Deren Li

Prof. Deren Li is a scientist in photogrammetry and remote sensing from Wuhan University, China. He enjoys dual memberships of both Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. He received doctor degree from University of Stuttgart in 1985 and honorary doctorate from ETH Zürich in 2008. In 2012, International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing awarded him Honorary Member, the number of which ISPRS limits to a maximum of ten at any time as the highest honor. In June 2024, he was awarded the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023. Serving as the co-chairman of Chinese High Resolution Earth Observation Satellites Expert Committee, he designed ZY-3, the first Chinese mapping satellite, using ZY3 data to produce 1:50000 DOQ and DSM for large area (1000-2500km2) without ground control points. His team has finished image data calibration and validation tasks for more than 30 Chinese high resolution satellites in recent 20 years. Collaborating with Prof. Jianya Gong, he developed three generations of GIS software (i.e., object-oriented software GeoStar, internet-based federal databases software GeoGlobe and IOT-based real-time software GeoSmart). They have being widely used for constructions of digital cities and smart cities. He introduced for the first time the integration of theories and algorithms of GNSS, RS and GIS, which supports productions of laser scanning-imagery-based mobile mapping systems, power grid corridor risk monitoring UAV systems, oil and gas pipeline patrol UAV systems and so on. He proposed and presided the research work of three small scientific experiment satellites, named Luojia-1, Luojia-2 and Luojia-3. In cooperation with the Yantai Municipal Government in Shandong Province, he proposed the Oriental Smart Eye intelligent remote sensing satellite constellation plan.