256
April 2015
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING
& REMOTE SENSING
J
ournal
S
taff
Publisher
Dr. Michael Hauck
Editor
Russell G. Congalton
Technical Editor
Michael S. Renslow
Assistant Editor
Jie Shan
Assistant Director — Publications
Rae Kelley
Electronic Publications Manager/Graphic Artist
Matthew Austin
Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing
is the official journal
of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. It is
devoted to the exchange of ideas and information about the applications of
photogrammetry, remote sensing, and geographic information systems. The
technical activities of the Society are conducted through the following Technical
Divisions: Geographic Information Systems, Photogrammetric Applications,
Lidar, Primary Data Acquisition, Professional Practice, and Remote Sensing
Applications. Additional information on the functioning of the Technical
Divisions and the Society can be found in the Yearbook issue of
PE&RS
.
Correspondence relating to all business and editorial matters pertaining to
this and other Society publications should be directed to the American Society
for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 210,
Bethesda, Maryland 20814-2144, including inquiries, memberships, sub-
scriptions, changes in address, manuscripts for publication, advertising, back
issues, and publications. The telephone number of the Society Headquarters is
301-493-0290; the fax number is 301-493-0208; web address is
.
PE&RS
.
PE&RS
(ISSN0099-1112) is published monthly by the American So-
ciety for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite
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Membership is open to any person actively engaged in the
practice of photogrammetry, photointerpretation, remote sensing and geo-
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COPYRIGHT 2015
. Copyright by the American Society for Photogrammetry
and Remote Sensing. Reproduction of this issue or any part thereof (except
short quotations for use in preparing technical and scientific papers) may be
made only after obtaining the specific approval of the Managing Editor. The
Society is not responsible for any statements made or opinions expressed
in technical papers, advertisements, or other portions of this publication.
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LETTER FROM ALAN MIKUNI PE
CP, ASPRS PAST PRESIDENT AND
CO-CHAIR UAS MAPPING 2015 RENO
continued on page 272
Dear Reader,
If you mention the term “Unmanned Aircraft
Systems” or “UAS” in casual conversation
with family, friends, or colleagues, you might
get the reaction of either a puzzled look or
a “what’s that?” (or both). In an immediate
attempt to clarify, you might say “you know,
drones
.” Then, you will probably observe
some level of recognition, likely based on perceptions gleaned
from news reports from foreign military theaters-of-operation,
and less-than-positive.
Of course, for those of us in the geospatial professions, UAS are
rapidly becoming familiar features of how research, applications,
and business are conducted in the imaging and geospatial
technology world. Another term, “disruptive technology,” aptly
describes what effect UAS are having on ASPRS disciplines. The
traditional means by which data are acquired, how the data are
processed, and the array of applications for aerial data have been
altered dramatically. Interest in the fundamentals of ASPRS
disciplines seems to be on the rise, and, as one ASPRS member
recently exclaimed, photogrammetry is alive and well, thank
goodness! Aerial mapping will never be the same.
It gives me great pleasure to introduce two papers devoted to
the topic of UAS in this issue of
PE&RS
. The Highlight Article,
“Testing a Small UAS for Mapping Artisanal Diamond Mining in
Africa”, by Katherine C. Malpeli and Peter G. Chirico, presents
a fascinating look at a particularly unique application for UAS.
Aspects of an adage related to UAS, that they are useful for
work that is “dull, dirty, or dangerous”, are demonstrated by the
authors of this paper. The work of aerial image acquisition of so-
call “blood diamond” mines and mining operations is dangerous
for the human scientists in strife-torn West and Central Africa.
Such activities are similarly dangerous for the quad-copter UAS
as native birds see the aircraft as a territorial threat, much like
the human residents of the region view human intruders. In his
monograph on UAS, “Overview and Current Status of Remote
Sensing Applications Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
(UAVs)”, Gonzalo Pajares provides you an extensive treatise on
available remotely piloted aircraft, in particular, UAS platforms,
associated airborne sensors, their capabilities, and a glimpse at
the variety of applications for them. The author describes the
variety of fixed-winged and rotary-winged UAS, e.g., multi-rotor
“copters”. He also delves into the variety of sensors like RGB,
infrared, multispectral and hyperspectral cameras, LiDAR, and
radar/synthetic-aperture radar. He also describes a variety of
applications for these intriguing systems. The author concludes
by providing hundreds of references to enable the reader to
investigate further. Please enjoy and learn from the perspectives
