Synonyms
Digital image processing; Geospatial technology; Earth observation; LiDAR; RADAR; GPS; Surveillance; Remote sensing, satellite-based; Remote sensing, aerial; Intertial motion unit (IMU)
Definition
Remote Sensing dates back to ancient Napoleonic times when the French first employed hot-air balloons to assess “from above” enemy force and position prior to battle. Today, although not much has changed in terms of the mainstay application, military surveillance, certainly much has evolved in the acquiring and processing technologies, applications, and audience for image data. Earth Observation, in the context of this article, refers to the indirect, passive observation or “remote sensing” of the Earth from above. Remote sensors, satellite- and aerial-based platforms, usually record Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) from a target source, essentially creating a high-speed communications link between a sensor and a target being sensed. The information that can be derived from a target's...
Recommended Reading
Avery, T.E., Berlin, G.L.: Interpretation of Aerial Photographs. 4th edn. Burgess Publishing, Minneapolis, MN (1985)
Baker, J.C., O'Connell, K.M., Williamson, R.A. (eds.): Commercial Observation Satellites: At the Leading Edge of Global Transparency. RAND-ASPRS, Santa Monica, CA (2001)
Jensen, J.R.: Remote Sensing of the Environment: An Earth Resource Perspective. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River (2000)
Stoney, W.E.: Markets and Opportunities. Earth Imag. J. 2(1), 10–14 (2005)
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© 2008 Springer-Verlag
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Sarlitto, D. (2008). Evolution of Earth Observation. In: Shekhar, S., Xiong, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of GIS. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-35973-1_387
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-35973-1_387
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-30858-6
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-35973-1
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