Course Description
Principles and techniques of interpreting and mapping biological, physical, and cultural features of the Earth, as well as making accurate measurements (i.e., photogrammetry), from aerial images acquired from cameras and sensors mounted on unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drones), airplanes, and satellite platforms.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
additional readings, assignments, and questions on tests
Athena Title
Aerial Photos Image Interpret
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course meets the following General Education Abilities by accomplishing the specific learning objectives listed below: To increase students' abilities to think geographically To increase students' understanding of urban geography To increase students' abilities to interpret information about urban influences on and within the world outside of cities To increase students’ appreciation of the material inequality that exists within most cities. This course meets the following General Education Abilities by accomplishing the specific learning objectives listed below: Communicate effectively through writing. This is met by a series of writing assignments associated with supplemental reading and data analysis. Communicate effectively through speech. This is met by oral presentations, discussion leading, and classroom participation. Computer Literacy is addressed through course administration, student-faculty electronic interaction, data analysis activities and assignments, and exposure to GIS technologies. Critical Thinking is central to the learning objectives of this class, and are developed through homework assignments, lecture, classroom discussion, and inquiry- based learning efforts. Moral Reasoning (Ethics) is an important element of this course, as it considers ethical guidelines for use of geographic mappintg technologies and considers the role of mapping sciences in economic development and human welfare. Moral reasoning is developed through lectures, writing assignments, classroom discussion, and inquiry-based learning activities.
Topical Outline
Principles and techniques of extracting descriptive and metric information about the environment from aerial photographs acquired in analog and digital forms. Applications emphasize planimetric mapping and interpretation of physical and cultural landscapes. A term project using the techniques is required. Maps and Air Photos Environmental Metrics Fundamentals of Air Photo Interpretation Scale and Measurement Object Displacement and Parallax Circular and Chromatic Aberrations Black and white Air Photos Natural Color Air Photos Color Infrared Air Photos Analog vs. Digital Technologies Photogrammetric Mapping Interpreting Terrain Features Interpreting Cultural Features Digital Orthophotoquads (DOQQs) The Latest Technologies
Syllabus