KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS RELATED TO ACTIVE OPTICAL SENSORS IN THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE FOR EARTH OBSERVATION AND GEOINFORMATION (EO4GEO BOK)

Abstract

The field of Earth Observation (EO) and Geoinformation (GI) is gaining more and more importance due to the increasing number of data and data processing algorithms to respond even more accurately to a variety of challenges in many application areas. In order to follow recent activities and align the exponential evolution of datasets and recent processing trends with market and academic training requirements, the EO*GI sector needs an updated and new definition of knowledge and skills. To this goal, a specific body of knowledge for Earth Observation and Geoinformation (EO4GEO BoK) is currently being implemented with the aim of providing interconnected concepts and job-oriented skills. One novelty of the BoK is to include topics related to Earth Observation, in particular to introduce the different sensors used in this field. Active optical sensors are at the crossroad between Earth Observation and close-range photogrammetry and have not been described in any other existing BoK. This paper introduces therefore the part of the EO4GEO BoK that is dedicated to active optical sensors. Such systems are used in various job-oriented applications such as archeology, mobile mapping, indoor or outdoor, or for surveying purposes, just to name a few. The structure of this part of the BoK is explained and specific descriptions and relationships between the identified concepts are given. Finally, the skills acquired by completing these BoK concepts are presented and discussed in terms of how they can be used in a professional context or in the definition of job-oriented learning paths.