National Remote Sensing Centre

nrsc

Aerial Services & Digital Mapping

NRSC - Factsheet A - 16 (Jan, 2014)

AS&DM has a fleet of two pressurized twin-turbopropBeechcraft B-200 aircraft specially modified with opticalports, pressure box and antennas to install various airbornesensors and can carryout aerial surveys upto an altitude of29000 ft.

NRSC Aircraft

Aerial Services & Digital Mapping Area (AS&DMA) of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of Indian Space ResearchOrganisation (ISRO) is the civilian Government entity in the country with end-to-end state-of-the-art infrastructure andcapability in the domain of Aerial photography, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)surveys. Since coming into existence in the year 1975 as Research Flight Facility (RFF) to carry out research and aerial surveysin India, this area is keeping itself up to date in incorporating latest technologies in line with the ever changing userrequirements. At present, this facility is engaged in the generation of geodatabases required for Disaster ManagementSupport Programme (DMSP) as well as supporting special scientific missions such as atmospheric studies, calibration of sensorsand navigational instruments used in space missions.

Sensors

The facility has a wide variety of sensors that can acquirethe required terrain information. The data acquisitioncapabilities include day and night operating sensors tomeasure terrain height, cloud penetrating sensors and multispectral imaging.

The facility has imaging/non-imaging and active/passivesensors such as

• Large Format Digital Camera (LFDC)

• Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR)

• Hyper spectral Imaging

• Laser Scanner with Digital Camera (LSDC)

The data will be further processed to generate value addedproducts. In addition to standard sensors, the aircraft is alsoused for atmospheric studies using multiple monitoringinstruments and for test and evaluation of sensors designedfor airborne as well as space based applications. AS & DMAalso supports special scientific missions.

Data Acquisition

Electronics

GSM 3000 Mount

CCNS & Aerocontrol

Power console

Ultracam-D

Data processing facilities

AS&DM has large geospatial database generation facilityhaving modern data processing and mapping capabilityin the areas of airborne data processing, GPS processing,Photogrammetry and GIS. It is supported by highlyqualified and trained professionals in the following areasto carry out the projects to international standards:

• Flight planning

• Aerial data preprocessing

• High precision scanner

• High end Digital Photogrammetry systems

• Ground control survey facility for collection andData processing for Short, Long baselines &Precise Point Positioning of GPS data

• CAD/GIS facility

• QA/QC team

NRSC Aircraft

LFDC installation in the aircraft

Flight plan System installation

GPS data collection Digital Photogrammetry lab

National Remote Sensing Centre

Capabilities

AS&DM provides mapping and GIS services from airborneand high resolution satellite data. The core strength ofthis facility is its ability to provide complete end-to-endgeomatics solutions under one roof from data acquisitionto value added products . The salient features are

• Capability to acquire images of photo scales from1:400 up to 1:40,000, having resolutions from 5cmto 80cm

• Capability to provide terrain height information upto an accuracy of 15 cm with high point density.

• The facility can process the data using the state ofthe art processing photogrammetry/ otheradvanced methods to generate Digital ElevationModels (DEMs) and maps.

• Generation of high resolution topographical maps,GIS data bases which are useful in utility planning,disaster applications etc.

• Value addition such as 3D city models andflythrough for better visualization.

• Expertise in collection and processing of preciseground control points (GCPs) using Geodetic GPSreceivers.

• Support for special scientific missions such asatmospheric studies, calibration of sensors andnavigational instruments used in future spacemissions is also provided by this facility.

LFDC image of Salarjung Museum , Hyderabad (5 cm GSD)

Services

The major services provided by AS&DM

• Aerial surveys using various airborne sensors suchas LFDC and Airborne LiDAR

• Generation of large scale digital topographic maps

• High resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs)

• GIS services with aerial data

• 3D city models and flythrough

Generation of large scale 2D/3D maps for variousnational and international projects such as flood plainmapping for Disaster Management SupportProgramme, coastal zone mapping for TsunamiWarning Systems, 3D utility mapping for e-governancefor major cities, creation of topographic map forMaldives, rail corridor feasibility study for Katra-Qazigund etc., were carried out.

LFDC image of Buddha statue, Hyderabad (5 cm GSD)

Lumbini park, Hyderabad

Corresponding map Corresponding 3D model

National Remote Sensing Centre

Flood Plain Mapping for Disaster Management

The high resolution DEMsgenerated under this projectare used in FloodManagement Informationsystems for flood modelingand flood risk assessments.

