Remote Sensing

Terms of Reference

• Focus on physical modelling of electromagnetic radiation, the analysis of spectral signatures, image classification, data fusion，pattern recognition, and quality control;
• Enhance the applications in monitoring and assessing environment, landuse/landcover, nature resources, weather/atmosphere and climate, cryosphere, coastal and ocean, forestry/agricultural and ecosystems/biodiversity
• Integrate the global efforts by effective out-reach through data/algorithms sharing and capacity building, cooperates intensively with national space agencies, alliance with the International Committee On Remote Sensing of Environment (ICORSE)

WORKING GROUPS of ISPRS COMMISSION III

• WG III/1 - Thematic Information Extraction
• WG III/2 - Microwave Remote Sensing
• WG III/3 - SAR-based Surface Generation and Deformation Monitoring
• WG III/4 - Hyperspectral Image Processing
• WG III/5 - Information Extraction from LiDAR Intensity Data
• WG III/6 - Remote Sensing Data Fusion
• WG III/7 - Landuse and Landcover Change Detection
• WG III/8 - Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Environment
• WG III/9 - Cryosphere and Hydrosphere
• WG III/10 - Agriculture and Natural Ecosystems Modelling and Monitoring

INTERCOMMISSION WGs of ISPRS COMMISSION III

• ICWG III/2 - Planetary Remote Sensing and Mapping
• ICWG III/IVa - Disaster Assessment, Monitoring and Management
• ICWG III/IVb - Remote Sensing Data Quality
• ICWG III/IVc - Environment and Health

WG III/1 - Thematic Information Extraction

WG III/1  Terms of Reference

• Promote scientific studies of new technologies and methodologies of thematic information extraction with emphases on the diachronic, multi-scale and multi-sensor approaches.
• Develop data architecture tackling with big data and crowd sourcing data for thematic information and its dynamics
• Virtual reality for thematic information demonstration
• Promote the technique transfers through collaboration and networking between universities, research organizations, national space/mapping agencies, and policy makers
• Promote the education, communication and collaborations through courses, articles and workshops
• Collaborate with RS National and International forums and organization (GEO, GEOSS, CEOS, etc) and interact with international agencies of environmental research and protection (IPCC, WMO, UNEP, IMD, Mountain Partnership, GLISPA, etc.).

WG III/2 - Microwave Remote Sensing

WG III/2  Terms of Reference

• Promote advanced research, engineering development, and operational use of theories, methods, systems for the analysis of remotely sensed microwave observations of the Earth from air- , space- and ground-borne sensors;
• Focus on physical modelling of microwave radiation, the analysis of spectral signatures, radar image classification, data fusion, pattern recognition, and quality control;
• Enhance the applications in monitoring and assessing environment, geohazards, landuse/landcover, nature resources, weather/atmosphere and climate, cryosphere, coastal and ocean, forestry/agricultural and ecosystems/biodiversity;
• Integrate the global efforts by effective out-reach through data/algorithms sharing and capacity building, cooperates intensively with international professional societies, national space agencies, and alliance with the International Committee On Remote Sensing of Environment (ICORSE).

WG III/3 - SAR-based Surface Generation and Deformation Monitoring

WG III/3  Terms of Reference

• Generation and accuracy assessment of DEM from SAR imagery
• Object extraction from InSAR data
• Differential SAR Interferometry and Persistent Scatterer Interferometry
• Ground based SAR Interferometry

WG III/4 - Hyperspectral Image Processing

WG III/4  Terms of Reference

• Visible, Ultraviolet, NIR, SWIR and thermal imaging spectroscopy from satellite, aerial, UAV and ground platforms
• Processing and analysis of 1D signals, 2D images, 3D hypercubes and 4D hyperspectral video datasets
• Radiometric, atmospheric and geometric calibration/corrections of hyperspectral data
• Efficient hyperspectral image classification and analysis for the consistent estimation of geo- and bio-physical parameters, mapping, vegetation analysis in agriculture, forestry and others, and environmental remote sensing
• Fusion of hyperspectral data, other sensor data (e.g., Lidar, SAR) and a priori information
• Processing and interpretation of hyperspectral image data from low-cost, miniaturized sensors from UAV and other platforms
• Detection, classification and tracking of moving objects/phenomena in hyperspectral video sequences
• Efficient hyperspectral data processing through parallel programming, graphic card implementation and FPGAs

