SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Image analysis”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 793 records · Page 44

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1973

Estuarine and coastal water dynamics controlling sediment movement and plume development in Long Island Sound

The author has identified the following significant results. As the Connecticut River flows into Long Island Sound, large plumes develop during the mixing of ocean and estuarine waters. Plumes were delineated for July 28, October 8, October 27, and December 2, 1972, by analyzing ERTS-1 imagery with the SRI Electronic Satellite Image Analysis Console (ESIAC). Because the chemical and physical composition of the plume and ocean water were not too different, the ESIAC was utilized to expand the scenes and subject the transparencies to varying combinations of viewing techniques to identify and delineate the plumes. Best results were obtained when band 5 transparencies were used. Indications are, when the scene being analyzed is predominantly in the first two steps of the gray scale, it is best to use the negative transparencies. When the analysis is being done above the first two steps of the gray scale, it is best to use the positive transparencies.

Ruggles, F. H., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Plume development in Long Island Sound observed by remote sensing (ERTS-1)

As the Connecticut River flows into Long Island Sound, large plumes are developed during the mixing of ocean and estuarine waters. Plumes were delineated for July 28, October 8, October 27, and December 2, 1972, by analyzing ERTS-1 imagery with the SRI electronic satellite image analysis console (ESIAC). Insertion of MSS band 5 into the ESIAC produced the best result in this analysis. The four plumes that have been delineated provide the first input to a time-lapse analysis of circulation patterns at the eastern end of Long Island Sound.

Ruggles, F. H., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Dynamics of Playa Lakes in the Texas High Plains

The author has identified the following significant results. This project is designed to correlate ERTS-1 satellite imagery signatures with the water balance ecosystem and geology of select playa lake basins in West Texas. The principal work consisted of monitoring the weather instruments, the measurement of water levels and water depths examination of MSS imagery, and measurement of water and mud areas by use of ESIAC (Electronic Satellite Image Analysis Console) at Stanford Research Center, Menlo Park, California. A cost/benefit analysis, comparing the use of ERTS-1 data to more conventionally secured data, revealed that use of ERTS-1 data for such a survey reduces cost from $2.00 to $0.03/square mile.

Reeves, C. C., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Dynamics of distribution and density of phreatophytes and other arid-land plant communities

The author has identified the following significant results. Six ERTS-1 images of the Tucson area, Arizona were analyzed to detect seasonal flushes of plant growth. Paired MSS-6 and MSS-5 bulk images were analyzed, using a ratioing technique, on the Electronic Satellite Image Analysis Console at Stanford Research Institute. Because of unique phenology, desert areas, covered only briefly by dense growths of ephemeral plants, are readily discerned. Grassland, evergreen forest, and riparian communities are also uniquely defined by their phenologies. Relatively sterile areas with little or no plant growth are easily discerned as are areas with varying degrees of plant productivity. The ratioing procedure detects plant coverage in excess of a threshold lying between 25% and 50%. The method is flexible and other coverage thresholds can be used.

Turner, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Kansas environmental and resource study: A Great Plains model. Extraction of agricultural statistics from ERTS-1 data of Kansas

The author has identified the following significant results. Wheat area, yield, and production statistics as derived from satellite image analysis, combined with a weather model, are presented for a ten county area in southwest Kansas. The data (representing the 1972-73 crop year) are compared for accuracy against both the USDA August estimate and its final (official) tabulation. The area estimates from imagery for both dryland and irrigated winter wheat were within 5% of the official figures for the same area, and predated them by almost one year. Yield on dryland wheat was estimated by the Thompson weather model to within 0.1% of the observed yield. A combined irrigated and dryland wheat production estimate for the ten county area was completed in July, 1973 and was within 1% of the production reported by USDA in February, 1974.

