The Project aim. Within the framework of this project it is planned to carry out applied research and technology development to construct the optical detecting system with the radially-quadratic transmission apodizing filter. It will be a good tool to estimate trends of slowly or fast changing processes on the earth’s surface.This technique can be used for direct monitoring of objects and distributed substances and will be tested in the mock-up and outdoor experiments. We plan to measure the Reflectance Signatures of substances under consideration and to perform an analysis of spectra quantities obtained at different recording conditions. At present, it is necessary to compute the pixels brightness distribution of satellite images for determination of the integral characteristics of objects or distributed substances, such as the brightness center, drift, standard deviation and diffusion. Because the single pixel brightness dependence on the detected incident light portion is strongly nonlinear, the processing accuracy of the image integral properties is doubtful. So the new proposed technique gives an opportunity to directly and correctly determine the integral spatial properties of objects or distributed substances:
- the distribution center,
- drift of the distribution center,
- standard deviation of the distribution (the mean radius).
By watching the time evolution of distributed substances, we plan also to measure their temporal characteristics:
- the drift speed,
- diffusion coefficient.
Because the developing system can also be applied to watch single objects, we plan to carry out experiments for measuring their transversal shift and speed.
The state of the art in the field. In the last decades, remote sensing of the earth’s surface widely used to monitor the environment from the atmosphere and space. The global warming of climate, environment change, the pollution caused by human activities lead to various effects: the forest fires, oil leakage, ice cover decreasing, green belts reducing caused by the urbanization, desert expansion, etc. So the earth’s surface is characterized by zones of distributed substances with changeable forms. Various optical sensors, radars, microwave devices are employed for satellite imaging of the earth’s surface in the visible, ultraviolet (UV), IR and microwave spectral regions.
The project’ influence on progress in this area. If result of novel method is successful, one will receive a real opportunity to directly monitor integral characteristics of distributed substances on vast territories of the earth’s surface. The developing optical technique will make it possible to measure exactly the diffusion and drift of oil spills on the sea surface, clouds propagation, spreading of forest fires, ice cover reduction, etc. A suggested technique allows to watch trends of inert processes, such as a reduction of forests areas and deserts expansion. The designing sensor can be applied to track the motion of single objects and to measure their transversal shift and speed.
Expected results and their application. The Project proposal concerns applied research and technology development categories. The implementation of this Project will allow constructing novel technologies for environment remote sensing by using new optical methods based on application of a radially-quadratic transmission apodizing filter. By employing the optical sensor with this filter, one can determine integral characteristics of arbitrary distributed substances on the earth’s surface. Note that the developing system can also be applied to watch single objects: in this case, the brightness center shows object position, the drift characterizes its transversal shift and speed. The optical sensor with a radially-quadratic transmission apodizing filter can be implemented also in the various applications: in microbiology, biomedicine, flame investigation, nondestructive testing, etc.
Scope of activities. The following activities will be performed under the Project:- designing of the micrometric stage attached to apodizing filter which provides proper shifts in cross-sectional
(relative to the light flux) directions, - construction of mounts for the light sources which will be used for illumination of the mock-up,
- construction of the optical detecting system with the apodizing filter,
- construction of the mock-up with the distributed substance (green zone),
- adjustment of the optical detecting system with the mock-up,
- measuring the Reflectance Signatures of substances under consideration,
- performing an analysis of spectra quantities obtained at different recording conditions,
- study with new methods the remote sensing images,
- comparison of image processing results by using an existing technique with the proposed methods,
- theoretical research in the field of project,
- investigation of detecting system operations at different light wavelength,
- computer control of the detecting system,
- performing experiments for measuring single objects transversal shift and speed,
- construction of mounts for the outdoor optical detecting system with the rotation operation,
- performing outdoor observations of the environment,
- computer processing of results obtained from the mock-up and outdoor observations,
- sensor prototype and observation results presentation to the international scientific community.
