Professional meetings on photogrammetry and remote sensing in the United States of America

42

Photogrammetria, 41 (1986) 42-51 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam - - Printed in The Netherlands

Reports

National Professional Meetings Editorial According to our editorial policy, PRS will publish reports. Three subfields of reports can be distinguished: (a) Reports on meetings covering solely photogrammetry and/or remote sensing inasmuch as they have an international or at least a regional-geographical bearing. (b) Reports on meetings of international organizations touching photogrammetry and remote sensing. (c) Reports on national meetings, being of interest to foreign readers of PRS, can be published with updating in intervals of something like four years; the ASPRS Annual Convention is an example. Hereinafter, we launch the latter category (c). The background idea is that, as an example, an Australian reader who plans to visit Europe two years from now may wish to attend a professional meeting provided he knows when, where, what, and whom to contact. He also may wish to subscribe to a national journal provided he knows whether it can be interesting to him, and whom to contact. Reports of category (c) are supposed to fill this gap and to supply relevant information. The feasibility of this new series has been checked through inquiring 70 professionals in all continents. 90 per cent of the replies were positive. Some responsees propose to publish data of national events in tabulated format for quicker reference, and grouped in geographical regions. That requires Region-Editors; PRS, herewith, invites volunteers. So far, the intention of this new series is to provide information on possibilities. Specific dates can be obtained via the respective contact address/telex.

Professional Meetings on Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing in the United States of America I GENERAL The principal organization in the United States sponsoring professional meetings on photogrammetry and remote sensing is the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS). It should be noted that, as of March 1985, ASPRS adopted its new name, changing from the old name, American Society of Photogrammetry (ASP). In addition, there are several other American organizations with fields of interest touching or overlapping those of ASPRS. Technical meetings are frequently co-sponsored by several organizations. For example, a conference on applications of satellite imagery might be sponsored jointly by a university, a government agency, ASPRS, and a society with a special interest in the engineering aspects of the subject. Professional meetings in the U.S.A. are generally of two kinds: (1) broad annual-convention types of meetings in which technical presentations and exhibits cover the entire spectrum of the subject, and (2) specialty conferences in which the proceedings are limited to intensive treatment of one theme. The organizing committee for each meeting develops the theme and subjects to be covered, and then issues a call for papers. The call for papers is usually circulated in three ways: (1) direct mail to an appropriate mailing list, (2) notices in the society's own publications, and (3} notices in publications of other societies. Most of the meetings are publicized in Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, the monthly journal of ASPRS, regardless of whether ASPRS is one of the sponsors.

0031-8663/86/$03.50

© 1986 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.

43 In addition to the technical presentations in the form of lectures, panel discussions and poster sessions, there is usually an exhibit of equipment, techniques, and services pertaining to the subject of the meeting. In the case of Annual and Fall conventions, there are business meetings of governingboards and committees, open meetings of the Society and its component organizations, and award sessions to honor outstanding achievements. The social aspect is observed with appropriate parties and receptions, and with special tours and other events for spouses of meeting participants. There may also be technical tours to installations of technical interest located in the vicinity. 2 SPECIFIC MEETINGS

