Gottfried Konecny:The photogrammetric and remote sensing trend setter

PREFACE There are various publications on the 90th birthday of Gottfried Konecny.His involvement in the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing(ISPRS)is particularly described by others.Here,his forward-oriented impulses in research and development at the former Institute for Photogrammetry and Engineering Survey of the(Technical)University of Hannover,today Institute for Photogrammetry and Geoinformation,Leibniz University Hannover,and some of his activities supporting developing and other countries by given short-term courses are highlighted.Gottfried Konecny was always one of the first in pushing new technologies.With the analytical plotter AP/C-3,he introduced analytical photogrammetry in Germany.Based on his experience with this not really operational version,he induced the company Zeiss to develop the first really operational analytical plotter Planicomp,which resulted in the end of analog photogrammetric devices and their limitations.At the invitation of Gilbert Hobrough,a mainly hardware-based image correlator was developed for the AP/C-3 in Hannover which anticipated many of today's applications.Gottfried Konecny initiated remote sensing in Germany.Based on his proposal with the Metric Camera Flight on Spacelab,the then highest resolution civil stereoscopic space images available were generated.Despite limited computer performance at his institute,a digital stereo plotter was developed,using hardware components from the cooperating Swedish company Context Vision,long before digital stereo workstations with increased and affordable computer capacity were possible.Also,in the area of GIS,he too,pushed development in collaboration with companies and administrations.Shortly before the end of his time as head of the institute,and more so after he became emeritus professor,he started a series of educational workshops,particularly in developing countries,but also other countries,to support the development of photogram-metry,remote sensing and GIS.He promoted the use of space imagery for mapping to improve the situation of poorly updated topographic maps.     

Gottfried Konecny:our best friend in photogrammetry and remote sensing of China

Preface Lebenslauf Prof.Dr.-Ing.mult Gottfried Konecny is one of the most respected names in photogrammetry.He is an Honorary Member of International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing(ISPRS),Honorary Professor of Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping,and our best friend.     

Gottfried Konecny:the influence in the global development of the three geosciences

PREFACE The paper contains a brief overview of the professional activities of Professor Gottfried Konecny,Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Photogrammetry and GeoInformation,Leibniz University Hannover,Germany,and his influence on photogrammetry,remote sensing and geospatial infor-mation science during his time at the University of New Brunswick,Canada,and at the Leibniz University.His work can be divided into educational,scientific,application,organizational,and work in international societies.Additional activities comprised of giving courses in various languages,consultancy activities,and various other cooperations which took place in many South American countries,in Africa and Asia,for organizations such as the World Bank,United Nations,German Space Agency DLR,to name only a few.Activities in connection with international societies mainly took place during Prof.Konecny's engagement in the Council of the International Society for Photogrammetry(ISP),renamed the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing(ISPRS),and the European Association of Remote Sensing Laboratories(EARSeL)Bureau.He was a key figure in bringing many countries and organizations to ISPRS as Ordinary and Sustaining Members.Professor Konecny has always been aware of the importance of international cooperation at various levels,also with sister societies such as the International Cartographic Association and the United Nations-Global Geospatial Information Management(UN-GGIM).His application activities span from the photogrammetry-oriented projects he was awarded in Canada,to remote sensing topics and geospatial sciences,combined with cartography during his Hannover period.His vision and endless effort are exemplary for a person who has always been devoted to the three geosciences mentioned above.Professor Konecny is the author of a number of books,journal papers and papers presented at international and national conferences.He has been a recognized keynote speaker at many conferences throughout the world due to his vast experience.This paper describes 75 years of a man who is an expert in fields which arose during his academic life.     

