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At least 289 records · Page 16

Korean coastal water depth/sediment and land cover mapping /1:25,000/ by computer analysis of Landsat imagery

Computer analysis was applied to single data Landsat MSS imagery of a coastal area near Seoul, Korea equivalent to a 1:50,000 topographic map, and featuring large dynamic sediment transport processes. Supervised image processing yielded a test classification map containing five water depth/sediment classes, two shoreline/tidal classes and five coastal land cover classes at a scale of 1:25,000 and with a training set accuracy of 76%; the training sets were selected by direct examination of the digitally displayed imagery. The unsupervised ISOCLAS (Senkus, 1976) clustering analysis was performed to assess the relative value of this approach to image classification in areas of sparse or nonexistent ground control. Results indicate that it is feasible to produce quantitative maps for detailed study of dynamic coastal processes given a Landsat image data base at sufficiently frequent time intervals.

Park, K. Y.↗

Micro-photoluminescence mapping and Chemometrics for the rapid classification of rare earth materials

This article introduces advancements in chemically mapping rare earth materials using photoluminescence (PL) and chemometrics. By leveraging the high sensitivity and selectivity of PL compared to alternative optical techniques, as well as its compatibility with microscopy, we present enhanced capabilities for noninvasive material screening and characterization. Exemplary PL spectra of samarium(III) and europium(III) in oxide, nitrate, and chloride forms demonstrated the ability to extract detailed chemical information of diverse rare earth particles. Additionally, we introduced efficient PL mapping sequences capable of covering a 9 mm diameter carbon tab within minutes, which highlighted the benefits of rapid, large-area imaging. Furthermore, an integrated approach combining PL mapping with principal component analysis and a random forest classifier enabled the resolution of overlapping spectral peaks from different chemistries and provided accurate material classification. In conclusion, these advancements underscored the versatility and robustness of PL for chemically mapping rare earth materials, with the potential to support applications in mining, energy, environmental monitoring, isotope production and beyond.

Chemometrics↗

Galaxy Zoo DECaLS: Detailed visual morphology measurements from volunteers and deep learning for 314,000 galaxies

We present Galaxy Zoo DECaLS: detailed visual morphological classifications for Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey images of galaxies within the SDSS DR8 footprint. Deeper DECaLS images (r = 23.6 versus r = 22.2 from SDSS) reveal spiral arms, weak bars, and tidal features not previously visible in SDSS imaging. To best exploit the greater depth of DECaLS images, volunteers select from a new set of answers designed to improve our sensitivity to mergers and bars. Galaxy Zoo volunteers provide 7.5 million individual classifications over 314 000 galaxies. 140 000 galaxies receive at least 30 classifications, sufficient to accurately measure detailed morphology like bars, and the remainder receive approximately 5. All classifications are used to train an ensemble of Bayesian convolutional neural networks (a state-of-the-art deep learning method) to predict posteriors for the detailed morphology of all 314 000 galaxies. We use active learning to focus our volunteer effort on the galaxies which, if labelled, would be most informative for training our ensemble. When measured against confident volunteer classifications, the trained networks are approximately 99 per cent accurate on every question. Morphology is a fundamental feature of every galaxy; our human and machine classifications are an accurate and detailed resource for understanding how galaxies evolve.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

State Predictor of Classification Cognitive Engine Applied to Channel Fading

This study presents the application of machine learning (ML) to a space-to-ground communication link, showing how ML can be used to detect the presence of detrimental channel fading. Using this channel state information, the communication link can be used more efficiently by reducing the amount of lost data during fading. The motivation for this work is based on channel fading observed during on-orbit operations with NASA's Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) testbed on the International Space Station (ISS). This paper presents the process to extract a target concept (fading and not-fading) from the raw data. The pre-processing and data exploration effort is explained in detail, with a list of assumptions made for parsing and labelling the dataset. The model selection process is explained, specifically emphasizing the benefits of using an ensemble of algorithms with majority voting for binary classification of the channel state. Experimental results are shown, highlighting how an end-to-end communication system can utilize knowledge of the channel fading status to identity fading and take appropriate action. With a laboratory testbed to emulate channel fading, the overall performance is compared to standard adaptive methods without fading knowledge, such as adaptive coding and modulation.

