The most familiar kind of remote sensing is the use of our eyes to detect light. Sound, heat, and x-rays are other familiar examples of things that are remotely sensed. We learn without touching when we hear. When a car honks its horn we can immediately tell if we are in danger or if it is just an annoyance.
Animals use sound in sophisticated ways.
Bats use it to find insects and to learn of their surroundings. Other animals can sense heat even better than us. Rattlesnakes are able to detect heat radiation from small animals like mice with special organs on their heads. X-rays are used in medicine to find broken bones and examine the condition of internal organs. X-ray images like this one of a human skull help doctors make diagnoses.