Remote sensing is the science and art of deriving information
about an object from measurements made at a distance, i.e.,
without actually coming in contact with it. Remote sensing
data is captured using different platforms (airborne, satellite)
and sensors (camera, MSS, CCD, etc.). Remote sensing data
can include the entire spectrum of electromagnetic radiation
(visible, infrared, thermal, microwave, radiowave, etc.) as
compared to the photogrammetry, which uses only visible portion
of the electromagnetic spectrum. In a vague term remote sensing
can be recognized as a system that uses satellite platforms.
The first remote sensing system was the Landsat program (Landsat
1-2-3-4-5-6-7). Currently, we are on the seventh generation
of the Landsat program collecting terrestrial image data.
There are many other government remote sensing programs including
SPOT and IRS.
In the nineties, private satellite corporations started collecting
high-resolution remote sensing data using polar orbiting satellites.
Currently, Space Imaging's IKONOS satellites, and Orbimage's
Orbview satellites acquire 1-meter (PAN) and 4.0 meter (MS)
satellite images. There are a few governmental high-resolution
remote sensing programs including the French SPOT and the
Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites, which collect data
up to 2.5m resolution.
EMI's technical team believes that high-resolution satellite
imagery will replace medium and small-scale mapping (e.g.
USGS Quad Maps, DOQQs). To tap into this vast market, EMI
is teaming up with the Satellite Corporation GeoEye,
which will increase EMI's mapping capabilities for any size
and scale throughout the world. EMI's team has been involved
in processing and analysis of different types of the above-mentioned
satellite data for various applications.
