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The main objectives are formulated around a four pronged work approach, consisting of tasks related to: image processing and analysis of LANDSAT thematic mapping; numerical modeling of circulation and dispersion; hydrographic and spectral radiation field sampling/ground truth data collection; and special efforts to focus the investigation on turbid coastal/estuarine fronts.
Solar flare protons share many radiological health characteristics of the inner Van Allen Belt protons, and both types of radiation pose serious dangers to a number of missions planned. It is appropriate to evaluate crew dose determination procedures in terms of the type of radiation responsible for the major part of the projected exposure, i.e., protons in the neighborhood of 100 MeV. Monitoring chromosome abnormalities in peripheral lymphocytes is one method to determine an individual's accumulated radiation dosage. Cell culture and harvest is a relatively simple procedure and is well within the capabilities of a station health facility, but the evaluation of prepared microscopic slides is a time consuming and subjective procedure. This project is part of an effort to demonstrate the utility of automated image processing and evaluation procedures in expediting dose evaluation. The initial goal of this project is to produce a set of reference chromosome spreads produced from control lymphocytes and from lymphocytes exposed in whole blood to protons or gamma rays. The results of manual and automated aberration scoring will ultimately be compared to test for systematic differences between the two evaluation procedures and between the two radiation qualities. Proton irradiations are performed at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Cyclotron Facility. Proton dosimetry is supplemented by TLD packets from and by assay of short-lived proton activation products in the irradiation blood samples.
Techniques for the detection, classification, and measurement of forest disturbances, using digital Landsat data for three study areas (Pennsynvania, North Carolina, and Maine) are reported. Results with respect to (1) the delineation and assessment of forest damage due to the use of two forest insect defoliators, and (2) qualitative assessment of the Multispectral Scanner (MSS) and the Thematic Mapper data for delineating forest stand characteristics are presented. Key results include a development of a statewide MSS digital data base and associated image-processing techniques for accurately delineating insect-damaged and healthy forest areas. For classification of broad land-cover classes which are spectrally homogeneous, the accuracy yielded by the use of either MSS data or TM Simulator data is similar. However, the TMS data provided 20 percent accuracy improvement over the MSS results when detailed (Level III) forest classes were mapped.
An algorithm has been developed for estimating the surface reflectance functions of objects in a scene with incomplete knowledge of the spectral power distribution of the ambient light. An image processing system employing this algorithm can assign colors that are constant despite changes in the lighting of the scene; this capability is essential to correct color rendering in photography, TV, and in the construction of artificial visual systems for robotics. Attention is given to the way in which constraints on lights and surfaces in the environment make color-constancy possible for a visual system, and the algorithm's implications for human color vision are discussed.
It is examined whether clustering of galaxies can significantly alter the statistical properties of gravitational lenses? Only models of clustering that resemble the observed distribution of galaxies in the properties of the two-point correlation function are considered. Monte-Carlo simulations of the imaging process are described. It is found that the effect of clustering is too small to be significant, unless the mass of the deflectors is so large that gravitational lenses become common occurrences. A special model is described which was concocted to optimize the effect of clustering on gravitational lensing but still resemble the observed distribution of galaxies; even this simulation did not satisfactorily produce large numbers of wide-angle lenses.
A storyboard display is presented which summarizes work done recently in design and simulation of autonomous video rendezvous and docking systems for spacecraft. This display includes: photographs of the simulation hardware, plots of chase vehicle trajectories from simulations, pictures of the docking aid including image processing interpretations, and drawings of the control system strategy. Viewgraph-style sheets on the display bulletin board summarize the simulation objectives, benefits, special considerations, approach, and results.
Techniques are presented for detecting and correcting errors in a vector field. These methods employ median filters which are frequently used in image processing to enhance edges and remove noise. A detailed example is given for wind field maps produced by a spaceborne scatterometer. The error detection and replacement algorithm was tested with simulation data from the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) project.
The Caltech Concurrent Computation Program wwhich studies basic issues in computational science is described. The research builds on initial work where novel concurrent hardware, the necessary systems software to use it and twenty significant scientific implementations running on the initial 32, 64, and 128 node hypercube machines have been constructed. A major goal of the program will be to extend this work into new disciplines and more complex algorithms including general packages that decompose arbitrary problems in major application areas. New high-performance concurrent processors with up to 1024-nodes, over a gigabyte of memory and multigigaflop performance are being constructed. The implementations cover a wide range of problems in areas such as high energy and astrophysics, condensed matter, chemical reactions, plasma physics, applied mathematics, geophysics, simulation, CAD for VLSI, graphics and image processing. The products of the research program include the concurrent algorithms, hardware, systems software, and complete program implementations.
A major concern to aerodynamicists has been the corruption of wind tunnel test data by model support structures, such as stings or struts. A technique for magnetically suspending wind tunnel models was considered by Tournier and Laurenceau (1957) in order to overcome this problem. This technique is now implemented with the aid of a Large Magnetic Suspension and Balance System (LMSBS) and advanced position sensors for measuring model attitude and position within the test section. Two different optical position sensors are discussed, taking into account a device based on the use of linear CCD arrays, and a device utilizing area CID cameras. Current techniques in image processing have been employed to develop target tracking algorithms capable of subpixel resolution for the sensors. The algorithms are discussed in detail, and some preliminary test results are reported.
