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At least 163 records · Page 9

Remote sensing and image interpretation

A textbook prepared primarily for use in introductory courses in remote sensing is presented. Topics covered include concepts and foundations of remote sensing; elements of photographic systems; introduction to airphoto interpretation; airphoto interpretation for terrain evaluation; photogrammetry; radiometric characteristics of aerial photographs; aerial thermography; multispectral scanning and spectral pattern recognition; microwave sensing; and remote sensing from space.

Lillesand, T. M.

LANDSAT 4 investigations of Thematic Mapper and Multispectral Scanner applications

Interband detector noise was suppressed in the TIPS TM North Dakota data by median filtering. Procedures were developed to optimize the visual information content of thematic mapper data and evaluate the resulting photographic products by visual interpretation. A digital to analog TM transfer function was developed which properly placed the digital values on the most useable portion of film response curve. Utilizing the calculated minimum, mean, and maximum and the respective standard deviations of the bands from 50 sample scenes of TM data, look up tables were designed which resulted in acceptable photographic products. These products were evaluated by generation of color composites of selected band combinations using standard photo production procedures, and visual interpretation of scene features.

Lauer, D. T.

Application of remote sensing in forestry

The use of remote sensing techniques in forestry studies is investigated. In particular, inventory, monitoring, detection, and management are discussed. Data show that infrared imagery appears to be the best technique for forestry studies. Data also show that color photographs are more easily interpreted than black and white ones.

Lauer, D. T.

Investigation of radar discrimination of sea ice

The ability of radar to discriminate sea ice types and their thickness was studied. Radar backscatter measurements at 400 MHz (multi-polarization) and 13.3 GHz (VV polarization) obtained from NASA Earth Resources Aircraft Program Mission 126 were analyzed in detail. The scatterometer data were separated into seven categories of sea ice according to age and thickness as interpreted from stereo aerial photographs. The variations of radar backscatter cross-section with sea ice thickness at various angles are presented at the two frequencies. There is a reversal of angular character of radar return from sea ice less than 18 cm thick at the two frequencies. Multi-year ice (sea ice greater than 180 cm thick) gives strongest return at 13.3 GHz. First-year ice (30 cm to 90 cm thick) gives strongest return at 400 MHz. Open water can be differentiated at both the frequencies. Four-polarization 16.5 GHz radar imagery was also obtained. Open water and three categories of sea ice can be identified on the images. The results of the imagery analysis are consistent with the radar scatterometer results.

Parashar, S. K.

Application of multispectral photography to mineral and land resources of South Carolina

The author has identified the following significant results. Good results were obtained from using Skylab photography in conjunction with LANDSAT imagery for visual interpretation of various geologic features, particularly lineaments. It was concluded that visual interpretation alone of Skylab photographs was quite limited, and much of this was because of the low contrast, heavily vegetated terrain in southeastern United States. Lineaments of major structural features are detectable but subtle. An intimate knowledge of the geologic field relationships is needed before a meaningful analysis is feasible using current satellite photography alone.

Olson, N. K.

Flow Visualization Tests of a 0.004-scale Space Shuttle Vehicle 2A Model (no. 13-OTS) in the MSFC 14-inch Trisonic Wind Tunnel (IS6A)

Documented are representative photographs of surface flow patterns, created by oil flow and shadowgraph techniques, obtained during wind tunnel tests of an 0.004-scale version of the 2A SSV orbiter. The purpose of this test series was to obtain flow visualization photographs to aid in interpretation of test IS1 aero-noise data. The test was conducted at nominal Mach numbers from 0.6 to 3.48. The orbiter was run in proximity to the external tank and solid rocket boosters at angles of attack from -5 deg to +9 deg at 0 deg angle of sideslip.

Hawthorne, P. J.

Irrigated lands assessment for water management: Technique test

A procedure for estimating irrigated land using full frame LANDSAT imagery was demonstrated. Relatively inexpensive interpretation of multidate LANDSAT photographic enlargements was used to produce a map of irrigated land in California. The LANDSAT and ground maps were then linked by regression equations to enable precise estimation of irrigated land area by county, basin, and statewide. Land irrigated at least once in California in 1979 was estimated to be 9.86 million acres, with an expected error of less than 1.75% at the 99% level of confidence. To achieve the same level of error with a ground-only sample would have required 3 to 5 times as many ground sample units statewide. A procedure for relatively inexpensive computer classification of LANDSAT digital data to irrigated land categories was also developed. This procedure is based on ratios of MSS band 7 and 5, and gave good results for several counties in the Central Valley.

Wall, S. L.

