New Directions in Remote Sensing

This three day course will provide a technical overview of the current state of space remote sensing systems, with a focus on new and emerging technologies and applications. This course is designed for those new to the field, those currently using remote sensing systems, those who are considering purchasing remote sensing data, and managers who wish to better understand the issues involved in properly utilizing these tools.

The course provides an overview of the origins, current status, and future directions and applications of space remote sensing systems. Information on resources, new trends in data and data processing, and making these tools work well in your own organization are highlighted.

• What is space remote sensing, what are the components of the systems, and how does it work?
• What is the current status of these tools?
• What are the areas of future growth and new commercial markets for space remote sensing?
• How are remote sensing imagery, GIS, and GPS other tools functionally integrated?
• How can I successfully harness these tools and avoid problems?

From this course you will obtain a good overview of the origins, current status and future directions of space remote sensing and how the functional integration of  remote sensing, GPS, GIS, and other tools will develop new commercial markets and applications.

1. Fundamentals of remote sensing. Historical origins, the development of remote sensing, systems, active and passive systems, etc.
2. Current and future market status, projections and trends. Major players, nations, and organizations. Market size and projections. Major applications.
3. Remote Sensing Data. Active and passive data. Data structures. Data management issues, data formats and standards.  Integrating different data structures and data types.
4. General Overview of Remote Sensing Capabilities and Functions. The remote sensing data process from collection to results. Data collection, management, manipulation, analysis, display and visualization. Final data presentation.
5. Components of Remote Sensing Systems. Onboard components, sensors, telemetry, data pre-processing and telemetry.
6. Remote Sensing Applications. What are the major applications, who is using what data for what purpose, what are the emerging new markets for new systems.
7. Image Processing. Software, operating systems, hardware, peripherals, data, people, management, infrastructure.
8. Data Sources. Government sources and web portals (USGS, etc.) Commercial sources, Sources of international data, remote sensing data sources.
9. New Directions . Ultra-high resolution data and applications
10. Radar systems. Current and future Radar systems, new high resolution systems, applications
11. Remote Sensing Resources. Web resources, journals, magazines, societies, meetings and conferences.
12. Remote Sensing and GIS. Incorporation of remote sensing data into GIS. GIS data types and sources, issues of incorporating and processing raster remote sensing data with vector GIS. issues of incorporating and processing point and time data within the GIS environment.
13. Visualization and Simulation. The role of visualization and simulation technologies in Space Remote Sensing, new directions and markets.
14. Practical Issues in successfully and productively using these technologies. Where do I start? Defining a plan to choose the right software/hardware/data, common problems and issues in organizing your remote sensing operation. Successes and horror stories.
15. The Future of Space Remote Sensing. Where is this all going? What are the major new issues and developing technologies, including policy and legal issues? What are the new commercial, scientific, and governmental applications and markets? Trends in data, software and hardware.

Dr. Scott Madry is president of Informatics International, Inc., an international consulting firm in Chapel Hill, NC. Dr. Madry has over 20 years experience in remote sensing and GIS applications and has conducted a variety of research and application projects in Europe, Africa, and North America. He has given over 130 short courses and seminars in over 25 countries. He is a Research Assoc. Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a member of the Faculty of The International Space University.