Ukususela ekupheleni kweminyaka yoo-1960 nasekuqaleni kweminyaka yoo-1970, uninzi lweenkqubo zemveli zokufota emoyeni ziye zathathelwa indawo ziinkqubo ze-electro-optical kunye neze-elektroniki zokufota emoyeni. Ngelixa ukufota emoyeni kwendabuko kusebenza ikakhulu kubude bokukhanya okubonakalayo, iinkqubo zanamhlanje zokufota emoyeni kunye nomhlaba ezisebenzisa i-remote sensing zavelisa idatha yedijithali egubungela ukukhanya okubonakalayo, i-infrared ebonakalisiweyo, i-thermal infrared, kunye nemimandla ye-microwave spectral. Iindlela zemveli zokutolika ngokubonakalayo kwi-air photography zisanceda. Nangona kunjalo, ukufota kude kugubungela uluhlu olubanzi lwezicelo, kubandakanya imisebenzi eyongezelelweyo efana nokumodela kwethiyori yeempawu ekujoliswe kuzo, ukulinganiswa kwezinto ze-spectral, kunye nohlalutyo lwemifanekiso yedijithali yokukhupha ulwazi.
I-remote sensing, ebhekisa kuzo zonke iinkalo zeendlela zokuchonga ezikude ezingadibaniyo, yindlela esebenzisa i-electromagnetism ukufumanisa, ukurekhoda nokulinganisa iimpawu zethagethi kwaye inkcazo yaqala ukucetyiswa ngeminyaka yoo-1950. Intsimi ye-remote sensing kunye ne-mapping, yahlulwe ngeendlela ezimbini zokuva: i-active ne-passive sensing, apho i-Lidar sensing isebenzayo, ikwazi ukusebenzisa amandla ayo ukukhupha ukukhanya kwithagethi kwaye ibone ukukhanya okubonakalayo kuyo.