International cooperation in remote sensing for global change research: political and economic considerations

Activities concerning international cooperation in space-based remote sensing for global change research have for the most part focused on technical/functional aspects such as data harmonization, research project coordination, and sensor selection and deployment. Until fairly recently, little attention has been directed towards the various political and economic constraints which may act as ‘stumbling blocks’. A review of the contemporary international remote sensing milieu as it relates to the global change research agenda is presented. Several important political and economic conditions affecting this area are identified: (1) data access and pricing policies; (2) national security concerns; (3) developed/developing nation relations; and (4) inconsistent political/financial commitments. A set of recommendations is offered to enhance international cooperation in the use of space-based remote sensing data for global change research.     

Towards a coherent remote sensing data policy

Access to space-based remote sensing data is critical for Earth science and the study of global change. This article summarizes a variety of US government Earth science data policies and problems. The authors examine current efforts to develop data policies for the next generation of US remote sensing programmes, noting likely problems based on past experiences. They argue that the goal of US Earth science data policy should be to provide the widest possible dissemination of data. Setting such a goal permits the development of a simple, coherent data policy that serves scientific, commercial and US government interests.     

CHEOS Major Special Project Promotes Development of Chinese Commercial Remote Sensing Cameras

High resolution remote sensing data has been applied in many fields such as national security, economic construction and in the daily life of the general public around the world, creating a huge market. Commercial remote sensing cameras have been developed vigorously throughout the world over the last few decades, resulting in resolutions down to 0.31 m. In 2010, the Chinese government approved the implementation of the China High-resolution Earth Observation System(CHEOS) Major Special Project, giving priority to development of high resolution remote sensing satellites. More than half of CHEOS has been constructed to date and 5 satellites operate in orbit. These cameras have different characteristics. A number of innovative technologies have been adopted, which have led to camera performance increasing in leaps and bounds. The products and the production capability enables the remote sensing technical level to increase making it on a par with Europe and the US.     

环境减灾-1B卫星遥感数据在干旱监测中的应用

以2010-2011年发生在山东省的秋、冬、春三季连旱为例,介绍了环境减灾-1B（HJ-1B）卫星遥感数据在干旱监测中的应用。获取了山东省干旱发展顶峰时段的HJ-1B卫星采集的多光谱和热红外遥感影像,利用ENVI 4.7遥感数据处理平台对山东全省的归一化植被指数和地面温度进行了反演,在此基础上计算了山东全省的植被供水指数,并据此将山东省的干旱情况划分为5级,对该干旱监测结果进行了分析。为了验证结论的可靠性,将干旱监测结果与全国降水距平百分率进行了对比,对比结果表明两者一致性较好。文章提供了HJ-1B卫星遥感数据在干旱监测方面的一个实例,其监测结果为相关减灾部门的救灾工作提供了重要的参考,同时也为HJ-1B卫星遥感数据在干旱监测方面的业务化运营提供了一个通用的方法。     

我国航空航天遥感技术进展初探

本文主要介绍了我国遥感科学技术发展的现状，包括我国航天对地观测体系及国家级遥感卫星数据接收和服务系统，传感器数据获取技术，遥感影像数据处理技术，空间信息分析机理及技术等方面的进展和成果。     

遥感影像弱小目标智能解译算法研究

随着遥感技术的快速发展,光学遥感影像弱小目标智能解译成为遥感信息处理的研究热点之一。遥感影像的地物目标常具有尺度小、种类多、数量大、部分重点小目标移动速度快的特点,易受到复杂背景环境及噪声影响,使得提取遥感影像弱小目标的信息面临着巨大的挑战。早期智能解译算法中的弱小目标分割、检测及跟踪等算法研究,多依赖模板匹配及先验知识,此类算法需耗费大量资源、算力及专家知识成本,存在着计算量大、泛化能力差的问题。近年来,随着深度学习等人工智能技术的快速发展,在海量遥感数据中准确获取弱小目标的信息,通过结合深度学习算法可对弱小目标的特征进行快速提取,以提供高效、准确的解译信息。本文综述了遥感影像弱小目标智能解译算法研究进展,包括基于传统图像处理方法的弱小目标分割、检测和跟踪算法,以及基于深度学习等典型相关算法。通过分析这些方法的优点与局限性,对于提高相关目标的信息获取能力、提升观测的态势感知水平以及未来应用等方面具有重要意义。     

Keeping up with remote sensing and GI advances—Policy and legal perspectives

Technological advances in remote sensing capabilities, wider participation of commercial firms and the possibilities of ‘processing’ spatial data to create value-added information have given rise to a range of policy and legal issues in the geographic information (GI) field. How far satellite images can still be considered a ‘public good’, conflicts between commercial and national interests is becoming a major issue, especially where security is concerned, sovereignty and the rights of sensed states, shutter control vs transparency is debated, data access, IPR and infringement of privacy becoming more relevant are all discussed. At the same time, the societal and public good of GI is well accepted with innumerable national and international examples. It is clear that societies would greatly benefit from the proper use of GI. A multilateral debate to formulate a GI policy that will take account of these while ensuring that the full benefits of remote sensing are available to society is called for.     

