Kusukela ngasekupheleni kwawo-1960 nasekuqaleni kwawo-1970, izinhlelo eziningi zendabuko zokuthwebula izithombe zasemoyeni zithathelwe indawo yi-airborne kanye ne-aerospace electro-optical and electronic sensor systems. Nakuba ukuthwebula kwezithombe zasemoyeni okuvamile kusebenza ngokuyinhloko kubude beza beza bokukhanya obubonakalayo, amasistimu wesimanje wokuzwa atholakala emoyeni nasezindaweni ezikude asekelwe phansi akhiqiza idatha yedijithali emboza ukukhanya okubonakalayo, okuboniswayo kwe-infrared, i-thermal infrared, nezifunda ze-microwave spectral. Izindlela zendabuko zokuhumusha okubukwayo ezithombeni zasemoyeni zisawusizo. Noma kunjalo, inzwa yerimothi ihlanganisa izinhlelo zokusebenza eziningi ezibanzi, okuhlanganisa imisebenzi eyengeziwe efana nokumodela kwethiyori kwezakhiwo eziqondiwe, izilinganiso zezinto ezibonakalayo, nokuhlaziywa kwesithombe sedijithali ukuze kukhishwe ulwazi.
Inzwa yesilawuli kude, ebhekisela kuzo zonke izici zezindlela zokutholwa zebanga elide okungaxhunywanwa nazo, kuyindlela esebenzisa uzibuthe kagesi ukuze ibone, irekhode futhi ilinganise izici zethagethi futhi incazelo yahlongozwa okokuqala ngeminyaka yawo-1950s. Inkambu yokuzwa okukude nemephu, ihlukaniswe yaba izindlela zokuzwa ezi-2: inzwa esebenzayo kanye ne-passive, lapho i-Lidar sensing iyasebenza, ekwazi ukusebenzisa amandla ako ukuze ikhiphe ukukhanya kokuqondisiwe futhi ibone ukukhanya okuvela kuyo.