Gottfried Konecny:From draftsman to Professor emeritus-75 years of involvement in photogrammetry and remote sensing

This special issue is dedicated to Prof.Gottfried Konecny(see Figure 1),the former president of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing(ISPRS)on the occasion of his 90th birthday,which he celebrated in good health and spirits in June 2020(see Figure 2).A visionary leader and missionary of global topographic mapping,a world scientist and a world citizen who restlessly built and continues to build sustainable bridges between different generations and different peoples of the globe and a true pioneer of photogrammetry and remote sensing,Konecny has shaped our field of research and development over the last 75 years in ways second to none.He also has a very special con-nection to China,which prompted the Editor-in-Chief of Geo-spatial Information Science to suggest this jour-nal as a very good place to publish this special issue.As the successor of Prof.Konecny at the Institute of Photogrammetry and GeoInformation of Leibniz University Hannover,it is with great honor,joy and thankfulness that Christian Heipke accepted the invi-tation to be guest editor of this special issue,together with Deren Li.     

XVIth INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTE SENSING

The XVIth International Congress of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, organised by the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, was held in the Kyoto International Conference Hall from 1st to 10th July, 1988. The activities of the seven technical commissions of ISPRS were described at a meeting of the Photogrammetric Society on 18th October, 1988. The meeting also heard about the Congress Exhibition and the deliberations of the General Assembly during the Congress. Papers from the Congress were published in the International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 27.     

Report on the ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (PRS) for the period 1996–2000

This report was presented by the author, as Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of PRS, to the General Assembly of the Delegates of the ISPRS Members during the 19th ISPRS Congress, Amsterdam, 16–23 July 2000. Since it summarises in quite some detail many new developments since the last Congress that are of interest not only to ISPRS in general, but also to authors and readers, a slightly modified version of this report is published here.     

The first ISPRS software contest for computer-assisted teaching (CATCON)

The first ISPRS software contest for computer-assisted teaching, CATCON, took place on July 12, 1996 at the ISPRS Congress in Vienna. The main objective of the contest was to promote the development and dissemination of good/user-friendly software packages for computer-assisted teaching. Ten software packages and one data set from six countries were nominated. All the software and the data set were demonstrated at the contest, and prizes were given to three software packages and to one data set.     

Development of German-Ukrainian cooperations for education and research in photogrammetry and laser scanning

Since 2011 an intensive international cooperation has been in place between the Institute for Applied Photogrammetry and Geoinformatics(IAPG)at the Jade University of Applied Sciences in Oldenburg,Germany,and various Ukrainian universities.Following an initial contact by Prof.Gottfried Konecny,the first visit was organized,and was followed by many more.In subsequent years an intensive cooperation was established particularly with the National University for Construction and Architecture(KNUCA)in Kiev.In addition to architects and civil engineers,KNUCA also trains geodesists,geo-information scientists and landscape planners.The cooperation today includes the reciprocal exchange of scientists and students,research projects,courses and cooperation at many other levels.In addition,a commercial company has been established,SPM3D LLC,which now employs more than 14 engineers in the field of 3D acquisition,point cloud processing and modeling.This article summarizes the history of the cooperation and presents the results of associated student projects.In addition,results of joint work on the development of a virtual laser scanner are presented,part of a German-Ukrainian initiative to digitize teaching.     

A FIFTY-YEARS RETROSPECT

Abstract

The International Population Union.—In 1927, as President of the Geographical Association, it was my duty to deliver an address to the Association. I chose as my subject “Population and Migration” with special reference to the English-speaking peoples. One result of the publication of this in Geography, the journal of the Association, was that I was invited to attend the World Population Conference, which was held at Geneva in August-September 1927. The Conference was a very interesting affair. It was organized, and largely paid for, by Mrs. Margaret Sanger. About twenty-four countries were represented. The late Sir Bernard Mallet presided, and in one of his speeches, winding up the Conference, he truly said that we might “congratulate ourselves on having shown the world that population questions, which bristle with controversy, political, moral, and religious, can be discussed by sensible people without animosity or unseemly wrangling”.     

