U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

DRIVING TOWARD A WORLDWIDE ACCEPTANCE PROCEDURE FOR DIGITAL AIRBORNE SENSORS

ASPRS Presentation29 April 2008

USGS Remote Sensing Technologies Projecthttp://calval.cr.usgs.gov/

Greg Stensaas, stensaas@usgs.govGeorge Lee, gylee@usgs.gov

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OverviewOverview

BackgroundDigital Camera CalibrationQA Plan for Aerial Digital ImageryLessons learned during Sensor Type CertificationInternational CollaborationConclusions

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USGS Camera Calibration HistoryUSGS Camera Calibration HistoryUSGS Optical Sciences Lab (OSL) in Reston, VA

Responsible for film camera calibration services in the U.S. since 1973

Built in 1953 for Nat’l Bureau of Standards

Recognized as a center of excellence for calibrating airborne film mapping cameras; only film camera calibration center remaining in the world

ASPRS panel of experts in 2000 –USGS should address digital aerial sensor and satellite calibration & characterizations processes

Digital Camera Calibration at USGS EROS (2002)

Remote Sensing Technologies Project http://calval.cr.usgs.gov/

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Satellite Characterization and CalibrationUS system calibration and characterization group Landsat Data type assessmentFuture of Land Imaging

Aerial Mapping Sensor Characterization and CalibrationFilm Camera CalibrationDigital Aerial System Product Characterization Digital Camera Calibration - Small/Medium Format CamerasIn situ Calibration for analog and digital sensorsUSGS Quality Assurance Plan for Digital Aerial Imagery

Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation (JACIE) TeamCharacterization and Calibration Sites Instrumentation and Validations SitesAssessment of new Remote Sensing TechnologiesCommercial Data Acquisition and Management

Remote Sensing Technologies ProjectRemote Sensing Technologies Project

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Aerial Imagery QualityAerial Imagery QualityOptical Sciences Lab (OSL) in Reston

USGS Certificate of Calibration for Film CamerasContinue with same process for film cameras and potentially evolving to in situ methods

USGS Digital Camera Research began in 2002 - and continues

In-Situ calibration methods & software Laboratory Calibration - S/W (Australis) & control point cage

Inter-Agency Digital Imagery Working Group (IADIWG)

14 U.S. government agencies involved in aerial imaging, Led by USGSUSGS Quality Assurance Plan for Aerial Digital Imagery

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Aerial Imagery QualityAerial Imagery Quality

USGS Plan for Quality Assurance of Digital Aerial Imagery

Contracting GuidelinesSensor Type Certification (former cal Manufacturer type certification)Data Provider CertificationImage Quality Assessment Guidelines

Sponsors:USGS Land Remote Sensing Program, USGS National Geospatial Program, IADIWG

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QA Plan StatusQA Plan Status

USGS Plan for Quality Assurance of Digital Aerial Imagery

Initial plan approved by IADIWG and USGSBriefed to ASPRS, MAPPS, and User Workshop Follow-on workshop being plannedResearch sensor technologies

Manufacturer Certification PlanRevised based on 4 certification visits

Data Providers Certification PlanPlan in review - complete plan and begin processIn situ ranges being established across countryIn situ range specification document being worked

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USGS certification completed:Applanix DSS

http://www.applanix.com/products/dss_index.php

Intergraph Zeiss DMChttp://www.intergraph.com/dmc/

Microsoft Vexcel UltraCam D (new UltraCam X)http://www.vexcel.com/products/photogram/ultracam/

Leica ADS-40http://gi.leica-geosystems.com/LGISub1x2x0.aspx

USGS Certification requestsDigital Modular Camera (DiMAC)

http://www.dimacsystems.com/

Airborne Data Systemshttp://www.airbornedatasystems.com/

And other inquiries

Digital Aerial Systems CertificationDigital Aerial Systems Certification

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QA Plan StatusQA Plan StatusContracting Guidelines and Tools

