Coastal Services Center

Summary

Airborne multispectral (MS) camera systems are currently being deployed by many private sector vendors. These sensors are complex systems incorporating multiple cameras, different storage solutions, airborne inertial measurement units (IMU), Differential Global Positioning Units (DGPS), and specialized software for georeferencing, mosaicing, and color balancing. These multispectral systems can collect stereo black and white, color infrared, and true-color imagery using a single pass at the customer-required ground resolution.

Airborne multispectral camera systems are usually based on Charge Coupled Device (CCD) arrays and fall into two categories: frame sensors, which use square or rectangular CCD arrays and have geometric characteristics similar to a film camera and line sensors or scanners, which use linear CCD arrays and therefore have geometries similar to satellite sensors.

Different Data Products

Point to the names below to view the different data products.

True-Color Image	Nearshore Habitat Mapping Coastal zone resource analysts use aerial MS in combination with multibeam acoustic sensors to infer the distributions and extents of different habitat classes.
Panchromatic
Near Infrared (NIR)

Applied Uses

Examples of how airborne multispectral data are being used:

Other Potential Uses:

• Habitat Studies
• Habitat Mapping
• Wetland/Riparian Studies
• Natural Resource Management
• Land Use/Land Cover Mapping and Analysis
• Forestry
• Agriculture
• Mining and Exploration
• Environmental Assessments
• Transportation
• Emergency Response and Evacuation Planning
• Urban Planning and Studies

Specifications

Spatial Resolution

In general, these technologies collect submeter panchromatic and submeter multispectral imagery.

The following table lists specifications for a few of the existing airborne multispectral systems:

Temporal Resolution

Revisit rate is dependent upon flight scheduling.

Data Ordering Details

Data Acquisition	Many private companies, academic institutions, and government agencies that produce and provide airborne multispectral data.
Timing	Many time constraints are associated with airborne multispectral imagery collection and delivery: Flight schedules can be delayed due to seasonal restrictions, weather, and environmental factors. Project areas may be large enough that multiple flights are needed. Post processing can be time consuming. Producing additional deliverables can delay the delivery schedule.
Cost	Cost can vary depending on size of project, spatial accuracy, and project location. Cost may also increase based on additional product requests (i.e., DEMs, DTMs, contours, etc.), specific accuracy requirements, or licensing restrictions. more info
Data Formats/Software Needed	There are no standard file formats for airborne multispectral imagery. Typically, vendors deliver imagery in the GeoTiff format. more info
Projections	Airborne multispectral data can be delivered in many different projections and datums.
Licensing	Licensing restrictions vary for each vendor. Many providers do not have restrictions on their data products, but some companies do require licensing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Data Aquisition

Can I download or request airborne multispectral imagery on-line?
Several vendors have example imagery available at their Web sites.

Cost

How much does it cost?
Cost can vary depending on size of project, environmental constraints, spatial resolution, and spatial accuracy.

Data Formats/Software Needed

What types of software are required?
Airborne MS imagery is commonly formatted as a GeoTIFF. Any software capable of processing 8-bit or 11-bit GeoTIFF data can view the imagery. Examples include:

• Adobe^® PhotoShop^®
• Paint Shop Pro^®

Higher-end image processing and analysis will require specialized software, including:

• ESRI products (ArcView^®, ArcInfo^®, ArcGIS^®, etc.)
• ERDAS IMAGINE and OrthoBASE^®
• ER Mapper^®
• RSI ENVI^®
• PCI Geomatica^®, and OrthoEngine^® and IKONOS support module
• SOCET SET^®

Is freeware available for using these data?
A number of freeware viewers will allow you to view image data and perform simple tasks. It is recommended that you contact the software companies for more details. The following are some examples of freeware viewers:

For more Information