Remote Sensing Commons^™

Preserving Location Authenticity: Multi-Sensor System To Thwart Gps Spoofing In Self-Driving Vehicles, Peng Jiang

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The ubiquity of the Global Positioning System (GPS) has cemented its role as the cornerstone for an array of location-based services and navigation systems, spanning applications from autonomous vehicles and drones to maritime vessels and wearable technology. Nonetheless, ensuring the integrity of reported geographical coordinates poses a formidable challenge, owing to the proliferation of diverse GPS spoofing tools. This predicament is compounded by the pervasive availability of tools like Fake GPS, Lockito, and software-defined radios, enabling even unsophisticated users to commandeer and disseminate counterfeit GPS coordinates. This dissertation undertakes the task of devising an encompassing and resilient framework, integrating a …

Deep Learning Approaches For Seagrass Detection In Multispectral Imagery, Kazi Aminul Islam

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Seagrass forms the basis for critically important marine ecosystems. Seagrass is an important factor to balance marine ecological systems, and it is of great interest to monitor its distribution in different parts of the world. Remote sensing imagery is considered as an effective data modality based on which seagrass monitoring and quantification can be performed remotely. Traditionally, researchers utilized multispectral satellite images to map seagrass manually. Automatic machine learning techniques, especially deep learning algorithms, recently achieved state-of-the-art performances in many computer vision applications. This dissertation presents a set of deep learning models for seagrass detection in multispectral satellite images. It …

Sparse Coding Based Feature Representation Method For Remote Sensing Images, Ender Oguslu

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, we study sparse coding based feature representation method for the classification of multispectral and hyperspectral images (HSI). The existing feature representation systems based on the sparse signal model are computationally expensive, requiring to solve a convex optimization problem to learn a dictionary. A sparse coding feature representation framework for the classification of HSI is presented that alleviates the complexity of sparse coding through sub-band construction, dictionary learning, and encoding steps. In the framework, we construct the dictionary based upon the extracted sub-bands from the spectral representation of a pixel. In the encoding step, we utilize a soft …

Design And Demonstration Of A Miniature Lidar System For Rover Applications, Benjamin Robinson

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Public awareness of harmful human environmental effects such as global warming has increased greatly in recent years and researchers have increased their efforts in gaining more knowledge about the Earth's atmosphere. Natural and man-made processes pose threats lo the environment and human life, so knowledge of all atmospheric processes is necessary. Ozone and aerosols are important factors in many atmospheric processes and active remote sensing techniques provide a way lo analyze their quantity and distribution.

A compact ground-based lidar system for a robotic platform meant for atmospheric aerosol measurements was designed, tested, and evaluated. The system will eventually be deployed …

A Differential Absorption Model For Remote Sensing Of Atmospheric Pressure, Shivam J. Shah

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The goal of the project is to develop and test a "model based" radar processing strategy that is compatible with the concept of a "cognitive radar". The basic approach will be to develop a cognitive radar algorithm (genetic algorithm) based on the capabilities of an existing commercially available Software Radio. While the focus of this effort is the development of a candidate approach for genetic algorithm, the longer term goal would be to implement the approach using this software radio technology to provide a low cost radar processor. The proposed technology would use differential absorption radar working at the 50-56 …

A Compact Lidar For Aircraft Ozone Atmospheric Measurements, Joel A. Marcia

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Researchers and the general public have expressed great concern over how human activities exacerbate pollution's deteriorating impact upon the environment. Effects such as global warming, air quality and ozone layer depletion are but a few examples that can have a dramatic effect on the quality of life worldwide.

A compact lidar system for the purpose of aircraft ozone atmospheric measurements was tested and evaluated. This system will eventually be deployed for aircraft-based, and possibly unpiloted atmospheric vehicle (UAV), ozone and aerosol measurements to improve our understanding of ozone production and transport. Each of the major subsystems was characterized and from …

Sensitive Detection Of Novel Effects And Characteristic Signal Structure Of Higher Harmonic Detection In Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy, Mohammad Amir Khan

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

We discuss experimental and theoretical results of absorption features of the oxygen A-band transitions when synchronous detection at higher harmonics using Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy (WMS) is performed. A key aspect of structure higher harmonic detection is discussed. It is shown that the signal magnitude and spectral locations of turning points and zero crossings of WMS signal demonstrate key signatures of collision dynamics of gaseous specie parameters and lineshape parameters. In addition, it is also shown that these salient features provide sensitive probes for any changes in the gas environment or lineshape parameters. We discuss several advantages and subtle physical effects …

Geo-Rectification Of Aerial Images For Detecting Changes In Terrain, Diana Vincent

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

With increasing terrorist attacks around the world, detection of hidden bombs like IEDs (Improvised Explosive devices) has become very important. The main aim of this thesis is to develop an automatic change detection system to detect changes in terrain. It is mainly used in military applications for protection of military convoys. In order to detect the presence of IED's, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is flown over a proposed convoy route to develop a baseline scene. Prior to the launch of the convoy the UA V is flown again over the same route to detect any significant scene changes that …

