Enhanced Automation of Close-Range Photogrammetry for Defence and National Security Applications. The project, which falls under the National Research Priority of safeguarding Australia, will be of significant national and community benefit. The research outcomes will advance close-range photogrammetry (CRP) technology, especially in the critical areas of defence and national security. It will lower the cost base of CRP and expand its commercial potential in new application domains, thus promoti ....Enhanced Automation of Close-Range Photogrammetry for Defence and National Security Applications. The project, which falls under the National Research Priority of safeguarding Australia, will be of significant national and community benefit. The research outcomes will advance close-range photogrammetry (CRP) technology, especially in the critical areas of defence and national security. It will lower the cost base of CRP and expand its commercial potential in new application domains, thus promoting business activity in the broader Australian spatial information industry. Also, community oriented benefits will be seen through the improved prospects for new public-good applications of CRP, ranging for example from cultural heritage recording through to homeland security and forensic measurement for crime scene analysis.Read moreRead less
Skycontrol 2: Long-range positioning of aircraft using multibase GPS and INS. This extends our ARC linkage project (LP0347509) by one year, where we developed and tested a long-range airborne GPS (global positioning system) using a network of ground-based receivers. While the original objectives have been met, and exceeded in some instances, we have now identified the real need to use complementary positional information from INS (inertial navigation systems). As well as reducing the cost of ai ....Skycontrol 2: Long-range positioning of aircraft using multibase GPS and INS. This extends our ARC linkage project (LP0347509) by one year, where we developed and tested a long-range airborne GPS (global positioning system) using a network of ground-based receivers. While the original objectives have been met, and exceeded in some instances, we have now identified the real need to use complementary positional information from INS (inertial navigation systems). As well as reducing the cost of airborne mapping surveys in Australia, our SkyControl2 system will have the added benefit of increased accuracy and reliability.Read moreRead less
A system for long-range positioning of airborne mapping sensors using a multi-receiver, Internet-compatible GPS network. This project will research, develop and test a GPS-network-based system, SkyControl, for the accurate coordination of airborne mapping sensors. A ground network of GPS receivers will be established and the aircraft positioned at long ranges (100 km) using a network solution, as opposed to the single-baseline solutions used at present. The GPS data from the ground network wil ....A system for long-range positioning of airborne mapping sensors using a multi-receiver, Internet-compatible GPS network. This project will research, develop and test a GPS-network-based system, SkyControl, for the accurate coordination of airborne mapping sensors. A ground network of GPS receivers will be established and the aircraft positioned at long ranges (100 km) using a network solution, as opposed to the single-baseline solutions used at present. The GPS data from the ground network will be transferred to a central location via the Internet and stored in an intelligent database so as to allow efficient data management and processing. This approach will ultimately reduce the cost and increase the reliability of airborne surveys in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
Digital Colour Sensing in Vision Metrology. This project will develop the necessary new image processing algorithms, computational models and signalisation strategies to facilitate a significantly higher precision measurement capability for vision metrology (VM) systems incorporating colour digital cameras. VM systems for 3D industrial and engineering measurement currently employ panchromatic digital cameras, because the colour filter arrays used in colour cameras adversely affect image mensurat ....Digital Colour Sensing in Vision Metrology. This project will develop the necessary new image processing algorithms, computational models and signalisation strategies to facilitate a significantly higher precision measurement capability for vision metrology (VM) systems incorporating colour digital cameras. VM systems for 3D industrial and engineering measurement currently employ panchromatic digital cameras, because the colour filter arrays used in colour cameras adversely affect image mensuration accuracy. Yet, off-the-shelf colour cameras are ubiquitous and have advantages of ready availability and cheaper cost. This research will overcome the limitations of colour sensors and enable both a broader range of 3D measurement applications and an enhanced commercial potential for VM.Read moreRead less
Water and nutrient stress detection in broad acre crops using remote sensing. The national benefit of the remote sensing of water and nutrient levels in crops comes from improved agricultural practice; leading to cost savings, reduced water usage and reduced pollution. This benefit will arise since irrigation and fertiliser application can be exactly tailored to the measured needs of broad-acre crops. In Australia, water is a scarce resource. Reducing consumption by irrigators will have signi ....Water and nutrient stress detection in broad acre crops using remote sensing. The national benefit of the remote sensing of water and nutrient levels in crops comes from improved agricultural practice; leading to cost savings, reduced water usage and reduced pollution. This benefit will arise since irrigation and fertiliser application can be exactly tailored to the measured needs of broad-acre crops. In Australia, water is a scarce resource. Reducing consumption by irrigators will have significant downstream benefits. By remote measurement of nutrient variation within paddocks, fertiliser applications can be optimised. Minimum excess fertiliser will then be present and this will minimise runoff and potential downstream water pollution.Read moreRead less
