Geospatial Engineering

Introduction to Geospatial Engineering

Geospatial engineering is a multidisciplinary field focused Urban Planning:
on the collection, analysis, and interpretation of spatial data. Environmental

o Remote Sensing Management:

Agriculture:
Lecture 01 o Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
O ve r v i ew a n d I n t ro d u c t i o n Disaster Response:
o Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) / GPS
Business and Marketing:
Geospatial Engineering equips you with the skills to Healthcare:
Dr. Rishikesh Bharti uncover patterns, relationships, and extract information
Autonomous Vehicles:
Department of Civil Engineering from location-based data that can drive informed decision-
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati making and solve complex problems in a wide array of Defence and Security:
https://fac.iitg.ac.in/rbharti/ fields.

Geospatial Engineering Syllabus

Introduction to geospatial technology; spatial data, reference frames and coordinate
Geospatial technologies—including Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems
systems, introduction to map projection; spatial data analysis; spatial functions; geodetic &
(GIS), and Global Positioning Systems (GPS)—enable us to collect, analyze, and visualize
orthometric heights; digital elevation models; introduction and basics of Global Positioning
data in groundbreaking ways, fostering a deeper understanding of Earth and its
Systems (GPS); Introduction to topographic maps, national and international systems;
processes. These technologies are indispensable to modern Civil Engineering, finding
digital information system; geographic information system; data type, attributes;
extensive application in fields such as environmental monitoring, hydrology, and natural
integration of spatial information in GIS environment, basics of remote sensing; concept of
hazard assessment. This course will immerse you in the state-of-the-art concepts and
panchromatic, multispectral and hyperspectral images; errors in remote sensing data and
practical applications of geospatial technologies within civil engineering, building from
corrections methods; digital image processing, image classification; accuracy assessment;
foundational principles to their diverse real-world uses. It aims to provide a
photogrammetry; thermal remote sensing; microwave remote sensing, Interferometric
comprehensive understanding, empowering them to effectively apply these insights and
Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) and polarimetric SAR; concepts of spectroscopy;
skills throughout your academic journey and future professional careers.
introduction to imaging spectroscopy and applications of geospatial technology.
 Instructors Assessment Pattern

Lecture Schedule
1. Monday 11:00 – 11:55 AM
Prof. Rishikesh Bharti Prof. Subashisa Dutta
2. Thursday 09:00 – 09:55 AM
3. Friday 10:00 – 10:55 AM

Prof. Rishikesh Bharti Midsem Exam Prof. Subashisa Dutta Endsem Exam

Questions? What is an Image?

 What is remote sensing?

 What do we measurement?

 What kind of output (data) we get?

(Credit: NASA)

Source: Google Images

 What is an Image? Digital Image
 Produced by Electro-Optical Sensors,
 Composed of tiny equal areas, or
picture elements abbreviated as
pixels or pels arranged in a
rectangular array,
 With each pixel, value is associated,
known as Digital Number (DN) or
Brightness Value (BV) or Gray Level
which is a record of variation in
radiant energy in discrete form,
 An object reflecting more energy
records a higher number for itself on
the digital image and vice versa. Histogram?
Source: Google Images

Remote Sensing Electromagnetic Wavelength Range

Remote sensing is the art and science of making measurements Radio Ultra Gamma
EM Wave Microwave Infrared Visible X-Rays
about an object or the environment without being in physical Waves Violet Rays
contact with it.… Wavelength (m) 103 10-2 10-5 0.5x10-6 10-8 10-10 10-12

Size Comparison

Building Human Bee Pinpoint Microbes Molecule Atom Nuclei

Frequency (Hz) 104 108 1012 1015 1016 1018 1020

Thermal energy
for emission (K)
Electromagnetic Wavelength Range What happens when light hits an object?
Troughs are the place,
Reflected Light where things are happening
Incident Light

Microwave: 0.1cm - 1m
Scattered
Visible: 0.4µm – 0.7µm Light
VNIR & SWIR: 0.7µm – 2.5µm Emitted Energy

Thermal Infrared: 2.5µm - 16µm

Absorbed Energy

How to plot such spectrum?

