LARS Newsletter

January/February 1996

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A FULL PLATE

This issue is rapidly becoming the January/February/March issue. I tell readers that the people that I want to communicate to are the LARS Graduate Students. I want them to be aware that there are lots of events happening that will affect their futures. I also want them to be aware that there is a bright future for professionals that are trained with skills in remote sensing, geographic information systems and global positioning system technologies. Many of our faculty are involved in numerous national and international activities that impact the direction of these technologies. We will include information on these activities as they forward the information.

Here are some activities with which I become involved during the past few months. The first is the Humanitarian Landmine Clearance Committee of the National Research Council. The detection of landmines by remote sensing techniques is becoming a top priority in many countries since there are a reported more then 200 million mines set in over 50 countries. With mines being made primarily of plastic, it requires the use of a combination of a sensors. Some sensors discussed are multispectral, radar, nuclear quadrupole resonance, microwave radiometry, ultrasonics, and X-ray fluorescence.

The second activity is a 3 year appointment to the Committee on Earth Studies (CES) of the Space Applications Board of the National Research Committee. Professor Landgrebe served on the SAB for several terms. The CES reviews research thrusts of NASA as related to Earth remote sensing activities such as the Mission to Planet Earth, Earth Observing System, Earth System Science Pathfinder Program, and the U.S. Global Change Program.

Third, I have accepted an appointment on the SEDAC User Working Group of the Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN). SEDAC is the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center and is one of nine Centers established for the collection, achieving and dissemination of data from NASA's Mission to Planet Earth initiative. The homepages for CIESIN and SEDAC are http://www.ciesin.org and http://sedac.ciesin.org respectively. I have been impressed by the holdings and access to data provided by SEDAC.

All of this provides a "full plate" in terms of challenges and schedules. I hope to comment on trusts of these committees and those of other faculty members in future newsletters as space permits.

--CJJ

PROJECTS FUNDED

Jan Allebach (PI), Charles Bouman, Ed Coyle, Ed Delp, Dave Landgrebe, Tony Maciejewski, Zygmunt Pizlo and Ness Shroff, "Infrastructure for a New Curriculum in Video and Image Systems Engineering (VISE)." $800,000 of HP equipment for a facility that will support joint lab/classroom education for courses in the VISE area with possible 2 year renewal. Congratulations for a good team effort!

Landgrebe, D.A. "Research on Methods for Analysis of Multispectral Earth Observational Data," NASA, $24,078. Feb, 1995-Jan, 96.

Mikhail, E.M. "Photogrammetric Invariance and Feature Exploitation," National Security Agency, $100,000. Oct 95-Sept 96.

Gibson, H.G., D.L. Cassens and G.W. Krutz, Ag & Biol. Eng., "Short Term GIS World Wide Forest Harvest Equipment," Caterpillar Inc., $40,140. Aug - Nov, 1995.

BEST PAPER AWARD

J. A. Benediktsson ( former Kristof award winner), J. R. Sveinsson, O. K. Ersoy, P. H. Swain, "Wavelet Packet Parallel Consensual Neural Networks," ANNIE '95 (Artificail Neural Networks in Engineering '95). Jon continues to develop neural network technology for application to remote sensing data analysis.

PUBLICATIONS

Y. Jung and P.H. Swain, "Bayesian Contextual Classification Based on Modified M-Estimates and Markov Random Fields", IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Volume 34: 67-75, January, 1996.

PAPERS PRESENTED

Teufert, J., Helt, T., Dobos, E., Micheli, E., Baumgardner, M.F., Johannsen, C.J. "Factors effecting regional water quality - Applications of a remote sensing and GIS enhancement of the Hungarian soils and terrain (SOTER) database," poster presented at Geological Society of America (GSA) National Convention, November 6-9, 1995, New Orleans, Louisiana. Abstract published in GSA Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 27, No. 6, October, 1995.

