Electronic Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Earth and Space Sciences, Atmos
pheric and Marine Sciences e.t.c.
Especially, the tremendous needs for multidimensional, accurate, reliable and dynamic
qualitative and quantitative information for natural phenomena and processes as well as for
human activities and their interrelations, promoted a continuously growing use of computers
and high technology sensors in Remote Sensing which in its turn profoundly affected both data
gathering, handling and management procedures and decision making.
2. The basic characteristics of Remote Sensing science, technique and methodology.
The basic characteristics of Remote Sensing as a science, technique and methodology
for data collection and analysis from a distance could be easily concluded by the author’s
definition for Photointerpretation / Remote Sensing methodology as: the Multidimensional and
Interdisciplinary Integration process of Experience, Logic, field checking (Fig. 1) and Specific
Scientific / Technical Knowledge in the acquisition, communication, analysis, processing, in
terpretation, evaluation, mapping and monitoring of qualitative, quantitative and dynamic in
formation for our natural and built environment by man and analogue and/or digital Remote
Sensing Systems.
Therefore the core philosophical concepts which conditionally determine the very basic
characteristics of Remote Sensing in complete accordance with the respective characteristics
of the natural and socioeconomic reality are:
- MULTIDIMENSIONALITY
- INTERDISCIPLINARITY
- SPECIFIC CONSIDERATION AND STUDY
- INTERGRATION and
-DYNAMICS
According to collegiate dictionaries the two less obvious basic terms of these concepts have
the following meanings:
Interdisciplinary: of more than one branch of learning;
covering more than one area of study;
Integrate : combine (parts) into a whole;
complete something that is imperfect or incomplete by adding parts;
combine something in such a way that it becomes fully a part of something else;
Both Interdisciplinarity and Integration characteristics are also by their nature Multi
dimensional and Dynamic and presuppose Specific scientific/technical/technological con
siderations (principles, instrumentations, methodologies and applications).
Taking into consideration the specific, dynamic and interactive nature of the physical,
chemical and biological properties, phenomena and processes of the real world we could
easily and analytically present the above characteristics in the three distinct phases of Photoin
terpretation and Remote Sensing Procedure as follows:
Acquisition of Multidimensional Remotely Sensed Information
MULTI APPLICATION -,
MULTI TEMPORAL
MULTI INTEREST
MULTI SENSOR
MULTI BAND > IMAGERY
MULTI SPECTRAL
MULTI RESOLUTION
MULTI SCALE
MULTI FOCAL
MULTI MEDIA (CCT’s, Films, Prints, Mosaics, Special Products)
MULTI TYPE (Mono, Stereo)
MULTI MODE (Pan, XS)
