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  • Sensor Fusion for Aerial Robotic Systems

    Abstract: As uncrewed aerial vehicle (drone) use expands across industries so also does the complexity of sensor payloads. At present, there are no commercially available products for the management and fusion of multisensor data. Sensor Fusion for Aerial Robotic Systems (SFARS) is a sensor agnostic, modular platform for intelligent multisensor data fusion and processing. At the time of writing, SFARS exists as a root codebase, a PC application for processing of previously collected drone data and as a prototype hardware platform for real-time drone deployment. This report serves as a technical users guide to the design, development, and implementation of the suite of SFARS software.

  • Overview of a Rapid Discrete Infrared Acquisition System and Method for Automated Behavioral Analysis of Multiple Emissive Objects

    Purpose: Many animal species form congregations on the landscape. These concentrations of animals provide an opportunity for biologists to conduct efficient population monitoring efforts. While general use of these sites is easy to document, continual monitoring is often problematic due to limited resources (time, expertise, etc.), potential for human disturbance on animal population and behavior, and an inability to determine an accurate assessment of counts. To allow for accurate and efficient assessment of animal numbers and usage of an area, an automated technology has been developed to monitor and characterize large animal concentrations. This automated technology provides information on population size, movement behavior characteristics, and other behavioral aspects of the target species.

  • Restoration Monitoring Metric Framework: Integrating Innovative Remote-Sensing Technologies: Comparisons between Field and Remotely Sensed Vegetation Surveys of Restored Forested and Grassland Sites in Ohio

    Abstract: Restoration monitoring is generally perceived as costly and time-consuming, yet the concept of universal restoration monitoring metrics is trending for evaluation of restoration performance across spatial scales, project boundaries, and jurisdictions. Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) practitioners seek to restore natural resources injured by oil spills or hazardous substance releases into the environment. Therefore, a multiagency team [US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), US Department of the Interior (DOI), and US Department of Energy (DOE)] developed and field-tested a multitiered monitoring framework, illustrating a range of field and remote-sensing techniques and methodologies. The restoration monitoring framework and field demonstration offer a unique methodology to acquire and evaluate simultaneously collected, multiscale/multiplatform data. The result of this research provides new insights to (1) assist planning, implementing, and monitoring restoration progress and effectiveness; and (2) apply common monitoring methods, endpoints, and metrics to other types of ecosystem restoration initiatives. Although the aim was to inform monitoring and management of areas that had been injured, these methods could also be used to inform restoration monitoring practices in a broader context, benefiting environmental stewardship missions of all project partners.

  • Remote Monitoring of Cathodic Protection Systems on Navigable Waterways

    Abstract: Cathodic protection is one of the main modes of corrosion prevention for structures in navigable waterways. The rectifier output voltage must be in a specific range to provide effective protection against corrosion. This effort was designed to monitor, predict, and stabilize the efficacy of multiple cathodic protection systems. Copper/copper-sulfate half-cell electrode sensors, water quality sensors, and gauges for rectifier output were connected to modems at multiple locks so the data could be analyzed to create a predictive maintenance algorithm.

  • Bathymetric Inversion from Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Video on Inland Waters, Port Huron, Michigan

    Abstract: This Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) presents a proof of concept for the use of the cBathy algorithm to estimate bathymetry in an inland water environment. The document summarizes the methods used in collecting and analyzing stationary UAS (unmanned aircraft system) video taken at the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse Park in Port Huron, Michigan, a shoreline overseen by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Detroit District (LRE). The results presented in this report show that the cBathy algorithm has the potential to measure bathymetry in areas of inland water with sufficient fetch to generate wind swell, similar to how cBathy has been used in open-coast nearshore environments.

  • Evaluating Topographic Reconstruction Accuracy of Planet Lab’s Stereo Satellite Imagery

    Abstract: The goal of this Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) is to document initial results to derive topography on the beachface in the northern Outer Banks, North Carolina, utilizing Planet Labs’ SkySat stereo panchromatic imagery processed in Agisoft Metashape. This technical note will provide an initial evaluation into whether Planet Lab’s SkySat imagery is a suitable image source for satellite Structure from Motion (SfM) algorithms as well as whether these data should be explored as a federal beach project monitoring tool. Depending on required accuracy, these data have the potential to aid coastal scientists, managers, and US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) engineers in understanding the now-state of their coastlines and employ cost-effective adaptive management techniques.