• Generated high resolutionDEM and GIS spatialdatabase of 30,000 sq. kmof area using data fromLaser Scanner with DigitalCamera (LSDC). The areascovered include parts ofMahanadi, Godavari, Gangaand Brahmaputra riverbasins.

• Generation of DEM foranother 30,000 sq.km ofarea under DMSP is inpipeline.

Aerial Data for Cadastral Resurvey

This pilot cadastral resurvey applications was carried outfor Survey Settlement & Land Records, Government ofAndhra Pradesh towards an Integrated Land InformationSystem (ILIS).

• Cadastral Resurvey of Nizamabad district of AndhraPradesh covering an area of 6600 sq. km. using aerialphotography (1:10000) & Photogrammetry techniques.

• A seamless ortho product with an accuracy of 25cm wasmade for the entire district.

• Unique project and first of its kind in the country, takenup for such a large area. Has demonstrated the aerialsurvey technology for Cadastral resurvey applications.

Point cloud Surface model Elevation model

Close contour2D mapOrtho image

Major projects

Aerial photography & 3D utility mapping

The data generated from this project is used inwater and sewerage management, transportation,revenue tax collection, and other location basedservices in their day-to-day operations and infuture planning and development.

• Created large scale 3D spatial at 1:1000(including attribute information) for Hyderabad,Bengaluru and Kolkata from Aerial Photographsof 1:6000 for National Informatics Centre (NIC).

• Detailed floor level mapping was carried outusing Photogrammetry techniques.

Cadastral map of part of Nizamabad district

Charminar, Hyderabad and surroundings

Corresponding 3D model

Sample products of Paradip port, Odisha

www.nrsc.gov.inwww.bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in

National Remote Sensing Centre

International project carried out for the Ministry of ExternalAffairs (MEA), Government of India.

• The Maldives archipelago comprises of 1189 Islands having300 sq. km of land area spread over 80,000 sq. km ofocean, hence was a challenge to extend photogrammetriccontrol.

• NRSC had acquired Aerial photography in 1:40,000 scale forentire Republic of Maldives and 1: 6000 scale for selectedislands.

• Digital maps of 1: 25,000 scale for entire Republic ofMaldives & 1: 1000 scale for selected islands wereprepared.

Aerial Photography and Mapping of Republic of Maldives

For further details contact:General ManagerAerial Services and Digital Mapping AreaNational Remote Sensing CentreBalanagar, Hyderabad 500037

Phone: +91 (0)40 2388 4470/71Fax: +91 (0)40 2388 4483e-mail: gmasdma@nrsc.gov.in

Survey sorties for atmospheric research have been conducted for Regional AerosolWarming Experiment (RAWEX)

• To characterize elevated layers of aerosol over the Indian region, theiramplitude, frequency of occurrence, seasonal trends and gradients.

• To quantify the contribution of absorbing aerosols (dust and black carbon) in theregional warming.

• Estimation of the radiative impact of the elevated aerosol layers and assess theclimate implications, including its impact on the commencement advance anddistribution of Indian monsoon.

• CO2 sensor data is also collected along with other atmospheric sensors.

Atmospheric Research

Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar surveys

The SAR sensor is used to generate data products in disasterscenario for damage assessment, relief & rescue operation.

• Conducted test flights of Development Model of airborneSynthetic Aperture Radar (DM-SAR) developed indigenously bySpace Application Centre, Ahmedabad as part of ISRO’S DisasterManagement Support Programme.

• It is an active sensor which has cloud penetrating and all-weather imaging capability being utilized for mapping andmonitoring of large areas affected by natural disasters especiallyfloods.

Ground Control Points library (GCPL)

Ground Control Point Library (GCPL) for collection of preciseground control points (GCPs) for entire Indian region forprocessing and generation of Cartosat-1 ortho rectified data.

• A total of 4000 GCPs (WGS 84 reference frame) werecollected for the country with better than 50 cmplanimetric accuracy.

• Apart from GCPs collection, using ‘zero’ order stations,Indian plate velocity due to tectonic movement wasestimated.

Kosi river breach captured by DM-SAR

2D map of Part of Male

Nephelometer

GCP distribution