Remote Sensing is a challenging area and is a science of acquiring information from the space using satellites, aircraft and other platforms. Vast areas of applications have been opened up with the most important being military use. DRDO has sufficiently exploited and utilised remote sensing for defence purposes. Defence Electronics & Applications Laboratory (DEAL) has developed remote sensor systems and has successfully commissioned a multi-carrier image receiving station for receiving IRS-1C/1D images. Algorithms and software have been developed in the areas of visualisation (2D and 3D), image description, change detection, and target detection. Through the INSAT series of Indian satellites, imageries can be disseminated to all the remote areas using the technology developed by the DRDO. This has become a very important element in the satellite-based surveillance.

In remote sensing, the major technology challenge posed is the detection and identification of targets in satellite imagery. DRDO has taken initiative in this field and has taken significant steps by developing algorithms for automated detection of runways, jetties, breakwaters, bridges and targets with linear features in PAN and LISS images of IRS satellites. The key elements of the human photointerpretation are gradually being replaced by computer algorithms. The imagery available from the airborne platforms and inputs available from other DRDO sister laboratories are being used for fusion. The expertise developed by various work centres is being coordinated for developing automated techniques, particularly for target detection and change detection.

The present issue of Technology Focus attempts to bring out the efforts put in for the development of technologies and software packages to exploit satellite/airborne images and maps. The issue highlights the various areas in image processing for which software have been developed. The state-of-the-art systems developed for taking imageries under various strategic and  tactical conditions have also been described briefly.

Dr A S Bains
Director
DEAL