Drone vs Satellite Imagery: Choosing the Best Platform

Inge Melotte / Vincent Tigny
ENVIRONMENTAL MAPPING
DRONES, AERIAL OR SATELLITE IMAGES?
28 june 2016

2
Agenda
INTRODUCTION
DRONES: HYPE OR REAL
OPPORTUNITY?
THE LATEST TRENDS IN
SATELLITE OBSERVATION
HOW TO CHOOSE THE
BEST PLATFORM?
GIM GeoTrends Seminar EO – Vincent Tigny / Inge Melotte - June 2016

In a nutshell …
FLEXIBLE
SOLUTIONS!
SOLID
PARTNERS.
▶  Independent SME
▶  Created in 1994
▶  Based in Leuven &
Gembloux
▶  55 geospatial experts
▶  Clients: governments,
multilateral organizations
and NGOs, industries
▶  ISO 9001 certified

GIS & AUTO DATA PROCESSING GIS APPS DEVELOPMENT
EARTH OBSERVATION LOCATION INTELLIGENCE
4
A unique profile !

5
WHICH IMAGE best fits MY NEEDS?
Earth Observation Data

6
SATELLITE IMAGERY &
ELEVATION PRODUCTS
Our EXPERTS help YOU CHOOSE !
FRESH COLLECTION
5 m 30 cm
3.000 EUR FREE
Vlaams Brabant
ENTIRE EUROPE
geoTIFF
MrSID
InfraRED
By the end
of next week
Recent imagery
Archive
Earth Observation Data

Provide evidences of the
bombing of Kunduz hospital
▶  No clue WHAT data and HOW to procure
▶  DETAILED enough and high QUALITY!
▶  FAST!
Observe remote locations
from your desk
Use case: International & NGOs

Select best route, locate and
design the transmission towers
▶  ACCURATE and RECENT characterization of
the TERRAIN
▶  PLS-CAD format
▶  ≠ project phases ≠ accuracy ≠ budgets
▶  Unreliable local surveyors and sometimes
zones not accessible for geopolitical reasons
Plan high voltage
overhead power lines
Use case: Utilities & Infrastructure

9
Independence & Expertise
The RIGHT PRODUCT
For the RIGHT JOB
In the RIGHT FORM
Benefits

UNLOCK VALUE FROM IMAGERY
EO Core business

11
Object-Based Image Analysis
COLOR but also SHAPE + SIZE + TEXTURE + RELATIONS
Information extraction Services

12
Hardware / Software

LARGE
TERRITORY
DRONE
SATELLITE
AERIALS
SPEED
ACCURACY
SPECIFIC
ACTIONABLE
RELEVANT
How we make the difference?

Inge Melotte
DRONES: HYPE OR
REAL OPPORTUNITY?

15
Types of drones
WIDE VARIETY OF DRONE PLATFORMS:
FROM TOYS TO PROFESSIONAL TOOLS

Drones and the law
THE SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT
▶  Specific obligations for drone operators and manufacturers
▶  Four categories: recreational & low/medium/high risk
▶  Safety inspired, based on prior risk analysis

Diversity in drone sensors
Multispectral
RGBNIR
Others
LIDAR…
RGB
VIDEO
RGB
COMPACT

18
▶  From simple visualization of images
▶  To stitching images together (mosaicking)
▶  To generation of an orthomosaic (orthorectification)
▶  And production of DSM & DTM (photogrammetry)
Post-processing of drone images

19
EO expertise &
Application knowledge
FERTILIZATION RECOMMENDATIONS

20
EO expertise &
Application knowledge
TREE CROWN DELINEATION

21
Professionalisation of the drone sector
TESTING IN THE DRONE INDUSTRY

Drone capabilities & constraints
Coverage
Altitude
Spectral bands
Spatial resolution
Frequency
Sensor cost/size
Sensor stability
Battery performance
Digital Elevation Model
Positional accuracy
DRONE PLATFORM
SENSOR DRONE IMAGERY

