Thermal   Imaging   Workshop
Hosted   by   the   Remote   Sensing   Center   at   the   Naval   Postgraduate   School
2009
Notes   from   the   Panel   –   “Disaster   Technologies:   Problems   and   Solutions   With   a   Focus   on   Fire   Response”
Dr.
Doug   Stow   (SDSU)   –   moderator
Mr.
Steve   Ambrose   (NASA   Goddard   Space   Flight   Center)
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Near   real ‐ time   data   for   MODIS   and   AMSR ‐ E
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What   role   will   applications   play?
o timing,   data,   algorithm
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Simple   user   interface
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Establish   a   user   working   group   Æ   will   have   a   workshop   in   November   and   then   again   in   Spring   (?)
• Focus:   land   and   atmosphere
Mr.
Vince   Ambrosia   (CSUMB/NASA   Ames)
• NASA   “Ikhana”   UAV
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Collaborating   with   Forest   Service   and   CAL   FIRE
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Added   4   thermal   channels   to   better   visualize   higher   temperature   regimes
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Real ‐  or   near ‐ real ‐ time   products
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Delivered   as   GEOTIFS   o Converted   into   KMLs   for   Google   Earth
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Send   down   associated   shapefiles   and   pixel   locations
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“One   stop   shop”   for   GIS/fire ‐ related   data
• Can   add   a   network   link   in   Google   Earth   to   acquire   all   data
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UAVs:   long ‐ duration   capabilities
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196   hours   of   data   collected   (2005   –   2008)
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Want   to   integrate   airborne   and   satellite   data   for   ground   teams
Mr.
Mark   Rosenberg   (CAL   FIRE)
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Location   Æ   need   to   geolocate   to   a   high   precision   o Burned/burning/unburned?
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Develop   algorithms   that   exploit   images   from   a   variety   of   sensors
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Timeliness   of   information   is   VERY   important
NIROPS:   Type   II
Firewatch:   Type   III
NASA   Goddard   &   U.S.
Forest   Service   Remote   Sensing   Applications   Center:   MODIS
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Rapid   dissemination   of   hot   spot   detection
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Allocation   of   resources   across   the   U.S.

Where   is   the   flaming   front?
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Location?
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Spread?
King   Air   vs.
Ikhana
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King   Air   is   good   if:   UAVs   are   not   allowed,   populations   need   to   be   flown   over
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King   Air   is   not   good   if:   FAA   issues   keep   deployment   from   occurring   when   necessary
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Ikhana   is   good   if:   persistence   is   needed   (can   fly   ~20   hours),   fires   are   local
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Ikhana   is   not   good   if:   funding   is   an   issue   (they   are   very   expensive),   it   needs   to   move   quickly   (very   slow)
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Problems   for   both:   restrictions   in   air   space,   not   getting   frequencies/clearances
The   market   segment   is   too   small   to   build   thermal ‐ focused   systems
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Community   is   forced   to   use   what   is   available   rather   than   the   optimal   system
Ikhana   Æ   utilized   by   aeronautics
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Not   a   fire   imaging   platform,   but   a   platform   used   to   test/evaluate   different   sensors
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$100,000  ‐  $165,000:   7   days,   two   separate   10  ‐  12   hour   missions,   full   staffing   (of   ~10   people)
• A   lack   of   funding   is   pushing   to   replace   Ikhana   with   piloted   aircraft
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Great   high   resolution   imaging
CDE:   available   info   from   multiple   vendors
Hazard   Guidance   System
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From   University   of   South   Carolina
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Shows   what   satellites   are   flying   over   a   specific   area
Could   a   commercial   satellite   make   money   by   putting   a   thermal   sensor   on   their   satellite?
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?
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Some   satellite   companies   charge   an   annual   rate   to   image   disaster   areas
NEOS   Ltd.
Light   Sport   Aircraft
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Flies   at   the   2,000   –   3,000   ft   level   Æ   high   resolution   up   to   15,000   feet
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Easy   to   deploy
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May   interfere   with   other   hazard   crews   (if   it   flies   at   the   same   elevation   as   fire   planes?)
• ~$1,000/day   for   all   imagery   that   can   be   acquired
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Need   auto   georectification
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Most   private   companies   charge   $5,000  ‐  $8,000/day
Fires   Services   don’t   want   staring   capability,   but   Fire   Sciences/CAL   FIRE   do   want   staring   capability   for   early   detection   (in   less   than   a   half   hour)
Platform ‐ to ‐ Ground   Data   Downlink

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INMARSAT
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AirCell   (used   by   American   and   United?
Airlines)   o Utilizes   phones   in   airplanes   o $125,000   or   $1,500/month   o Larger   bandwidth   than   INMARSAT   o Real ‐ time   info   on   hot   spot   detection
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Ground   equipment   on   fire   sites   is   a   hassle
• Want   data   from   all   types   of   vendors   to   be   put   into   one   spot
Prescribed   Burns   vs.
Wildfire   Events
• “While   in   Use”   fires   (monitored   but   not   fought)   in   National   Parks   and   Forests   o Intensity,   radiative   measurements   (Temperature/Time),   plume   injection   height   (found   using
LiDAR)
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Post ‐ fire:   focus   on   soil/fire   temperature,   recovery   o Soil:   want   to   determine   the   type   of   clay   that   was   present   and   what   is   left   o Fire   Temperature:   based   on   quality   of   ash   (but   ash   blows   away   quickly)
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Pre ‐ /During   fire:   fuels,   severity,   extent
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Some   sort   of   paint   (mentioned   by   Dr.
Dar   Roberts)   can   be   used   to   determine   fire   temperatures   (?)
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Also   want   to   know   emissivity   spectra   and   moisture   content
Possible   Sources   of   Funding
• nspires .nasaprs.com/ ($200,000  ‐  $500,000/year)
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Forest   Service:   Joint   Fire   Science   (November);   for   analytical   and   predictive   capabilities,   fire   spread
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FRAP   (for   preventative   work)