Progress on Development of an Intrinsic Earth Surface Material Classifier

Abstract : Sensor developers require the capability to quickly and easily generate scenes used to test sensor designs. As with the model atmospheres used by radiative transfer programs, the sensor design community recognized the need for model terrain materials with full optical, thermal, and microwave specifications. Funding has been identified at the Office of Naval Research within their SBIR Program to begin the review, design, and testing of various aspects of just such a standards database, hereafter referred to as the SISO Intrinsic Earth Surface Materials Classifier System. The basic concept of this program is two-fold in that the system design will provide: First, best estimates of a spectral image's pixel identity based on the derived intrinsic physical properties of the pixel (indexed to a standards catalog); and second, simulated spectral information for a pixel under any user specified sensor and environmental conditions. The spectral wavelength region under consideration for the system extends from the visible through the microwave radiation region.