Conclusions from the NERC Earth Observation Technology Cluster

Paul Aplin1, Doreen Boyd1, Mark Danson2, Danny Donoghue3, Graham Ferrier4, Niko Galiatsatos3, Alison Marsh1, Allen Pope5,

Alberto Ramirez6 and Nick Tate6

1University of Nottingham, 2University of Salford, 3University of Durham, 4University of Hull, 5Scott Polar Research Institute, 6University of Leicester

Rationale

Promotes communication regarding state-of-the-art technology used in EO of the land surface

Covers the full range of terrestrial EO operation– from platform and sensor development,– through image retrieval and analysis,– to environmental modelling and thematic application

Serves the whole EO technology community, and more– Researchers, developers, suppliers, users– Academia, government, industry– Multiple disciplines

Activities

Raising awareness, building a community

Cluster website, mailing lists, special interest groups

Technical workshops, demonstrations, seminars

Conference proceedings, manuals, journal issues

Horizon scanning, guiding future policy

1. Low-Altitude UAV Earth ObservationProf Danny Donoghue, University of Durham

2. LiDAR:netDr Nick Tate, University of Leicester

3. Field-Based Fourier Transform InfraRed SpectroscopyDr Graham Ferrier, University of Hull

4. Hyper-Temporal Earth ObservationDr Doreen Boyd, University of Nottingham & Prof Mark Danson, University of Salford

5. Circumpolar and Cryospheric Earth ObservationAllen Pope, Scott Polar Research Institute

Themes

UAV theme

Workshops held in 2011 and 2012 at University of Durham and University of Nottingham

~100 international participants Representation from research and industry Keynote, seminar and poster papers Practical UAV demonstrations Round-table agenda-setting discussions Also considered instrumentation for

Cube Sats

© www.SuaveAirPhotos.co.uk

UAV priorities

Development of reliable systems with low vibration engines and airframe stabilisation suitable for imaging

Achieving highly reliable systems with appropriate sense and avoid technology

Appropriate training for UAV pilots to operate within an appropriately regulated environment

Lightweight scientific instruments suitable for UAV deployment Methods to survey large areas Suitable image/data processing software for geometrically correcting and

accurately positioning UAV-derived imagery

© www.SuaveAirPhotos.co.uk

Series of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) developed to promote development in strategic areas of terrestrial EO technology

To ensure a lasting legacy, the SIGs are affiliated to established and permanent bodies such as RSPSoc

UAV SIG established in 2011 Convened by Prof Danny Donoghue, University of Durham Interest/information: danny.donoghue@durham.ac.uk

UAV SIG

LiDAR theme

Terrestrial LiDAR strategy meeting with invited expert practitioners in 2010 to scope out agenda for discipline

Development of a network/community of practice from academia, industry and NERC

Dedicated workshop in 2012 at the University of Leicester on technical developments and applications of terrestrial LiDAR

An agenda-setting review paper is in preparation for the Remote Sensing special issue

LiDAR priorities

The full potential of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is some way from being fully realized, with concerns relating to modelling, registration and processing of TLS data

There is a lack of communication between scientists and computer programmers, which in many cases leads to the generation of inefficient codes for data processing and analysis

Software packages provided by the manufacturers of TLS systems often fail to meet essential user requirements associated with data analysis and visualisation

There is often limited documentation describing the data acquisition process, which may have an impact on the interpretation of results obtained from TLS projects

There are problems associated with the management of large datasets captured by TLS systems, since tasks such as 3D-modelling and visualisation often create TB of information

Efficient data extraction algorithms driven by end-user requirements should be a focus for research and development in the application of TLS.

Full-waveform TLS may help solve issues such as characterisation of ‘soft targets’ like forest canopy elements, atmospheric distortions and near-field clutter in long-range surveys

Although full-waveform datasets offer the possibility of analysing multiple returns, a measure of the quality of returns is equally important to characterise the 3D point clouds

With full-waveform system datasets, difficulties arise again from data volume, interoperability and post-processing, and further software developments are required

© www.SuaveAirPhotos.co.uk

Pre-existing RSPSoc Laser Scanning and LiDAR Special Interest Group (LSL SIG), formed in 2005

SIG activities continued and expanded through LiDAR:net Convened by Dr Nick Tate, University of Leicester Interest/information: njt9@leicester.ac.uk

LiDAR:net/SIG

FTIR theme

Workshop to be held in 2012 at University of Greenwich as part of RSPSoc Annual Conference

Invited speakers from research and industry Practical FTIR spectroscopy demonstrations Round-table agenda-setting discussions SIG-TRS to be launched at conference

FTIR priorities

Although the potential applications for field-based FTIR spectroscopy are many and varied, adoption by the EO community has been limited by various factors: The availability of field-portable FTIR instruments has been very limited Field FTIR equipment has been very cumbersome, fragile and difficult to use in the field The methodology for processing and analysing field FTIR data is complicated

