REVIEW ON PUBLIC RELATIONS OF PHOTOMATICS 
by 
Walter Schuhr and 
Polytechnic Magdeburg 
Germany 
Erich Kanngieser 
Polytechnic Hamburg 
ISPRS Congress 
Commission VI 
Vienna, Austria 
1996 
KEY WORDS: 
Highlights, Internet, International Cooperation, National Report Matrix, Photomatics, Public Relations, Technology 
Transfer, World Wide Web 
ABSTRACT: 
This paper reviews on 
* Public relations, 
* International cooperation and 
* Technology Transfer 
in Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. 
Recent developments in this field show great improvements in adapting digital models, processing and evaluation 
methods. To stimulate further international exchange and progress herein, the national achievements, as far as 
possible, will be described in a standardized manner. 
Public relations are important as well, to point out the selfunderstanding of our profession. Of course these activities 
are accompanied by particular problems in education, research and international cooperation. In addition, 
representative samples clearly will indicate the tendency “from foreign aid to real international cooperation“. The term 
"Photomatics" is used as a new short term, to replace the word-construction "Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing", 
to carry out the importance of leaving old terms and structures but also to deal with the tradition of our profession in 
order to promote the future of our subject and society ". 
1. PUBLIC RELATIONS OF PHOTOMATICS 
Nowadays, where even kids already work with image 
processing software, the evidence of the need of our 
profession is not understood enough by the public. 
To stop this tendency, for the surviving of our 
society, one of the most important tasks of the next 
years is, to carry out suited public relation aids. In 
these respect public relations shall deal with highlights 
of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. From this, 
also the general understanding of our profession will 
improve and the appearing gaps of the market in 
particular stimulate for further progress: 
"That" highlight of Photogrammetry with no doubt is the 
invention of photography itself by NIEPCE (FRANCE) in 
1839. 
Consequently after this historical event some "classical" 
inventions of analog instruments for visualization, 
interpretation and geometric evaluation appeared on 
the market. These instruments are namely the 
stereoscope, the Stereo-Comparator (about 1900 by 
PULFRICH), the Stereoplotter, the Multiplex, the 
Rectifier, the analog Orthophotoprinter, etc.. 
Stimulated by the invention of the computer, this queue 
in 1956 was highlighted by the invention of the hybrid 
Analytical Plotter according to HELAVA. 
From a progressive point of view these are all historical 
instruments, though they are partly still in use and even 
still in production. 
Nowadays the digital computer data transmission- and 
display-technology in conjunction with satellite imagery 
initialized the digital raster data processing. 
128 
There is no doubt, the computer became that highlight 
invention of mankind. 
Currently state of the art digital image processing 
systems and GIS systems based on PC or Workstation 
are replacing the analog photogrammetric instruments, 
maybe even completely. From that point of view the 
appropriate hard- and software stays in the tradition of 
Photogrammetric Instruments and evaluation methods. 
Today real gaps of the market for our profession only 
can be seen in connection with digital methods, see 
SCHUHR (1994). 
Nevertheless the use of the Multiplex, or a comparable 
instrument, should be continued at least for educational 
purposes, even in the digital age. In addition, due to 
software improvement purposes, the Multiplex concept is 
very good suited to visualize the problems of 
mathematical models to be used in Photomatics. 
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing of today 
consequently require digital solutions in order to tackle 
with the enormous working load, like the providing of 
global up to date medium scale maps, etc. and to 
maintain products of high quality. 
In addition for public relation purposes and for the 
selfunderstanding of our profession it is also very 
important to replace the long word-creation 
"Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing" by, e.g., the 
term "PHOTOMATICS", to be used as a short and 
expressive term, to carry out the importance of leaving 
old terms and structures but also to deal with the 
tradition of our profession in order to promote a future of 
our subject and society. 
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B6. Vienna 1996