Improved tools for comprehensive monitoring of water-clarity and light availability in coral reef ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage Area, home to over 1 million species and provides Australia with $6 billion in annual revenue. The capacity to monitor Australia’s natural resources and changes in condition are integral components of a sustainably and adaptively managed resource. By providing key synoptic tools to comprehensively monitor water quality and ecosystem status, the ....Improved tools for comprehensive monitoring of water-clarity and light availability in coral reef ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage Area, home to over 1 million species and provides Australia with $6 billion in annual revenue. The capacity to monitor Australia’s natural resources and changes in condition are integral components of a sustainably and adaptively managed resource. By providing key synoptic tools to comprehensively monitor water quality and ecosystem status, the project will contribute directly to an Environmentally Sustainable Australia and improve national capacity for responding to climate change and variability in coral reef environments. It will enable Australian remote sensing scientists to contribute knowledge and tools to the international community for application to coral reef and coastal waters globally. Read moreRead less
Geospatial Information Processing for Quickbird Satellite Imagery. Of the new generation of commercial high-resolution earth observation satellites, the Quickbird system with its 70cm resolution has greatest potential for metric applications. The capabilities of Quickbird imagery for digital mapping, GIS and geopositioning are, however, yet to be fully established and the models, procedures and computational systems required for higher-accuracy applications require further research. The aim of t ....Geospatial Information Processing for Quickbird Satellite Imagery. Of the new generation of commercial high-resolution earth observation satellites, the Quickbird system with its 70cm resolution has greatest potential for metric applications. The capabilities of Quickbird imagery for digital mapping, GIS and geopositioning are, however, yet to be fully established and the models, procedures and computational systems required for higher-accuracy applications require further research. The aim of this project, which is a collaboration with SKM, is to develop the tools necessary to validate Quickbird imagery as a source for geospatial information collection, to develop the associated data processing systems to proof-of-concept stage and to experimentally verify these systems.Read moreRead less
Smart Irrigation: integrating UAV soil moisture maps & variable rate sprays. This project will develop a state-of-the-art precision irrigation system for optimising water use and crop yield. Specifically, a novel UAV soil moisture mapping system based on passive microwave satellite remote sensing technology at L-band will be developed for near-surface soil moisture mapping at accuracies and spatial scales currently not attainable. These soil moisture maps will then be merged with irrigation wate ....Smart Irrigation: integrating UAV soil moisture maps & variable rate sprays. This project will develop a state-of-the-art precision irrigation system for optimising water use and crop yield. Specifically, a novel UAV soil moisture mapping system based on passive microwave satellite remote sensing technology at L-band will be developed for near-surface soil moisture mapping at accuracies and spatial scales currently not attainable. These soil moisture maps will then be merged with irrigation water delivery models to calibrate for spatial variation in soil properties and/or correct errors in spatial variation of rainfall and evapotranspiration inputs. Ultimately the water balance predictions will be used for implementation of variable rate irrigation control at scales hitherto unattainable.Read moreRead less
Measurement of paddock scale pasture biomass using synthetic aperture radar remote sensing. To maintain the long-term viability of livestock production, producers and land managers need access to regular, timely and accurate estimates of pasture biomass. Radar remote sensing has the capacity to consistently provide this information at the paddock, farm and catchment scale in a timely manner to assist in tactical and strategic decision making for sustainable pasture and livestock management. Econ ....Measurement of paddock scale pasture biomass using synthetic aperture radar remote sensing. To maintain the long-term viability of livestock production, producers and land managers need access to regular, timely and accurate estimates of pasture biomass. Radar remote sensing has the capacity to consistently provide this information at the paddock, farm and catchment scale in a timely manner to assist in tactical and strategic decision making for sustainable pasture and livestock management. Economic analyses undertaken at the farm level have revealed the potential to double farm profit by increasing the utilization of pasture grown. In addition to the socio-economic benefits, the environmental benefits of sustainable land management are paramount in light of the current drought in Australia and the global climate change.Read moreRead less
Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis of Native Vegetation Condition. Reversing the decline in the quality and extent of Australia's native vegetation is imperative. Site-based assessments of vegetation condition have many merits but are not practical for monitoring at regional, catchment or State levels. This research proposes an integrated approach to native vegetation assessment combining the synoptic overview of satellite based earth observation with the rigor of plot-based assessments. The ou ....Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis of Native Vegetation Condition. Reversing the decline in the quality and extent of Australia's native vegetation is imperative. Site-based assessments of vegetation condition have many merits but are not practical for monitoring at regional, catchment or State levels. This research proposes an integrated approach to native vegetation assessment combining the synoptic overview of satellite based earth observation with the rigor of plot-based assessments. The outcomes will be an operationally feasible and quantitatively-based method for mapping vegetation condition in the context of biodiversity conservation, at a resolution that can inform decisions for managing native vegetation remnants, and at a scale that can inform regional decision-making.Read moreRead less