ISPRS STATE OF AFFAIRS

With this award, a scientist, developer, organiser and initiator was honoured, who has contributed substantially to the technical and scientific progress, the vertical and horizontal knowledge and technology transfer and the integration and co-operation of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

Prof. Murai has been active in research and teaching at the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo since 1966. Previously, he was active for 3 years (1963-1966) in the engineering firm Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. in the field of hydrographic engineering.

Prof. Murai is considered as one of the pioneers in Remote Sensing in Japan and the whole of Asia. Already in 1970, i.e. two years before the launch of the first civilian earth observation satellite ERTS-1, he was occupied with aspects of meaningful use of the expected satellite data. Since then, this topic was always a concern to him. He has also recognised very early, that through the methods of automatic digital image processing, the otherwise separately progressing research and development in Satellite Remote Sensing, Aerial Photogrammetry and Close-Range Photogrammetry ("Videogrammetry") could be put on a common scientific base, a concept which is considered obvious today.

Prof. Murai has always shown a good sense for useful technical innovations and has consistently tried to make them available to the existing application areas or to open up new ones. Thus, he has presented very early studies on the generation and modelling of Digital Terrain Models, on various problems of Digital Photogrammetry, Machine Vision, Robot Vision, and Animation. His work has been documented in more than 250 publications. In addition, he has contributed as author, co- author and editor to more than 20 books.

The whole spectrum of his technical and scientific interests is very briefly illustrated here: Photogrammetry: Calibration methods for non-metric cameras, aerial triangulation, airborne 3-line scanners, digital photogrammetric systems, integration of GPS in terrestrial cameras, motion capture and analysis. Satellite Remote Sensing: Geometric corrections, land use classification, 3-D measurement with stereo sensors, global change studies. GIS/LIS: Automatic digitisation, mathematical morphology, land use studies, GIS for disaster management.

Prof. Murai supports a practice-oriented system approach. It was always his aim to develop the methods fully and to the end, so that they could be usefully implemented in practice. Therefore, much of his work is also characterised by extensive co-operations with engineering firms and system manufacturers, as well as by interdisciplinary team work. He has provided solutions in hardware design and development, design and implementation of methods, and application promotion. Hence, he has contributed in an exemplary way to the technology transfer from universities into the professional practice. Several patents in Japan, Europe and USA prove, among other things, his accomplishments as researcher and developer. In addition, it was always one of his aims to employ these sciences and technologies for the benefit of humanity and the sustainable development. Applications like land use analyses, crop prediction, reforestation, global vegetation changes, etc. have attracted already for a long time his particular attention.

He has provided significant services to ISPRS. He has been active within ISPRS since 1976 in various important offices: Secretary of Commission I, Director of the ISPRS Congress 1988 in Kyoto, General Secretary, President, First Vice President. During these more than 20 years of tireless efforts he has shaped to a considerable degree the progress and the new orientation of the Society, which counts today members from 100 countries.

His qualities as an initiator have been proven by the establishment of the Asian Association on Remote Sensing (AARS) and the Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS) in the years 1980-81. He still leads today AARS as General Secretary and has developed this Society to the most important organisation for Remote Sensing in the Asian region. The ACRS conferences, which take place every year in a different Asian country, are key events for scientific exchange and technology transfer. Many Asian developing countries profit today from this organisation. Shunji Murai has often enabled many participants to attend the conferences through unselfish provision of own private financial means.

Since 1992, Shunji Murai promotes and supports as professor the establishment and implementation of new programmes in Remote Sensing, GIS and Digital Photogrammetry at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok. His initiatives and activities in the Computer Science Programme and the Space Technology Applications and Research Programme of AIT make a modern education possible for many Asian students. In addition, he has contributed as Adjunct Professor in the Institute of Advanced Studies of the UN University to the international dissemination of knowledge.

The appreciation that he enjoys in his own country can be best documented by the various responsible offices, that have been entrusted to him since 1974: General Secretary and President of the Japan Association of Remote Sensing, General Secretary, Council Member and Journal Chief Editor of the Japan Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (JSPRS), as well as Chief Editor of the Journal of the Japan Association of Surveyors.

The international community has already honoured his activities by many distinctions: Honorary Fellow at ITC, Enschede, The Netherlands, International Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Honorary Professor of the Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping, China, Honorary Member of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, Dr. Boon Indrambarya Medal (Remote Sensing for Mankind), Thailand.

We cordially congratulate Prof. Shunji Murai for his great achievement and this very high distinction.