Further analysis of Einstein Observatory images of the Vela pulsar has revealed additional detail in the X-ray emission of the central region of the Vela supernova remnant. Components previously reported from the Einstein data are: (1) filaments within the approximately 5-degree remnant; (2) a reasonably strong (approximately 1.7 ct/sec) point-like source coincident with the pulsar; and (3) a cloud of diffuse emission about the pulsar position. Image processing of IPC data has now revealed a region of lower surface brightness emission extending as far as about 1 degree, primarily to the south of the pulsar and in the direction of the radio emission maximum known as Vela X.
State of the art applications of remote sensing in geological exploration programs are discussed along with research and development activities aimed at increasing the future capabilities of this technology for exploration geology. The topics considered include: technical issues in the state of the art; regional exploration models; remote sensing applications for hydrocarbon exploration; commercialization of remote sensing satellites; and data integration. Also addressed are: remote sensing applications for mineral exploration; geobotanical and environmental remote sensing; image processing techniques and applications; advanced sensors, radar, and airborne systems; and engineering, logistics, and marine applications.
Data acquisition, initial site characterization, image and geographic information methods available, and brief evaluations of first-year for NASA's Thematic Mapper (TM) working group are presented. The TM and other spectral data are examined in order to relate local, intensive ecosystem research findings to estimates of carbon cycling rates over wide geographic regions. The effort is to span environments ranging from dry to moist climates and from good to poor site quality using the TM capability, with and without the inclusion of geographic information system (GIS) data, and thus to interpret the local spatial pattern of factors conditioning biomass or productivity. Twenty-eight TM data sets were acquired, archived, and evaluated. The ERDAS image processing and GIS system were installed on the microcomputer (PC-AT) and its capabilities are being investigated. The TM coverage of seven study areas were exported via ELAS software on the Prime to the ERDAS system. Statistical analysis procedures to be used on the spectral data are being identified.
The largest scale structures of comets, their tails, are extremely interesting from a physical point of view, and some of their properties are among the most spectacular displayed by comets. Because the tail(s) is an important component part of a comet, the Large-Scale Phenomena (L-SP) Discipline was created as one of eight different observational methods in which Halley data would be encouraged and collected from all around the world under the aspices of the International Halley Watch (IHW). The L-SP Discipline Specialist (DS) Team resides at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center under the leadership of John C. Brandt, Malcolm B. Niedner, and their team of image-processing and computer specialists; Jurgan Rahe at NASA Headquarters completes the formal DS science staff. The team has adopted the study of disconnection events (DE) as its principal science target, and it is because of the rapid changes which occur in connection with DE's that such extensive global coverage was deemed necessary to assemble a complete record.
An in-progress study demonstrates the utility of Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data for unraveling the stratigraphic sequence of a western interior, North American foreland basin. The TIMS data can be used to determine the stratigraphic distribution of minerals that are diagnostic of specific depositional distribution. The thematic mapper (TM) and TIMS data were acquired in the Wind River/Bighorn area of central Wyoming in November 1982, and July 1983, respectively. Combined image processing, photogeologic, and spectral analysis methods were used to: map strata; construct stratigraphic columns; correlate data; and identify mineralogical facies.
The emphasis in initial work will be on application of image processing techniques in the site monitoring of an ILS glide slope transmitting array. The glide slope requires a clear area in front of the antennas for use as a reflecting zone. Reflecting or scattering obstacles in this area can cause incorrect path formation and system outages. Direct video monitoring is impractical due to the narrow band nature of communication links from the ILS site to the regional maintenance location. Slow scan video is possible, but even this technique may require transmission of large amounts of data, tying up remote monitoring lines. The steps used to minimize data transmission are listed.
Conference papers and presentation outlines which address the use of the Transportable Applications Executive (TAE) and its various applications programs are compiled. Emphasis is given to the design of the user interface and image processing workstation in general. Alternate ports of TAE and TAE subsystems are also covered.
Due to the larger number of different types of files used in an image processing system, a mechanism for file management beyond the bounds of typical operating systems is necessary. The Transportable Applications Executive (TAE) Catalog Manager was written to meet this need. Land Analysis System (LAS) users at the EROS Data Center (EDC) encountered some problems in using the TAE catalog manager, including catalog corruption, networking difficulties, and lack of a reliable tape storage and retrieval capability. These problems, coupled with the complexity of the TAE catalog manager, led to the decision to design a new file management system for LAS, tailored to the needs of the EDC user community. This design effort, which addressed catalog management, label services, associated data management, and enhancements to LAS applications, is described. The new file management design will provide many benefits including improved system integration, increased flexibility, enhanced reliability, enhanced portability, improved performance, and improved maintainability.
Transportable Applications Executive (TAE) implementation may impose a strain on centers with modest resources. This may be eased in a number of ways. The balance of a small number of expert users and a large number of computing novices at the Interactive Planetary Image-Processing System (IPIPS) imposes special constraints. Some solutions to these and other particular problems are described.