Remote Sensing

Er. Bhuwan Ranjit

 Background
• Remote means far away and sensing means
observing or acquiring some information.
• Remote sensing means acquiring information
of things from a distamce.
 Background
• Of our five sensors, we use three remote sensors
when we
– Watch a cricket match from the stadium (sense of light)
– Smell freshly cooked curry in the oven (sense of smell)
– Hear a telephone ring (sense of hearing)
• Then other two senses which are not used ‘remotely’:
– Try to feel the smoothness of a desktop (sense of touch)
– Eat a mango to check the sweetness (sense of taste)
• In the last two, we actually touch the object by our
organs to collect the information about the object.
 Background
• Also known as earth observation, means
observing the earth with sensors from high
above its surface.
• Sensors are like simple cameras except that
they not only use visible light but also other
bands of electromagnetic spectrum such as
infrared, microwaves and ultraviolet regions.
 Distance of Remote Sensing
• Remote sensing is mainly done from space
using satellites.
• No clear distinction about the distances.
• Could be 1 m, 1000 m or greater than 1
million metres from the object or area of
interest.
 Definition
• By Canada Centre for Remote Sensing:
– Remote sensing is the science (and to some extent
art) of acquiring information about the earth’s
surface without actually being in contact with it.
This is done by sensing and recording reflected
and emitted energy and processing, analyzing and
applying that information.
 Definition
• Remote sensing is a technology for sampling
radiation and force fields to acquire and
interpret geospatial data to develop
information about features, objects and
classes on the earth’s land surface, oceans,
and atmosphere ( and where applicable, on
the exterior’s of other bodies in the solar
system, or, for that matter, many of celestial
bodies such as stars and galaxies).
 Definition
• Remote sensing is the non-contact recording
of information from the ultraviolet, visible,
infrared, and microwave regions of the
electromagnetic spectrum by means of
instruments such as cameras, scanners, lasers,
linear arrays, and/or area arrays located on
platforms such as aircraft or spacecraft, and
the analysis of acquired information by means
of visual and digital image processing.
• In general, it can also be termed as “knowing
without going”.
 Sensors
• Sensor is the device that measures and
records the electromagnetic energy that is
reflected from or emitted by the earth surface.
Sensor thus detects the amount of energy
emitted/reflected from earth surface.
• Remote sensor is a device that detects EM
radiation, quantifies it and, usually, records it
in an analogue or digital form.
 Sensors
• Remote sensor may also transmit recorded data (to a
receiving station on the ground).
• Many sensors used in RS detect reflected solar
radiation. The sun is not always shining brightly and
there are regions on the globe almost permanently
under cloud cover. There are also regions with seasons
with very low sun elevation, so that objects cast long
shadows for long periods. Furthermore, at night there is
only emissions. Sensors detecting reflected solar
radiation are useless at night and face problem dealing
with unfavorable seasonal and weather conditions.
• Other sensors detect the radiation emitted by the
Earth itself.
• These sensors do not depend on the Sun as a
source of illumination; they can operate at any
time.
• The Earth’s emission only occurs at longer
wavelengths because of the relatively low surface
temperature.
• Because long EM waves do not hold much energy
and are thus more difficult to sense.
• Because long EM waves do not hold much energy
and are thus more difficult to sense.
• Luckily, we do not have to rely on solar and
terrestrial radiation only.
• We can build instruments that emit EM radiation
and then detect the radiation returning from the
target object or surface.
• Such instruments are called active sensors.
• As opposed to passive ones, which measure
reflected solar or terrestrial radiation.
 Types
• Sensor can be differentiate according to
– source of energy
– mode of scanning.
• Depending upon the source of energy
– Active Sensor
– Passive sensor
 Passive Sensor
• Sensor which measures energy that is naturally
available is called passive sensor
• Passive sensor can only be used to detect energy
when naturally occurring energy is available
• External source of energy usually the Sun, and
sometimes the Earth itself.
• For all reflected energy, this can only take place
during the time when the sun is illuminating the
Earth. There is no reflected energy available from
the sun at night.
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Passive Remote Sensing

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 Active Sensor
• Active sensors, on the other hand, provide
their own energy source for illumination.
• The sensor emits radiation which is directed
toward the target to be investigated. The
radiation reflected from that target is detected
and measured by the sensor.
• Active sensors can be used for examining
wavelengths that are not sufficiently provided
by sun such as microwave.
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 Earth Surface

Active Remote Sensing

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 Passive and Active Sensor
• A camera provides an excellent example of both passive
and active sensors.
• During a bright sunny day, enough sunlight is
illuminating the targets and then reflecting toward the
camera lens, that the camera simply records the
radiation provided (passive mode).
• On a cloudy day or inside a room, there is often not
enough sunlight for the camera to record the targets
adequately. Instead, it uses its own energy source-a
flash-to illuminate the targets and record the radiation
reflected from them (active mode).
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 Passive Sensor
• Passive sensors measure energy that is naturally available.
• Require sunlight/emission from ground objects.
• Normally shorter wavelengths are used.
• Limited control on the way that a target is illuminated.
• Most often the natural source of EM energy is sun, sometimes
earth.
• Clouds, dust, smoke, and other particles in the atmosphere can
block reflected energy from target to sensor.
• Measurements are less controlled because of varying illumination
condition.
• Multispectral and hyperspectral are example passive remote
sensing products.
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 Active Sensor
• Active sensors provide their own energy source for illumination.
• Can obtain measurements anytime, regardless of the time of day
or season.
• Normally longer wavelengths are used.
• Examine wavelengths that are not sufficiently provided by the
sun (microwaves).
• Better control the way that a target is illuminated.
• Measurements are more controlled because they don’t depend
on varying illumination condition.
• Less effect of dust, smoke and other particles in atmosphere
because of longer wavelength.

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 Active Sensor
• Examples of other active sensor-based
technologies include: scanning electron
microscopes, LiDAR, RADAR, x-ray, SONAR.
 Sensor
• Depending on the method of scanning:
Whiskbroom Sensor- Across the track scanning
Sensor/Cross Track
Pushbroom Sensor- Along the track scanning
sensor

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Whiskbroom Sensor

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 Whiskbroom Sensor
• Back and forth motion of the optics
• Image is bulit up by movement of the satellite along
the orbital track and scanning across the track
• Sensor scan earth in a series of lines
• The lines are oriented perpendicular to the direction
of motion of the sensor platform
• Each line is scanned from one side of the sensor to
the other, using a rotating mirror.
• As the platform moves forward over the earth,
successive scans build up a two-dimensional image of
the earth surface
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Pushbroom Sensor

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 Pushbroom sensor
• Uses forward motion of the platform to record
successive scan lines and build up a two
dimensional image perpendicular to the flight
direction
• Instead of a scanning mirror, they use linear
array of detectors located at focal plane of
image formed by lens system, which are
pushed along in flight track direction.

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 Differences
Whiskbroom Sensor Pushbroom Sensor
Wide swath width Narrow swath width

Complex mechanical system Simple mechanical system

Simple optical system Complex optical system

Shorter dwell time Longer dwell time

Pixel distortion No pixel distortion