Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation. The term is applied especially to acquiring information about Earth and other planets. Remote sensing is used in numerous fields, including geophysics, geography, land surveying and most Earth science disciplines. It also has military, intelligence, commercial, economic, planning, and humanitarian applications, among others.
Aerial photography is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography.
Photogrammetry is the science and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment through the process of recording, measuring and interpreting photographic images and patterns of electromagnetic radiant imagery and other phenomena.
Aerial archaeology is the study of archaeological sites from the air. It is a method of archaeological investigation that uses aerial photography, remote sensing, and other techniques to identify, record, and interpret archaeological features and sites. Aerial archaeology has been used to discover and map a wide range of archaeological sites, from prehistoric settlements and ancient roads to medieval castles and World War II battlefields.
ISO/IEC 15504Information technology – Process assessment, also termed Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination (SPICE), is a set of technical standards documents for the computer software development process and related business management functions. It is one of the joint International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, which was developed by the ISO and IEC joint subcommittee, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7.
Aerial survey is a method of collecting geomatics or other imagery data using airplanes, helicopters, UAVs, balloons, or other aerial methods. Typical data collected includes aerial photography, Lidar, remote sensing and geophysical data. It can also refer to a chart or map made by analyzing a region from the air. Aerial survey should be distinguished from satellite imagery technologies because of its better resolution, quality, and resistance to atmospheric conditions that can negatively impact and obscure satellite observation. Today, aerial survey is often recognized as a synonym for aerophotogrammetry, a part of photogrammetry where the camera is airborne. Measurements on aerial images are provided by photogrammetric technologies and methods.
Satellite images are images of Earth collected by imaging satellites operated by governments and businesses around the world. Satellite imaging companies sell images by licensing them to governments and businesses such as Apple Maps and Google Maps.
Google Earth is a web and computer program that renders a 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and GIS data onto a 3D globe, allowing users to see cities and landscapes from various angles. Users can explore the globe by entering addresses and coordinates, or by using a keyboard or mouse. The program can also be downloaded on a smartphone or tablet, using a touch screen or stylus to navigate. Users may use the program to add their own data using Keyhole Markup Language and upload them through various sources, such as forums or blogs. Google Earth is able to show various kinds of images overlaid on the surface of the Earth and is also a Web Map Service client. In 2019, Google revealed that Google Earth now covers more than 97 percent of the world, and has captured 10 million miles of Street View imagery.
Bing Maps is a web mapping service provided as a part of Microsoft's Bing suite of search engines and powered by the Bing Maps Platform framework which also support Bing Maps for Enterprise APIs and Azure Maps APIs. Since 2020, the map data is provided by TomTom, OpenStreetMap and others.
Aerofilms Ltd was the UK's first commercial aerial photography company, founded in 1919 by Francis Wills and Claude Graham White. Wills had served as an Observer with the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I, and was the driving force behind the expansion of the company from an office and a bathroom in Hendon to a business with major contracts in Africa and Asia as well as in the UK. Co-founder Graham-White was a pioneer aviator who had achieved fame by making the first night flight in 1910.
Terrain cartography or relief mapping is the depiction of the shape of the surface of the Earth on a map, using one or more of several techniques that have been developed. Terrain or relief is an essential aspect of physical geography, and as such its portrayal presents a central problem in cartographic design, and more recently geographic information systems and geovisualization.
ImageAmerica Aviation, Inc. is an aerial photography company that was acquired by Google in July 2007. The company specialized in creating aerial photos with "accuracy, quick delivery and low cost". It previously sold its services primarily to city, county, state, and federal governments and to corporate customers. ImageAmerica also made money by selling low-cost imagery to county appraisers and assessors. The company's clients include the Texas Department of Transportation, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Lucas County office that covers Toledo, Ohio. For satellite imaging, the company charges US$99 per 1 square mile (2.6 km2), compared to other companies which could charge from $500 to $700 and for a lower quality than what ImageAmerica offers. It also developed its own DDP-2 camera system. The system is housed in an aircraft. It has the ability to capture details as small as 6 inches (150 mm) to 12 inches (300 mm). ImageAmerica's patented processing system has the ability to produce orthorectified imagery corrected for perspective distortions. The company's technology also uses sensors which are based on a unique design from Sarnoff Research Labs in Princeton, New Jersey.
Aerial photographic and satellite image interpretation, or just image interpretation when in context, is the act of examining photographic images, particularly airborne and spaceborne, to identify objects and judging their significance. This is commonly used in military aerial reconnaissance, using photographs taken from reconnaissance aircraft and reconnaissance satellites.
Cyclomedia is a Dutch company specialising in the large-scale and systematic visualisation of environments based on 360° panoramic photographs (Cycloramas). Using specialised technology, large public areas are photographed and stored in an online database. Overlapping panoramic images are captured at 5-meter intervals from public roads at street level, with the camera system mounted on a moving car.
IMAGINE Photogrammetry is a software application for performing photogrammetric operations on imagery and extracting information from imagery. IMAGINE Photogrammetry is significant because it is a leading commercial photogrammetry application that is used by numerous national mapping agencies, regional mapping authorities, various DOTs, as well as commercial mapping firms. Aside from commercial and government applications, IMAGINE Photogrammetry is widely used in academic research. Research areas include landslide monitoring, cultural heritage studies, and more.
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An aerial image library is a collection of aerial imagery. The imagery is taken from cameras placed on aircraft, which capture images of the structures and features of the land below. These libraries can contain millions of individual images which depict geographic areas in incredible detail.
Pictometry is a patented aerial survey technique for producing oblique georeferenced imagery showing the fronts and sides of buildings and locations on the ground. Photos are captured by low-flying airplanes, depicting up to 12 perspectives as well as an orthogonal (overhead) view of every location flown. These perspectives are then stitched together to create composite aerial maps that may span many miles of terrain. Because they are captured at an angle, the pixels in the resulting images are trapezoidal, rather than rectangular. This necessitates special software and algorithms to accurately determine objects’ size and position on the maps.
EagleView is a technology provider of aerial imagery, data analytics and geographic information system mapping based in Bothell, Washington, in the Seattle metropolitan area with operations in Rochester, New York. The company was founded by Chris Pershing and Dave Carlson in 2008. EagleView merged with aerial imagery provider Pictometry International in 2013, was acquired by Vista Equity Partners in June 2015 and received additional funding from Clearlake Capital in 2018.
ShoreZone is a mapping program that acquires oblique aerial images at low altitude during the lowest daylight tides of the year to inventory alongshore and across-shore geomorphological and biological features of the Pacific Northwest intertidal shoreline. Habitat attributes are interpreted from the aerial images and categorized in a geographic database. The mapping program was first developed as an oil spill response tool for British Columbia, and now ShoreZone extends from Oregon to Alaska. Other uses of the spatial data include ecological studies, marine conservation planning, shoreline erosion monitoring, coastal flooding and vulnerability assessments, developing climate change adaptation strategies, and community education.