Transmitted Light
Distribution of electromagnetic radiation
Reflection Emission Scattering emitted or absorbed by that particular object.
It is a function of wavelength…

Stages in Remote Sensing from space Stages in Remote Sensing from space
. .
Source .
Spacecraft .

.
Radiation to sensor .
. .

Irradiance

Atmospheric
Clouds Direct emission
Thermal
radiation Reflected emission
radiation Field data collection
Scattered
radiation

Reflection Processes Emission Processes

Active Vs Passive Remote Sensing Orbits

Source
Receiver
Receiver
Source

Target

Target

SOURCE: https://gfycat.com/gifs/search/polar+orbiting

Passive Remote Sensing Active Remote Sensing

Orbits Orbits

Orbit
Inclination
Earth’s rotation

(Credit: NASA)
Satellite orbit
 Platforms Platforms (Airborne)
Satellite (700-900 km)) . .
.
. .
. Space Shuttle (185-575 km)) .
Spaceborne . . .

Airborne SAR (10-12 km)

Airborne Aerial Photography (1.2-3.5 km)

Aerial Television (0.3 km)

UAV (100-150m)

Application of Remotely Sensed Images Application of Remotely Sensed Images

Site Selection Studies
Application of Remotely Sensed Images Application of Remotely Sensed Images
Paleochannels Identification

Environmental Studies

Natural Hazard Monitoring

Source: Google Images Source: Google Images

Application of Remotely Sensed Images Application of Remotely Sensed Images

LULC

Monitoring

National Security

Source: Google Images Source: Google Images

Application of Remotely Sensed Images Application of Remotely Sensed Images

Flood Hazard
Monitoring

River Morphology 1992 2002

1988 1988

Application of Remotely Sensed Images Application of Remotely Sensed Images

Planetary
Exploration

Credit: www.nasa.gov Credit: www.nasa.gov

Strength of Satellite Remote Sensing

Temporal Resolution

17 Jan 13 Feb 17 Mar 02 Apr 05 May 25 May

11:30 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

5:30 8:30 16:00

Credit: Dr. R. R. Navalgund, Former Director, SAC Credit: Dr. R. R. Navalgund, Former Director, SAC
 Temporal Resolution Temporal Resolution

1972 2002

1992 2002 2014

1988 1988 1988

Credit: Dr. R. R. Navalgund, Former Director, SAC

Spectral Resolution
I N S AT 3 A - Vi s i b l e i m a g e

It refers to the number and dimension of

specific wavelength intervals in the
electromagnetic spectrum to which a
sensor is sensitive …
Aug 22, 2012 02:00 Aug 22, 2012 06:00 Aug 22, 2012 10:00

Low Spectral
Resolution High Spectral
Resolution

Aug 22, 2012 16:00 Aug 22, 2012 20:00 Aug 22, 2012 23:00
 Spectral Resolution Panchromatic, Multispectral and Hyperspectral

1.0
Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM)

0.5
FWHM

1 c 2

Why Spectral Resolution is important? Spatial Resolution

0.5m×0.5m
2.5m×2.5m
23m×23m
Concept of IFOV and FOV Radiometric Resolution

1 bit 2 bit 3 bit 4 bit

Radiometric Resolution Significance of Resolutions

 Spatial resolution,  Panchromatic Image,

 Spectral resolution,  Multispectral Image,
 Radiometric resolution,  Hyperspectral Image.
 Temporal resolution.

8 Grey Levels 256 Grey Levels

Sensor Technology: Types of imaging sensors for Earth Observation Sensor Technology: Types of imaging sensors for Earth Observation

Frame Scanning

Credit: Dr. R. R. Navalgund, Former Director, SAC Credit: Dr. R. R. Navalgund, Former Director, SAC

Texts/References