The concept of remote sensing as a way of capturing information from an object without making contact with it has, until recently, been exclusively focused on the use of Earth observation satellites. The emergence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) controlled navigation and sensor-carrying capabilities has increased the number of publications related to new remote sensing from much closer distances. Previous knowledge about the behavior of the Earth's surface under the incidence different wavelengths of energy has been successfully applied to a large amount of data recorded from UAVs, thereby increasing the special and temporal resolution of the products obtained. More specifically, the ability of UAVs to be positioned in the air at pre-programmed coordinate points; to track flight paths; and in any case, to record the coordinates of the sensor position at the time of the shot and at the pitch, yaw, and roll angles have opened an interesting field of applications for low-altitude aerial photogrammetry, known as UAV photogrammetry. In addition, photogrammetric data processing has been improved thanks to the combination of new algorithms, e.g., structure from motion (SfM), which solves the collinearity equations without the need for any control point, producing a cloud of points referenced to an arbitrary coordinate system and a full camera calibration, and the multi-view stereopsis (MVS) algorithm, which applies an expanding procedure of sparse set of matched keypoints in order to obtain a dense point cloud. The set of technical advances described above allows for geometric modeling of terrain surfaces with high accuracy, minimizing the need for topographic campaigns for georeferencing of such products. This Special Issue aims to compile some applications realized thanks to the synergies established between new remote sensing from close distances and UAV photogrammetry.

The concept of remote sensing as a way of capturing information from an object without making contact with it has, until recently, been exclusively focused on the use of Earth observation satellites.The emergence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) controlled navigation and sensor-carrying capabilities has increased the number of publications related to new remote sensing from much closer distances. Previous knowledge about the behavior of the Earth's surface under the incidence different wavelengths of energy has been successfully applied to a large amount of data recorded from UAVs, thereby increasing the special and temporal resolution of the products obtained.More specifically, the ability of UAVs to be positioned in the air at pre-programmed coordinate points; to track flight paths; and in any case, to record the coordinates of the sensor position at the time of the shot and at the pitch, yaw, and roll angles have opened an interesting field of applications for low-altitude aerial photogrammetry, known as UAV photogrammetry. In addition, photogrammetric data processing has been improved thanks to the combination of new algorithms, e.g., structure from motion (SfM), which solves the collinearity equations without the need for any control point, producing a cloud of points referenced to an arbitrary coordinate system and a full camera calibration, and the multi-view stereopsis (MVS) algorithm, which applies an expanding procedure of sparse set of matched keypoints in order to obtain a dense point cloud. The set of technical advances described above allows for geometric modeling of terrain surfaces with high accuracy, minimizing the need for topographic campaigns for georeferencing of such products.This Special Issue aims to compile some applications realized thanks to the synergies established between new remote sensing from close distances and UAV photogrammetry.

"Photogrammetry with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) is a rapidlymaturing technology. Being versatile and inexpensive, it has the potentialto offer solutions in a wide range of applications, such as forestry inventory, precision agriculture, flood hazard assessment, pollution monitoring, land survey, and integrity assessment of industrial facilities. Written in the form of a fieldguide, this book explains, in easy-to-understand language, basic concepts ofphotogrammetry and spatial data, and techniques for mosaicking drone photos.The book is not intended as a complete "do-it-yourself" guide, but after reading it, you get a good sense about what hardware and software parts you will need toassemble a drone system on your own. Or if you have the funds, simply purchasea commercial product and follow the steps laid out in the book to design yourapplication. Towards that end, you will find the survey of industrial leaders ofenvironmental drone applications particularly useful.The author of the book, Kike Calvo, is an experienced National GeographicCreative photographer. The explanation of technical jargons is based on his ownexperience and interviews with his colleagues. Some of the questions and answersare included in the book. These are questions you probably would have and Calvohas already got expert answers for you. I find this style of writing quite effective, injecting liveness into what otherwise could be dry reading.UAV photogrammetry is not just about obtaining pretty pictures. To realize itspotential you must "georeference" the pictures, produce an "orthomosaic," andmake "3D point clouds." Read the book to find out what all these mean, and muchmore."Foreword by Xuhui Lee. Sara Shallenberger Brown Professor, Yale University.Editor-in-Chief, Agricultural and Forest Meteorol

This text is designed to give students a strong grounding in the mathematical basis of photogrammetry while introducing them to related fields, such as remote sensing and digital image processing. Suitable for undergraduate photogrammetry courses typically aimed at junior and senior students, and for graduate-level courses at the Master's level. Excellent reference for those working in related fields.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "UAV-Based Remote Sensing" that was published in Sensors

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are rapidly emerging as flexible platforms for capturing imagery and other data across the sciences. Many colleges and universities are developing courses on UAS-based data acquisition. Fundamentals of Capturing and Processing Drone Imagery and Data is a comprehensive, introductory text on how to use unmanned aircraft systems for data capture and analysis. It provides best practices for planning data capture missions and hands-on learning modules geared toward UAS data collection, processing, and applications. FEATURES Lays out a step-by-step approach to identify relevant tools and methods for UAS data/image acquisition and processing Provides practical hands-on knowledge with visual interpretation, well-organized and designed for a typical 16-week UAS course offered on college and university campuses Suitable for all levels of readers and does not require prior knowledge of UAS, remote sensing, digital image processing, or geospatial analytics Includes real-world environmental applications along with data interpretations and software used, often nonproprietary Combines the expertise of a wide range of UAS researchers and practitioners across the geospatial sciences This book provides a general introduction to drones along with a series of hands-on exercises that students and researchers can engage with to learn to integrate drone data into real-world applications. No prior background in remote sensing, GIS, or drone knowledge is needed to use this book. Readers will learn to process different types of UAS imagery for applications (such as precision agriculture, forestry, urban landscapes) and apply this knowledge in environmental monitoring and land-use studies.