Summer School
Sensing Mountains – Innsbruck Summer School of Alpine Research
The main goal of the Summer School is to provide participants with innovative practical and methodological skills to characterize complex terrain and object features using close range and remote sensing techniques for investigating mountain phenomena.
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Info
Degree
Continuing Education Programme Certificate
Duration/ECTS-Credits
7 days / 5 ECTS-Credits
Study Code
UC 992 003 007
Start
tba
Language of instruction
English
Cost
tba
The right programme for me?
Qualification profile
- learning of innovative practical and methodological skills
- characterize complex terrain and object features using close range and remote sensing techniques
- interdisciplinary set-up for investigating mountain phenomena
Target group
- students of the University of Innsbruck
- students from university of the AURORA network
- students of any other institution of higher education in and outside Austria
Requirements
- completed master degree
- motivation letter
- one page CV
- abstract of the participants‘ current work
Contact
Assoc. Prof. Mag. Dr. Martin Rutzinger
Department of Geography
Innrain 52f,
6th floor, room 60634
6020 Innsbruck
Assoc. Prof. Mag. Dr. Martin Rutzinger
Department of Geography
Katharina Anders (TU Munich, Germany)
Anette Eltner (TU Dresden, Germany)
Roderik Lindenbergh (TU Delft, The Netherlands)
Andreas Mayr (University of Innsbruck, Austria)
Martin Mokros (University College London, United Kingdom)
Sander Oude Elberink (University of Twente - ITC, The Netherlands)
Francesco Pirotti (CIRGEO - University of Padova, Italy)
Martin Rutzinger (University of Innsbruck, Austria)
Marco Scaioni (Politecnico di Milano, Italy)
Lukas Winiwarter (University of Innsbruck, Austria)
University of Innsbruck, Faculty of Geo- and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Geography
International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS)
About
Objectives: The main goal of the summer school Sensing Mountains 2026 is to provide participants with innovative practical and methodological skills to characterize mountainous terrain using close-range and remote sensing techniques. The summer school will be the sixth edition after five successful implementations in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2024.
Teaching Methods: Theoretical lectures will be complemented by fieldwork assignments and hands-on data processing sessions using different novel software. The assignments will be performed in groups of about five participants and focus on mountain research and related sensor and data processing techniques.
A variety of sensor systems will be available for data acquisition in the high-mountain surroundings of the summer school venue, including different terrestrial laser scanners, UAVs, low-cost sensing systems and spectral cameras.
A poster session on the participants' current research interests and work will stimulate open exchange and discussion between students and lecturers in a relaxed atmosphere.
Thematic focus will be on mountain research including geomorphology, vegetation characterization and natural hazard research.
Technical focus will be on sensor and data aspects, such as sensor modelling, calibration, data acquisition, 2D and 3D data fusion, geometric methods for information extraction from point clouds and (multispectral) images, and data quality assessment.
Theoretical focus will address critical steps within a processing chain, such as impact of registration, influence of survey geometry on data acquisition and change analysis or issues related to multispectral image analysis. Practical exercises use predominantly open-source software, deepen the conveyed knowledge and help all participants establish a workflow for their research.
Venue: The summer school will take place in and around Obergurgl, at almost 2000 m the highest village in Austria. The main venue is the Obergurgl University Center. Here, lectures will take place and accommodation is provided to all participants. Directions will be available via the website. Please note that fieldwork will take place in a mountainous environment.
General Information for the Registration for Continuing Education Programmes.
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What participants are saying
7 years after attending the summer school, I am still in touch with several course participants and teachers, which is a testament to the quality of the summer school!
William Harcourt
Independent Research Fellow
The summer school was a great introduction into close range sensing at the start of my PhD project. I still remember vividly the beautiful surroundings as well as the interesting people I met there.
Mieke Kuschnerus
Post-doctoral researcher at GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences