Aaron Koop I am currently a master’s student in the geography department at KU. My research interests include soil geography, geomorphology, and the application of GIS and remote sensing in these studies. I am on the GPS/electronics team for this project and have enjoyed working with how to track the flight of the balloon and camera via three GPS units. For the second part of the project I plan to do a comparison of the GPS units and calculate view angles and ground swath information. A comparison of the three GPS units will provide information about the capabilities and accuracy of each unit throughout the duration of the flight. The end product will ideally be a record of the coordinate tracks of each of the GPS units and altitude, view angle, and ground swath information for several series of photographs captured along the flight.
Adam Shanko : I am working on a master’s degree in geography. I have two degrees in political science, a BA from the University of Notre Dame, and an MA from the University of Kansas. I’m taking the second remote sensing course in order to get the technical skills I’ll need to do my thesis research and to hopefully get a job in natural resource or wildlife management here in Kansas. I was really interested in space when I was a kid (I went to Space Camp in Florida when I was 9 years old), and I am very excited to see the pictures we get from 100,000 feet above the Earth’s surface. I’m a little nervous about how the vagaries of spring weather in Kansas might interfere with our launch plans, but I’m hoping for the best. I’m on the logistics and blog teams. I am from York, Pennsylvania, and my favorite karaoke song is Spandau Ballet’s “True.”
For the second phase of this project, Ryan Callihan and I will be comparing the effectiveness and accuracy of two different ways of classifying the images we'll get back from the sensor. The first method is the more traditional one, in which pixels are grouped into classes based on their similarity. The other method is a more recent development, and it uses advanced software to identify objects in the images by analyzing their shapes, textures, contexts, and other features. I am particularly interested in the ability of this new approach to identify individual trees.
For the second phase of this project, Ryan Callihan and I will be comparing the effectiveness and accuracy of two different ways of classifying the images we'll get back from the sensor. The first method is the more traditional one, in which pixels are grouped into classes based on their similarity. The other method is a more recent development, and it uses advanced software to identify objects in the images by analyzing their shapes, textures, contexts, and other features. I am particularly interested in the ability of this new approach to identify individual trees.
Alicia Mein : I am a non-traditional student, studying for my Bachelor of Science in Geography (GIS). I've always been fascinated with the physical world around me. I spent most of my time as a kid playing in creeks, woods, and fields near my home in Lansing, KS. I studied business and network technologies, but while working for the City of Lansing realized I wanted to learn more about geographic information systems.
I initially enrolled at KU hoping to land a job managing geographic data, and soon learned roads, property boundaries, demographics and taxation units were only a small portion of the geographic data available for research and analysis.
My first impression of image analysis was amazement, and I have become very interested in environmental change, sustainability, and conservation.
I have been working with the Balloon/Parachute Team and I will be working with Vijay in the analysis portion of our project. We plan to fuse the aerial images we acquire with satellite imagery increasing the radiometric limits of our aerial data. Preprocessing will include rectification of the aerial image to UTM projection and normalization of the imagery.
I initially enrolled at KU hoping to land a job managing geographic data, and soon learned roads, property boundaries, demographics and taxation units were only a small portion of the geographic data available for research and analysis.
My first impression of image analysis was amazement, and I have become very interested in environmental change, sustainability, and conservation.
I have been working with the Balloon/Parachute Team and I will be working with Vijay in the analysis portion of our project. We plan to fuse the aerial images we acquire with satellite imagery increasing the radiometric limits of our aerial data. Preprocessing will include rectification of the aerial image to UTM projection and normalization of the imagery.
Almokhtar Attwairi : I am a graduate student working on PhD in the geography department at University of Kansas. I earned my master’s degree at the University of Zawia, Libya focusing on the growth of Tripoli’s suburbs with emphasis on its environmental impacts. I joined team works evaluating the regional development in the region of Western Mountain in terms of agriculture and water supplies. I am focusing on urban growth and management in Northern Africa concentrating on Libyan planning and development utilizing remote sensing techniques in monitoring and analyzing the planning policies and the social and economic impacts of the urbanization.
