Field Equipment

Several instruments related to remote sensing are available for use at the Earth Observation Lab (EOL). Yale students or faculty interested in using these devices for research or training should contact us at geospatial@yale.edu to inquire about availability.

Field equipment at the Center includes:

Portable Field Spectrometer

The ASD FieldSpec Pro^TM is a portable 512 channel made by Advanced Spectral Devices (ASD) can be used (with a white reference block) to determine the reflectivity spectrum of objects in the field or in the laboratory. The spectral range is 350 to 2500nm. These data can be used to mimic different satellite sensors or to compute broad band albedo. The instrument can also be used with a hemispheric receiver to measure the sky irradiance.

Non-contact Thermometer

The Raytek ST^TM20 Pro Non-contact Thermometer is used to remotely measure temperature by sensing the emitted, transmitted or reflected energy of a surface in the 8 - 14 µm range. It can record temperatures between -32ºC and 535ºC (-25ºF to 999ºF). It has a laser site that can be used for distances beyond 18 inches to accurately point the device. The distance to measured spot ratio is 12:1 so at 36 inches you measure a 3 inches diameter circle. This is an extremely accurate and easy to use device.

Two notes of caution: The ST20 Pro will measure glass surfaces such as a window, not the object beyond it. Shiny or polished metal surfaces produce inaccurate results without prior preparation.

Hand-held GPS units

The Center has several Garmin eTrex handheld GPS receivers available for student use. These compact units can be used in the field to record site locations in latitude/longitude or UTM eastings/northings coordinate systems.

Upon returning from the field you can export the site location information for use in any geospatial application such as ArcGIS, QGIS, or ENVI. See a member of the YCEO Staff if you wish to borrow a device or would like assistance extracting information from your GPS.

Infrared Capable Camcorder/Camera

The Sony DCR-HC90^TM camcorder can record videos (onto a tape) or still photographs (onto a memory card). Using its NightShot function, along with an "IR-pass/VIS-block" filter, it can take videos or photographs in the NIR range. The camcorder also has a built-in NIR illuminator for taking pictures "in the dark". Using the Smooth Interval Recording feature, it can take time-lapse video. See Dr. Ron Smith's comparison of visible and near infrared images using this camera.