Whether Remote Sensing is Science, Art, or Technology

[Excerpted from my book ‘Research Methods in Remote Sensing’]

A frequently raised question in remote sensing community is that whether remote sensing is science, or technology, or art. Many of the literature preferred to define remote sensing as “science and art of obtaining and interpreting information about an object, area, or phenomenon through the analysis” (e.g., Jensen 2006; Bhatta 2011). However, remote sensing is a perfect blend of science, technology, and art. Lillesand et al. (2007) stated “Remote sensing is the science, technology, and art of obtaining information about an object, area, or phenomenon by analyzing data acquired by a device that is not in physical direct contact with the object, area or phenomenon under investigation”. Alavipanah et al. (2010) have shown a conceptual diagram of blending science, technology, and art as remote sensing.

Science is a system of acquiring knowledge based on the scientific methods, as well as the organized body of knowledge gained through such research. It is the understanding and continuous exploration of the natural world. Science is often driven by whim or curiosity without having any application goal. Science, as defined here, is sometimes termed pure science to differentiate it from applied science that is the application of scientific research to specific human needs. Science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge. This system uses observation and experimentation to describe and explain natural phenomena. Technology is applying the outcome of scientific principles to innovate and improve the man-made things in the world. The output of Technology is a new or better process of doing. In human society, it is a consequence of science. Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect. In simple words, art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. If one can use different process to create a thing (output) using the same inputs it is called art. Generally, in science or technology, we use a standard process to create a thing (output) using same inputs. Science becomes art when one crosses the boundaries of set rules or explicit instructions and run on instinct or intuition. It is much more evident in areas of science that have not yet been fully discovered.

Remote sensing is a tool or technique similar to mathematics. Using sophisticated sensors to measure the amount of electromagnetic energy exiting an object or geographic area from a distance, and then extracting valuable information from the data using mathematically and statistically based algorithms is a scientific and technologic activity. It functions in harmony with other spatial data collection techniques or tools of the mapping sciences, including cartography and GIS. The synergism of combining scientific knowledge with real-world analyst experience allows the interpreter to develop heuristic rules of thumb to extract valuable information from the imagery. It is a fact that some image analysts are much superior to others because they: (1) understand the scientific principles better, (2) are more widely travelled and have seen many landscape objects and geographic areas first hand, and (3) can synthesize scientific principles and real-world knowledge to reach logical and correct conclusions (Jensen 2006).

Interpreting remotely sensed images is an open-ended task (Hoffman and Markman 2001). The perception of image in the part of the interpretation of remotely sensed images are the most outstanding and artistic parts of remote sensing. Human is created such that he is able to percept the realities of the entity. In other words, human is equipped with intellect by which he can percept his surrounding world.

Automatic image processing techniques (by using computers) remain inadequate for remote sensing data analysis (Friedl et al. 1988). The human must be in the ‘loop’; since the human, unlike the computer, can perceive and can form and reform concepts (Hoffman and Markman 2001). Important to realize, human interpreter can derive very little information using a point-by-point approach. Many of original interpretations depended not only on the imagery itself but also on the skill and experience of interpreter (Campbell 1996).

For the purpose of the perception of image in interpretation of remotely sensed images, the necessity of using artistic outcomes and in particular applied arts become more prominent. Having ability to make a visual inspection along with ‘visual knowledge’, beautiful selection and the efficiency of colours by considering the principles of compatibility and lack of compatibility of colour, increase of idea fertilization and ability to have a specific observance with the help of imagination and mental creativity and order are among the consequences which make possible utilization of this issue and having access to that will increase the ability to interpret (Alavipanah et al. 2010). Since the visual interpretation of remotely sensed images is mostly accompanied with individual judgment, a researcher should know how to employ the scientific and proper methods to reach the goal. In most of the cases, the conditions of the earth which appear in the image are complex. As a result, sometimes, knowledge and experience of an interpreter fails to make a link between the phenomena of the earth and the information content of an image.

Therefore, from the preceding discussion, it is evident that remote sensing is a blend of science, technology, and art. The important thing one should realize is that information extracted from remote sensing data may vary from analyst to analyst to some extents and achieving one hundred percent accuracy is never possible.

References
Alavipanah, S.K., Ghazanfari, K., and Khakbaz, B. (2010). Remote Sensing and Image Understanding as Reflected in Poetical Literature of Iran. Proceedings of Remote Sensing for Science, Education, and Natural and Cultural Heritage, 30th Symposium of European Association of Remote Sensing Laboratories, 31th May — 3rd June, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France. URL:http://www.earsel.org/symposia/2010-sym ... 0_1-02.pdf, Accessed 29 July 2011.
Bhatta, B. (2011). Remote Sensing and GIS (2nd Ed.). New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Campbell, J.B. (1996). Introduction to remote sensing, New York: Guilford. 
Hoffman; R.R., and Markman, A.B. (Eds.) (2001). Interpreting Remote Sensing Imagery: Human Factors. Boca Raton: CRC press. 
Hoffman; R.R., and Markman, A.B. (Eds.) (2001). Interpreting Remote Sensing Imagery: Human Factors. Boca Raton: CRC press. 
Jensen, J.R. (2006). Remote Sensing of the Environment: An Earth Resource Perspective (2nd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

My new book (Research Methods in Remote Sensing)

I am going to publish my new book "Research Methods in Remote Sensing" from Springer, Germany.

This book introduces the overall concepts of research methods in Remote Sensing. It also addresses the entire research framework, ranging from ontology to documentation. As such, it covers the theory while providing a solid basis for engaging in concrete research activities. It is not intended as a textbook on remote sensing; rather, it offers guidance to those conducting research by examining philosophical and other issues that are generally not covered by textbooks. Various stages of research are discussed in detail, including illustrative discussions and helpful references. The topics considered in this book cover a part of the research methodologies explored in Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs. The book’s physical format has been kept to a compact, handy minimum in order to maximize its accessibility and readability for a broad range of researchers in the field of remote sensing.

In the early days of remote sensing, concerns of research were primarily ranged over contemporary physical and biological (biophysical) space and their arrangements as they could be documented. The methods that were used to explain, model, and predict different biophysical aspects became progressively more quantitative. Further, the new technologies and theoretical perspectives that emerged in the last few decades helped to redefine the objects of inquiry and extend the methods in use for collecting and analyzing remote sensing data and evaluating researches. 

Being a blend of science, art, and technology, and being multidisciplinary in nature, remote sensing generally associates complex non-linear research methods. Remote sensing has many different sensors and a wide variety of application areas. As a result, the research methods in this emerging field became more complicated and diverse. With the advent of new generation sensors and computer-based techniques for image analysis, remote sensing imageries are now being used more and more in several new folds of scientific researches. Because of its vastness, often, remote sensing becomes a distinct field of study rather than being utilized as a tool in a scientific field. As a result, new researchers in this field often get confused and overlook several issues important to be considered.

This book is an introduction to research methods in remote sensing. A research method is a way of collecting and analyzing the data. This sounds very ‘nuts and bolts’, but there is no way to properly engage in research (or in methods) without also tackling some of the fundamental theoretical questions. These questions are philosophical in nature, e.g., ontology, epistemology, paradigm, ethics, etc. This book is to furnish the overall concepts of research methods in Remote Sensing; starting from the theoretical ontology to the documentation of research. This book, therefore, covers the theory while providing a solid basis for engaging in concrete research activities. This book is not intended to become a textbook of remote sensing; rather, it has the intention to guide a researcher in conducting their research by documenting the issues that are generally not covered by a textbook.

The book is comprised with eight chapters. Chapter 1 is mainly aimed to document the definitions and overview. It begins with the definition and application areas of remote sensing of the earth’s surface, and proceeds towards the research types and research framework in the light of remote sensing. Chapter 2 is intended to discuss the entire research framework—ontology, epistemology, paradigm, methodology, methods, conclusions and recommendations. Chapter 3 is aimed to discuss the data and their collection/selection methods and related issues. First it discusses the factors influencing the selection of remote sensing data for different types of applications; and then it addresses the ground truth and other ancillary data. Chapter 4 emphasizes the general discussion of remote sensing data analysis. This chapter is based on concepts rather than tools and techniques; constraints and freedoms are also addressed in context. Chapter 5 deals with the research design and its parts— sampling design, observational design, analytical design, and operational design. Chapter 6 helps to understand the nature of power and politics and the critical role of ethics in scientific research, especially remote sensing research. Chapter 7 is aimed to discuss the methods and issues involved in documenting a research outcome. It is a guide on how to write a research paper, dissertation, and thesis.

I recommend this book for every researcher in the remote sensing community.