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
Themes
1. Low-Altitude UAV Earth Observation
Prof Danny Donoghue, University of Durham
2. LiDAR:net
Dr Nick Tate, University of Leicester
3. Field-Based Fourier Transform InfraRed Spectroscopy
Dr Graham Ferrier, University of Hull
4. Hyper-Temporal Earth Observation
Dr Doreen Boyd, University of Nottingham & Prof Mark Danson, University of Salford
5. Circumpolar and Cryospheric Earth Observation
Allen Pope, Scott Polar Research Institute
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
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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
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UAV SIG
 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
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
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LiDAR:net/SIG
 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
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
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develop new remote sensing
environmental monitoring methodologies
SIG-TRS
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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
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
Hyper-temporal
priorities

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
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Polar/cryospheric
theme
 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
priorities
 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
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Game over
 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/EarthObservation-Technology-Cluster/147226935357715?sk=wall
– Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/e/ljaxxq-go47syu2n/vgh/3927782/
Call for papers
 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
Join TOP SIG
 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