  • Validation of Daily Snow Water Equivalent for a Watershed Statistics Tool

    Abstract: The Watershed Statistics tool is a tool currently being developed for the Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems Center of Expertise’s (RSGIS) Extreme Cold Weather web portal and will allow users to easily access and visualize snow water equivalent (SWE) data. The SWE data available on this tool are derived from passive microwave signals acquired by satellite through a technique known as enhanced passive microwave SWE. This analysis used available in situ SWE measurements from snow study sites in four watersheds across the United States and Canada to determine the accuracy of the data available on the tool at the watershed scale. In situ measurements of SWE were compared with the Watershed Statistics tool’s SWE data based on watershed, land cover, and elevation to determine causes if discrepancies between the satellite-based estimations on the tool and ground-based measurements. The extent to which the data available on the Watershed Statistics tool agreed with in situ measurements was highly variable. SWE data available on the Watershed Statistics tool agreed the least with ground-based measurements made at higher elevations and in areas with denser vegetation. The findings of this comparison are consistent with known limitations of the enhanced passive microwave SWE technique.

  • Rectifying and Stabilizing Planet SkySat Video Collects for Bathymetric Inversions from Space

    Abstract: This Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) presents the development of a workflow to process Planet SkySat videos collected from space at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), Field Research Facility (FRF), in Duck, North Carolina, to derive wave kinematics and perform bathymetric inversions. The document summarizes the nine 30–60 s* satellite video collections, demonstrates the accuracy of an automated rectification and stabilization workflow, and applies a new short-dwell version of a common inversion algorithm (cBathy) to demonstrate the utility of short-dwell videos from space providing an initial out-of-the-box assessment of errors for one of the collections, and recommends future avenues of research for improving bathymetric predictions.

  • Multiscale Observation Product (MOP) for Temporal Flood Inundation Mapping of the 2015 Dallas Texas Flood

    Abstract: This paper presents a new data fusion multiscale observation product (MOP) for flood emergencies. The MOP was created by integrating multiple sources of contributed open-source data with traditional spaceborne remote sensing imagery to provide a sequence of high spatial and temporal resolution flood inundation maps. The study focuses on the 2015 Memorial Day floods that caused up to US$61 million of damage. The Hydraulic Engineering Center River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) model was used to simulate water surfaces for the northern part of the Trinity River in Dallas, using reservoir surcharge releases and topographic data provided by the US Army Corps of Engineers. A measure of fit assessment is performed on the MOP flood maps with the HEC-RAS simulated flood inundation output to quantify spatial differences. Estimating possible flood inundation using individual datasets that vary spatially and temporally allow an understanding of how much each observational dataset contributes to the overall water estimation. Results show that water surfaces estimated by MOP are comparable with the simulated output for the duration of the flood event. Additionally, contributed data, such as Civil Air Patrol, although they may be geographically sparse, become an important data source when fused with other observation data.

  • Spatial Variations in Vegetation Fires and Emissions in South and Southeast Asia during COVID-19 and Pre-pandemic

    Abstract: Vegetation fires are common in South/Southeast Asian (SA/SEA) countries. However, few studies focused on vegetation fires and the changes during COVID compared to pre pandemic. This study fills an information gap and reports total fire incidences, total burnt area, type of vegetation burnt, and total particulate matter emission variations. Results from the short term 2020 COVID versus 2019 non COVID year showed a decline in fire counts varying from -2.88 to 79.43%. The exceptions in South Asia include Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, and Cambodia and Myanmar in Southeast Asia. The burnt area decline for 2020 compared to 2019 varied from -0.8% to 92% for South/Southeast Asian countries, with most burning in agricultural landscapes than forests. Several patches in S/SEA showed a decrease in fires for the 2020 pandemic year compared to long term 2012–2020 pre pandemic record, with Z scores greater or less than two denoting statistical significance. However, on a country scale, the results were not statistically significant in both S/SEA, with Z scores ranging from -0.24 to -1, although most countries experienced a decrease in fire counts. The study highlights variations in fires and emissions useful for fire management and mitigation.