Drone capabilities & constraints
Training
Capital cost
Drone crashing
Insurance
Area of interest
Authorizations
Human resources
Time from order to delivery
LOGISTICS
ECONOMICS & RISKS
Flexibility

Capabilities & constraints
Drone imagery
▶  + Cost-effective (smaller projects)
▶  + (Frequent) acquisitions on demand
▶  + Very high spatial resolution (cm)
▶  + Unaffected by cloud coverage
▶  - Small single-flight coverage
▶  - Restrictions by drone legislation
▶  - Operations susceptible to bad weather
▶  - Human resources needed

Aerial imagery
▶  + Large single-flight coverage
▶  + High spatial resolution (>7cm)
▶  + Broad spectral capabilities
▶  - Typically extensive (not for smaller
projects)
▶  - Image timing controlled by provider
▶  - Operations susceptible to bad weather
▶  - Flight approval required
▶  - Aircraft availability may be limited in
remote regions

Satellite imagery
▶  + Extensive coverage
▶  + Broad spectral capabilities
▶  + Sensor stability
▶  - Relatively low spatial resolution
(>30cm)
▶  - Image timing controlled by provider
▶  - Limited coverage in some regions
▶  - Imagery susceptible to cloud cover

Benefits of drones
27
▶  Higher spatial resolution
▶  Cloud free images
▶  Elevation data available

Limitations & GIM solutions
IMAGE
DISTORTIONS
ADAPTED
WORKFLOW
LOW SPECTRAL
QUALITY &
HETEROGENEITY
PER
HOMOGENEOUS
AREA

LOW QUALITY
DSM
ADAPTED
WORKFLOW
Limitations & GIM solutions
HIGH QUALITY
DSM

30
MINIATURISATION
Evolution of drone technology

31
FULL AUTONOMY

32
CLOUD-BASED

Vincent Tigny
THE LATEST TRENDS IN
SATELLITE OBSERVATION

New ecosystem
Small is the new Big!
Dove Skysat Landsat 8 Worldview-3

35
Constellations
SMALL. CHEAP. NUMEROUS.
New business model

36
ELON
MUSK
Commercial launches

Innovative launchers
37
▶  Recovering parts
▶  Using different platforms: ISS, planes…

38
Venture Capitalists
12% 52%For EO and Remote Sensing
Purposes
Between 2000and 2750Nano/
Micro-Satellites to be launched from
2016 to 2020

Booming!
UrtheCast
Terra Bella
Nor Star Space Data Planet Labs
Dauria
BlackSky Global
Hera Systems
OmniEarth
Axel Space
Aquila Space
MORE DATA, MORE INFORMATION, MORE OFTEN
HIGHER REPETITIVITY
Satellogic

40
No tasking
VIEW. SELECT. DOWNLOAD.
New data access

41
MAIN ASSETS: EXAMPLES FROM
GIM ENHANCED PORTFOLIO
Satellite imagery

GIM enhanced portfolio
42
K3, Manila, March 2015 - Sub-meter in the afternoon / New tasking at archive price
Planet, Naples, June 2016 - Daily nadir imagery by end 2016
TripleSat, Rimini, August 2015 - High spatial and temporal resolution

43
WV3, Sao Paulo, September 2014 - WorldView-4 true 30 cm imagery by mid-September
Iris, Paris, June 2016 - UltraHD full-color videos
KazEOSat-1, Madrid, June 2015 - Cost-effective high resolution

44
WorldDEM - 12m globally off-the-shelf
Vricon 3D and DSM - 50 cm & 10m on demand
Nextmap - Europe @ 5m off-the-shelf

A complete range
45
swath
resolution
price
12km 60km 290km
30cm 1m 10m
XX €/km² free

46
Free and open data
DATA IS NO LONGER A PRODUCT,
RATHER RAW MATERIAL.
OPPORTUNITY FOR VALUE-ADDING SERVICES!

47
Historical info & temporal evolution
ARCHIVE IMAGERY
SINCE THE 70TIES
TIME SERIES

48
Consistent information
UNIFORM COVERAGE (RADIOMETRY,
ILLUMINATION, ANGLE, SEASONALITY, …)
LARGE AREAS COLLECTION
REGULAR UPDATE