Fading↗

A Proxy Method to Bridge LCA Data Gaps Using Automated Material Classification and Probabilistic Under-Specification

Life cycle assessments (LCAs) are essential for understanding the environmental impacts of material production. However, gaps in life cycle inventory (LCI) data for material and chemical inputs present a key challenge for LCA practitioners, especially in the early design stages. Strategies for filling in these gaps require additional time and expertise, which can hinder the LCA’s completion. This study combined automatic material classification and probabilistic under-specification to create a time-efficient method to fill material LCI data gaps. To illustrate the proposed method, proxy environmental impact distributions were generated using publicly available material LCI data classified into the ChemOnt chemical taxonomy using the open-source chemical classification software ClassyFire. Input materials with data gaps were then classified into the same taxonomy, where proxy environmental impact values could be selected from the available distributions to quickly fill in any data gaps. Although these methods were applied to classify material production processes available in the Federal LCA Commons and Ecoinvent databases, they can be applied to any LCA database. This study shows that classifying materials by their chemical structure produces taxonomies with increased granularity relative to industrial classification, improving the ability of under-specified proxy data to be used for differentiating the environmental impacts of competing designs.

biological databases↗

Appropriate “marginal” farmlands for second‐generation biofuel crops in North Carolina

Abstract Current research on bioenergy crops shows that perennial grasses can yield substantial amounts of dry biomass with relatively low inputs of water and fertilizer. In order to minimize competition with food production, it has been suggested that bioenergy crops could be directed to land areas less suitable for commodity crops, commonly referred to as “marginal” lands. These are land units with inherent limitations to vegetative growth and production, which may be due to several factors (soil physical and chemical properties, climatic conditions, etc.). However the term “marginal” is an adjective with imprecise meaning, and objective criteria for determining “marginal” lands for siting bioenergy crops are necessary. Here we propose that such criteria may be based on soil survey classifications and realistic yield estimates, and we show an example of its use to justify site selection for bioenergy crops in different regions of North Carolina.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Automation for Electric Vehicle Battery Pack Disassembly

Battery‐electric vehicles (EVs) are growing exponentially. The demand for these batteries is expected to increase sevenfold by 2035. The EV batteries reach their end of life when the capacity fades to 70%–80% of new, with some being removed from the primary applications with even lower levels of degradation. These batteries can be used in less demanding applications. The disassembly process is currently manual, slow, unsafe, and expensive. Automation is needed to increase the throughput. EV battery packs feature various continually changing designs and form factors, which limit the usefulness of deterministically programmed robotic solutions. The conceptual robotic disassembly of EV batteries has attracted the attention of researchers. However, while many approaches have been proposed, practical implementations are lacking. Here, we review proposed concepts for EV battery disassembly and describe the selected approach, with elements of partial solutions validated in a laboratory setting, including the selection of commercial solutions, the development of custom end effectors, and methodologies for detection, localization, and classification of fasteners. The computer vision tasks employed an overhead 2D camera to detect the type of battery pack and approximate localization of fasteners, and a 3D camera mounted on the robotic arm for precise localization (position and tilt) and classification.

Islam, Abu [Rochester Inst. of Technology, Rochest↗

An assessment of Landsat data acquisition history on identification and area estimation of corn and soybeans

During the past decade, numerous studies have demonstrated the potential of satellite remote sensing for providing accurate and timely crop area information. This study assessed the impact of Landsat data acquisition history on classification and area estimation accuracy of corn and soybeans. Multitemporally registered Landsat MSS data from four acquisitions during the 1978 growing season were used in classification of eight sample segments in the U.S. Corn Belt. The results illustrate the importance of selecting Landsat acquisitions based on spectral differences in crops at certain growth stages.