2.1 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing ( ASPRS ) ASPRS holds two major week-long meetings each year: The Annual Convention, held in March, and the Fall Convention held in September or October. For the last 3 decades, these meetings have been held jointly with the American Congress on Surveyingand Mapping (ACSM). Future ASPRSACSM major meetings have been scheduled as follows: Sept. 28-October 3, 1986 Anchorage, Alaska March 22-27, 1987 Baltimore, Maryland October 4-9, 1987 Reno, Nevada March 13-18, 1988 St. Louis, Missouri September 11-16, 1988 Virginia Beach, Virginia March 12-17, 1989 Baltimore, Maryland September 7-12, 1989 Cleveland, Ohio March 18-24, 1990 Denver, Colorado September 23-28, 1990 Atlantic City, New Jersey The Annual Convention held in Washington, D.C., in March 1986, was attended by some 6000 persons. About 270 separate papers were presented in the technical sessions of the two meetings. To accomodate so extensive a program, simultaneous sessions were necessary, so that at times six papers were being presented at the same time. The papers presented in the technical sessions were pre-printed for distribution to registrants at the convention. The set of papers came in five volumes, with the following titles: (1) Cartography and Education; (2) Surveying, Instrumentation, and the Global Positioning Systems; (3) Geographic Information Systems; (4) Photogrammetry and (5) Remote Sensing. ASPRS and ACSM have followed the practice of pre-printing Annual and Fall Convention Papers for over 20 years. Indexes to some of these volumes are available from ASPRS. The exhibit hall at the 1986 Annual Convention was filled to overflowing with a vast array of instruments, hardware, software, literature, and products related to surveying, mapping, photogrammetry and remote sensing. This Annual Exhibit is the largest of its kind held anywhere in the world. The 99 separate organizations sponsoring exhibits contributed greatly to the success of the Convention. The fact that the Convention is a joint activity of ASPRS and ACSM is of great importance to the exhibitors, for this enables them to reach both groups of practitioners with a single exhibit; this is one of the principal reasons ASPRS and ACSM hold their conventions jointly. Much of the organizational business of ASPRS and ACSM is conducted during the major meetings. Each Society holds meetings of its Board of Direction, its divisions or member organizations, and its multitude of committees. In addition, the social events permit valuable contacts between individuals. Each society maintains a booth in the registration area where information is available and society publications can be purchased. The 1987 Annual Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, will have another attraction, also spon-

44 sored by A S P R S and A C S M , Auto Carto B, the eighth in a seriesof international conferences on Automation in Cartography. Other ASPRS meetings. In addition to the two major Conventions, ASPRS also conducts meetings of region or chapter organizations, usually with technical papers or panels. Specialty conferences or symposia on limited themes such as Analytical Photogrammetry, Extraction of Data from Remotely Sensed Images, or Color Aerial Photography are held from time to time, usually with ASPRS or one of its four divisions (Primary Data Acquisition, Photogrammetric Applications, Remote Sensing Applications, and Professional Practice) co-sponsoring the meeting with one or more other organizations. A typical example of co-sponsorship has been the conference held at Denver, Colorado, June 3-5, 1986 on Remote Sensing Applications: Commercial Issues and Opportunities for Space Station,co-sponsored by sixorganizations,includingASPRS. A S P R S alsoco-sponsors symposia held in the United States by the various commissions of the International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. In 1986, A S P R S has been a co-sponsor of the ISPRS Commission II Symposium on Photogrammetric and Remote Sensing Systems for Data Processing and Analysis held in Baltimore, Maryland, May 26-30. The officialjournal of A S P R S isthe monthly Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing.The Society also publishes technical papers from meetings and hard-cover books such as the Manual of Remote Sensing, the Manual of Photogrammetry, and the MultilingualDictionaryof Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry. The contact for ASPRS is William D. French, Executive Director, 210 Little Falls Street, Falls Church, VA 22046, phone 1-703-534-6617. 2.2 American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM) As described in 2.1 above, A C S M holds its major meetings jointlywith A S P R S in March and September/October of each year. Overall planning for the meetings is a joint operation in such matters as registration,exhibits,socialactivitiesand publication,but the technicalprograms are planned and carried out separatelyby the two societies.The scope of the technical sessions organized by A C S M is indicated by the names of the three A C S M member organizations: American Cartographic Association, National Society of Professional Surveyors, and American Association for Geodetic Surveying. As the activitiesof these member organizations are bound to involve photogrammetry and remote sensing in some degree,there isof course overlapping interestbetween the two societies.For example, a member engaged in making topographic maps utilizesphotogrammetry in preparing cartographic products. There isapproximately a 14% overlap in the membership of the two societies (members belonging to both societies). The schedule for future A C S M - A S P R S major meetings is given in 2.1 above. The description of the March 1986 Annual Convention, also given in 2.1 above, appliesequally to this section,2.2. The InternationalCartographic Association isa group to which A C S M belongs,whereas the international group to which A S P R S belongs is the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS). In addition, A C S M belongs to F~d~ration Internationale des G~om~tres (FIG), and the International Society of Mine Surveyors (ISM). Like ASPRS, A C S M holds meetings arranged by its member organizations or local sections with technical presentations. The officialjournal of A C S M is the quarterly Surveying and Mapping. The Society also publishes a semi-annual journal, The American Cartographer, a bi-monthly magazine, A C S M Bulletin,and a compact newspaper-type of periodical,A C S M News. A C S M publishes technicalpapers from itsmajor meetings jointlywith ASPRS. The contact for A C S M is Marshall W. Davies, Acting Executive Director, 210 LittleFallsStreet, Falls Church, V A 22046 (same address as ASPRS), phone 1-703-241-2446.

