Generating digital topographic and vegetation canopy data products from space-based active optical sensor systems requires combining information from three separate but concurrent data streams (platform position, platform orientation, and the ranging data from the optical sensor itself) with models of earth geometry and earth motion1,2. Lack of accurate knowledge about the interrelationships between the reference frames for the three data streams, the need for proper accounting of the instrument models and the earth geometric and ground cover models, and the uncertainties in the range measurements themselves are some of the hurdles in the way of generating accurate data products of commercial interest. Most of these problems and issues have been researched and solved, in principle. However, an end-to-end system model for generating physical topographic data products does not exist. This Phase 1 SBIR proposal offers to research user requirements and existing technologies and techniques to design a comprehensive mathematical observational model of the total system and complete the specifications for a practical end-to-end software system for user products. By choosing the model parameters that are considered to be fixed versus those to be estimated from the data, the system can be used for a variety of sensors. The model can also be used to locate the data relevant to a user's region of interest, from one or more sensors. Further, if need be, one can create composite user products by building a mosaic of the partial products derivable from complementary or overlapping coverage by one or more sensors.
Potential Commercial Applications:The topographic and vegetation canopy products can replace expensive and cumbersome surveying and mensuration processes, particularly for projects covering large areas or hard to reach areas. They can also particularly suited for monitoring remote roads, railroad tracks and pipelines.
