Remote Sensing

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| REMOTE SENSING

REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGY
Aero-Metric meets the needs of our customers by using the latest airborne and satellite remote sensing technology. We partner with other remote sensing and image processing specialty firms, when appropriate, to provide our clients with the best service available. Both active and passive sensors from airborne and satellite platforms provide film-based and electronic data to image the surface of the earth and to measure its shape. Information about the earth's surface is collected with film cameras, multispectral and hyperspectral sensors, and thermal imagers. We also offer direct measurement of elevations from LIDAR and interferometric radar systems.

MULTISPECTRAL/DMSV
Our SpecTerra Systems DMSV Mk-1 sensor is a compact, lightweight, four CCD sensor system for acquisition of high-resolution digital imagery. Its high spatial and spectral resolution enables four pre-selected bands to be acquired simultaneously in the visible to near infrared region (0.4 - 1.0 microns). Spatial resolution is in the range of 0.5-4.0 meter pixels, depending on height above terrain. Image size is 578 by 740 pixels. The instrument uses band-pass filters, typically with bandwidths from 10-80 nanometers (nm). Standard filters emulate Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery. The four filters are centered on 485nm, 560nm, 660nm, and 830nm.

THERMAL IMAGERY
Aero-Metric can use airborne thermal remote sensing to perform effluent regulatory compliance mapping. The technique may also be applied to other applications where water temperature is regulated. The survey is accomplished by mapping the temperature differential at the effluent/river confluence. An original thermal infrared image looks similar to a black & white photo, but instead of representing reflected light, this image represents emitted heat. In a thermal image a calibrated temperature is assigned to each picture element (pixel) as a single shade of gray when the image is sensed. Using remote sensing image processing techniques, different mapping methods can show the results. For example, the value of a single pixel can be displayed in degrees Celsius at spot locations on the image or selected temperature values can be represented by single image colors. Colors are assigned to temperature ranges to provide visual clarity and impact.

SATELLITE IMAGERY
Aero-Metric, Inc. is an authorized reseller for GeoEye, the largest commercial satellite company in the world. We can supply 1-meter panchromatic and 4 meter multispectral imagery acquired by the IKONOS satellite. Stereo imagery is also available for DEM generation. GeoEye will launch it’s much anticipated GeoEye-1 satellite spring of 2008. This will be the highest resolution commercial satellite in orbit with .41-meter pan and 1.64-meter multispectral resolutions.

Aero-Metric is also an authorized reseller for SPOT Image Corp. The SPOT constellation includes SPOT 2, SPOT 4 & SPOT 5. SPOT 5 also has its HRS instrument, which is designed for economical DTM generation of large areas. SPOT 5 is capable of up to 2.5-meter and 5-meter panchromatic and 10-meter multispectral. SPOT 5 is particularly well suited for timber, vegetation & geological applications with its short wave infra red (SWIR) band.

The Formosat-2 satellite is well suited for change detection in the northern latitudes with its daily revisits. In areas between about 60° north and 60° south there is not complete coverage since this satellite follows the same exact orbit every day.

We can also provide imagery from many other satellite solutions including Landsat & RADARSAT.

LIDAR
LIDAR technology offers one of the most accurate, expedient and cost-effective ways to capture wide-area elevation information. With increased data collection rates and accuracy, Optech's new ALTM 3100EA system (EA stands for Enhanced Accuracy) is regarded as the best model available today. The system will produce horizontal accuracies of 1/5500 of the altitude, and vertical accuracies of less than 5cm are possible at 500 meters above ground, ranging to less than 20cm at 3 kilometers altitude. LIDAR data sets contain vast amounts of information. Buildings, trees and power lines are individually discernible features. This data is digital and is directly processed to produce detailed bare earth DEMs at vertical accuracies of 0.15 meters to 1 meter. Derived products include contour maps, slope/aspect, three-dimensional topographic images, virtual reality visualizations and more. More on LIDAR...

IFSAR
Aero-Metric is a distributor for Intermap Technologies' STAR-3i data and value added products including digital elevation models, orthorectified radar images, topographic line maps, and other custom map products. STAR-3i is an Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IFSAR) mounted in a Learjet 36A aircraft. Like LIDAR, it is a ranging system that measures distances based on the time it takes for the radar beam to read the target and return to the antenna. This system is capable of collecting GT1, GT2 and GT3 level DEM data at a rate of up to 100Km2/hour. STAR-3i IFSAR DEMs have a 0.5-3 meter vertical accuracy, 2.5-meter horizontal accuracy and 5-meter posting. The products owe their incredible accuracy, resolution and economy to a breakthrough technology in the mapping industry.

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