Beyond the Aircraft and the Sensor
When you start a discussion about unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), the
typical focus is on the aircraft and its sensors. Sure, the primary
goal of any mission, in one form or another, is data collection, and the
vehicle and capture device are undoubtedly integral elements in this
effort. But what do you do with that raw data after it has been
collected? It needs to be mined, processed, and analyzed. This
undertaking seems straightforward enough, but more often than not, the
task of analyzing the data is fraught with complications such as noisy,
unstable imagery and imprecise or missing metadata.
From Imagery to Insight
Motion imagery software enhances, manages, and analyzes the raw data
sourced from UAVs so that analysts can extract information and transform
it into actionable insights. Identifying the geospatial location of an
object within a scene, for example, is a key factor in imagery analysis.
But what if that object and its surrounding reference points are
undecipherable due to the nature of capturing video from a constantly
moving aircraft?
Motion imagery expertise
and computer vision based technology is used to enhance the raw input by
adjusting the resolution, minimizing distortions, and correcting
inaccurate metadata so that reference points are recognizable, and the
task of georegistration is facilitated. The software developed by companies like 2d3
includes a technology called Reticle™, which improves geospatial
metadata and enhances imagery in order to attain better accuracy in
georegistration without the need for improvements at the sensor level.
This capability, along with a host of other features including –
image mosaicking, 3D modeling, and visualization – work in tandem to
produce relevant and actionable results.
Geared Up for the Commercial Market
The use cases for this type of technology are extensive. Foremost is
defense, but industries such as precision agriculture, asset management,
and law enforcement are all candidates. Some companies already have commercial market synergies in the sense that their technology has high
adaptability for emerging non-government UAV applications.
Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) business models exist where the
company can meet market demand as it happens, without the long lead
times associated with custom-built applications. Yet, the software is
still extensible, and incremental features can be added quickly to
accommodate custom specifications. This plug-n-play technology is priced
according to commercial market demands and conforms to a modular
product structure where customers can build up or scale down according
to their needs.
Moreover, some software is platform agnostic, which means it can
parse data sourced from any vehicle or sensor and generate actionable
insights. This is key since data from UAVs are usually asynchronous and
come in a multitude of varying data types.
Bridging the Gap
As commercial UAS applications gain traction – evidenced by the
recent US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) issuance of a Certification of Authorization to multinational
energy giant, BP – many companies anticipate the opportunities in this
market. It will continue to leverage its core competencies of motion
imagery expertise, COTS model efficiencies, and computer vision based
technology to focus on the key element of UAV missions beyond the
aircraft and the sensor: the software that bridges the gap between
imagery and insight.