A. Gruen

Treasurer ISPRS, Annual Report, 1998

Membership

Member ship type
Ordinary            Catego  8  7   6  5   4   3  2   1
Members             ry
Number of      100          5  1   5  5   8   10 27  39
members
Sustaining          Catego  A  B   C  D              
Members             ry
Number of      48           6  7   13 22             
members
Associate           Catego  8  7   6  5   4   3  2   1
Members             ry
Number of      7                   1             4   2
members
Regional            Catego  8  7   6  5   4   3  2   1
Members             ry
Number of      7                                     7
members

Changes in membership

• Applanix Corporation - D
• DIIAR,Politenico di Milano - D
• ESRI - A
• Institute for Photogrammetry, the University of Stuttgart - D
• Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry, ETH, Zurich - D
• RACURS - D
• School of Geomatic Engineering, the Univ. New South Wales - D
• Storagetek - A

It is noteworthy that six of the new sustaining members are University Department related to ISPRS activities. This development is a result of a recent change in the Society's statutes with respect to Society members which allows Sustaining Membership status for educational institutions. This initiative and its obvious success are especially relevant as a significant portion of ISPRS activities is generated in such institutions. It is hoped that further ISPRS related Departments at Universities, Technikons and other institutions of learning will make use of this opportunity and become ISPRS members.

One sustaining member resigned as a result of a change in the nature of the company�s activities.

The Associate membership was increased by one through the addition of the Augustin Codazzi Geogrpahic Institute, Columbia .

Regional membership remained unchanged.

Society assets and accounts

In general the Society enjoys excellent financial health and all its financial affairs being in good order, monitored by a very thorough Financial Commission. Having stated this, it must unfortunately also be noted that more than half of the ordinary members have outstanding subscription payments while just over half of the sustaining membership has paid their dues.

ISPRS AWARDS OFFERED IN 2000

All ISPRS members and individuals associated with ISPRS are requested to consider appropriate nominees for these awards and forward their names with appropriate supporting document to the Council members listed against each award below.

The Brock Gold Medal Award, sponsored by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, is presented for an outstanding contribution to the evolution of photogrammetric theory, instrumentation, or practice. Ordinary Members (national societies) of ISPRS are invited to recommend recipients of the Award. Recommendations shall be made by two individuals of different nationality and also different from the candidate. Recommendations shall reach the Secretary General of ISPRS, John Trinder, not later than November 1999.

The Otto von Gruber Award, sponsored by the ITC Foundation, is presented to the author, not older than 40 years, of a significant paper on photogrammetry or an allied subject written in the four year period preceding the Congress. The Award consists of a medal and a monetary grant. Applications with 3 copies of the paper shall reach the President of ISPRS, Lawrence Fritz, not later than December 1999.

The Samuel Gamble Award, sponsored by the Canadian Institute of Geomatics, is presented to persons irrespective of nationality, for their contributions to the administration of the Society or to the organization of activities of the Society's Commissions. Recommendations for the Award shall reach the Secretary General of ISPRS, John Trinder, not later than February 2000.

The Schwidefsky Medal, sponsored by the German Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, is presented to persons who have made significant contributions to photogrammetry and remote sensing, either through the medium of publication as author or editor, or in another form. Recommendations for the Medal shall reach the Secretary General of ISPRS, John Trinder, not later than February 2000.

The Willem Schermerhorn Award, sponsored by the Netherlands Society for Earth Observation and Geo-Informatics, is presented to a person who has most significantly contributed to the activities of a Working Group of the ISPRS during the past four year Congress period. Nominations for the Award shall reach the President of ISPRS, Lawrence Fritz, not later than February 2000.

The Eduard Dolezal Award, sponsored by the Austrian Society of Surveying and Photogrammetry, is presented to a person from a developing or reform country, who has successfully contributed to development of applications of photogrammetry and remote sensing. The Award is a grant to cover expenses for the participation in the Congress. Applications shall reach the President of ISPRS, Lawrence Fritz, not later than November 1999.

The ISPRS also awards Prizes for Best Papers by Young Authors, who are at most 35 years old and are the single author of a high quality paper presented to the Congress. The Prizes are grants to make it possible for the winners to attend the Congress. Applications including the paper shall reach the President of ISPRS, Lawrence Fritz, not later than January 2000. Details will be published in the announcements booklets of the ISPRS Amsterdam Congress in the year 2000.

The U.V. Helava Award is sponsored by the publishers of the ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing , Elsevier Science B.V., and LH Systems, LLC, to encourage and stimulate submission of high quality scientific papers by individual authors or groups to the Journal. The award, which consists of a plaque and a grant of SFr. 10,000, will be presented every four years to the author(s) of an outstanding paper on one of the topics included in the scope of the Journal.

Regulations and rules of all awards, except the Helava Award, are found in the International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Vol XXXI, Part A, 1998 (Proceedings of the Vienna Congress 1996), in the so-called "Silver Book" of ISPRS Organization and Programs 1996-2000. Regulations of all awards can be found on the ISPRS Home Page - http://www.geod.ethz.ch/isprs.

Submission Details:

• Brock Gold Medal Award to the Secretary General by November 1999.
• The Otto von Gruber Award to the President by December 1999.
• The Samuel Gamble Award to the Secretary General by February 2000.
• The Schwidefsky Medal to the Secretary General by February 2000.
• The Willem Schermerhorn Award to the President by February 2000.
• The Eduard Dolezal Award to the President by November 1999.
• The U.V. Helava Award will not require a formal submission.
• The ISPRS also awards Prizes for Best Papers by Young Authors, to the President by January 2000.

THE U.V. HELAVA AWARD, A NEW AWARD RELATED TO THE ISPRS JOURNAL