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2.3 Society of Photographic Scientists and Engineers ( SPSE ) SPSE is an internationalsocietyof professionalsconcerned with imaging science,engineering and technology.S P S E has 3000 members in 27 countries,16 chapters and 5 student chapters.The Society publishestwo journals: The Journal of Imaging Technology and The Journal of Imaging Science.SPSE conducts 4 to 6 conferencesper year.The Annual S P S E Conference isheld in May. The Fall Symposium is held in November. Specialty conferences on selectedtopics of Imaging Technology are held at various times and places.The calendar for S P S E meetings is as follows: August 24-28, 1986, Third International Congress on Advances in Non-lmpact Printing Technologies,San Francisco, Calif. October 14-17, 1986, Fifth International Conference and Exposition on Electronic Imaging, Arlington, Va. May, 1987, 40th Annual SPSE Conference, Rochester, N.Y. The contact is Executive Director,SPSE, 7003 Kilworth Lane, Springfield,V A 22151, phone 1703-642-9090.

2.4 The Society for Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) SPIE is an international society dedicated to advancing engineering and scientific applications of optical, electro-optical, and optoelectronic instrumentation, systems, and technology. The society publishes a bimonthly journal, Optical Engineering, and a multitude of conference proceedings volumes covering the various conferences it conducts, some in co-sponsorship with other organizations. SPIE also publishes Optical Engineering Reports, a newspaper-style periodical reporting on the Society's activities. SPIE holds an Annual International Symposium in San Diego, California, in August. The society also sponsors specialty conferences in various cities in the United States and other countries. For 1986, the dates and cities for SPIE conferences are as follows: August 17-22, 30th Annual International Technical Symposium on Optical and Electro-Optical Engineering, San Diego, California September 14-26, Cambridge Symposium on Optics and Opto-Electronics, Cambridge, Massachusetts October 26-31, International Conference, Cambridge, Massachusetts The contact for SPIE is Joseph Yaver, Executive Director, SPIE, P.O. Box 10, Bellingham, Washington, 98227, phone 1-206-676-3290. Telex 23-46-7053.

2.5 Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) The 20th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of the Environment will be held December 4-10, 1986 in Nairobi, Kenya. Annual meetings in this series alternate between Ann Arbor, Michigan, and other sites throughout the world, addressing a broad range of subjects in remote sensing technology. The 18th Symposium, held in Paris, France in October 1984, attracted about 700 participants; this symposium was conducted jointly by ERIM and the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). The 19th International Symposium was held in Ann Arbor, Michigan in October, 1985. Additionally, in response to the need for in-depth reviews of remote sensing techniques in specialized earth resource and environmental applications, a parallel series of thematic conferences was initiated by ERIM, Thematic conferences were held in Ft. Worth, Texas in December, 1982, in Colorado Springs, Colorado in April, 1984, and San Francisco, California in April, 1985. Future

46 thematic conferences on Remote Sensing for Exploration Geology are planned for Reno, Nevada, September 29-October 2, 1986 and Houston, Texas in the Fall of 1987. The ERIM Symposium programs include presented papers, poster sessions, and exhibits. The contact is Dr. Robert H. Rogers, Environmental Research Institute of Michigan, 3300 Plymouth Road, P.O. Box 8618, Ann Arbor, MI 48107, phone 1-313-994-1200. Telex 23-494 0991 ERIM ARB.