Remote sensing: A case for moving space data towards the public good

This paper discusses whether current international and national regulation of remote sensing activities achieves a true balance between proprietary interests of producers of remote sensing data and information and the needs of the community in accessing that data and information. By subjecting remote sensing data to general copyright restrictions that are often coupled with exclusive licences, irrespective of type or use of data and/or information, the development of important secondary information markets could be negatively hampered. In the long run, over-regulating access to space data may prove counter-productive in the information age. Using examples of different modes of information dissemination currently being practised, the paper highlights the balances to be drawn between legal issues of private ownership of data and information and public good interests. It concludes with suggestions for a more coherent regulatory approach.     

星上遥感影像在轨处理进展研究

从星地数传、高时敏任务等对星上遥感影像在轨处理的需求出发,本文对美国、欧洲以及国内主要的星上遥感影像在轨处理进展进行了研究;以此为基础,结合星上遥感影像在轨处理框架与深度学习等智能处理技术,分析了高性能星上智能处理平台构建、基于深度学习的遥感影像在轨智能处理、多源遥感影像数据在轨融合处理、星地协同数据处理及在轨更新等星上遥感影像在轨处理关键技术;最后,对星上遥感影像在轨处理未来发展趋势进行了总结,为进一步提升遥感卫星在轨应用效能提供参考。     

卫星多源遥感图像融合研究

卫星多源遥感图像融合技术可以综合利用多源信息,从而获得对同一目标更全面、更清晰、更准确的认识。文中简介卫星多源遥感图像融合系统所包含的三个过程,即预处理、图像融合、综合评价及应用;详细分析像素层、特征层和决策层三个不同融合层次的融合原理和方法;归纳融合效果的主客观评价标准和熵、平均梯度等六种评价指标;最后从空间配准模型、建立统一的数学融合模型、关联的二义性、数据融合方法与融合系统实施存在的问题、有效的评价准则等方面讨论了卫星多源遥感图像融合目前存在的问题,并对今后的发展趋势作出展望。     

Expanding global access to civilian and commercial remote sensing data: implications and policy issues

Current and planned developments in the field of civilian and commercial satellite imagery promise a major expansion in international accessibility to remote sensing data and technologies. This paper addresses the implications of the expanding global access to land remote sensing data and their derived products. While atmospheric, meteorological, and oceanographic data is also widely available at cost or free of charge, it is land remote sensing - specifically the unique systems with high-resolution and frequent revisit times - that are of primary concern for international and regional security issues. Military and intelligence satellites are not addressed in this discussion of expansion due to their inherently controlled access, unless such systems also provide commercially available imagery or products (as is the case with some Russian systems).     

基于深度卷积神经网络的遥感影像目标检测

随着遥感影像数据规模的快速扩张,如何高效准确地识别遥感影像中的典型目标成为当前的研究热点。为解决传统遥感影像目标检测方法准确率低的问题,用基于深度卷积神经网络进行遥感影像目标检测,在遥感影像数据集上用基于Faster-RCNN的神经网络模型对VGG16卷积网络进行训练,对输入的遥感影像通过区域推荐网络标注出待检目标的包围框和置信度,实现对遥感影像的目标检测。以飞机和油罐为例,在TensorFlow深度学习框架下实现了数据预处理、网络训练、目标检测等功能,并在当前测试数据集上取得了较高的检测准确率和置信度。该研究成果可应用于遥感影像解译和处理等相关领域。     

航天多光谱遥感器系统响应均匀性指标分析

航天多光谱遥感器是对地物信息进行多谱段探测的,通过各谱段信息计算确定地物目标、状态等为国民经济服务。遥感器系统响应均匀性直接影响着遥感数据的判读,文中分析了系统响应均匀性的影响因素,提出了系统响应均匀性指标分配依据和解决措施。     

