Keynote Lecture by Dr Ayman F. Habib, Co-Director CE-CAUSE, Purdue University, Indiana,USA UASG 2021

Title of the Talk: UAV/UGV-Based Mapping: Current Status and Future Outlook

The continuous developments in direct geo-referencing technology (i.e., integrated Global Navigation Satellite Systems – GNSS – and Inertial Navigation Systems – INS) and remote sensing systems (i.e., passive and active imaging sensors in the visible and infrared range – RGB cameras, hyperspectral push-broom scanners, and laser scanning) are providing the professional geospatial community with ever-growing opportunities to generate accurate 3D information with rich set of attributes. These advances are also coupled with improvement in the sensors’ performance, reduction in the associated cost, and miniaturization of such sensors. Aside from the sensing systems, we are also enjoying the emerging of promising platforms such as Unmanned Airborne Vehicles (UAVs) and Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs). This talk will provide an overview of recent activities at Purdue University focusing on UAV/UGV-based mapping while focusing on: 1) algorithmic developments for improved system calibration of multi-sensor/multi-platform UAV-based mapping; 2) applications of UAV-based remote sensing systems for a wide range of applications including agricultural management, documentation of crash scenes, shoreline monitoring, and archeological documentation; and 3) UGVs for mapping GNSS-denied environments.