2.6 Pecora Symposium The Pecora Symposium was established in 1975 to foster the exchange of scientific and resource management findings resulting from the use of remotely sensed data. The symposium honors the memory of William T. Pecora, former Director of the U.S. Geological Survey and Undersecretary of the Interior, who played a major role in the establishment of the American LANDSAT system. The symposium is held annually at various locations. The 10th William T. Pecora Memorial Remote Sensing Symposium (Pecora X) was held in Fort Collins, Colorado, August 20-22, 1985. The emphasis was on Remote Sensing in Forest and Range Resource Management. Pecora X was sponsored by the Society of American Foresters, the Society for Range Management and the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The papers presented at each Pecora Symposium are published in a proceedings volume printed after the meeting. The contact for Pecora X was William S. Ciesla, USDA Forest Service, 3825 East Mulberry, Fort Collins, CO 80524.

2.7 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) The sciences of photogrammetry and remote sensing are represented in a limited manner through the Engineering Surveying (formerly Surveying and Mapping ) Division of ASCE. At the Spring and Annual Conventions of ASCE, held in various cities throughout the United States, there are usually one or two sessions sponsored by the Engineering Surveying Division. Each session includes 5 or 6 papers, with an occasional paper dealing with photogrammetry or remote sensing as applied to some engineering purpose. The Journal o[ Surveying Engineering is published aperiodically by ASCE; it does not contain many articles dealing specifically with photogrammetry or remote sensing, but it includes useful papers on the related science of surveying. Occasionally, ASCE's monthly journal, Civil Engineering, carries an article on photogrammetry or remote sensing. The 1986 Annual Convention and Exposition will be held by ASCE October 27-31, in Boston, Massachusetts. The contact for ASCE is Edward O. Pfrang, Executive Director, 345 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017, phone 1-212-705-7490.

2.8 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GARSS) GARSS was the sponsor of IGARSS 85, International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium held in Amherst, Massachusetts, October 8-10, 1985. The 1986 symposium was held at University of Ziirich-Irchel, Switzerland, September 8-11. The contact for GARSS is Eric Herz, Executive Director, IEEE, 345 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017, phone 1-212-705-7900. 3 OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND MEETINGS A number of other societies are involved as co-sponsors or cooperating organizations in meetings touching on photogrammetry or remote sensing. Among these are:

