safely fly to and from remote airstrips are just some of the many possibilities expected from improving the accuracy of global mapping.

The Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA) conference in Perth this week has heard Australia is in a good position to exploit and advance the millimetre and centimetre-based global positioning networks.

Professor John Dickey, who last night delivered the annual Harley Wood public lecture at the University of WA as part of the conference, says improvements in mapping will allow scientists to measure with greater precision variations in ocean levels and the impact on the Australian coast, continental drift, earthquake hazards, and even where to find the richest ore deposits.

Used since the 1960s, Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) involves linking radio telescope dishes across large distances, such as Australia's west and east coasts, to create a giant, more powerful dish with a collecting area the size of the continent.

He said the VLBI method is now being used for a new purpose; to establish a very precise geodetic reference grid for use in science, industry, agriculture and navigation by using a more advanced geospatial system.

The current global positioning system enables users to locate streets and suburbs or the nearest Chinese restaurant to within a few metres.

"To go beyond GPS requires a complete shift in gears," says Prof Dickey.

To create this shift AuScope has been formed as a partnership between Geoscience Australia, CSIRO, Universities and State and Federal Government agencies.

Prof Dickey says AusScope will also support positioning applications ranging from vehicle and aircraft tracking systems to automated agricultural and mining machine guidance, as well as early identification of crustal stress-related natural disasters in Australia such as the Beaconsfield mine collapse.

The geophysical infrastructure is expected to have applications for government agencies and commercial groups, including coordinate datums for Australia, millimetre-accurate positions for real-time vehicle and aircraft positioning and navigation and offshore maritime location for lost ships and sailors.

Australia is now committing $42.8 million, through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, towards the construction of the AuScope integrated national infrastructure network.

Prof Dickey is one of around 200 delegates attending the ASA conference from July 6 to 10. Additional information is available here.