In the second stage of our project, Almokhtar and I will work on image processing. The main core objective of our project is to compare and analyze the outcomes images obtained from the stage one of our project by some historic satellite or aerial imagery in order to produce high resolution imagery. This comparison and analysis aims to figure out the differences in quality and extract some physical contents in both outputs. The second stage will include the following steps: firstly, we will start to determine proper areas as a case study, which might be mixed use areas such as urban areas. Secondly, we will try to get some images of the same areas that balloon fly over and get help from our professors in order to point us to some beneficial historic aerial or satellite images that can be applied to our comparison and analysis. Thirdly, we will rectify the balloon images based on the original map which might be aerial or satellite images obtained by other sensors. The balloon image will conforms to the projection and the coordinate system of the original image. Fourthly, in the image enhancement stage, we will try to apply different techniques such as noise elimination, merging methods and filtration techniques in order to eliminate noises caused by the camera or by the nature if found. Finally, produce final enhanced image and extract some useful data if possible.
In the second stage of our project, Almokhtar and I will work on image processing. The main core objective of our project is to compare and analyze the outcomes images obtained from the stage one of our project by some historic satellite or aerial imagery in order to produce high resolution imagery. This comparison and analysis aims to figure out the differences in quality and extract some physical contents in both outputs. The second stage will include the following steps: firstly, we will start to determine proper areas as a case study, which might be mixed use areas such as urban areas. Secondly, we will try to get some images of the same areas that balloon fly over and get help from our professors in order to point us to some beneficial historic aerial or satellite images that can be applied to our comparison and analysis. Thirdly, we will rectify the balloon images based on the original map which might be aerial or satellite images obtained by other sensors. The balloon image will conforms to the projection and the coordinate system of the original image. Fourthly, in the image enhancement stage, we will try to apply different techniques such as noise elimination, merging methods and filtration techniques in order to eliminate noises caused by the camera or by the nature if found. Finally, produce final enhanced image and extract some useful data if possible.
Brandon Gillette : Brandon Gillette is a PhD student in environmental geography and glaciology at the University of Kansas. Within geography, Gillette is studying glacial flow dynamics using remote sensing techniques. His worked is focused on Byrd Glacier in Antarctica.
Prior work with remote sensing and weather balloons has included
facilitating high school students in partnership with the Kansas
Cosmosphere and Space Center and Space Florida, as well as an Olathe
Public Schools Foundation grant for weather balloon projects as a
science teacher at Olathe North High School. Gillette is currently a
member of the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) education
team, responsible for developing lesson plans and curriculum around
remote sensing, data collection and other CReSIS-related science.
For the purposes of this class, Gillette will be mapping impervious surfaces using LiDAR and our aerial imagery using ECognition software. These findings can then be compared to changes in the amount of impervious surfaces over time and the connection to water quality as stormwater runoff increases.
Prior work with remote sensing and weather balloons has included
facilitating high school students in partnership with the Kansas
Cosmosphere and Space Center and Space Florida, as well as an Olathe
Public Schools Foundation grant for weather balloon projects as a
science teacher at Olathe North High School. Gillette is currently a
member of the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) education
team, responsible for developing lesson plans and curriculum around
remote sensing, data collection and other CReSIS-related science.
For the purposes of this class, Gillette will be mapping impervious surfaces using LiDAR and our aerial imagery using ECognition software. These findings can then be compared to changes in the amount of impervious surfaces over time and the connection to water quality as stormwater runoff increases.
Jared Doke : I am currently finishing up my master’s degree in geography with an emphasis in techniques. I have a BS in Criminal Justice and a BA in Anthropology from Washburn University in Topeka, KS as well as an AAS in Fire Science from Hutchinson Community College. I am the graduate teaching assistant for the lab section of the course and as such, I do not have a direct role in the project. I do however I try to assist the GPS/Electronics team whenever I can. I am hoping that this project will demonstrate a proof-of -concept for acquiring rapid and inexpensive aerial imagery in the event of a natural disaster such as a tornado, flood, or tsunami as we have recently seen in Japan.