These limitations are being overcome by the development of a range of field deployable FTIR instruments: handheld FTIRs such as the EXOSCAN provide a light and robust means of acquiring

large amounts of field spectral emissivity data FTIRs with a wide range of functionality, such as the MIDAC, can provide emissivity, gas

emission and general emission spectral data Field-based Imaging FTIRs, such as the TELOPS, offer the potential of the development

of a wide range of novel observation methodologies and analytical techniques

Increasing availability of field FTIR instruments will make this powerful analytical technique much more accessible and provide an opportunity to develop new remote sensing environmental monitoring methodologies© www.SuaveAirPhotos.co.uk

The Cluster’s FTIR theme is launching a new SIG tomorrow! Special Interest Group in Thermal Remote Sensing (SIG-TRS) RSPSoc 2012 Workshop in FTIR and Thermal Remote Sensing Convened by Dr Graham Ferrier, University of Hull Interest/information: G.Ferrier@hull.ac.uk

SIG-TRS

Hyper-temporal theme

Hyper-temporal EO strategy meeting with invited expert practitioners in 2010 to scope out agenda for discipline

Proposal for UK environmental change observatory to showcase hyper-temporal capabilities using vegetation dynamics as an example

NERC Consortium Grant proposal

There is a real opportunity for hyper-temporal remote sensing capability, by exploiting a major shift in the way remote sensing systems are deployed

A technological paradigm shift in EO data collection can meet the stringent requirement in spatial and temporal resolutions required for measuring land surface dynamics

Newly available data from EO constellations, the ESA Sentinel-2 platforms, or ‘virtual constellations’, can provide daily observation of the Earth at a spatial resolution up to 10m

Similarly, a close collaboration with “commercial” systems such as DMC could afford a system of a constellation of satellite sensors to operate to capture hyper-temporal data

Underpinning these research challenges is a series of technical challenges that must be overcome in order to make the data useful for rigorous scientific work:

– Optimizing data acquisition– Radiometric calibration– Correction of atmospheric and surface reflectance anisotropy– Cloud masking – Orthorectification

This is an addition to developing methodologies to exploit the hyper-temporal content as well as visualisation techniques for displaying the content

© www.SuaveAirPhotos.co.uk

Hyper-temporal priorities

Networking event and summer school held in 2010 and 2011 at Scott Polar Research Institute and University of Reading

Early career scientists instructed by experienced practitioners

Lectures, practical exercises, students’ posters and career panel discussion

Online yearbook at www.eotechcluster.org.uk Production of outreach teaching materials

Polar/cryospheric theme

Understanding the cryosphere is a key part of understanding the Earth and its climate

EO technology has profoundly improved our understanding of the cryosphere:

– Enabling observation of large areas such as the Arctic Ocean– Facilitating studies of glaciers in remote and/or rugged zones including the Himalayas– High resolution 3D modeling for monitoring valley glaciers and continental ice sheet flow

models– Snow monitoring, avalanche prediction and iceberg/sea ice forecasts

© www.SuaveAirPhotos.co.uk

Polar/cryospheric priorities

The nominal end date for the Earth Observation Technology Cluster is 30 September 2012

Though hopefully the Cluster legacy will continue... With ongoing Special Interest Groups The website resources will remain live:

www.EOTechCluster.org.uk Our social media sites will also continue, relying on

group members for ongoing activity– Facebook: http

://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Earth-Observation-Technology-Cluster/147226935357715?sk=wall

– Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/e/ljaxxq-go47syu2-n/vgh/3927782/

Game over

To ensure the Cluster has lasting scientific impact, a journal special issue is under preparation in Remote Sensing:

Special Issue "Earth Observation Technology Cluster: Innovative Sensor Systems for Advanced Land Surface Studies“

Remote Sensing uses online, open access publishing to reach the maximum possible audience

The journal was recently accredited by Scopus, Europe’s leading citation database

The submission deadline has been extended until the end of October to attract authors from RSPSoc 2012 and the ISPRS Congress

Papers invited on any aspect of technology used in EO of the land surface Funding may be available through the Cluster to help cover authoring fees

(Remote Sensing fee = ~£360) – but you need to contact us soon! Any queries: paul.aplin@nottingham.ac.uk

Call for papers

Developments and findings from the Cluster initiative will be carried forward through TOP SIG activities

TOP SIG aims to investigate technical procedures involved in the operational use of remote sensing

Activities will include technical events and, in particular, online discussions, to capture and communicate fast-moving technological developments

For information:– Contact TOP SIG convenor Alistair Graham, A.Graham@apemltd.co.uk– Visit TOP SIG Yahoo Group http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/topsig/

To join:– Send a blank email to topsig-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk

Join TOP SIG