Hixson, M. M.↗

Multifrequency observations

Analyses of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image data were performed at DLR to classify various kinds of vegetation and different terrain types. The data were collected both with the DLR experimental synthetic aperture radar (E-SAR) in X-band, C-band, and L-band and with the NASA/JPL DC-8 SAR in C-band, L-band, and P-band. E-SAR is a single frequency and single polarization system (both parameters can be selected) but several flights were used to collect multifrequency/multipolarization data which were geometrically matched after processing. Classification of different crop types was based on comparison of the backscatter coefficients of calibrated SAR data in different frequency bands and polarizations. The DC-8 STAR collects polarimetric data in different bands simultaneously. Data acquired with the NASA/JPL DC-8 STAR are qualified for scientific investigations by reducing the cross-talk and channel imbalance to a tolerable extent. The data are absolutely calibrated by using reference targets with known backscattering cross-sections. The signatures and polarimetric features of terrain types, such as grassland, concrete, sea, forest (coniferous; deciduous) and urban areas, are extracted and discussed with respect to frequency and incidence angle dependence. A multifrequency polarimetric feature vector was applied for classification. The results of this new approach for separating and classifying different object classes are presented.

Glitz, R.↗

Linear feature selection with applications

Several ways in which feature selection techniques were used in LACIE are discussed. In all cases, the methods require some a priori information and assumptions; in most, the classification procedure (Bayes optimal) was chosen in advance. The transformations used for dimensionality reduction are linear, that is, the variables in feature space are always linear combinations of the original measurements. Several numerically tractable criteria developed for LACIE, which provide information about the probability of misclassification, are discussed. Recent results on linear feature selection techniques are included. Their use in LACIE is discussed. Related open questions are mentioned.

Decell, H. P., Jr.↗

Preprocessing of multispectral data and simulation of ERTS data channels to make computer terrain maps of a Yellowstone National Park test site

The possibility of improving the accuracy of terrain classification by preprocessing spectral data was investigated. Terrain maps were made using the following techniques: 1) preprocessing by scan angle function transformation, using the computer-selected best set of three channels; and 2) preprocessing by ratio transformation, using the specified ERTS data channels, simulated by fitting the spectral response of each of the 12 data channels to the ERTS channels by a set of weighting coefficients. By using a simple technique during printout, the maps were produced in color. The normalized scan angle function transformation resulted in the most accurate classification. The best ratio transformation for the Yellowstone Park data was the ratio of each channel to the sum of all channels. A supervised training program involving maximum likelihood decision for selecting the best spectrometer channels and similar techniques for digitizing the data of the analog magnetic tapes were used. Cloud shadows were recognized in addition to eight classes of terrain. Preprocessing of data resulted in more accurate maps, required fewer training areas (hence less preparation and computer time), and enabled much of the area formerly classified as shadow to be reclassified according to actual terrain type.

Smedes, H. W.↗

Image Processing Methods for Coronal Hole Segmentation, Matching, and Map Classification

The paper presents the results from a multi-year effort to develop and validate image processing methods forselecting the best physical models based on solar image observations. The approach consists of selecting the physical models based on their agreement with coronal holes extracted from the images. Ultimately, the goal is to use physical models to predict geomagnetic storms. We decompose the problem into three subproblems: (i) coronal hole segmentation based on physical constraints, (ii) matching clusters of coronal holes between different maps, and (iii) physical map classification. For segmenting coronal holes, we develop a multi-modal method that uses segmentation maps from three different methods to initialize a level-set method that evolves the initial coronal hole segmentation to the magnetic boundary. Then, we introducea new method based on Linear Programming for matchingclusters of coronal holes. The final matching is then performedusing Random Forests. The methods were carefully validatedusing consensus maps derived from multiple readers, manualclustering, manual map classification, and method validation for50 maps. The proposed multi-modal segmentation method significantly outperformed SegNet, U-net, Henney-Harvey, and FCNby providing accurate boundary detection. Overall, the methodgave a 95.5% map classification accuracy.