Morain, S. A.↗

NASA NTRS1974

An interdisciplinary study of the estaurine and coastal oceanography of Block Island Sound and adjacent New York coastal waters

ERTS-1 photographic data products have been analyzed using additive color viewing and electronic image analysis techniques. Satellite data were compared to water sample data collected simultaneously with the data of ERTS-1 coverage in New York Bight. Prediction of the absolute value of total suspended particles can be made using composites of positives of MSS bands 5 and 6 which have been precisely made using the step wedge supplied on the imagery. Predictions of the relative value of the extinction coefficient can be made using bands 4 and 5. Thematic charts of total suspended particles (particles per litre) and extinction coefficient provide scientists conducting state and federal water sampling programs in New York Bight with data which improves the performance of these programs.

Yost, E.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Evaluation of satellite remote sensing and automatic data techniques for characterization of wetlands and coastal marshlands

The author has identified the following significant results. The evaluation was conducted in a humid swamp and marsh area of southern Louisiana. ERTS digital multispectral scanner data was compared with similar data gathered by intermediate altitude aircraft. Automatic data processing was applied to several data sets to produce simulated color infrared images, analysis of single bands, thematic maps, and surface classifications. These products were used to determine the effectiveness of satellites to monitor accretion of land, locate aquatic plants, determine water characteristics, and identify marsh and forest species. The results show that to some extent all of these can be done with satellite data. It is most effective for monitoring accretion and least effective in locating aquatic plants. The data sets used show that the ERTS data is superior in mapping quality and accuracy to the aircraft data. However, in some applications requiring high resolution or maximum use of intermittent clear weather conditions, data gathering by aircraft is preferable. Data processing costs for equivalent areas are about three times greater for aircraft data than ERTS data. This is primarily because of the larger volume of data generated by the high resolution aircraft system.

Cartmill, R. H.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Apollo experiment S-211 low brightness, astronomical photography

The low brightness image analysis for the Apollo flights is reported. The objectives of Experiment S-21 are discussed along with the photographic equipment, and the data processing and analysis flow are presented. Photographic data for Apollo 14, 15, 16, and 17 are included.

Mercer, R. D.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Image animation for theme enhancement and change detection

Animated displays are useful in enhancing subtle temporally related changes in scenes viewed by satellites capable of providing repetitive coverage. The detectability of fixed features is also improved through the help of the powerful visual integration process. To expedite the process of assembling and displaying well-registered, time-lapse sequences and to provide means for making quantitative measurements of radiances, displacements, and areas, an electronic satellite image analysis console was constructed. During the LANDSAT-1 program, this equipment was applied to the needs of a number of earth resource investigators with interests principally related to dynamic hydrology. The measurement of the areal extent of snow cover within defined drainage basins is discussed as a representative applications example.

Evans, W. E.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Utilizing Skylab data in on-going resources management programs in the state of Ohio

The author has identified the following significant results. The use of Skylab imagery for total area woodland surveys was found to be more accurate and cheaper than conventional surveys using aerial photo-plot techniques. Machine-aided (primarily density slicing) analyses of Skylab 190A and 190B color and infrared color photography demonstrated the feasibility of using such data for differentiating major timber classes including pines, hardwoods, mixed, cut, and brushland providing such analyses are made at scales of 1:24,000 and larger. Manual and machine-assisted image analysis indicated that spectral and spatial capabilities of Skylab EREP photography are adequate to distinguish most parameters of current, coal surface mining concern associated with: (1) active mining, (2) orphan lands, (3) reclaimed lands, and (4) active reclamation. Excellent results were achieved when comparing Skylab and aerial photographic interpretations of detailed surface mining features. Skylab photographs when combined with other data bases (e.g., census, agricultural land productivity, and transportation networks), provide a comprehensive, meaningful, and integrated view of major elements involved in the urbanization/encroachment process.

Baldridge, P. E.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Angiocardiography - Past and present

Angiocardiography is defined as an X-ray procedure which uses an intravascularly injected contrast material for visualization of the internal anatomy of the heart and great vessels. Past and present efforts in angiocardiography technology and methodology are reviewed, with special emphasis on qualitative and quantitative measurements of heart and vessel geometry. One of the more recent applications of angiographic image analysis has been for pattern recognition of margin motions over a cardiac cycle, termed contourography. Angiocardiography will continue to serve, as it has served in the past, as the principal standard of reference for calibration and/or comparison of newer methods for determining volume or dimensional change, depending on further technologic advances in X-ray equipment and means for displaying computer-processed information.

