Kusukela ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yama-1960s nasekuqaleni kwawo-1970, amasistimu amaningi endabuko endabuko athathelwe indawo yi-Airborne ne-Eerospace Electro-Optical and electronic sensor Sensor Systems. Ngenkathi izithombe zendabuko zendabuko zisebenza ngokuyinhloko eWavelength ebonakalayo ekhanyayo, izinhlelo zesimanje ezisuselwa ku-Airborne kanye nenhlabathi zikhiqiza idatha yedijithali emboza ukukhanya okubonakalayo, kuboniswe infrared, infrared ye-microwave. Izindlela zokutolizwa zendabuko ezibonakalayo ezithombeni zasemoyeni zisasiza. Noma kunjalo, ukuzwela okukude kuhlanganisa uhla olubanzi lwezicelo, kufaka phakathi imisebenzi eyengeziwe efana nemodeli ye-theorretical ye-Target Properties, izilinganiso zokubukeka kwezinto, nokuhlaziywa kwezithombe zedijithali ukuthola ukukhishwa kwemininingwane.
Ukuzwa okukude, okubhekisele kuzo zonke izici zamasu wokutholwa okude ongaxhumana naye, kuyindlela esebenzisa i-electromagnetism ukuthola, ukurekhoda nokukala izici zethagethi kanye nencazelo kuqala ngokuhlongozwa ngawo-1950. Inkambu yokuzwa okukude nemephu, ihlukaniswe ngezindlela ezi-2 ezizwakalayo: Ukuzwa okusebenzayo nokungenasisekelo, lapho kuzwakala khona ukuthathwa kwe-lidar kusebenza, ukwazi ukusebenzisa ukukhanya kwayo ukuze ngithole ukukhanya kulitshe bese ngithola ukukhanya okuboniswe kukho.