Jatla, Venkatesh↗

Robotic Rock Classification

This report describes a three-month research program undertook jointly by the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and Ames Research Center as part of the Ames' Joint Research Initiative (JRI.) The work was conducted at the Ames Research Center by Mr. Liam Pedersen, a graduate student in the CMU Ph.D. program in Robotics under the supervision Dr. Ted Roush at the Space Science Division of the Ames Research Center from May 15 1999 to August 15, 1999. Dr. Martial Hebert is Mr. Pedersen's research adviser at CMU and is Principal Investigator of this Grant. The goal of this project is to investigate and implement methods suitable for a robotic rover to autonomously identify rocks and minerals in its vicinity, and to statistically characterize the local geological environment. Although primary sensors for these tasks are a reflection spectrometer and color camera, the goal is to create a framework under which data from multiple sensors, and multiple readings on the same object, can be combined in a principled manner. Furthermore, it is envisioned that knowledge of the local area, either a priori or gathered by the robot, will be used to improve classification accuracy. The key results obtained during this project are: The continuation of the development of a rock classifier; development of theoretical statistical methods; development of methods for evaluating and selecting sensors; and experimentation with data mining techniques on the Ames spectral library. The results of this work are being applied at CMU, in particular in the context of the Winter 99 Antarctica expedition in which the classification techniques will be used on the Nomad robot. Conversely, the software developed based on those techniques will continue to be made available to NASA Ames and the data collected from the Nomad experiments will also be made available.

Hebert, Martial↗

Lidar Remote Sensing for Characterizing Forest Vegetation - Special Issue. Foreword

The Silvilaser 2009 conference held in College Station, Texas, USA, was the ninth conference in the Silvilaser series, which started in 2002 with the international workshop on using lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) for analyzing forest structure, held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Following the Canadian workshop, subsequent forestry-lidar conferences took place in Australia, Sweden, Germany, USA, Japan, Finland, and the United Kingdom (UK). By the time this Silvilaser 2009 special issue of PE&RS is published, the 10th international conference will have been held in Freiburg, Germany, and planning will be ongoing for the 11th meeting to take place in Tasmania, Australia, in October 2011. Papers presented at the 2005 conference held in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA, were assembled in a special issue of PE&RS published in December 2006. Other special issues resulting from previous conferences were published in journals such as the Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing (2003), the Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research (2004), and Japan s Journal of Forest Planning (2008). Given the conference history and the much longer record of publications on lidar applications for estimating forest biophysical parameters, which dates back to the early 1980s, we may consider lidar an established remote sensing technology for characterizing forest canopy structure and estimating forest biophysical parameters. Randy Wynne, a professor at Virginia Tech and the final keynote speaker at Silvilaser 2009, made the case that it was time to push 30 years of research into operations, along the lines of what has already been done to good effect in the Scandinavian countries. In Randy s words, it s time to "Just do it!" This special issue includes a selection of papers presented during the 2009 Silvilaser conference, which consisted of eight sections as follows: (1) biomass and carbon stock estimates, (2) tree species and forest type classification, (3) data fusion and integration, (4, 5, and 6) forest inventory, (7) silvicultural and ecological applications, and (8) terrestrial lidar applications. Within the constraint limiting the number of papers that could be fitted into the special issue we attempted to select those papers that best represented these conference topics and sections, giving special consideration to studies using forestry lidar data collected from each of the three platforms -- terrestrial, airborne, and spaceborne. Reflecting the international participation and reach of the conference, the studies presented here took place in the USA, Canada, Taiwan, the UK, and China.

Popescu, Sorin C.↗

Background-Aware 3-D Point Cloud Segmentation With Dynamic Point Feature Aggregation

With the proliferation of LiDAR sensors and 3-D vision cameras, 3-D point cloud analysis has attracted significant attention in recent years. In this article, we propose a novel 3-D point cloud learning network, referred to as dynamic point feature aggregation network (DPFA-Net), by selectively performing the neighborhood feature aggregation (FA) with dynamic pooling and an attention mechanism. DPFA-Net has two variants for semantic segmentation and classification of 3-D point clouds. As the core module of the DPFA-Net, we propose an FA layer, in which features of the dynamic neighborhood of each point are aggregated via a self-attention mechanism. In contrast to other segmentation models, which aggregate features from fixed neighborhoods, our approach can aggregate features from different neighbors in different layers providing a more selective and broader view to the query points and focusing more on the relevant features in a local neighborhood. In addition, to further improve the performance of semantic segmentation, we exploit the background–foreground (BF) information and present two novel approaches, namely, two-stage BF-Net and BF regularization. Experimental results show that the proposed DPFA-Net achieves the state-of-the-art overall accuracy score of 89.22% for semantic segmentation on the Stanford large-scale 3-D Indoor Spaces (S3DIS) dataset and provides consistently satisfactory performance across different tasks of semantic segmentation, part segmentation, and 3-D object classification. Furthermore, our model achieves 93.1% accuracy on the ModelNet40 dataset and provides a mean shape intersection-over-union (IoU) value of 85.5% for part segmentation on the ShapeNet-Part dataset. It is a also computationally more efficient compared to other methods.