Gottfried Konecny:the ambassador of photogrammetry and remote sensing for 75 years

A 90th birthday would be a milestone celebration for any person,but exceptionally rare if the person is still active after 75 years of working and serving the photogrammetric and remote sensing communities worldwide.This unprecedented career is the motivation to reflect on the technological developments of the past 75 years in the light of Gottfried Konecny's lifetime achievements.I started to get to know Gottfried not long before he officially retired from the Institute for Photogrammetry and Engineering Surveys in 1998.Furthermore,I was not even born when he,as a young and talented scholar supported by the Fulbright Scholarship from the US Government,arrived at the Ohio State University(OSU),which has been my professional home for three decades.In the second half of Gottfried's 75-year career,the technological changes have been phenomenal,and,furthermore,shown an accelerating trend in the past few years.It is absolutely remarkable how Gottfried has been able to keep up with these rapid changes and advancing technologies and exploits them for mapping and,in general,for all the users of the geospatial field at large.Additionally,his open-minded and kind personality has been always a major plus to his technical skills and experiences,and ultimately helped him assist many colleagues to advance their careers,and along the way developed and increased the use of geospatial data and systems in support of many countries worldwide.     

How well do we understand Earth observation electro-optical sensor parameters?

Since the launch of LANDSAT-1, the Earth observation systems' capability and utilisation has increased substantially. The past decade has seen a number of remote sensing satellites with improved capabilities. Understanding the sensor parameters from a user's standpoint is not that easy. In the context of increasing relevance and dependence on fusion of data from various sensors, there is an urgent need to standardise the sensor parameters specified. The present paper is an attempt to raise some of the concerns regarding specifying spatial, radiometric, spectral and temporal resolution. I solicit inputs from the readers on the points raised to formulate a consolidated recommendation for the ISPRS Council to propose to the international community.     

应急服务空间数据集成研究进展

第21届国际摄影测量与遥感大会（ISPRS）于2008年7月在北京召开。大会共举办了10个大类275场次的学术交流活动,共收集论文全文1881篇。其中应急服务空间数据集成主题共收录来自中国、加拿大、日本、德国、法国、意大利等9个国家的18篇会议论文,围绕应急服务信息快速获取、应急服务信息共享与互操作、应急服务决策支持系统、灾害情景分析、应急响应空间数据基础设施建设等方面展开了系统研究,这基本反映了该主题的研究现状和发展前沿。     

History of the Photogrammetric Society

The Photogrammetric Society was formed in 1952. The Council of the Society considered that the twentieth anniversary was a good point at which to record the events which led to its formation and the significant occasions and decisions which have taken place since 1952. Consequently, Paul Lamboit was invited to compile this History. He has placed the birth and development of the society within the national and international photogrammetric context and his record of the deliberations which took place between 1947 and 1952 will be of particular interest to historians of our subject.
This account was first published in a limited edition in 1971. Sufficient interest has since been expressed to prompt a wider circulation through publication in the Photogrammetric Record .
The author served the Society continuously in several official capacities from 1953 to 1969 and he was elected to Honorary Membership in 1969.     

HISTORY OF THE PHOTOGRAMMETRIC SOCIETY

The Photogrammetric Society was formed in 1952. The Council of the Society considered that the twentieth anniversary was a good point at which to record the events which led to its formation and the significant occasions and decisions which have taken place since 1952. Consequently, Paul Lamboit was invited to compile this History. He has placed the birth and development of the Society within the national and international photogrammetric context and his record of the deliberations which took place between 1947 and 1952 will be of particular interest to historians of our subject. This account was first published in a limited edition in 1971. Sufficient interest has since been expressed to prompt a wider circulation through publication in the Photogrammetric Record. The author served the Society continuously in several official capacities from 1953 to 1969 and he was elected to Honorary Membership in 1969.     

