Tutorials
On the occasion of the XIXth ISPRS Congress several
tutorials were organised to inform the participants on the
latest developments in their field. A total of fifteen tutorials
were offered in the announcement of the congress. Due to
the initially low numbers of registered participants the
organising committee decided to cancel nine tutorials. The
six tutorials that were held took place either in the con-
gress centre RAI in Amsterdam or at the ITC in Enschede.
They covered a broad variety of subjects, as one can see
from the tutorial descriptions below.
TU1 - Introduction to SAR data
Convenor: D. Corr
Location: RAI Amsterdam
Date: July 15th, morning
Lecturer: D. Corr
Number of participants: 18
This tutorial provided an introduction to Synthetic Aperture
Radar for anyone who needs to use SAR data or wished for
a basic introduction to the topic. The tutorial addressed the
question: What is SAR? It described the processes behind
image formation and the characteristics of the image. The
SAR processor was described and the characteristics of the
output products, including such phenomena as speckle and
layover. Issues of calibration were addressed. The tutorial
also looked at a range of techniques which use SAR for par-
ticular applications, these included classification, interfero-
metric SAR, Stereo SAR and Multi-polarimetric SAR. Current
and future SAR systems were described.
TU2 - Overview, evaluation and testing of digital
photogrammetric stations
Convenor: E. Baltsavias
Location: RAI Amsterdam
Date: July 15th, whole day
Lecturers: E. Baltsavias,
T. Kersten,
Ms. M. Torre,
L. Blank
Number of participants: 41
The tutorial first provided an overview of existing com-
mercial digital photogrammetric systems, their technical
characteristics and their functionality. Thereby, only ‘uni-
versal' systems (incl. scanners) were treated, i.e. dedi-
cated close-range or satellite remote sensing were
excluded, while the focus was on systems using aerial
imagery in production environments. Secondly, criteria
and methods of evaluating such systems, using real
examples, were presented. Thirdly, benchmark tests and
comparisons of various commercial systems were pre-
sented. Finally, the performance of the systems was crit-
ically analysed and compared to the requirements for
various photogrammetric applications, with emphasis on
film scanning, aerial triangulation, DTM generation,
orthoimage generation and mosaicking, and feature
extraction. The tutorial did not only cover theoretical
aspects but also included practical experience gained at
a major photogrammetric company (Swissphoto), as well
as significant tests performed within ISPRS and OEEPE.
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In addition, close co-operation with the manufacturers to
include the latest up-to-date information was aimed for.
It was the aim that the tutorial, among other benefits,
would provide attendees with sufficient background
knowledge to (a) follow better the paper presentations
during the Congress, and (b) make better use of the exhi-
bition.
TUS - Visual dissemination of geo-data via the Worid
Wide Web
Convenor: M.-J. Kraak
Location: ITC Enschede
Date: July 14th, whole day
Lecturers: M.-d. Kraak,
B.J. Kóbben,
W. Feringa,
R.M. Hootsmans
Number of participants: 12
The World Wide Web (WWW) has rapidly become a wide-
spread means for the publication of geo-data. The WWW
has earned this popularity since it is virtually platform-
independent, it can reach many users at minimal costs and
it is easy to update. Even more, the WWW meets the
increasing demand for customised geo-data products.
Visually disseminating spatial data on the WWW evokes
special needs for map design, whilst bringing up new
capabilities and pitfalls for interactive map applications.
The tutorial addressed and discussed these new develop-
ments, passed on the knowledge on the state-of-the-art of
publishing geo-data on the WWW and touched upon the
capabilities and limitations of web maps through some
practical exercises.
TUS5 - An introduction to virtualised reality systems
Convenor: P. Boulanger
Location: ITC Enschede
Date: July 15th, afternoon
Lecturers: P. Boulanger
Number of participants: 9
Virtual reality systems (VR) are increasingly being used
for industrial, medical and educational training applica-
tions, to name a few. In many of these applications, the
truthful representation of the environment and the accu-
rate manipulation and navigation in the virtualised world
are crucial. These systems, called Virtualised Reality Sys-
tems, are similar to standard VR systems with the differ-
ence that the digital simulation model is created and
updated from sensor data. In this tutorial, various new
systems were described which integrate technologies in
the field of virtual reality, real-time imaging, internet com-
munication, sensor fusion and 3-D sensing to represent
in real-time a complete digital simulation of unstructured
sites. In this tutorial, various systems developed to date
were described from the point of view of real-time hard-
ware and software. It was also explained how the various
monitoring sensors attached to a site can be integrated
in a coherent and intuitive representation capable of giv-
ing to an operator a higher level of awareness of an envi-
ronment or a process.
- International Archives of Photogrammerty and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIlI, Part A. Amsterdam 2000.