Kelly Miller : I am currently completing a geography degree and have an emphasis in journalism at the University of Kansas. Remote sensing intrigues me because of the potentials of global understanding of places that were previously unable to be explored in depth. The excitement of the other members of Project GeoHawk is contagious and I am fortunate to work with such a knowledgeable group. I am working on the camera and PR/fundraising teams. I studied abroad in Cyprus and have a continued obsession with the island and its affairs.
Land cover change analysis is integral to the understanding of the stresses our environment encounters and how it reacts to them. Land cover change has been studied for urban sprawl, deforestation and the destruction of natural habitats. The rectification of the images from a specific study area will be compared to archived imagery. The extraction of information from the archived images and the Project GeoHawk images will lead to the comparison of the two classifications to determine the change of land cover in an area such as vegetation, wetlands or urban development.
Land cover change analysis is integral to the understanding of the stresses our environment encounters and how it reacts to them. Land cover change has been studied for urban sprawl, deforestation and the destruction of natural habitats. The rectification of the images from a specific study area will be compared to archived imagery. The extraction of information from the archived images and the Project GeoHawk images will lead to the comparison of the two classifications to determine the change of land cover in an area such as vegetation, wetlands or urban development.
Lisa McKinney : I am pursuing a master's degree in Geography, specializing in remote sensing and geographic information systems (with the ultimate goal of working in conservation management). My undergrad degree, also from KU, is in English and Environmental Studies, plus a lot of coursework in
Applied Ecology. I am on the 'platform' committee and am in charge of
the proverbial purse strings for the project as well. I plan to work
mainly on georeferencing and orthorectification of the imagery in Phase
II, useful skills for future work. I would also like to compare the
images we get with other imagery and current landcover maps. I am most
nervous that somehow the camera will fall out of the box, or the rigging
will break, or some other catastrophic failure will occur that premature
separates the platform from the balloon!
After years as a stay at home mom to two sons, I started (back) to
school the same year my oldest son started his freshman year (at
Washington University in St. Louis). In my 'other' life I am an AVID
home remodeler.
For Phase II of Project Geohawk, I will work on producing georeferenced and orthorectified images from the data we obtain. I would like to classify some of these images and compare them to a landcover data set, either the 2001 National Landcover Database (NLCD) map or the 2005 Land Cover Patterns map produced by the Kansas Remote Sensing Program (KARS). Part of the classification process could include an accuracy assessment. I am also interested in data transformation, particularly as it might impact identification of burned areas, so if I can work that in as well, I will. Data merging would also be an interesting technique to learn using some of the imagery we obtain. Finally, although I am not sure it is possible given the expected drastic changes in scale, I think it would be great to be able to smoothly mosaic the images together to create a representation of the flight line--for fun and visual drama rather than accurate information.
Applied Ecology. I am on the 'platform' committee and am in charge of
the proverbial purse strings for the project as well. I plan to work
mainly on georeferencing and orthorectification of the imagery in Phase
II, useful skills for future work. I would also like to compare the
images we get with other imagery and current landcover maps. I am most
nervous that somehow the camera will fall out of the box, or the rigging
will break, or some other catastrophic failure will occur that premature
separates the platform from the balloon!
After years as a stay at home mom to two sons, I started (back) to
school the same year my oldest son started his freshman year (at
Washington University in St. Louis). In my 'other' life I am an AVID
home remodeler.
For Phase II of Project Geohawk, I will work on producing georeferenced and orthorectified images from the data we obtain. I would like to classify some of these images and compare them to a landcover data set, either the 2001 National Landcover Database (NLCD) map or the 2005 Land Cover Patterns map produced by the Kansas Remote Sensing Program (KARS). Part of the classification process could include an accuracy assessment. I am also interested in data transformation, particularly as it might impact identification of burned areas, so if I can work that in as well, I will. Data merging would also be an interesting technique to learn using some of the imagery we obtain. Finally, although I am not sure it is possible given the expected drastic changes in scale, I think it would be great to be able to smoothly mosaic the images together to create a representation of the flight line--for fun and visual drama rather than accurate information.