光学航天传感器几何建模与DEM生成新进展

高分辨率光学卫星成像系统正越来越多地应用于遥感和摄影测量领域。根据新型的高分辨率卫星影像系统主要特点及高分辨率卫星测图的关键技术的发展趋势,以第21届国际摄影测量与遥感大会“光学航天传感器几何建模与DEM生成”专题中的51篇文章为参考,总结了目前典型的光学卫星影像（主要是IRS—P5和ALOS／PRISM）的几何建模方法,影像匹配与DEM提取方法以及光学航天传感器在其他方面的应用。     

航空数字摄影测量传感器系统新进展

近些年来,随着数字成像技术的快速发展,大幅面框幅式数字航空成像系统和机载三线阵成像系统正得到迅速推广和应用,本文根据数字成像系统的新特点及国内外主要研究方向,参考第21届国际摄影测量与遥感大会中关于该专题的49篇文章,对航空数字成像系统的数据处理与系统集成、Leica ADS40系统、VEXCEL/Microsoft UltraCamD/UltraCamX系统、Intergraph DMC系统、无人机（UAV）数字航空成像系统等研究方向进行了总结。     

中国小比例尺卫星影象地图的设计与制作

利用数字化的NOAA AVHRR数据进行小比例尺、准同步宏观制图是一种低成本和快速的制图方法。笔者应用本文方法制作了第一幅小比例尺的、完整的中国假彩色卫星影象地图。它包含了全部的南中国海,这是使用其他的遥感数据(如陆地卫星或SPOT卫星)难以做到的。该图采用了热红外、近红外和可见光的红波段所构成的假彩色合成方案,提供了丰富的色彩和影象信息。本图制作时实施的数据处理内容包括:地图投影变换、影象反差增强和锐化、彩色平衡调整、去云处理和海陆分离处理、利用植被指数原理的影象时相修正和数字镶嵌操作等。根据影象地图的载负量和视觉效果,图上精心选取并设计了地理要素、地图符号和注记。该图是应用遥感新技术开发的地图新产品,被十七届国际摄影测量与遥感会议选为展示成果,并被该会评为获奖成果。     

Studies on DMC geometry

Since the ISPRS Congress 2000 in Amsterdam, there are great expectations in matrix-CCD based digital cameras for aerial photogrammetry and mapping applications. During the last two years the number of DMC cameras in the market has raised significantly (32 cameras were sold until March 2006). This paper discusses the DMC accuracy focusing on the role of self-calibration parameters and the assessment of automatic DEM quality. This investigation concluded that under the current status of DMC an appropriate set of self-calibration parameters is necessary in order to achieve theoretical accuracy and precision, which were discussed in early literature.In the following discussions, the accuracy of the DMC is analyzed comparing its performance in automatic DEM generation to that of an analog camera using a Lidar DEM as reference. Despite the fact that the higher image quality of the DMC should overcome the poorer base-to-height ratio, the presented results did not reach the expected accuracies. However, our current study is not yet conclusive on this topic because the DMC, the analog images and the LIDAR data have not been acquired at the same time.     

XVth INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTE SENSING

The XVth International Congress of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, organised by the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, was held at Rio Centro. Rio de Janeiro from 17th to 29th June, 1984. Reports on the activities of the seven technical Commissions as well as on the Exhibition and the General Assembly were given to a meeting of the Photogrammetric Society on 16th October, 1984. Papers were published in the International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 25.     

A building extraction approach for Airborne Laser Scanner data utilizing the Object Based Image Analysis paradigm

In the past two decades Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) established itself as an efficient approach for the classification and extraction of information from remote sensing imagery and, increasingly, from non-image based sources such as Airborne Laser Scanner (ALS) point clouds. ALS data is represented in the form of a point cloud with recorded multiple returns and intensities. In our work, we combined OBIA with ALS point cloud data in order to identify and extract buildings as 2D polygons representing roof outlines in a top down mapping approach. We performed rasterization of the ALS data into a height raster for the purpose of the generation of a Digital Surface Model (DSM) and a derived Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Further objects were generated in conjunction with point statistics from the linked point cloud. With the use of class modelling methods, we generated the final target class of objects representing buildings. The approach was developed for a test area in Biberach an der Riß (Germany). In order to point out the possibilities of the adaptation-free transferability to another data set, the algorithm has been applied “as is” to the ISPRS Benchmarking data set of Toronto (Canada). The obtained results show high accuracies for the initial study area (thematic accuracies of around 98%, geometric accuracy of above 80%). The very high performance within the ISPRS Benchmark without any modification of the algorithm and without any adaptation of parameters is particularly noteworthy.