47 Society of American Foresters. The contact is Ronald R. Christensen, Executive Vice President, 5400 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814, phone 1-301-897-8720. Geological Society of America. The contact is F. Michael Wahl, Executive Director, 3300 Penrose Place, P.O. Box 9140, Boulder, CO 80301, phone 1-303-447-2020. American Association of Petroleum Geologists. The contact is Fred A. Dix, Executive Director, P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, OK 74101, phone 1-918-584-2555. American Geological Institute. The contact is Marvin E. Kauffman, Executive Director, 4220 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302, phone 1-703-379-2480. American Geophysical Union. The contact is A.F. Spilhaus, Executive Director, 200 Florida Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20009, phone 1-202-462-6903. Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. The contact is Lynette Robinson, Executive Director, 862 Scarsdale Avenue, Scarsdale, NY, 10583, phone 1-914-472-6606. In addition to the structured meetings described in 2, there are numerous other offerings of a limited extent. A number of universities offer short courses on specialized topics in photogrammetry and remote sensing. Commercial organizations offer hands-on training on their particular equipment or services. Government agencies hold conferences, often in cooperation with private sponsors, on subjects touching on photogrammetry or remote sensing. In many instances, notices of these meetings or courses are given in Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing. 4 PUBLICATIONS American societies dealing with photogrammetry and/or remote sensing publish an impressive volume of information on these subjects. These publications may take the form of periodicals, proceedings volumes, or books. This subject has been addressed in a paper by this author 1984 included in the International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 25/A6, Rio de Janeiro, pp. 300-306. From that paper, we extract Table 3 which concerns series publications in the United States with articles on photogrammetry and remote sensing. The table indicates the name of the publication and the publisher, the publication interval, the print run, the number of subscribers, the number of pages, and the kinds of readers. This table was compiled in 1984, and some minor corrections may be in order, but it conveys the general nature of American publications in this field. 5 CONCLUSION It can be concluded from this report, that the abundance of opportunities in the U.S.A. for the advancement of one's knowledge in photogrammetry and remote sensing exceeds the ability of any one person to take advantage of all of them. But attendance at even a fraction of these meetings offers the practitioner the means of broadening his knowledge considerably, as well as the means of becoming acquainted with a wide circle of colleagues in his field. Morris M. Thompson, Washington D.C.

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TABLE Periodicalsand other seriespublicationsin the United States with articleson photogrammetry and remote sensing Name of publication (Publisherin parentheses)

Interval of publishing

Print Run

Number of pages per year a) total (excluding advertisement) b) on photogrammetry and remote sensing c) advertisement

Main professional field of readers

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing (American Societyof Photogrammetry )

Monthly

II,000 10,500

a) 1,320 b) 1,320 c) 480

Photogrammetr~sts, Remote Sensing Specialists

Journal of Imaging Technology (Societyof Photographic Scientistsand Engineers)

Bimonthly

4,000

a) b} c)

300 40 0

Photographic Engineers

Surveying and Mapping (American Congress on Surveying and Mapping}

Quarterly

12,000 11,000

a) b) c)

400 40 50

Surveyors, Cartographers

Surveying Engineering (American Society of Civil Engineers)

Aperiodic

4,000

3,900

a) b) c)

100 30 0

Civil Engineers

Remote Sensing of Environment {ElsevierScience Publishing Co., Inc.)

Bimonthly, plus occasionalspecialissues

1,600

1,000

a) b) c)

550 540 10

Remote Sensing Specialists, Photogrammetrists, Environmentalists

Technical Papers from ASP Annual meeting (American Society of Photogrammetry)

Annual

2,500

2,000

a) b) c)

750 750 0

Photogrammetrists, Remote Sensing Specialists

Technical Papers from ACSM Annual Meeting (American Congress on Surveying and Mapping)

Annual

2,500

2,000

a) b) c)

750 300 0

Surveyors, Cartographers

Papers from Fall Technical Meeting (ASP and ACSM)

Annual

2,000

1,800

a) b) c)

600 400 0

Photogrammetrists, Remote Sensing Specialists, Surveyors, Cartographers

7002,000

7002,000

a) b) c)

Papers from Symposia & Spe- Aperiodic cialtyConferences (Publishedby varioussponsors, usuallyA S P and A C S M )

4,600

Number of subseribers (other than mem.)

1,000-2,000 800-1,600 0

Photogrammetrists, Remote Sensing Specialists

Manual of Photogrammetry (American Societyof Photogrammetry, hard-cover book now in Fourth Edition)

8-14 years I0.000

9,500

a) 1.080 b) 1,080 e) 0 (1980 edition )

Photogrammetrists, Surveyors, Engineers

Manual of Remote Sensing (American Society of Photogrammetry, hardcover book now in Second Edition)

8 years

9,500

a) 2,724 (2 volumes) b) 2,724 c) 0 {1983 edition )

Remote Sensing Specialists, Geologists, Engineers, Foresters, Space Scientists, etc.

10,000