49
Rich and timely information
SPECTRAL INFORMATION
FAST DELIVERY
NO LOGISTICAL CONSTRAINTS

50
Stable platforms
FEWER DISTORTIONS
However…
INTERACTIONS WITH THE ATMOSPHERE

51
Cloud cover
HIGHER REVISIT RATES
LIVE WEATHER DATA
DIFFERENT EQUATOR CROSSING TIME

TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY
FOR TOMORROW'S FARMER
Smart Farming Services

53
SPOT THE ZONES REQUIRING
SPECIAL ATTENTION
Industrial Agriculture

54
SOIL PROPERTIES
Understand variations in crop conditions

55
WATER STRESS

56
WEED DEVELOPMENT

57
DISEASES

58
PESTS

THE
FARMER’S
VIEW
THE
SATELLITE'S
VIEW
THE
PROCESSED
DATA
THE
SMART
INSIGHT
How GIM differentiates ?

60
▶ Which parcels to skip?
▶ What issue in which field?
▶ Where to look in this field?
▶ Location, extent and severity of issues
▶ For informed decision
How do we make his life simpler?

61
THE
RIGHT
INPUT
THE
RIGHT
AMOUNT
THE
RIGHT
TIME
THE
RIGHT
LOCATION
The farmer’s decisions

AUTOMATED EXTRACTION
OF LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS
Features extraction Services

Public authorities
63 GIM GeoTrends Seminar EO – Vincent Tigny / Inge Melotte - June 2016
AUTOMATED WATER EXTRACTION

Public authorities
AUTOMATED URBAN TREES EXTRACTION

65
AUTOMATED SLUM DWELLING EXTRACTION
International & NGOs

Insurance
66
CUSTOMIZED LUCL AND TIME SERIES ANALYSIS

67
AUTOMATED BUILDINGS EXTRACTION
Insurance

68
AUTOMATED NATURAL ELEMENTS EXTRACTION
Utilities & Infrastructure

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST PLATFORM
FOR YOUR APPLICATION?
Vincent Tigny

71
▶  Your AOI: location, size, shape
▶  Your application / Information to visualize or extract
▶  Your constraints: timing, budget
▶  Your tools
Key elements to consider

Concrete application
UNLOCK VALUE FROM IMAGERY
TO HELP STOPPING POLIO

Context & needs
LOCATE EVERY LAST CHILD TO INCREASE
THE EFFICIENCY OF VACCINATION CAMPAIGNS

Challenges
▶  Territory: > 3x
▶  Resolution: 50cm
▶  Size: 12 Tb
▶  Amount of structures to extract:
500.000 20.000 1.500
VOLUME
OF DATA
to be collected
and processed

Challenges
▶  Conditions
during acquisition
▶  Varying
landscape
▶  Seasonality
▶  Variation in built-up areas
VARIETY
in imagery
and structures

Challenges
▶  Continuous data flow:
daily
▶  Immunization campaigns:
weekly
▶  Development of the image
processing chain: 3 weeks
▶  Fine-tuning the parameters:
1h/image
▶  Processing (with QC): 4,5 mois
VELOCITY
data collection
and use of the info

Achievement
▶  Cities, Villages, Hamlets,
Compounds, Huts, … all
connected to the road network (3
categories)
▶  Rivers and water bodies
UP-TO-DATE
operational map
that makes a difference!

78
Unprecedented accuracy
Detection rate >95% and
consistency over the entire territory
EVEN THE SMALLEST SETTLEMENTS ARE DELINEATED!

FACTS
and
FIGURES
ROADS
and
TRACKS
LAKES
and
RIVERS
ALL
types of
SETTLEMENTS
Recap

Combination will be key!
MULTI-
SENSORS
MULTI-
RESOLUTIONS
MULTI-
DATES

THANK YOU !
inge.melotte@gim.be vincent.tigny@gim.be +32 16 40 30 39
Contact

Drone vs Satellite Imagery: Choosing the Best Platform

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