改进暗通道遥感影像去雾方法及效果分析

遥感影像的预处理工作是遥感数据应用的基础。去除云雾是影像预处理工作的重要组成部分。针对遥感影像雾霾浓度分布不均匀的问题,提出一种改进的暗通道遥感影像去雾方法。以"高分一号"(GF-1)卫星为例,根据影像灰度图中的灰度值对影像雾霾浓度区域进行划分,对每个区域中暗原色值的获取方式进行改进,使用导向滤波优化大气传输率,以归一化植被指数(NDVI)为基础,设计用于评价影像去雾质量的定量指标。结果表明:所提出的方法能明显去除雾霾干扰,有效改善卫星影像数据的视觉效果,增强影像细节。该方法去雾处理后的遥感数据能应用于定量遥感,提高遥感影像的可用性及有效性。     

The use of remote sensing to support the application of multilateral environmental agreements

There is a growing realisation of the increasingly varied and interesting possibilities for the use of Earth observation data to ensure compliance with international obligations generally, and treaty obligations in particular. Most examinations of the application of Earth observation data to monitoring states’ compliance with international obligations focus on the environmental sector. This paper proposes the use of remote sensing satellites for the support of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), especially land monitoring MEAs such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) and the Kyoto Protocol (1997). It discusses the uses of remote sensing for treaty implementation or enforcement in general, and the admissability of satellite imagery as legal proof, before examining how Earth observation-derived data could be of benefit to specific MEAs. As sensors become increasingly sophisticated the use of remote sensing in this area should grow but it needs to be supported by its more widespread legal recognition as proof.     

The use of remote sensing satellites for verification in international law

This paper examines the use of remote sensing satellites for verification in public international law. Verification always depends on the specific agreement or mission to be verified. There are no general framework rules: the means of verification and the verifying authorities vary from agreement to agreement and from mission to mission. Rapid technological development and the intensifying international cooperation have led to an increasing number of international verification missions. Whereas, in the past, verification was at the heart of intelligence and national services, the commercialization of the remote sensing industry and the information revolution have supported the creation of joint initiatives in this field. Traditionally, verification is associated with disarmament and arms control treaties, but the paper will underline that this is only one field of application for verification missions. It is important to note that there is no binding international regime specifically addressing such activity. The lack of legal certainty in this field also applies to the use of remotely sensed data as evidence in legal proceedings.     

Super View-1-China's First Commercial Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation with a High Resolution of 0.5 m

Super View-1 satellite constellation(Super View-1 for short) is the first commercial remote sensing constellation with a resolution down to 0.5 m. It's an important part of the national spatial information infrastructure construction. It will play an important role for the global users providing remote sensing data, application solutions and remote sensing value-added services with its high-resolution and 24-hour observation capability. At present, 4 satellites of the constellation have been successfully launched and networked on orbit. The services cover surveying and mapping, land resource surveying, urban planning, agriculture, forestry, water conservancy, geological mining, environmental monitoring, defense, disaster reduction along with other traditional industries. There are also great potential applications in Mobile Internet, LBS, Smart city, insurance and other emerging professions. The successful operation of Super View-1 breaks the overseas monopoly for commercial high-resolution remote sensing satellite imagery in the China market. It's one of the major achievements in China space science and technology by actively exploring the development of commercial remote sensing markets, which is of strategic significance to the development of China remote sensing satellite business.     

Security implications of remote sensing

Major technical advances in remote sensing have developed sophisticated systems with both extensive military and civilian applications. Not only the USA and USSR, but a growing number of other countries such as China, France, India and Japan are actively engaged in remote-sensing R&D. This article reviews the capabilities of civilian satellite technologies and programmes of various nations, and examines the implications for national and international security. Many states are concerned about the commercial availability of data on their economic resources and national security-related activities. A particular problem is the possible misinterpretation of remotely-sensed data.     

Expanding global access to civilian and commercial remote sensing data: implications and policy issues

Current and planned developments in the field of civilian and commercial² satellite imagery promise a major expansion in international accessibility to remote sensing data and technologies. This paper addresses the implications of the expanding global access to land remote sensing data and their derived products. While atmospheric, meteorological, and oceanographic data is also widely available at cost or free of charge, it is land remote sensing – specifically the unique systems with high-resolution and frequent revisit times – that are of primary concern for international and regional security issues. Military and intelligence satellites are not addressed in this discussion of expansion due to their inherently controlled access, unless such systems also provide commercially available imagery or products (as is the case with some Russian systems).     

图像边缘信号能量与MTF的相关研究

文章从边缘的角度出发，分析红外遥感图像质量的评价参数——边缘信号能量与调制传递函数MTF（Modulation Transfer Function）的关系。实验结果表明边缘信号能量能很好地反映MTF的变化，并针对某一特定地物建立实验室条件下边缘信号能量与MTF的数学关系模型。