MISSION STATEMENT
ATIC focuses on research and development of software and methodologies to facilitate the processing of multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing data in support of sustainable development of various ecosystems. Our goal is to strengthen
the Earth Observation market by developing client driven services and end-to-end monitoring systems.
ATIC focuses on research and development of software and methodologies to facilitate the processing of multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing data in support of sustainable development of various ecosystems. Our goal is to strengthen
the Earth Observation market by developing client driven services and end-to-end monitoring systems.
The Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre (ATIC)/University of Lethbridge, an emerging centre of excellence,
develops end-to-end remote sensing solutions to improve the development and management of natural
resources and urban areas and protection of the environment for long-term sustainability; especially
Within this context, ATIC/University of Lethbridge develops remote sensing technologies for mapping/monitoring purposes at different resolutions (1 m to 1 km) and over different scales (local to regional to ) and time (change detection) such as in
In addition, ATIC/University of Lethbridge is also developing application-specific data processing systems for efficient mapping/monitoring, for example, in the aforementioned applications areas. Activities include:
Within this frame work, ATIC/University of Lethbridge develops algorithms for efficient data preprocessing and information extraction. As a matter of fact, ATIC/University of Lethbridge can cover the entire data processing chain in remote sensing from data calibration to the final information product.
ATIC/University of Lethbridge is also able to design and set up centres as follows:
Other Areas of Interest:
Land cover and land use mapping are areas of significant research and commercial need. As anthropogenic activities continue to put additional pressures on our land base, accurate land cover and land use maps will play a key role in supporting decision makers. These maps can help identify areas of significant environmental stress and this information can support policy makers in development plans.
Remotely sensed imagery has many applications in geology including mineral location and structural studies. It has been predicted that enhanced 2.5 m-resolution imagery will enable gas exploration companies to identify micro-fault lines in the Western Canadian Sedimentary basin and locate shallow methane. Remote sensed imagery also helps exploration companies plan activities to reduce environmental impact. It also provides a cost effective way to report their activities to controlling agencies, streamlining the approval process.
The rapid revisit period and the ability to deliver data to the end user within hours of collection makes Iunctus and its web based distribution technology a key resource for disaster recovery and emergency response situations. Remote sensed imagery has been used in many emergency applications and is a foundational technology used to create base maps for emergency response systems such as the Alberta Emergency Preparedness system hosted by TELUS Geomatics. This system makes GIS and crisis management tools available in real time to all users during emergency events.
As demand for this limited resource continues, the key will be planning. Remote sensing data will be used to help support decision making including water requirements and irrigation scheduling on agricultural lands, and in watershed management projects to control land uses that adversely affect run off. Using satellites, terrain maps showing the surface relief can be created and used to help delineate watersheds.
The Canadian imagery archive includes images from 1986 to today, making archived imagery a great tool for climate change detection research. This archive will allow for comparison between current and historical levels of carbon stored in our landscape. This is significant. Carbon capital will become an important resource as the world moves towards an environmental economy.
Rapid changes in the northern areas of Canada and the increased use of these lands for resource development are going to require active monitoring and planning. The SPOT constellations of satellites have the ability to image the very high artic, a limiting factor of many other systems.
The SPOT system has a dedicated 'Vegetation' sensor that images the entire earth each day at a resolution of 1 km. These images provide the data for global change models. This is a unique system. The spectral bands of the coarse-resolution Vegetation sensor are the same as those of the other high-resolution sensors of the SPOT system. This enables researchers to take local studies done with high-resolution data, and expand to a regional scale using 1km-resolution vegetation sensor data.
- develop innovative technologies at the leading edge of remote sensing to provide new applications opportunities,
- develop research applications to provide new commercialization opportunities,
- develop the commercialization of remote sensing through automation of tools and entire data processing chains and intelligent information production systems, and
- increase the availability of highly qualified people (HQP) through training of students and experts.