Certifications will be used in contract evaluation process (starting with USGS and state and local Governments)Contracting and Image Assessment Guidelines (ongoing)

TrainingProvide contracting agents training and toolsTraining at workshops and conferences

Quality AssessmentDevelop digital imagery evaluation tool, documentation, and contract QA/QC guidelines Update guidelines with QA/QC requirementsEnhance and develop statistical QA/QC methods with recommended contract publishable statistics baseline and contract performance guidelines

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USGS Control Point CageUsed to determine optical calibration of digital camerasUsable on small- and medium-format cameras to calculateCalibration processing is done via the Australis software

focal length, principal point offset, lens distortion, …

Modulation Transfer Function target used for spatial resolution assessmentMany contacts continue to call for digital camera calibration supportMultiple cameras & lenses have been tested

Digital Camera Calibration (small and medium format) Digital Camera Calibration (small and medium format)

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Camera Research and CalibrationCamera Research and CalibrationCameras & Lenses Calibrated in EROS Lab:1. Kodak 14n: Nikkor 20mm, 50mm, & 60mm2. Kodak ProSLR: Nikkor 50mm3. Nikon D1X: Nikkor 20mm4. Sigma SD10 Foveon: Sigma 18mm5. Contax 645: Zeiss 35mm, 45mm, 80mm, 140mm6. Hasselblad w/ Kodak 16MP Pro-Back: 40mm, 50mm, &

60mm7. Contax 645 w/ MegaVision 16MP back: 35mm Vistagon8. Balsor monochrome camera (for UAV): 8mm (x4)9. Haselblad w/ Kodak IR Back: Distagon 30mm, 40mm,

50mm & 60mm, Planar 120mm10. Hasselblad w/ Kodak ProBack: Distagon 40mm & 50mm,

Planar 80mm, 100mm & 120mm, Sonnar 150mm11. Minolta DiMage 7i: 7.2mm12. Kyocera A1: 7mm13. Toshiba PDR-M81: 7.2mm14. RedLake MS4100: Spherioan 14mm15. RedLake 2102: Nikkor 26mm16. Contax 645 w/ Kodak 16MP ProBack: Distagon 55mm,

Planar 80mm17. Haselblad 39Mp18. Contax 645 w/ PhaseOne 39MP back: 35mm – 350mm1 9 . Cannon D5 … And more

Companies/Partners/Camera Owners:Cirrus DigitalAureus OcculusUniversity of South DakotaDr. Dean Merchant, University of OhioHarmony Land DevelopmentDr. John Arveson, CirrusNebraska Fish & WildlifeUS Fish & WildlifeUniversity of North Dakota/UMACUniversity of FloridaUS Army COEWilliams Surveying and MappingUS Air ForceNGAFireballit, … and others

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In situ camera stability assessmentIn situ camera stability assessment

In situ characterization methods address calibration stability but doesn’t remove the need for calibrationSoftware developed via OSU and U of Calgary

In Situ ProcedurePhotogrammetric Aero Triangulation (EO) (position/attitude)

Interior Calibration (Focal Length/Principal Point/Distortions)

Working with Ayman Habib from U of CalgaryUpgrading Bundle Adjustment and Self Calibration (BASC) package to include features and new toolsMSAT – Multiple Sensor Advance Triangulation toolResample – mensuration toolCAST – Camera Stability software

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• IOPI and IOPII acquired from two calibration sessions• Similarity of Reconstructed Bundles• If the reconstructed bundles by the IOP sets are judged to

be similar for 2 calibration sessions, then the camera is deemed stable.

cIcII

P.C.IP.C.II

Original Image Grid PointsDistortion-free Grid Points using IOPI

Bundle IBundle II

Distortion-free Grid Points using IOPII

Side ViewTop View

Stability Analysis: New Approach

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Digital Sensor In situ CalibrationDigital Sensor In situ CalibrationFederal, City and County partnerships

Working to establish in situ range partnerships

Need for common in situ range guidelines (ASPRS support could be used)Support for digital imagery system calibration and product validationGround control from high-accuracy GPSCould be extended internationally

