Superoverlay Deployment in Grid-enabled Image Processing

SuperOverlays are image pyramid constructs for use in visualisation of client side imagery in the Google Earth (GE) virtual globe viewer. SuperOverlays combine portable image formats, such as JPEG, PNG or TIFF, with geographical metadata tagging in KML files. This has the fortunate sideeffect that SuperOverlays can be easily served via standard web servers. Furthermore, it is relatively simple to programmatically access relevant parts of the SuperOverlay via their URI. This, then, allows the use of SuperOverlays in image processing, which can optionally be supported with a grid computing set-up. Presenting image processing output is facilitated by collecting grid node outputs in a SuperOverlay structure. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of a texture algorithm with SPOT-5 optical satellite data for benchmarking of the grid-enabled SuperOverlay processing against current practice single platform CPU processing. We discuss the impact of our solution on the feasibility for an image processing service configuration that can run in a client-server environment, possibly using GE as a user interface.JRC.DG.G.2-Global security and crisis managemen

Distributed Geospatial Data Processing Functionality to Support Collaborative and Rapid Emergency Response

This paper presents a novel approach to integrate the latest generation very high-resolution earth observation imagery into the operational workflow of geospatial information support for emergency response actions. The core concept behind this approach is the implementation of an image pyramid structure that allows each image tile to be addressed separately.We propose a novel way to collate geospatial feature data from distributed sources and integrate them in visualization and image processing. The system components enable rapid collaborative mapping, support for in situ data collection, customized on-demand image processing, and geospatial data queries and near instantaneous map visualization. We adapt functional software modules that are available in the public and open source domain. The approach is demonstrated with a test case in a rapid damage assessment scenario using very high-resolution optical satellite QuickBird and IKONOS imagery over Southern Lebanon from 2006.JRC.G.2-Global security and crisis managemen

Ship Detection in ENVISAT ASAR Alternating Polarisation Images

RADARSAT has been used with much success for ship detection, and considerable experience has been built up in the past. ENVISAT ASAR does not yet have such a long history. It has long been known that VV polarisation is not very accommodating to ship detection, although it is for ship wake imaging. More recent work with ENVISAT has made it clear that HH is best with shallower incidence and HV with steeper incidence. But there is still a need to have better quantitative performance figures for ship detection in the different polarisation channels and beam incidence angles. In the framework of ship detection campaigns, JRC has acquired close to 100 ENVISAT ASAR Alternating Polarisation (AP) images, most between 2004 and 2006. Many of them contain a number of known ships, from VMS (fisheries transponder), AIS (merchant ship transponder) or patrol aircraft. Different regions are covered, notably the Baltic Sea, the North Atlantic, the Barents Sea and the Indian Ocean, and different vessel types: fishing vessels and merchant vessels. This study will present detection and false alarm statistics, look at main causes of false alarms and compare HH, VV and HV performance. Although maybe generally not so much appreciated, wakes of the larger and faster moving vessels show up also in HH and HV images. Frequency of occurrence of these is also derived. At time of writing of this abstract, the detailed statistical analysis has progressed through 10 AP HH/HV images, all in the Baltic Sea on a marine traffic route. These images contain a total of 296 targets that are interpreted, by visual analysis, as most likely being ships. Their statistics show e.g. that in IS3 (steep) beam, 90 % of the ships are seen both in HH and HV, 2 % only in HV and 8 % only in HH. In IS7 (shallow) beam, 74 % are seen both in HH and HV, 2 % only in HV and 25 % only in HH. In IS3 beam 30 % of the ships display a (short) wake in HH and the same percentage do in HV, whereas in IS7 beam almost no HV wakes are seen anymore while the HH wakes are shorter, although still occurring with 30 % of the ships. The wakes, in fact, are sometimes so strong that they cause 30 % of all false alarms in IS3. Other important causes of false alarms are azimuth ambiguities of strong ships or strong reflectors on land; nearly exclusively in HH. Whereas such false alarms caused by strong ships may be corrected for, because the ships that cause it are detected as well, those from land are harder to recognise and pose a real problem in coastal waters.JRC.G.4-Maritime affair

Evaluation of Vessel Detection System Use for Monitoring of Fisheries Activities

We present results from the use of a vessel detection system (VDS) which locates vessel positions in remote sensing imagery acquired by orbiting Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite sensors. The system, which is developed and maintained in house, has been tested in several vessel traffic situations in European waters and international waters during the last 3 years. Our analysis focuses on 2006 results generated over the Redfish (S. mentella) fishing grounds over the Reykjanes Ridge, south-west of Iceland. The use of VDS in this case study is a practical example of the role it could play in support to surveillance operations and wide area vessel traffic pattern recognition. In particular we look at detection rates, correlation to known vessel Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) positions and explanations for the abundance of detected targets that are unmatched by VMS. The hypothesis that the latter relate to Illegal, Unreported and Illegal (IUU) vessels in the area is confirmed by sightings by the Icelandic Coastguard and Greenpeace. We conclude with a projection of future VDS developments.JRC.G.3-Agricultur

Surveying Shipping and Fishing in the SW Indian Ocean with Satellite SAR

More than 120 ENVISAT ASAR Alternating Polarization HH/HV images were acquired and analyzed over the southwest Indian Ocean in order to survey for shipping and fishing. The images were processed for ship detection, combining the detections in HH and HV and using a CFAR threshold that is adjusted a posteriori. The false alarm rate in HH is not only higher but also much more variable than in HV, so that the latter is preferred for more reliable ship detection results. In the end, only a small number of ships were found, underlining to need to collect large image data sets for maritime surveillance of wide areas.JRC.DG.G.4-Maritime affair

Providing Cost Efficient Near Real Time Fisheries Monitoring Capability to Remote and Isolated Areas of the Globe - The Case of Comoros

In the framework of the European Commission funded TANGO project, a new architecture for fisheries surveillance is being tested. This architecture makes use of satellite communication as well as a medium sized UAV in complement to the already mature satellite imagery based Vessel Detection System. The purpose is to allow countries with extended fisheries control areas but limited means to have operational access to this technology without the costs of installing and maintaining heavy equipment such as receiving Ground Stations and patrol means.JRC.DG.G.4-Maritime affair