Michael Kim : I am pursuing a BS in Geography at KU with an emphasis on GIS and Cartography. Even though the first semester of remote sensing was a requirement, I found the class quite interesting. I enrolled in the second semester remote sensing class because I thought it would help career wise and I genuinely wanted to learn more beyond the introductory level. I think this project has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone but in a good way. There's a good deal of technology to understand and implement, I'm a bit new to it but I think this is a great opportunity to get a better understanding and to apply remote sensing to a geographical study. I usually like working by myself but I'm looking forward to helping my classmates as a team. I am on the electronics and logistics team. I hail from Topeka, Kansas and when I'm not studying geography, I am trying to improve my ability to speak and write in Korean.
Nouri Elfarnouk : I am Nouri Elfarnouk a Libyan student seeking a PhD program at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. I earned my bachelor degree in Urban Planning from the University of Gar-younis in Benghazi Libya in 1987. I got my master degree in Urban Planning Management from the ITC, the University of Tweenty- Holland in 2001. I took some fundamental courses of remote sensing at ITC and I plan to continue in this field. Remote sensing is very useful in urban planning process particularly to participate in the third planning project in my country, which involves an intensive skill to prepare digital maps and images as a base for future development of more than 1000 settlements. I have more than 20 years of work experience in the main office of the urban planning agency in the ministry of planning in Libya. This is my second course of remote sensing at the KU. I am working on the balloon group. I learned many information and skills on how to fix different components of balloon and how to lunch balloon to the air. I watched the engineering group last week for how to launch their balloon, it was excited.
In the second stage of our project Almukhtar and I will work on image processing. The main core objective of our project is to compare and analyze the outcomes images obtained from the stage one of our project by some historic satellite or aerial imagery in order to produce high resolution imagery. These comparisons and analysis aims to figure out the differences in quality and extract some physical contents in both outputs. The second stage will include the following steps: firstly, we will start to determine proper areas as a case study, which might be mixed use areas such as urban areas. Secondly, we will try to get some images of the same areas that balloon fly over and get help from our professors in order to point us to some beneficial historic aerial or satellite images that can be applied to our comparison and analysis. Thirdly, we will rectify the balloon images based on the original map which might be aerial or satellite images obtained by other sensors. The balloon image will conforms to the projection and the coordinate system of the original image. Fourthly, in the image enhancement stage, we will try to apply different techniques such as noise elimination technique, merging methods and filtration techniques in order to eliminate noises caused by the camera or by the nature if found. Finally, produce final enhanced image and extract some useful data if possible.
In the second stage of our project Almukhtar and I will work on image processing. The main core objective of our project is to compare and analyze the outcomes images obtained from the stage one of our project by some historic satellite or aerial imagery in order to produce high resolution imagery. These comparisons and analysis aims to figure out the differences in quality and extract some physical contents in both outputs. The second stage will include the following steps: firstly, we will start to determine proper areas as a case study, which might be mixed use areas such as urban areas. Secondly, we will try to get some images of the same areas that balloon fly over and get help from our professors in order to point us to some beneficial historic aerial or satellite images that can be applied to our comparison and analysis. Thirdly, we will rectify the balloon images based on the original map which might be aerial or satellite images obtained by other sensors. The balloon image will conforms to the projection and the coordinate system of the original image. Fourthly, in the image enhancement stage, we will try to apply different techniques such as noise elimination technique, merging methods and filtration techniques in order to eliminate noises caused by the camera or by the nature if found. Finally, produce final enhanced image and extract some useful data if possible.
Robert Anderson : I am seeking a masters in geography. I got my undergraduate degree in Anthropology from the University of Kansas. I am taking the second semester of remote sensing for the technical skills that might help me get a job. I am extremely excited to be working on this balloon project. I've always wanted to go into space and sending up a pair of artificial eyes is as close as i'm going to get. I am nervous about getting all of our sensors synchronized. I am on the electronics team and the blog team. I was born in Wichita, Kansas and I collect furniture.
For the Phase II part of our project, I am going to be collecting data from known targets at ground level (in situ). On the day of the launch, I will be setting up an incoming radiation sensor in my backyard to use as a base for the atmospheric modeling. I will also be conducting data collection after we have a good idea what we imaged with a portable reflectance sensor. Myself, Ruth and Tandis will be working together and on our own with different approaches to atmospheric haze correction and modeling. I feel that this is a great way to take advantage of the balloon's accent. Most remote sensing platform's altitudes are intentionally constant. So the balloon offers a unique potential for modeling haze.