Within this context, ATIC/University of Lethbridge develops remote sensing technologies for mapping/monitoring purposes at different resolutions (1 m to 1 km) and over different scales (local to regional to ) and time (change detection) such as in
- land use (e.g., crop inventory) and land management practices
- water management and soil protection
- precision farming
- crop condition (stress, disease, drought)
- crop productivity (yield)
- monitoring rangeland (e.g., productivity, health)
- change detection (agricultural land lost/gained)
- inventory (e.g., species mapping, stand density)
- condition (stress, disease)
- change detection (forest lost/gained - deforestation, reforestation, and afforestation)
- disaster (fire)
- status and change of land cover (e.g., impact of climate change)
- mine tailings reclamation (monitoring of toxic sites and waste disposal, impact of mining on surrounding environment)
- mapping and monitoring wetland environments
- mapping riparian areas
- invasive species mapping
- wildlife habitat protection and biodiversity
- mineral mapping
- lithological (geological) mapping
- hazards (landslides)
- coastline and shoal mapping
- assessment of productivity of coastal ecosystems
- monitoring of water quality (e.g., indicators of lakes)
- detection of harmful algal blooms
- hazards (e.g., effluents and pollution events)
- mapping urban land cover and conditions (e.g., identification and delineation of the urban elements)
- monitoring change and urban growth over time
- urban heat monitoring
- population estimation
- assessing urban environmental quality
- urban planning
- water quality
- air quality
- mapping of hazard-prone areas
In addition, ATIC/University of Lethbridge is also developing application-specific data processing systems for efficient mapping/monitoring, for example, in the aforementioned applications areas. Activities include:
- system design,
- software development,
- automation of entire data processing chains,
- parallelizing of remote sensing procedures for distributed processing, and
- integrating intelligent/learning capabilities into the systems.
Within this frame work, ATIC/University of Lethbridge develops algorithms for efficient data preprocessing and information extraction. As a matter of fact, ATIC/University of Lethbridge can cover the entire data processing chain in remote sensing from data calibration to the final information product.
ATIC/University of Lethbridge is also able to design and set up centres as follows:
- geomatics centre (for mapping/monitoring/planning purposes) and
- emergency response centre (for monitoring different disasters).
Other Areas of Interest:
Land cover and land use mapping are areas of significant research and commercial need. As anthropogenic activities continue to put additional pressures on our land base, accurate land cover and land use maps will play a key role in supporting decision makers. These maps can help identify areas of significant environmental stress and this information can support policy makers in development plans.
Remotely sensed imagery has many applications in geology including mineral location and structural studies. It has been predicted that enhanced 2.5 m-resolution imagery will enable gas exploration companies to identify micro-fault lines in the Western Canadian Sedimentary basin and locate shallow methane. Remote sensed imagery also helps exploration companies plan activities to reduce environmental impact. It also provides a cost effective way to report their activities to controlling agencies, streamlining the approval process.
The rapid revisit period and the ability to deliver data to the end user within hours of collection makes Iunctus and its web based distribution technology a key resource for disaster recovery and emergency response situations. Remote sensed imagery has been used in many emergency applications and is a foundational technology used to create base maps for emergency response systems such as the Alberta Emergency Preparedness system hosted by TELUS Geomatics. This system makes GIS and crisis management tools available in real time to all users during emergency events.
As demand for this limited resource continues, the key will be planning. Remote sensing data will be used to help support decision making including water requirements and irrigation scheduling on agricultural lands, and in watershed management projects to control land uses that adversely affect run off. Using satellites, terrain maps showing the surface relief can be created and used to help delineate watersheds.
The Canadian imagery archive includes images from 1986 to today, making archived imagery a great tool for climate change detection research. This archive will allow for comparison between current and historical levels of carbon stored in our landscape. This is significant. Carbon capital will become an important resource as the world moves towards an environmental economy.
Rapid changes in the northern areas of Canada and the increased use of these lands for resource development are going to require active monitoring and planning. The SPOT constellations of satellites have the ability to image the very high artic, a limiting factor of many other systems.
The SPOT system has a dedicated 'Vegetation' sensor that images the entire earth each day at a resolution of 1 km. These images provide the data for global change models. This is a unique system. The spectral bands of the coarse-resolution Vegetation sensor are the same as those of the other high-resolution sensors of the SPOT system. This enables researchers to take local studies done with high-resolution data, and expand to a regional scale using 1km-resolution vegetation sensor data.