UAV Photogrammetry for Environmental Monitoring

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental monitoring refers to processes and actions conducted to describe and monitor the status of an environment. It is a crucial aspect in any analysis of environmental impact assessment. Monitoring involves different methods of data acquisition and processing, for which it may be challenging to optimize the workflow design, the accuracy, effectiveness, cost, etc. Although geomatic techniques have been extensively used in environmental monitoring with success, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry is becoming an optimum solution for small–medium-sized areas where very high resolution, both spatial and temporal, is needed. UAV photogrammetry is filling a gap in the spatial data collection methods ranging from space remote sensing to conventional airborne and terrestrial techniques.

At present, unmanned aerial systems have evolved into a mature technology. The miniaturization of components (GNSS/INS), developments in carrier platforms, ground control stations and communication data links, autopilot systems, new sensors (RGB, multi- and hyperspectral, thermal, LiDAR, etc.), falling prices, as well as new developments in data processing (mainly SfM/MVS), have opened a broad range of new applications in environmental monitoring.

This Special Issue seeks innovative and well-documented articles where UAV-based data/photogrammetry are/is used in the field of environmental monitoring. Submitted manuscripts may cover, although not limited to, topics related to: novel systems and methods for data acquisition (passive and active sensors, multi-sensor approaches); georeferencing (indirect vs. direct orientation); point cloud generation and processing; DSM/DTM analysis; orthoimagery and 4D modelling; and spatial–time evolution for environmental applications (catastrophes, hazards, erosion, floods, landslides, coastal monitoring, glaciology, change detection, forestry, natural heritage preservation, fauna and flora monitoring and identification).

Dr. Javier Cardenal Escarcena
Dr. Jorge Delgado García
Dr. Joaquim João Moreira de Sousa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.