PECORA CONFERENCE

Pecora 13 Symposium is focusing on the role of remote sensing in assessment of "Human Interaction with the Environment: Perspectives From Space." This is an internationally oriented conference with a goal to identify priorities for addressing research needs, accelerating database development, improving data archive and access, dealing with policy and implementation issues and related areas. The Symposium is scheduled for August 20-22, 1996 in Sioux Falls, SD. For further information see Conferences/Workshop Dates section and their homepage (http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/pecora13.html).

SPOT ASSISTS WITH BOSNIAN EFFORT

SPOT images are being used by the Defense Mapping Agency to derive and view detailed terrain information for strategic and tactical support purposes according to a recent SPOT Press Release. During the Bosnian peace talks, SPOT imagery was merged with other data sources and viewed in PowerScene, Cambridge Research Associate's 3-D viewing software, to assist leaders in visualizing the political boundaries, land cover and infrastructure of the area. Now during the troop deployment, the images reveal buildings, roads, trail, railroads, utility infrastructures and defense emplacements, and can be combined with digital elevation models for three-dimensional perspective viewing.

CONFERENCES/WORKSHOP DATES

(* = New listing)

Please note that we are not repeating conferences/ workshops mentioned in previous newsletters except those of Professional Societies/organizations that appear to be of special interest to our faculty/students.

