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Visual Numerics' visual data analysis (VDA) solution,
PV-WAVE, assists researchers who will be using the one-of-a-kind Alaska
Synthetic Aperature Radar (SAR) system. The Geosphysical Processor
System (GPS) operator will use
PV-WAVE as a quality assurance and control tool to assure smooth operation
of the automated image processing.
THE PROBLEM
Peering at the images displayed on the computer screen, one gets
the feeling that scientists who track ice flows for a living must
have a love affair with jigsaw puzzles. Jagged hunks of ice of all
sizes cram the image in a chaotic array.
But trained researchers can now analyze
and process these images through an automated system developed for
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), located in Southern California,
by VEXCEL Corp. The VEXCEL system uses Visual Numerics' PV-WAVE
to produce motion grids, the primary objective of ice-motion analysis.
The research is of interest because of the wide geographic extent
of sea ice and its impact on climate, offshore drilling and shipping.
THE SOLUTION
Called the Geophysical Processor System (GPS), the program is being
developed jointly by VEXCEL and JPL for the Alaska SAR (Synthetic
Aperture Radar) Facility. The operation, based at the University
of Alaska in Fairbanks, is funded by NASA and began receiving data
when the European space Agency's European Remote Sensing (ERS) satellite
was launched in 1991. The European agency also uses PV-WAVE in all
phases of the ERS-1 satellite program, including satellite commissioning
and analysis of ground station data.
The SAR facility consists of the receiving ground station, the
SAR Processor System, the Archive and Operations Subsystem, which
converts and stores all SAR data in a JPL standard, and the Geophysical
Processor System developed by VEXCEL.
At present, the GPS routinely examines space-borne radar images
taken days apart to produce high-resolution maps of ice motion and
ice  classification
in the Arctic Ocean. Each data field consists of images 100 by 100
kilometers with a spatial resolution of approximately 100 meters.
Visual Numerics' visual data analysis (VDA) solution, PV-WAVE,
assists researchers who will be using the one-of-a-kind Alaska SAR
system. The GPS operator will use PV-WAVE as a quality assurance
and control tool to assure smooth operation of the automated image
processing. The program assists in the development and production
of end-user products and is unique because it is an automated production
set-up rather than a pure research tool.
RETURN
ON INVESTMENT
PV-WAVE's functions include:
- Checking for proper algorithmic function
by displaying feature boundaries around objects found in threshold
images.
- Generating color-coded maps to compare environmental
conditions such as the age of the ice being studied. Quality assurance
indications for the ice classification algorithm are input by
PV-WAVE.
- Viewing the results of the wave spectral
algorithm to assure proper functionality.
VEXCEL's operation
and its use of PV-WAVE gives researchers end-user products that,
until now, were generated manually. Researchers no longer need to
visually compare two images and mark changes with a grease pencil.
Instead, they request motion or classification data and images from
the Archival and Operations System (AOS) that have already been
automatically processed. The system achieves this by checking new
images with stored images. Once GPS determines that a match is made,
it requests those images that it does not have on line. Upon receiving
these images, it performs the processing and returns the product
back to the AOS for archiving and retrieval by connected users.
WORLD CLASS PRODUCTS, SERVICES,
AND SUPPORT
Visual Numerics has provided technical software
solutions for numerical analysis and visualization for over 30 years.
The company's software products help users understand complex data
from a variety of sources and build business-critical applications.
Visual Numerics offers two product lines: the IMSL® Numerical
Libraries for powerful mathematical and statistical analysis and
the PV-WAVE® visual data analysis development environment. Visual
Numerics also offers customized consulting services for applications
that involve mathematical, statistical, or visual data analysis
to meet today’s business analytical needs.
The IMSL Numerical Libraries which include
the IMSL C Library, IMSL Fortran Library and JMSL™ Library
for Java™ applications are the industry standard for numerical
analysis. They deliver developers with the breadth and depth of
core algorithms allowing for the rapid development of any application.
Whether developing applications in C, Fortran, or Java, or on UNIX,
Windows or Linux, the robust IMSL Libraries provide the reliable
foundation and the building blocks developers need.
The PV-WAVE family of products which includes
PV-WAVE, TS-WAVE, and JWAVE delivers engineers with the development
tools to efficiently and accurately meet their data analysis needs.
PV-WAVE solutions allow users to rapidly import, manipulate, analyze
and visualize data. The PV-WAVE family also includes robust time
series analysis software as well as the ability to share analysis
results across the enterprise with a Java-based solution. And, unlike
other products, PV-WAVE Advantage includes a sophisticated set of
analysis routines based on the industry-standard IMSL Libraries.
In addition, Visual Numerics Consulting
Services combine technical expertise, decades of hands-on experience
and a combination of powerful products to create the highest quality
solutions possible for your visual data analysis needs.
Visual Numerics unique combination of products
and services rapidly enhance ROI by delivering the highest efficiency,
greatest accuracy and maximum performance.
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Industry
Environment
Application
Ice Tracking
Product
PV-WAVE
Vexcel is a leading international remote sensing company, providing
engineering services, products, and systems to commercial and government
customers. Technical areas of expertise include synthetic aperture
radar (SAR), satellite data processing and ground stations, mapping,
gis, and photogrammetry.
Key Benefits
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Automated production set-up |
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Generates color coded maps |
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Resource preservation |
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Quality assurance tool |
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Ability to create overlaid maps |
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Capable of viewing wave spectral algorithms |
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