Fundamentals of Remote Sensing - Introduction What is Remote Sensing? So, what exactly is remote sensing? For the purposes of this tutorial, we will use the following definition: "Remote sensing is the science (and to some extent, art) of acquiring information about the Earth's surface without actually being in contact with it. This is done by sensing and recording reflected or emitted energy and processing, analyzing, and applying that information." In much of remote sensing, the process involves an interaction between incident radiation and the targets of interest. This is exemplified by the use of imaging systems where the following seven elements are involved. Note, however that remote sensing also involves the sensing of emitted energy and the use of non-imaging sensors.

1. Pallab Jana
M.Sc. in Remote Sensing & GIS
Vidyasagar University
Midnapore, 721102, West Bengal

2. BASIC CONCEPT OF GIS

3. Geographic Information System ??
 is a system designed for storing, analyzing, and displaying spatial
data.
 is the use of hardware, software, people, procedures, and data.
GIS ??
 Geographic relates to the surface of the earth.
 Information is a knowledge derived from study, experience, or
instruction.
 System is a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent
elements forming a complex whole.
 Functional Definition
GIS is a system for inputting, storing, manipulating, analysing, and
reporting data.
 Component Definition
GIS is an organized collection of computer hardware, software,
geographic data, procedures, and personnel designed to handle all
phases of geographic data capture, storage, analysis, query, display,
and output.

4. Figure: GIS Layers
The ability to
‘stack’ layers in
a GIS allows us
to ask
questions
about the
relationship
between
different
objects of
study.

5. BASIC ELEMENTS OF GIS
 People
 Data
 Software
 Hardware
 Procedures/Methods

6. Functions of GIS
 Data collection
 Capture data
 Data storing, processing & analysis
 Store data
 Query data
 Analyse data
 Output production
 Display data
 Produce output Data collection
Data storing, processing
& analysis
Output production-
statistical report, maps

7. TYPES OF GIS DATA
Raster
 In the raster data model, a
geographic feature like land cover
is represented as:
 single square cells
Vector
 In the vector data model, features
on the earth are represented as:
 Points
 Lines
 Polygons
Attribute
 Attribute values in a GIS are
stored as relational database
tables.
 Each feature (point, line, polygon,
or raster) within each GIS layer
will be represented as a record in a
table.

8. The relationship between Remote Sensing and GIS
**In a broad sense, remote sensing is an aspect of GIS. However, due to the fact that there
are specialized software for image processing and it has a lot of technicalities, many people
think remote sensing is another field entirely.

9. GIS Application
 Facilities Management
 Environment and Natural Resource Management
 Natural Hazard and disaster management and mitigation
 Population monitoring
 Environment Impact Assessment
 Water facility site location
 Ground water modelling
 Contamination tracking
 Street Network
 Vehicle Routing
 House Location
 Street Planning
 Planning and Engineering
 Urban and Regional Planning
 Rural Planning
 Development of Public Facilities
 Route Location of Highway
 Land Information System
 Cadastre Administrative
 Taxation
 Zoning of Land Use
 Land Acquisition
##Area of GIS

10.  Financial Service
 Insurance Claim/Risk Modelling
 Demographic Profiling
 Target Marketing
 Health Service
 Ambulance and Emergency Mobilization
 Epidemiological Studies
 Road Traffic Accident Analysis
A. Central Government
1) Central Administrative
2) Natural Resource Management
3) Defence and Intelligence
4) Internal Security
5) Disaster Management
6) Agriculture
7) Health and Family Welfare Service
8) Housing and Urban development
9) Transportation
10)Energy
11)Commerce
##National Level

11. B. State Government
1) State Administration
2) Agriculture
3) Commerce
4) Health Service
5) Housing and Urban development
6) Rural Development
7) Environmental Management
8) Natural Resource Conservation
9) Transportation
10)Tourism
C. Local Government
1) Local Administrative
2) Local Administrative
3) Public Works and Utilities
4) Hazard Management
5) Police
6) Housing
7) Recretaon

12. ##Regular Basis
I. Market Analysis
II. Demographic Profiling
III. Address Matching
IV. Sales Territory Management
V. Site Facility Location
##Extra
1. Archaeology
2. Banking
3. Health Care
4. Insurance
5. Real Estate
6. Retail
7. Tele-Communications
8. Transportation
9. Utilities

13. Thank ‘Q’