Active Remote Sensing

Active remote sensors generate energy, broadcast that energy to open space and measure the return of the energy when it is reflected off a surface.

The primary purposes of selecting an active remote sensor are:

1. The need to directly collect 3-dimensional information
2. The need to collect data in poor ambient lighting conditions

Relative to passive remote sensors, active remote sensors are:

1. Heavier
2. Require high power consumption
3. Expensive