WG III/5 - Information Extraction from LiDAR Intensity Data

WG III/5  Terms of Reference

• Development and research of non-topographic LiDAR data applications for surface condition assessment
• Geophysical parameters retrieval from LiDAR intensity data
• Development and evaluation of new methods and algorithms of laser intensity-based classification and segmentation
• Integration and performance evaluation of LiDAR data intensity and other data types for synergy of new information
• Data processing and application of multi-wavelength and full-waveform LiDAR
• Development and dissemination of new methodic and technology of exploiting intensity data from terrestrial laser scanning sensors for surface condition assessment
• Processing of intensity data from bathymetric LiDAR for quality assessment of underwater conditions
• Promoting applications based on LiDAR intensity data, also integrated with other data sources, to cope with societal challenges

WG III/6 - Remote Sensing Data Fusion

WG III/6  Terms of Reference

• Pixel, feature and decision level fusion algorithms and methodologies
• Automatic geometric registration for fusing images with different spatial, spectral, temporal resolutions; phase information; or acquired in different modes
• Data assimilation
• Multi-source data fusion based classification and information extraction
• Multi-modal sensor data fusion
• Multi-temporal data fusion
• Image and data mining from multi-platform, multi-source, multi-scale, multi-temporal data sets
• Data fusion applications in geographic-related fields such as topographic mapping, GIS, forest mapping and natural hazard monitoring, etc.

WG III/7 - Landuse and Landcover Change Detection

WG III/7  Terms of Reference

• To investigate and enhance algorithms and methodologies for land-use and land-cover change-detection
• To suggest advanced solutions for monitoring land –cover changes
• To further the study of the dynamics of land-use and land-cover change in different regions of the world
• To further the research and investigations into predicting land-use changes
• To study urban land-use development cycles and changes in rural land-cover and land-use (e.g. Agriculture, forestry, recreation), based on data and information fusion
• To further the research into automatic updating of spatial data bases
• To foster investigations and research toward autonomous updating of core spatial data bases using spectral and non-spectral remotely sensed data fused with data and information acquired by other sources.
• To cooperate with other Geospatial Information societies such as ICA and FIG on Change detection based on remotely sensed data and updating of spatial data bases.

WG III/8 - Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Environment

WG III/8  Terms of Reference

• Development of satellite observations on atmospheric environment including air pollutants, aerosol and its dynamic process
• Development of new models for estimating atmospheric aerosol optical depth, characteristics and particulate matters (PMs) concentration
• Development of new models for extracting atmospheric parameters through sounders/GPS/LiDAR/radio occultation, etc.
• Development of spatio-temporal methodologies and GIS-based systems for atmospheric environment analysis
• Evaluation and validation of satellite observations on atmospheric components and PMs concentration
• Assessment of the impact of urbanization and fossil energy on atmosphere environment
• Collaborate with GEO to serve for public affairs and human health with data and maps

WG III/9 - Cryosphere and Hydrosphere

WG III/9  Terms of Reference

• Develop remote sensing data for assimilation in cryospheric and hydrological models
• Conduct assessment of errors in the retrieval of satellite cryospheric and hydrological parameters
• Assemble historical records of consistently derived geophysical parameters for studies of changes and trends in the cryosphere and hydrosphere
• Assess glacier and ice sheet mass loss and relationships to sea level rise with consideration of thermal expansion, tectonic causes and other factors.
• Investigate the asymmetry in the changes of sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions
• Study trends and changes in albedo at high latitudes and relationships with changes in snow cover and melt patterns
• Monitor variability and trends in surface temperature and how they affect snow cover, sea ice extent, glaciers and ice sheet volume, soil moisture and the permafrost regions
• Measure, characterize, understand, and predict the storage and transport of momentum, heat, water (salinity), and greenhouse gases in the ocean and the surface signatures (temperature, salinity, dynamic topography) of the ocean’s response to surface forcing (wind stress, fresh water, turbulent and radiative heat flux) from diurnal to decadal time scales, and from coastal to open oceans
• Understand the oceans’ role in the changes and interactions amongst the biological, chemical, and energy/water cycles in the oceans and their influence on terrestrial and cryospheric changes
• Help coordinate present and future remote sensing missions especially those related to ocean, snow/ice, and terrestrial hydrological observations, and provide expertise in the calibration, validation, and dissemination of the resulting data
• Develop early warning systems for natural disasters like droughts and floods