Sandler, H.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Monitoring water quality by remote sensing

The author has identified the following significant results. A limited study was conducted to determine the applicability of remote sensing for evaluating water quality conditions in the San Francisco Bay and delta. Considerable supporting data were available for the study area from other than overflight sources, but short-term temporal and spatial variability precluded their use. The study results were not sufficient to shed much light on the subject, but it did appear that, with the present state of the art in image analysis and the large amount of ground truth needed, remote sensing has only limited application in monitoring water quality.

Brown, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS1977

An image-processing system applied to earth-resource imagery

The Harwell Image Processing System (HIPS) has been adapted for processing earth-resource imagery in either film or tape format. Data from film are obtained using a computer-controlled flying-spot scanner. Local rapid interactive processing is based on a PDP 11/20 minicomputer which has suitable display facilities for immediate visual appraisal of results and also a fast data link to an IBM 370/168 computer complex. An extensive subroutine library is being assembled for data preprocessing and feature extraction. This chapter includes a discussion of the basic principles of image analysis, a description of the HIPS system, and finally, for illustrative purposes, a description of several simple software routines.

Carter, P.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Cloud type separation by spectral differencing of image pairs

A technique is presented for discriminating different cloud types through an image subtraction of visible and infrared SMS/GOES picture pairs. The technique emphasizes how one could separate snow from clouds and identify cirrus by the subtraction method. Quantitative threshold values are shown which can be used in an objective manner to make this separation. Use is made of an all-digital image display device allowing such mathematical operations to be performed on satellite data. Techniques such as this can be made operational through the interfacing of the image analysis system with a direct-readout SMS/GOES ground station and distribution network.

Reynolds, D. W.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Analyzing earth's surface data

Manual discusses simple inexpensive image analysis technique used to interpret photographs and scanner of data of Earth's surface. Manual is designed for those who have no need for sophisticated computer-automated analysis procedures.

Barr, D. J.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Evaluation of reforested areas using LANDSAT imagery

The author has identified the following significant results. Visual and automatic interpretation of LANDSAT imagery was used to classify the general Pinus and Eucalyptus according to their age and species. A methodology was derived, based on training areas, to define the legend and spectral characteristics of the analyzed classes. Imager analysis of the training areas show that Pinus taeda is separable from the other Pinus species based on JM distance measurement. No difference of JM measurements was observed among Eucalyptus species. Two classes of Eucalyptus were separated according to their ages: those under and those over two years of age. Channel 6 and 7 were suitable for the discrimination of the reforested classes. Channel 5 was efficient to separated reforested areas from nonforested targets in the region. The automatic analysis shows the highest classification precision was obtained for Eucalyptus over two years of age (95.12 percent).

Dejesusparada, N.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Program for plasma-sprayed self-lubricating coatings

A method for preparing composite powders of the three coating components was developed and a procedure that can be used in applying uniform coatings of the composite powders was demonstrated. Composite powders were prepared by adjusting particle sizes of the components and employing a small amount of monoaluminum phosphate as an inorganic binder. Quantitative microscopy (image analysis) was found to be a convenient method of characterizing the composition of the multiphase plasma-sprayed coatings. Area percentages and distribution of the components were readily obtained by this method. The adhesive strength of the coating to a nickel-chromium alloy substrate was increased by about 40 percent by a heat treatment of 20 hours at 650 C.

Walther, G. C.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Eulusmap - An international land resources map utilizing satellite imagery

The paper describes the European land use map ('Eulusmap') sponsored by the World Land Use Survey Commission and printed in May 1978. The map was compiled on the basis of theme extraction techniques applied to Landsat-1 imagery. Various aspects of Landsat-image analysis are discussed here, and detailed consideration is given to the land-use classification system developed by the World Land Use Survey Commission.

Paludan, T.↗