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A changing of the name of our society like into "Inter-
PHOTOMATICS" (=IP), to replace the old-fashioned
"Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing", is overdue.
Photomatics should be understood as a part of
"Mediamatics", which is more and more influencing all
parts of our daily life.
The term "Photomatics" would include topographic and
nontopographic activities.
Therefore the requirement of the "geo-dogma", which is
still promoted in our society is obsolete.
Beside "Photomatics" as candidates for a new name of
our society "Spatial Information Sciences" (CASE,
1992) , "Iconic Informatics" (WANG, 1994) and
"Image Science" etc. should be discussed, too.
Of course this renaming must be the root for a complete
reformation of our society.
Obviously recently there is no full systematic within the
queue of the 7 ISPRS commissions.
An engagement in this matter might lead to a queue of 6
topics, suited to contribute to the discussion of renewing
the names of the ISPRS commissions:
These topics are:
1.) Professional Matters
2.) Projects ( suited for the use of Photomatics )
3.) Sensors
4.) Image-Generation (including image and text data
bases available via, e.g., www)
5.) Image-Rectification (including digital image
processing, GIS etc.) and
6.) Image-Interpretation (including artificial
intelligence etc.)
2. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Topics for international cooperation appear within a
matrix, which is stating solved and open problems in
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. This matrix does
not claim for completeness, but shall stimulate for further
progress in research and practice of our profession, in
particular with respect to international cooperation.
The idea behind is, to list all products of
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing as complete as
possible, see table 2.1.Beside others, these products in
general are “coordinates”. Every product defines a
line of the matrix.
Of course the listed results of photogrammetry and
remote sensing are not really listed completely.
The columns of this matrix refer to the photogrammetric
devices. In this very first stage not really all existing
Photogrammetric devices are listed complete as well,
which again leaves space for own additions to the reader.
There is no doubt, Digital Image Processing Systems
and GIS-Systems are taking over the role of conventional
Photogrammetric instruments. The term “Digital Image
Processing System“ here stands for a Workstation or
PC based image processing and analyzing system,
including the hard- and software for periphery
instruments, like scanners, digitizers, plotters etc.
Though, today mainly no special purpose computer is in
use, the term "Digital Image Processing System" is
according to practical requirements.
The situation for GIS -Systems is similar. Today digital
image processing systems are more dealing with
rasterdata while GIS-Systems are mainly dealing with
vectordata. This distinguishing recently more and more
becomes obsolete.
In continuing the description of the matrix, the “attributed
cross" (4) within the matrix fields indicate typical
achievements and stands for solved or almost solved
problems, belonging to the production of that particular
photogrammetric device. For example, from table 2.1 it
is easy to read, numeric image coordinates of separate
points are the main result of comparators. For this topic
recently no real need for international activities can be
defined, though the problems of image coordinate
determination will increase, but supposed to be solved
by Digital Image Processing Systems .
This situation is completely different for, e.g., Digital
Image processing Systems, where the optimistic
"smilies^ (CO) assign real needs for international
cooperation in research and practical application,
including progress in mathematical modeling,
software improvement and practical acceptance.
Blank fields within the matrix indicate recently
impossible or unnecessary achievements of that
particular instrument. For the comparator column, this
shows again, the comparator is (mainly) limited to
coordinate measurements, which is according to
practical applications of that particular instrument.
Consequently from the complete table 2.1, real needs
for international cooperation currently only appear
within the digital part. Thus there is no real future
market for analog or analytical instruments.
In this context the needs for international cooperation do
not mean, that the activities in this area have to start
from zero, but from the author's point of view, here still a
big job is waiting for clever scientists and practical users.
The main current fields for international cooperation
in research and practical application of
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing directly can be
read from table 2.1 (as indicated by the sign “©“). Here
the needs for international cooperation mainly appear for
Digital Image Processing Systems and partly for GIS-
Systems, both of course based on Workstations and/or
PCs. According to this, the fields for international
cooperation are in particular:
1.) The area of 3D visualization for digital image
processing systems, which is still unsatisfactory. So far
all systems depend on aided eyes. Unfortunately the
progress in Laser based real 3D Video TV still is very
slow. Currently the Stade-system uses a cylindrical
screen, which for the very first time allows stereo
viewing from any side with unaided eyes!
2.)So far even in analog interpretation of video
processed imagery only little work has been done.
3.)Another big field for cooperation is, to manage the
problem of digital interpretation in an efficient way.
This is of course mainly a question of improvements in
algorithms and software, but which might include
- tendencies of artificial intelligence.
129
4.)In particular within digital image processing systems
still much work is left for automatic controlpoint
definition, recognizing, measurement, coordination
and further geometric processing etc.
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B6. Vienna 1996