1996:: +Mar 6-8. ISPRS Commission II Working Group II/2: New Developments in GIS, ISPRS, Milan, Italy. Contact: johnstonj@nwrc.gov; +Mar. 10-13. ERDAS 1996 Users' Group Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia. Contact: ERDAS Inc. 404-248-9000, Fax: 404-248-9400.; *+Mar 13-15. Introduction to MapInfo for Windows Course, The Polis Center, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN. Contact: 317-274-8400, kmccart@indyvax.iupui.edu Fee: $249.00; +Mar 15-22. The Application of Remotely Sensed Data and GIS in Environmental and Natural Resources Assessment in Africa, Government of Zimbabwe, ESRI, AARSE, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation & Development, ITC-the Netherlands, Harare, Zimbabwe. Contact: 263-4-731049/7/5; fax 263-4-731049; *+Mar 18-22. Intermediate ARC/INFO Course, The Polis Center, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN. Contact: 317-274-8400, kmccart@indyvax.iupui.edu Fee: $995.00; +Mar 18-21. Tenth Annual Conference on Geographic Information Systems, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. GIS World, Inc. Contact: Sylvia Marshall 970-223-4848, FAX: 970-223-5700; Email: event-info@gisworld.com; *+Mar 25. Executive Overview of GIS (3 hour seminar), The Polis Center, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN. Contact: 317-274-8400, kmccart@indyvax.iupui.edu Fee: $149.; +Mar 25-28. AM/FM International Annual conference XIX. Seattle, WA, Contact: (303) 337-0513; fax: (303) 337-1001; +Mar 25-29. Spaceworks "96 - 8th Australian Remote Sensing Conference, Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Association of Australia Ltd., Canberra, Australia; Contact: 61-6-257-3299; fax 61-6-257-3256; email: acts@ozemail.com.au; +Mar. 25-29. 26th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment and 18th Annual Symposium of the Canadian Remote Sensing Society, Vancouver, British Columbia. Contact: Fax: 273-9830, E-Mail: symposium@mda.ca; +Apr 9-14. 92nd Annual Meeting. AAG, Charlotte, North Carolina. Contact: 202-234-1450; +Apr 20-26. 1996 ASPRS/ACSM Annual Convention, Baltimore, MD. Contact: 301-493-0200, Fax: 301-469-3360.; *+Apr 14-19. 8th Brazilian Symposium of Remote Sensing, SELPER and INPE, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Contact: 55-123-25-6067/68; fax 55-123-25-6460/22-9325; sbsr@ltid.impe.br.; *+Apr 15-19. SPOT Int'l Conference, SPOT, Paris, France. Contact: 33-1-44-88-25-25; fax 33-1-40-26-04-44.; +Apr 28-May 1. 1996 Mid-America GIS Symposium, Kansas City, Missouri. Contact: Tim Hensley, 913-764-8484, E-mail: tim@tyrell.net; +May 20-24. Sixteenth Annual ESRI User Conference, Palm Springs, CA. Contact: 909-793-2853 ext. 2006, FAX: 909-793-5953; Email: ucregis@esri.com; +May 21-23. Second International Symposium on Spatial Accuracy Assessment in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Fort Collins, Colorado. Contact: H. Todd Mowrer, 970-498-1100, Fax: 970-498-1010.; +May 27-31. IGARSS'96, Lincoln, NE. Contact: 713-291-9222, FAX: 713-291-9224; Email: stein@harc.edu; +June 10-14. GIS/LIS '96 Central Europe, Budapest, Hungary. Contact: North American Secretariat, 36 1 202 3128, Fax: 36 1 155 4171; +Jun 23-26. 3rd International Conference on Precision Agriculture, Bloomington Minneapolis, MN. Contact: Gene Anderson 612-625-7084 or 800-367-5363, FAX: 612-625-2207; Email: eanderson@mes.umn.edu; +Jun 24-27. 2nd International Airborne Remote Sensing Conference and Exhibition, ERIM, San Francisco, California. Contact: 313-994-1200 x3234; fax 313-994-5123; *+Jun 24-28. GPS/GIS '96, Geo-Research, Billings, Montana. Contact: 301-320-0911; fax 301-320-0922.; +Jul 9-19. ISPRS: Spatial Information from Images. ISPRS, Vienna, Austria. Contact: Karl Kraus 43 1 58801; fax 43 1 505 6268; email: isprs96@email.tuwien.ac.at; +Jul 27-Aug 1. URISA '96, Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, Salt Lake City, Utah. Contact: 202-289-1685; +Jul 30-Aug 1. Information Agriculture Conference, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. Contacts: Registration-Mary Hughes (913-776-0273); Program/Exhibits---Harold Reetz, (217-762-2074)/e-mail--- hreetz@uiuc.edu; +Aug 12-16. Seventh International Symposium on Spatial Data Handling, Delft, The Netherlands. Contact: SDH'96, M.J. Kraak, 31 15 782 584, Fax: 31 15 782 584, E-mail: sdh96@Geo.tudelft.nl; *+Aug 19-22. Human Interactions with the Environment: Perspectives From Space, PECORA Thirteen, Sponsored by USGS, NASA, NOAA, EPA and CIESIN, Sioux Falls, SD., Contact: 605-594-6040, Fax: 605-594-6083, Email: pecora13@edcserver1.cr.usgs.gov; *+Sep 9-11. Spatial Technologies, Geographic Information, and the City, (A Research Conference), Baltimore, MD. UCGIA. Contact: Dr. Helen Couclelis, (805) 893 2196, Fax:(805) 893 8617, email: cook@geog.ucsb.edu; *+Nov 4-7. Eco-Informa '96-Global Networks for Environmental Information, ERIM, Eco-Informa Foundation, Epcot Science & Technology, USDA, NASA, US EPA, US Army COE, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. US Contact: 313-994-1200 ext. 3234. Europe contact: 49-921-552-245/155; fax 49-921-546-26.; +Nov 16-22. GIS/LIS '96 Annual Conference and Exposition. AAG, ACSM, AM/FM International, ASPRS, URISA, Denver, Colorado. Contact: GIS/LIS '96 301-493-0200; fax 301-493-8245
1997:: +Mar 21-27. AM/FM International Annual Conference, AM/FM International, San Antonio, Texas. Contact: Paula Delie 303-337-0513; +Apr 4-6. ASPRS/ACSM Annual Convention. ASPRS, ACSM, Seattle, Washington. Contact: 301-493-0200; *+Jul 7-10. IGARSS '97. Cannes, France. Contact: 703-917-8655; fax 703-917-8656; khazenie@chrpisis.gsfc.nasa.gov

--Chris J. Johannsen, Director
  Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing (LARS)
  1158 ENTM 220, Purdue University,
  W. Lafayette, IN 47907-1158, USA
  (317) 494-6305, Fax: (317) 494-7753
  johannsn@ecn.purdue.edu