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International Collaboration International Collaboration Many cameras being sold internationally

Manufacturers all setting up offices worldwideNo commonly accepted procedure that is universally used by all Work with International Agencies to establish common and collaborative processes

September 2007 GIM International Article – USGS QA PlanUSGS ISPRS 2008 Paper– Beijing, China

Reference ISPRS Paper - DRIVING TOWARD A WORLDWIDE ACCEPTANCE PROCEDURE FOR DIGITAL AIRBORNE SENSORS, G. Stensaas and G. Lee

EuroSDR – Dr. CramerEuropean Digital Airborne Camera Certification – EuroDAC²

Radiometric and Small/Medium Format camera programsPhotoWeek 2007 (USGS paper and EuroSDR papers) (100 year in 2009)September 2007 GIM Articlehttp://www.ifp.uni-stuttgart.de/default.en.htm

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International Collaboration (cont.)International Collaboration (cont.)

Australia – Paul Duncan- ICSMCanada BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands – Paul Quackenbush

Community of Practice and SpecificationsMFDC, LiDAR, Triangulation

Joint S/W development with University of CalgaryAsia – emails and correspondence Need in situ test site specifications and guidelines

World wide Test siteshttp://calval.cr.usgs.gov/sites_catalog_map.php

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Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation (JACIE) 7th

Annual Workshop held March 25-27, 2008USGS, NGA, USDA, and NASA Collaboration

Next Workshop – March 31, April 1-2, 2009 – Washington DCWorkshop information @ http://calval.cr.usgs.gov/jacie.php

Scope includes high and moderate resolution satellite & aerial sensors useful to the remote sensing community – U.S. and International systems

New LiDAR and SAR sessions

Independent assessment of product quality and usabilityNew applications and understanding of remotely sensed data

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Lesson Learned during initial sensor certification …Common community agreement that an independent sensor certification process for use in acquisition tasks is neededConsistent definition of sensor calibration terminology and common type certification terms and processes are required Due to non-disclosure and proprietary information, difficult and time consuming to document the inspection findings without the manufacturer’s careful reviewA standardized sensor approach would save time and money for both the certifying organization and the manufacturer

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

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Lessons Learned (cont.)Lessons Learned (cont.)

Need for National Acceptance and Implementation of Guidelines

Proper camera calibration was critical to USGS in house production USGS imposed camera calibration contract requirements became de facto standard Agencies at all levels of government are contracting using the de facto standardUSGS can only recommend guidelines and must educate others on the merits of using best practices to ensure the quality of geospatial products. Organizations and agencies must be educating their constituents. (ASPRS and ISPRS should can help)

Guidelines needed for other SensorsThe USGS and its IADIWG partner agencies – QA plan for digital imagery Similar guidelines needed for LiDAR, SAR, IFSAR, and integrated sensorsA general governance model and best practices guidelines need for all sensors

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ConclusionsConclusionsCurrently each country, agency, procurement authority, or user establishes criteria for sensor performance acceptance

Inefficient, time-consuming, and delays acceptance of new technologySimilar or reciprocal sensor type certification processes and other quality processes would benefit the manufacturers and data providersBeneficial to the end-user benefits from a quality product for applications.

USGS is interested in collaboration on research and processesNational working groups, such as IADIWG, EuroSDR, and Canada BMGS, should be extended to an international WG

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Conclusions (cont.)Conclusions (cont.)

Recommend that the ASPRS and ISPRS Commission I establish a process to work toward a worldwide standard methodology for calibration and certification.

Worldwide sensor type certification process would be beneficial to all those involved in the data acquisition and production process. Technologies are global and the reciprocal acceptance of anotherorganization’s sensor certification is feasible worldwide ASPRS and ISPRS are best positioned to foster worldwide acceptance of a standard certification process for remote sensing technologies.

Due to large industry influence in the commercial imagery market, we need to work with the Google and Microsoft type organizations on QA processes