3-D↗

Plasma image classification using cosine similarity constrained convolutional neural network

Plasma jets are widely investigated both in the laboratory and in nature. Astrophysical objects such as black holes, active galactic nuclei and young stellar objects commonly emit plasma jets in various forms. With the availability of data from plasma jet experiments resembling astrophysical plasma jets, classification of such data would potentially aid in not only investigating the underlying physics of the experiments but also the study of astrophysical jets. In this work we use deep learning to process all of the laboratory plasma images from the Caltech Spheromak Experiment spanning two decades. We found that cosine similarity can aid in feature selection, classify images through comparison of feature vector direction and be used as a loss function for the training of AlexNet for plasma image classification. We also develop a simple vector direction comparison algorithm for binary and multi-class classification. Using our algorithm we demonstrate 93 % accurate binary classification to distinguish unstable columns from stable columns and 92 % accurate five-way classification of a small, labelled data set which includes three classes corresponding to varying levels of kink instability.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Evaluation of the effects of the seasonal variation of solar elevation angle and azimuth on the processes of digital filtering and thematic classification of relief units

The effects of the seasonal variation of illumination over digital processing of LANDSAT images are evaluated. Two sets of LANDSAT data referring to the orbit 150 and row 28 were selected with illumination parameters varying from 43 deg to 64 deg for azimuth and from 30 deg to 36 deg for solar elevation respectively. IMAGE-100 system permitted the digital processing of LANDSAT data. Original images were transformed by means of digital filtering so as to enhance their spatial features. The resulting images were used to obtain an unsupervised classification of relief units. Topographic variables (declivity, altitude, relief range and slope length) were used to identify the true relief units existing on the ground. The LANDSAT over pass data show that digital processing is highly affected by illumination geometry, and there is no correspondence between relief units as defined by spectral features and those resulting from topographic features.

Parada, N. D. J.↗

Carbon- and Oxygen-rich stars in MaStar: identification and classification

ABSTRACT Carbon- and Oxygen-rich stars populating the Thermally Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch (TP-AGB) phase of stellar evolution are relevant contributors to the spectra of ∼1 Gyr old populations. Atmosphere models for these types are uncertain, due to complex molecules and mass-loss effects. Empirical spectra are then crucial, but samples are small due to the short (∼3 Myr) TP-AGB lifetime. Here we exploit the vastness of the MaNGA Stellar library MaStar (∼60 000 spectra) to identify C and O-rich type stars. We define an optical colour selection with cuts of (g − r) > 2 and (g − i) < 1.55(g − r) − 0.07, calibrated with known C- and O-rich spectra. This identifies C- and O-rich stars along clean, separated sequences. An analogue selection is found in V, R, I bands. Our equation identifies C-rich and O-rich spectra with predictive performance metric F1-scores of 0.72 and 0.74 (over 1), respectively. We finally identify 41 C- and 87 O-rich type AGB stars in MaStar, 5 and 49 of which do not have a SIMBAD counterpart. We also detect a sample of non-AGB, dwarf C-stars. We further design a fitting procedure to classify the spectra into broad spectral types, by using as fitting templates empirical C- and O-rich spectra. We find remarkably good fits for the majority of candidates and categorize them into C- and O-rich bins following existing classifications, which correlate to effective temperature. Our selection models can be applied to large photometric surveys (e.g. Euclid, Rubin). The classified spectra will facilitate future evolutionary population synthesis models.

Hill, Lewis (ORCID:0000000180528080)↗