Dextrous robot hands

Recent studies of human hand function and their implications for the design of robot hands are discussed in reviews and reports. Topics addressed include human grasp choice and robotic grasp analysis, opposition space and human prehension, coordination in normal and prosthetic reaching, and intelligent exploration by the human hand. Consideration is given to a task-oriented dextrous manipulation architecture, the control architecture for the Belgrade/USC hand, the analysis of multifingered grasping and manipulation, and tactile sensing for shape interpretation. Diagrams, graphs, and photographs are provided.

Venkataraman, Subramanian T.

Refinement of ground reference data with segmented image data

One of the ways to determine ground reference data (GRD) for satellite remote sensing data is to photo-interpret low altitude aerial photographs and then digitize the cover types on a digitized tablet and register them to 7.5 minute U.S.G.S. maps (that were themselves digitized). The resulting GRD can be registered to the satellite image or, vice versa. Unfortunately, there are many opportunities for error when using digitizing tablet and the resolution of the edges for the GRD depends on the spacing of the points selected on the digitizing tablet. One of the consequences of this is that when overlaid on the image, errors and missed detail in the GRD become evident. An approach is discussed for correcting these errors and adding detail to the GRD through the use of a highly interactive, visually oriented process. This process involves the use of overlaid visual displays of the satellite image data, the GRD, and a segmentation of the satellite image data. Several prototype programs were implemented which provide means of taking a segmented image and using the edges from the reference data to mask out these segment edges that are beyond a certain distance from the reference data edges. Then using the reference data edges as a guide, those segment edges that remain and that are judged not to be image versions of the reference edges are manually marked and removed. The prototype programs that were developed and the algorithmic refinements that facilitate execution of this task are described.

Robinson, Jon W.

Evaluation of C-band SAR data from SAREX 1992: Tapajos study site

As part of the SAREX'92 (South American Radar Experiment), the Tapajos study site, located in Para State, Brazil was imaged by the Canada Center for Remote Sensing (CCRS) Convair 580 SAR system using a C-band frequency in HH and VV polarization and 3 different imaging modes (nadir, narrow, and wide swath). A preliminary analysis of this dataset is presented. The wide swath C-band HH polarized image was enlarged to 1:100,000 in a photographic form for manual interpretation. This was compared with a vegetation map produced primarily from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data and with single-band and color composite images derived from a decomposition analysis of TM data. The Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image shows well the topography and drainage network defining the different geomorphological units, and canopy texture differences which appear to be related to the size and maturity of the forest canopy. Areas of recent clearing of the primary forest can also be identified on the SAR image. The SAR system appears to be a source of information for monitoring tropical forest which is complementary to the Landsat Thematic Mapper.

Shimabukuro, Yosio Edemir

Citrus Inventory

Florida's Charlotte County Property Appraiser is using an aerial color infrared mapping system for inventorying citrus trees for valuation purposes. The ACIR system has significantly reduced the time and manpower required for appraisal. Aerial photographs are taken and interpreted by a video system which makes it possible to detect changes from previous years. Potential problems can be identified. KSC's TU Office has awarded a contract to the Citrus Research and Education Center to adapt a prototype system which would automatically count trees and report totals.

Source record

An Experimental Study of Boiling in Reduced and Zero Gravity Fields

A pool boiling apparatus was mounted on a counterweighted platform which could be dropped a distance of nine feet. By varying the size of the counterweight, the effective gravity field on the equipment was adjusted between zero and unity. A study of boiling burnout in water indicated that a variation in the critical heat flux according to the one quarter power of gravity was reasonable. A consideration of the transient burnout process was necessary in order to properly interpret the data. A photographic study of nucleate boiling showed how the velocity of freely rising vapor bubbles decreased as gravity was reduced. The bubble diameters at the time of breakoff from the heated surface were found to vary inversely as gravity to the 1/3.5 power. Motion pictures were taken to illustrate both nucleate and film boiling in the low gravity range.

Usiskin, C. M.

Preliminary geologic map of the region around the candidate Proclus Apollo landing site, part J

The Proclus Crater region was mapped to test the value, for photogeologic mapping purposes, of Apollo 15 metric photographs and to estimate the scientific value of the area as a potential landing site. Adjacent frames of the metric photography were overlapped with the base frame to provide stereographic images. Because of the high quality of the photographs, it was found that the geologic units could be more definitely interpreted and dated than those of earlier maps. The photographs tend to confirm the earlier interpretation of the rugged area as composed of bedrock uplifted when the Crisium basin formed. They also suggest that an earlier predominantly volcanic interpretation of the terra in this area might be replaced by an interpretation in which mass wasting and fracturing play the major roles in producing different terrain types. It was concluded that because of apparent lithologic homogeneity, the terra of the Proclus region is an undesirable objective for an extensive manned lunar landing mission.

Wilhelms, D. E.