Oil Spill Science and Technology, 2nd Edition

5.16. Future Trends

Advances in sensor technology will continue to drive the use of remote sensors as operational oil spill response tools in the future. Cameras and thermal infrared cameras that offer high sensitivity are cheap and plentiful. This improvement not only reduces the size and complexity of the sensor but also the cost. In the past decade, advances in solid-state laser technology, in particular, diode-pumped solid-state lasers, have greatly reduced the size and energy consumption of laser-based remote sensors. This will promote the use of these sensors in smaller, more economical aircraft within the budget of many more regulatory agencies and maritime countries. Rapidly improving computer capabilities will allow for true real-time ...