Update, 8/2/2016:

After reading some posts below, I think it *might be* okay for me to put up the general book description and the ToC. If this is not okay--that is, an advertisement, only--I'm sure I'll find out. The book's Preface and sample pages may be obtained at its landing page within the SPIE website.

Best to all,

Barbara

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Book Description:

Getting Started with UAV Imaging Systems: A Radiometric Guide provides the tools technologists need to begin designing or analyzing the data product of a UAV imager. Covering the basics of target signatures, radiometric propagation, electro-optical systems, UAV platforms, and image quality, it is replete with examples that promote immediate application of the concepts. Reference materials at the end of each chapter, including many links to current systems and platforms, offer further guidance for readers. Engineers and scientists who specify instrument requirements; design, build, or test hardware; or analyze images for commercial, scientific, and military applications will find the book a useful addition to their working library.

Table of Contents

Preface

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

1 Introduction

1.1 UAV Imaging: A Disruptive Innovation

1.2 Components of a UAV System

1.3 Size, Weight, Power, and Platform

1.4 Terminology and Acronyms

2 Radiometry of Targets: Emission and Reflection

2.1 Introduction

2.2 The Electromagnetic Spectrum

2.3 Emission and Reflection within Spectral Regions

      2.3.1 Overview

      2.3.2 Emission

      2.3.3 Reflection

References

3 Radiometric Propagation Basics

3.1 Plane Angle and Instantaneous Field of View

3.2 Solid Angle and Projected Solid Angle

3.3 Radiometric Terms and Their Units

      3.3.1 Radiance

      3.3.2 Irradiance

      3.3.3 Radiant exitance

      3.3.4 Radiant intensity

      3.3.5 Summary of radiometric terms and units

      3.3.6 Summary of the terms, in photons

      3.3.7 Imaging spectroscopy and wavenumber

3.4 Relationships Important to Propagation Calculations

      3.4.1 The inverse square law of irradiance

      3.4.2 Intensity and radiance relationship

      3.4.3 Conclusion

References

4 Imaging System Basics

4.1 Introduction

4.2 The Camera Equation and Image Plane Irradiance

4.3 Terms and Definitions Relating to Image Acquisition Geometry

      4.3.1 Elevation angle

      4.3.2 Sensor relative elevation angle

      4.3.3 Sensor relative azimuth angle

      4.3.4 Horizontal and vertical fields of view

      4.3.5 Ground sample distance

      4.3.6 Slant range

4.4 General Description of Optical Systems for UAV Imaging

4.5 Spectral Imaging

4.6 Calculating the Signal from the Focal Plane: A Multispectral-Channel Example

4.7 Noise Equivalent Power

4.8 Noise Equivalent Radiance

4.9 Noise Equivalent Irradiance

4.10 Noise Equivalent Reflectance Difference

4.11 Modulation Transfer Function

References

5 Platforms, Sensors, and Applications

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Large Military Platforms

5.3 Small UAV Platforms

      5.3.1 SWaP-C and sUAS

      5.3.2 UAV swarm: the smallest platform/sensor subtype

      5.3.3 Factors that influence platform selection

      5.3.4 Pointing the payload

5.4 Platform and Application Examples

      5.4.1 Distinguishing between two objects at UAV altitude

      5.4.2 Near-infrared and SWIR imaging comparison

      5.4.3 "Day/night" imager and covert illumination

      5.4.4 Uncooled thermal microbolometer

5.5 Thermal Contrast

5.6 Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference

      5.6.1 NETD expression for energy units

      5.6.2 NETD in terms of photons

5.7 Minimum Resolvable Temperature Difference

References

6 The Image Data Product and Quality Metrics

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Imagery Authentication

6.3 Metadata

6.4 Video, Motion Imagery, and Full Motion Video

6.5 Video Scan Types

6.6 Definition in Lines per Frame

6.7 Image Quality Scales

      6.7.1 Introduction

      6.7.2 Motion imagery: video NIIRS

      6.7.3 Still imagery: NIIRS and IIRS

      6.7.4 Predicting NIIRS: the general image quality equation

6.8 Probability of Discrimination

      6.8.1 Johnson criteria and target transfer probability functions

      6.8.2 Probability calculations

      6.8.3 Comparison with the NIIRS criteria

6.9 Atmospheric Correction

      6.9.1 Introduction

      6.9.2 Atmospheric windows and narrow bands

References

7 Detectors for UAV Imaging Systems

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Photon Detectors

7.3 CCD and CMOS

      7.3.1 CCD basics

      7.3.2 Color CCDs

      7.3.3 CMOS basics

7.4 Thermal Detectors

      7.4.1 Thermal detection basics

      7.4.2 The microbolometer

7.5 Detector Noise Sources

      7.5.1 Johnson noise

      7.5.2 Shot noise

      7.5.3 Generation-recombination noise

      7.5.4 Temperature fluctuation noise

      7.5.5 1/f noise

      7.5.6 Photon noise

      7.5.7 Quantization noise

      7.5.8 Additional detector noises

      7.5.9 Noises in arrays

References

8 Conclusion

Appendix A SI Base Units and Derived Quantities

Appendix B Concise Notation, Uncertainty Reporting, and CODATA 2014 Physical Constants

B.1 Reporting Uncertainty

B.2 Pending Changes in Values of "Constants"

Appendix C Drones and the Law

C.1 Commercial Use of Drones and FAA Regulations

C.2 Security, Privacy, and Law Enforcement Issues

Appendix D The Need for Standards in UAV Imagery Analysis

D.1 Connecting the Dots

D.2 Marking the Scorecard

Index

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After carefully considering the commentary generated by my post, announcing my new UAV imaging system book, I have decided to delete the post and its link. Interested potential readers may Google my name and "drones" to find the website where it may be ordered. (They may also find my website. I have a _lot_ of experience explaining technical concepts, even in non-technical venues.)

I did, of course, read the TOS before posting; but didn't realize that the issue was this dicey. Many thanks to those who found my post interesting and relevant.

Here's part of my philosophy: I've been in the optics community for about 30 years. We don't do that great of a job of outreach to the broader world where talented individuals are working on innovations that may benefit from the knowledge we have. In fact, many of our books and other publications are written strictly for our professional peers, and never find their way outside the university.

With UAV imaging, I sought to broaden that reach by designing my book to be as practical, and as applied, as possible. One should have an engineering/physics/or scientific background to understand every single detail; but smart individuals with even a high school physics understanding will benefit from it, I believe.

Before the book was published, I spoke to my publisher about my desire to attract a wide audience; I believe that review copies were sent to UST Magazine and Wired, as well as to our usual optical engineering/optical science publications.

My hope, I said, was that the work would come into the hands of individuals already working on drones, but without the background knowledge in fields of my expertise. I still hope so. Putting the two together will increase the disruptive potential of UAV imagers and further grow the industry and applications markets.

Best, to all.