A geometry-based image search engine for advanced RADARSAT-1/2 GIS applications
Vinay Kotamraju, Bernhard Rabus, Jennifer Busler · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 2012
Space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors, such as RADARSAT-1 and -2, enable a multitude of defense and security applications owing to their unique capabilities of cloud penetration, day/night imaging and multi-polarization imaging. As a result, advanced SAR image time series exploitation techniques such as Interferometric SAR (InSAR) and Radargrammetry are now routinely used in applications such as underground tunnel monitoring, infrastructure monitoring and DEM generation. Imaging geometry, as determined by the satellite orbit and imaged terrain, plays a critical role in the success of such techniques. This paper describes the architecture and the current status of development of a geometry-based search engine that allows the search and visualization of archived and future RADARSAT-1 and -2 images appropriate for a variety of advanced SAR techniques and applications. Key features of the search engine's scalable architecture include (a) Interactive GIS-based visualization of the search results; (b) A client-server architecture for online access that produces up-to-date searches of the archive images and that can, in future, be extended to acquisition planning; (c) A techniquespecific search mode, wherein an expert user explicitly sets search parameters to find appropriate images for advanced SAR techniques such as InSAR and Radargrammetry; (d) A future application-specific search mode, wherein all search parameters implicitly default to preset values according to the application of choice such as tunnel monitoring, DEM generation and deformation mapping; (f) Accurate baseline calculations for InSAR searches, and, optimum beam configuration for Radargrammetric searches; (g) Simulated quick look images and technique-specific sensitivity maps in the future.