The Remote Sensing Division was formed in the late fifties, starting with the interpretation of aerial photography.
As soon as new sensor systems such as thermal IR, multispectral scanners, airborne SLAR etc became available for civil purposes, they were systematically evaluated for its geographical applications. With the launch of ERTS-1 (Landsat 1) in 1972 the satellite era began, opening the scale to national, international and even global research activities.
Accordingly digital classification techniques were initiated progressively, and solutions developed for difficult conditions, be it for mountainous alpine terrain or for operational uses in developing countries. Main emphasis has always been placed on the multitemporal aspects, on monitoring seasonal and long-term changes, combining remote sensing with auxillary data sources.
