Indoor positioning data reflects human mobility in indoor spaces. Revealing patterns of indoor trajectories may help us understand human indoor mobility. Clustering methods, which are based on the measurement of similarity between trajectories, are important tools for identifying those patterns. However, due to the specific characteristics of indoor trajectory data, it is difficult for clustering methods to measure the similarity between trajectories. These characteristics are manifested in two aspects. The first is that the nodes of trajectories may have clear semantic attributes; for example, in a shopping mall, the node of a trajectory may contain information such as the store type and visit duration time, which may imply a customer’s interest in certain brands. The semantic information can only be obtained when the position precision is sufficiently high so that the relationship between the customer and the store can be determined, which is difficult to realize for outdoor positioning, either using GPS or mobile base station, due to the relatively large positioning error. If the tendencies of customers are to be considered, the similarity of geometrical morphology does not reflect the real similarity between trajectories. The second characteristic is the complex spatial shapes of indoor trajectory caused by indoor environments, which include elements such as closed spaces, multiple obstacles and longitudinal extensions. To deal with these challenges caused by indoor trajectories, in this article we proposed a new method called E-DBSCAN, which extended DBSCAN to trajectory clustering of indoor positioning data. First, the indoor location data were transformed into a sequence of residence points with rich semantic information, such as the type of store customer visited, stay time and spatial location of store. Second, a Weighted Edit Distance algorithm was proposed to measure the similarity of the trajectories. Then, an experiment was conducted to verify the correctness of E-DBSCAN using five days of positioning data in a shopping mall, and five shopping behavior patterns were identified and potential explanations were proposed. In addition, a comparison was conducted among E-DBSCAN, the k-means and DBSCAN algorithms. The experimental results showed that the proposed method can discover customers’ behavioral pattern in indoor environments effectively.

The rapid growth of remote sensing data calls for the construction of new computational models for algorithmic exploration, which requires on-demand execution, instant response, and multitenancy. We call this model on-the-fly computing, which could reduce the complexity of cloud programming for remote sensing data analysis and benefit from efficient multiplexing. As an advancement of cloud computing, serverless computing makes it possible to realize the on-the-fly computational model. In the study, the concise definition of an on-the-fly computing model for remote sensing data analysis and the corresponding software architecture based on the serverless computing commodities are presented. The proof-of-concept experiments have suggested that the on-the-fly computing model for remote sensing data analysis can be efficiently implemented as a serverless software. The response time is mainly related to the tile reading operation and data structure conversion. In the case of high concurrency, the system can scale to hundreds of instances in seconds.

The rapid growth of Earth observation technologies has resulted in over 2000 operational remote sensing satellites, collectively generating an exabyte-scale volume of data. However, despite the availability of large data-sharing platforms, global remote sensing imagery still faces challenges in seamless access, precise querying, and efficient retrieval. To address these limitations, this study introduces the concept of the “Digital Imagery Object” (DIO) and develops a unified identification framework for satellite remote sensing imagery. The proposed approach establishes a structured identification and parsing system based on core metadata, including data acquisition platforms and imaging timestamps. This enhances the consistency and standardization of multisource imagery encoding, enabling unified identification and interpretation under a common set of rules. The system’s feasibility and effectiveness were demonstrated through the integration and management of diverse global datasets, highlighting its ability to streamline multisource data workflows. By supporting standardized management and one-click parsing, this framework facilitates efficient imagery sharing and lays the foundation for its use as a tradable digital resource on the internet. The study offers a practical solution for addressing current challenges in remote sensing imagery management, paving the way for improved accessibility and interoperability of Earth observation data.

Drone-based Urban Air Mobility (UAM) shows immense potential in urban logistics and emergency response; however, evidence regarding its systemic sustainability remains fragmented. In a systematic review using the PRISMA methodology, this study analyzes 301 core articles to construct an evaluation framework spanning environmental, economic, social, and systemic effectiveness dimensions. Given technical similarities, electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) findings are integrated to anticipate operational challenges. Results highlight a clear consensus: drone delivery is time-efficient in high-sensitivity scenarios, though noise, equity, and safety remain critical bottlenecks. Meanwhile, deep controversies persist across some dimensions. Environmental benefits are highly context-dependent, contingent on operating models, battery life cycles, and clean energy proportions from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) perspective. Economically, a mismatch between high costs and low willingness to pay (WTP) necessitates optimized pricing strategies. Socially, public acceptance is sensitive to the balance between perceived benefits and risks. Furthermore, systemic effectiveness depends on the coupling between vertiports and ground infrastructure. Concluding that sustainable drone-based UAM is a multistakeholder systemic endeavor, we urge future research to prioritize LCA, pricing strategies, public acceptance surveys, and integrated air-ground coordination to resolve controversies and foster sustainable systems.