For the Phase II part of our project, I am going to be collecting data from known targets at ground level (in situ). On the day of the launch, I will be setting up an incoming radiation sensor in my backyard to use as a base for the atmospheric modeling. I will also be conducting data collection after we have a good idea what we imaged with a portable reflectance sensor. Myself, Ruth and Tandis will be working together and on our own with different approaches to atmospheric haze correction and modeling. I feel that this is a great way to take advantage of the balloon's accent. Most remote sensing platform's altitudes are intentionally constant. So the balloon offers a unique potential for modeling haze.
Ruth Remmers : Ruth Remmers is on the balloon team and in KU's M.A. Geography program. She is a nontraditional student returning to college after 26 years with a telecommunications company in the Kansas City area. She hopes to transition from a corporate mainframe computer environment to an agency whose mission includes preservation of the natural environment. Previous degrees from KU are a B.S. Journalism, M.A. Soviet & East European Studies, and M.S. Computer Science.
With aerial imagery from weather balloon photographs, I plan to make corrections and transformations concerning the atmosphere to gain clearer images. Scattered light or haze in the atmosphere makes features on the earth's surface difficult to see in imagery. A comparison of reflectance in the imagery will be made with reflectance from in situ data collected in the study area with a spectraradiometer. In another process, atmospheric correction software will be used to transform images using algorithms to make them clearer. These processes will be done with imagery at various altitudes.
With aerial imagery from weather balloon photographs, I plan to make corrections and transformations concerning the atmosphere to gain clearer images. Scattered light or haze in the atmosphere makes features on the earth's surface difficult to see in imagery. A comparison of reflectance in the imagery will be made with reflectance from in situ data collected in the study area with a spectraradiometer. In another process, atmospheric correction software will be used to transform images using algorithms to make them clearer. These processes will be done with imagery at various altitudes.
Ryan Callihan : I am a masters student in geography, specializing in GIS and remote sensing. My undergrad was in environmental science and business from the University of Kansas. Remote sensing's ability to gather extremely amounts of environmental spatial information about the earth, a feat accomplished by no other means, is what enticed me to the field. I am on the image/camera group for the project. Photography is a hobby of mine, so I am excited to put these skills to a more constructive use.
For the second phase of this project, Adam Shanko and I will be comparing the effectiveness and accuracy of two different ways of classifying the images we'll get back from the sensor. The first method is the more traditional one, in which pixels are grouped into classes based on their similarity. The other method is a more recent development, and it uses advanced software to identify objects in the images by analyzing their shapes, textures, contexts, and other features. I am particularly interested in the ability of this new approach to identify individual trees.
For the second phase of this project, Adam Shanko and I will be comparing the effectiveness and accuracy of two different ways of classifying the images we'll get back from the sensor. The first method is the more traditional one, in which pixels are grouped into classes based on their similarity. The other method is a more recent development, and it uses advanced software to identify objects in the images by analyzing their shapes, textures, contexts, and other features. I am particularly interested in the ability of this new approach to identify individual trees.
Ryan Surface : I am an in my 4th year of undergraduate pursuing dual BA degrees in environmental studies as well as geography. Before I enrolled in the introductory course to remote sensing I did not have a very good idea of what it was even about. Now in my second semester of remote sensing I have a much better idea of it's applications, especially in GIS. I am taking this course to further my knowledge of remote sensing and to gain experience with the various software used. I am working on the platform team for the project, specifically the system that will help equalize the camera so that it will maintain a nadir viewpoint. I hail from Prairie Village Kansas and have an over zealous interest in rock climbing.
For phase II of the project I would like to do object based image analysis in an urban area. I will use the ecognition software package to assist me in doing this. My goal is to be able to create a rule set that will be able to distinguish between several different objects or land covers. I will choose the objects to be identified once we have acquired the aerial imagery from phase I of the project.
For phase II of the project I would like to do object based image analysis in an urban area. I will use the ecognition software package to assist me in doing this. My goal is to be able to create a rule set that will be able to distinguish between several different objects or land covers. I will choose the objects to be identified once we have acquired the aerial imagery from phase I of the project.