Aerial And Satellite Image Processing Applications, Srinivas K. Jakkula

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Aerial and satellite images are used extensively in many trip and mapping software packages, such as Google Earth etc. Aerial images differ significantly due to the variations in atmospheric clarity, atmospheric layer density, humidity, temperature, and season under which the aerial images are captured. Among the issues in effective utilization of aerial images, color tone discrepancy is the inconsistency in brightness, saturation, or color balance between images representing adjacent areas, causing adjacent areas appear significantly different that would otherwise be similar. Aenal images are also routinely used as ground textures to simulate Earth surface and 3D features on Earth in …

Atmospheric Water Vapor Lidar Measurements Using Analog And Photon Counting Techniques, Anuj Maheshkumar Shah

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Atmospheric water vapor measurements are essential for the understanding of Earth's weather and radiation budget, along with the water cycle. The remote sensing Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) technique is a commanding method used for water vapor measurements from aircraft, spaceborne, and ground-based platforms. The new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) water vapor DIAL system provides great feasibility due to the weight and size limitations. The system has significantly less weight, power consumption, and noise presence, thus making it great for UAV applications.

This thesis discusses a UAV water vapor DIAL system that was designed, developed, and evaluated. The research effort was …

A Compact Ozone Differential Absorption Lidar (Dial) Transmitter Using A Solid-State Dye Polymer, Alton L. Jones Jr.

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The measurement of atmospheric ozone is important because in the troposphere it is a pollutant that is toxic to living systems, but in the stratosphere ozone protects life by shielding us from the sun's harmful UV-B radiation.

Laser remote sensing from aircraft using differential absorption lidar (DIAL) has become a very important technique for measuring atmospheric ozone at different altitudes and locations. Current aircraft-based DIAL systems use pulsed Nd:YAG pumped liquid dye lasers, which are then frequency doubled into the UV region, to probe both the stratosphere and troposphere for ozone.

This thesis describes a new potential DIAL laser transmitter …

Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy Of Water Vapor And Line Center Stabilization At 1.462 Μm For Lidar Applications, Colleen Marie Fitzgerald

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Wavelength modulation spectroscopy was employed to investigate water vapor absorption lines in the 1.462 µm wavelength region using an external-cavity diode laser. These measurements were necessary in the development of a lidar (light detection and ranging) instrument for differential absorption measurement of the concentration and movement of water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere. Differential absorption measurements require that the laser frequency remain stable throughout the duration of the measurement. To ensure this stability, the laser output wavelength is monitored and a feedback control loop set up to minimize laser line drift. Three lines were investigated in the 1.462 µm region. …

Fiber-Optic Coupled Lidar Receiver System To Measure Stratospheric Ozone, David Brent Harper

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A fiber-optic coupled lidar receiver system was constructed to determine ozone concentrations in the stratosphere. The system was used to make ground-based measurements of lidar returns from a UV DIAL system. A fiber-optic cable was used to couple the light from the receiver telescope to the light detector. Photon counting was implemented as the light detection technique. This technique allowed detection of 301 and 311 nm lidar returns up to 27.5 and 32.5 km respectively. A software application was developed to control the photon counting system and perform real-time data analysis of measured lidar returns. DIAL measurements of stratospheric ozone …

Development Of A Photon Counting System For Ozone Differential Absorption Lidar Signal Detection, Bradley Allen Eccles

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A photon counting system was assembled and integrated into an existing ozone differential absorption lidar signal detection system to improve the range of ozone measurement. Results of data extraction from decaying ozone return signals are presented. Photomultiplier tube detector models EMI 9214Q and EMI 9B17Q are evaluated and characterized. Detector operating performance was based on tube quantum efficiency, gain, dark current, and linearity. The influence of photomultiplier tube characteristics on photon counting performance are discussed along with the recommended optimum photon counting operating conditions. Two photomultiplier gating schemes, focus grid and four dynode gating, are described for use in photon …

Wind Streamline Ambiguity Removal Of Microwave Scatterometer Data, Hans W. Zaepfel

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

There is a class of satellite microwave scatterometers that return oceanographic information which includes wind vectors with directional ambiguity. The first part of the ambiguity removal process is to reduce the data to a directional ambiguity of 180°. This thesis shows that wind direction change contains the information required for streamline ambiguity removal and that syntactic pattern recognition techniques can be used to locate the areas of wind direction change. Spreading the information along the areas of wind direction change results in the removal of the streamline ambiguity. The algorithm is implemented and the results are presented showing that it …

The Development Of A Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer And Its Application To Remote Sensing Of The Earth, Richard Forrest Harrington

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The design, development, application, and capabilities of a variable frequency microwave radiometer are described. This radiometer has demonstrated the versatility, accuracy, and stability required to provide contributions to the geophysical understanding of ocean and ice processes. The design technique utilized a closed-loop feedback method, whereby noise pulses were added to the received electromagnetic radiation to achieve a null balance in a Dicke switched radiometer. Stability was achieved through the use of a constant temperature enclosure around the low loss microwave front end. The Dicke reference temperature was maintained to an absolute accuracy of 0.1 K using a closed-loop proportional temperature …