The International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) is pleased to announce that Professor Dr Armin Gruen, Chair of Photogrammetry at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Switzerland is the winner of the ISPRS Brock Gold Medal for 2008. The Medal is donated by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, and is awarded for an outstanding landmark in the evolution of the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences.

Gruen in awarded the Brock Gold Medal for the many important developments in photogrammetry which he has initiated and overseen. During his post graduate studies he developed a sophisticated self-calibration method. It is particularly noteworthy that the approach developed some three decades ago is currently being revised, since self-calibration has once again become a major issue of research, this time in order to obtain the most accurate results from digital aerial cameras. During his time at The Ohio State University, he developed a method for adaptive multiple image matching, which is implemented today in a number of commercial and research oriented  photogrammetric data processing systems around the world. In Zürich produced the Digital Image Photogrammetric Station (DIPS) in which not only bundle adjustment and image matching methods, but also other approaches, such as automatic point tracking and surface generation, were integrated. These insights lead him to work on 3D city modelling, resulting in a software product for automated 3D city model generation, manipulation and visualisation, called CC-Modeller.

Gruen’s scientific achievements have been backed up by a notable success in popularizing photogrammetric techniques and in teaching; the most significant success was the documentation and virtual reconstruction of the Great Buddha of Bamiyan in Afghanistan. This work has created world-wide media interest and coverage in the press and on television.

Professor Ian Dowman, President of ISPRS, said "Armin Gruen has made a difference to the science of photogrammetry in many different ways and we are delighted that he is being honoured by being awarded the Brock Gold Medal�.
The Brock Gold Medal will be formally presented at the XXIst ISPRS Congress in Beijing, China, 3 - 11 July 2008. For more information about the XXIst ISPRS Congress, visit the Congress web site at www.isprs2008-beijing.org

About ISPRS The International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing is a nongovernmental organization devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of knowledge, research, development, education and training in the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences, their integration and applications, to contribute to the well-being of humanity and the sustainability of the environment. The Society operates without any discrimination on grounds of race, religion, nationality, or political philosophy.

Source: http://www.geoconnexion.com