Tandis Bidgoli : I received my B.S. Geoscience from San Francisco State University and my M.S. in Geoscience from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I’m not a traditional student (in more ways than one) because I’ve been away from school for a while working as a geologist for a major energy company. I recently took a leave from work to pursue a PhD in Geology at KU. Although remote sensing is not directly related to my research, I have always been interested in the application of remote sensing to understanding tectonic processes that modify the Earth’s surface. I’m really excited about our project and can’t wait to see to the images of our beautiful planet, especially the off-nadir ones. But, I’m very nervous about the launch as I’m on the logistics team. When I’m not at school or in the lab, I like to travel. My most recent trip was to Belize…the fry jacks are delicious and the snorkeling is amazing!
Atmospheric scattering and absorption reduce true surface reflectance in remotely sensed images, and make quantitative comparisons of images acquired at under different atmospheric conditions difficult. This study will evaluate three of the most popular radiometric correction methods using Project GeoHawk images. More specifically, I will compare: (1) radiative transfer modeling using ATCOR or similar atmospheric correction code, (2) empirical line calibration, which calibrates images to in situ spectral reflectance measurements, and (3) normalization using histogram adjustments. The resulting suite of images will be used to quantify atmospheric attenuation depths (altitudes) in our data, and to evaluate the costs (i.e., time and effort) vs. benefits of each correction approach.
Atmospheric scattering and absorption reduce true surface reflectance in remotely sensed images, and make quantitative comparisons of images acquired at under different atmospheric conditions difficult. This study will evaluate three of the most popular radiometric correction methods using Project GeoHawk images. More specifically, I will compare: (1) radiative transfer modeling using ATCOR or similar atmospheric correction code, (2) empirical line calibration, which calibrates images to in situ spectral reflectance measurements, and (3) normalization using histogram adjustments. The resulting suite of images will be used to quantify atmospheric attenuation depths (altitudes) in our data, and to evaluate the costs (i.e., time and effort) vs. benefits of each correction approach.
Zachary Thorp : I am a a second-semester master's student that has moved many place, but currently hails from Lawrence, KS. I am involved in the GIS and Remote Sensing program here at the university and while my research plans are still up in the air, I am most interested in urban an economic geography with a secondary focus in environmental activism. Likely thesis plans now have to do with impact studies and the discussion of the coal-fired power plants in Western Kansas. I have greatly enjoyed this balloon project, but like others have felt like my hands were tied until we had something physical in our hands. Now that the launch is over, the real work will begin.
I plan to address issues of variable spatial resolution and the ability of remote sensing equipment to distinguish objects on the ground. After the images have all be georeferenced, I plan to select a set of them and examine the relationship of type of object that can distinguished versus elevation of the sensor. Secondarily I plan on resampling those images to a uniform spatial resolution to see what changes result.
I plan to address issues of variable spatial resolution and the ability of remote sensing equipment to distinguish objects on the ground. After the images have all be georeferenced, I plan to select a set of them and examine the relationship of type of object that can distinguished versus elevation of the sensor. Secondarily I plan on resampling those images to a uniform spatial resolution to see what changes result.
Vijay Barve : Vijay Barve : A PhD student in Geography, interested in Geographical Information Management, Biogeography, Volunteered Geographical Information and biodiversity Informatics. Has a masters degree in Computer Science from Pune University. After working for a non profit organisation in India for 15 years i joined back school to pursue my interest in GIS. Hobbies include, Social Networking for Biodiversity Documentation, Nature photography, specially Butterflies, and Blogging.
In this project part of Camera group working on setting up the camera for the mission. As part of post processing along with Alicia Mein planning to attempt the fusion of acquired images with recent Landsat images. We plan to do geo registration of the photographs we acquire and normalization of the imagery before we attempt to fuse them with satellite images.
In this project part of Camera group working on setting up the camera for the mission. As part of post processing along with Alicia Mein planning to attempt the fusion of acquired images with recent Landsat images. We plan to do geo registration of the photographs we acquire and normalization of the imagery before we attempt to fuse them with satellite images.
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Kevin Dobbs : Course Instructor