WG III/10 - Agriculture and Natural Ecosystems Modelling and Monitoring

WG III/10  Terms of Reference

• Development of new methodologies and algorithms for improving the contribution of remote sensing towards knowledges related to agriculture and natural ecosystems
• Test and assess new remote sensing algorithms for monitoring natural and anthropogenic ecosystems
• Apply remote sensing for supporting precision agriculture by spectral signature in crops for smart farm management
• Support climate change studies through remote sensing applications for global and regional scales dynamics monitoring and modelling
• Collaborate with related academia, researchers, industry and other stakeholders

ICWG III/2 - Planetary Remote Sensing and Mapping

ICWG III/2  Terms of Reference

• Development of new methodologies and algorithms for sensor calibration, data fusion and information extraction from planetary remote sensing data
• Development of advanced techniques in planetary photogrammetry and robotic vision for the mapping of celestial bodies
• Evaluation and refinement of reference systems, coordinate systems, control networks, map sheet definitions, etc. and their standardization
• Development of spatial information systems to support extra-terrestrial exploration and science
• Cooperation with related planetary exploration working groups in space agencies and organizations, and liaisons with the ICA Commission on Planetary Cartography

ICWG III/IVa - Disaster Assessment, Monitoring and Management

ICWG III/IVa  Terms of Reference

• Generation of vulnerability and hazard zone maps for different type of disasters, such as forest fire, cyclone, floods, drought, volcano eruptions, earthquakes, landslides etc. and identification & assessment of potential risk zones
• Integrate remotely sensed observations and communication strategies with enhanced predictive modelling capabilities for disaster detection, early warning, monitoring, damage assessment and response
• Development of disaster management plans for pre, during and post disaster situations and enhance support for early warning systems, emergency events mitigation and decision making.
• Collaborate with international bodies such as GEO, JBGIS, ICSU GeoUnions, IRDR
• Continue to organize Gi4DM Conference series and ISPRS-URSI Special Sessions on Disaster Management during URSI GA’s and ISPRS Congresses.
• Organise, develop and conduct supporting educational activities (training courses, workshops, webinars, etc.) in the interdisciplinary area of remote sensing and disaster management. The educational activities will contribute to further education and professional development of both experienced and early-stage remote sensing scientists and engineers.

ICWG III/IVb - Remote Sensing Data Quality

ICWG III/IVb  Terms of Reference

• Assess the current status of scientific development and applied practices, related to Remote Sensing Data Quality, and suggest development plans, researches, activities and projects for the improvements and advent of the same.
• Liaison with sister commissions and WGs involved partially with data quality, and also with other International organizations to assist the development and improvement of Remote Sensing Data Quality Standards and Protocols, and promote their implementations worldwide.
• Inventory and classify the elements of Remote Sensing Data Quality, and relate it to the quality of other disciplines, the usage and fitness of purpose, and to the simulated world model of data and information.
• Encourage and support scientific works that deal with the improvement of remote sensing data quality processes and management steps, also that clarify and regulate the effects of error propagation due to acquisition, referencing, storing and archiving, processing, analysing, reporting and other operations related to remotely sensed data.
• Clarify the quality aspects of Remote Sensing data, resulting and inherited from raster or vector-raster operations, such as but not limited to pixel processing, segmentation, classification, object base image analysis, image sensitivity analysis, etc.
• Study the reliability and quality measures of Remote Sensing data, in relation to the different application areas that encounter remote sensing, such as environmental monitoring and sustainability, urban planning, city smartness and quality of life, also humanitarian projects for the developing world among other areas of application.
• Assess Remote Sensing Data Quality with respect to the usage of automated major signatures of the electromagnetic spectral different phases, as much as the relations of the type to the sensors used and the area of application, coverage, visits. Sensor positions, sky clearness, etc.

ICWG III/IVc - Environment and Health

ICWG III/IVc  Terms of Reference

• Review the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) mandate, activities and plan that relate to human health.
• Advance knowledge in Remote Sensing and other geospatial technologies for applications in Tele-epidemiology.
• Develop a white paper for clinicians documenting the capability of Remote Sensing and other geospatial technologies in capturing environmental variables to incorporate into clinical practices as a disease risk factor.
• Bridge the geospatial science, Earth science and health science communities to explore interdisciplinary collaborations to improve our overall health and well-being.
• Develop two expert groups: 1) Remote Sensing and geospatial technology applications in estimating environmental exposure risk factor for clinical practices and 2) Remote Sensing and geospatial technology applications in ecosystem, climate change and variability, and public health studies.
• Advance knowledge in estimating allergen abundance.
• Review current applications of tools, such as, machine learning, in estimating air pollutants using remotely sensed and other data.
• Contribute to the GEOSS open access public health data resource.