VIA Technologies EPIA SN-Series Specifications download pdf (Page 53)

FASTER Planning Software

The planning software has been divided into five different blocks and two of them are

implemented using geobrowser features. It has been found that this solution is particularly

suitable when the use of maps can be helpful to speed up the target area selection process

and to better understand the obtained results. One of the most widely available solutions

for geobrowsing is Google Earth; it has over 100 million users and all the characteristics

listed above. It uses the kml/kmz exchange format which is based on the xml 1.0

standard; it is well documented and can be implemented inside the Matlab environment,

used to develop the flight planner block.

5.3 Google Earth Geobrowsing Solution

In this section the Google Earth geobrowser is presented describing how is possible

to use it in combination with others software blocks.

As stated in the previous section Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographic

information program which maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained

from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS (Ground Information Services) 3D

globe. It allows users to search places entering they geographical coordinates or simply

search them using an input device, like a mouse. Google Earth uses DEM (Digital

Elevation Model) data collected by NASA‟s SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission)

to display an accurate model of the Earth surface, shown in Figure 37. SRTM has an

absolute horizontal accuracy (with respect to the WGS 84 model) of less than 50 m and an

absolute vertical accuracy (with respect to the EGM 1996) of less than 30 m [Ref (24)].

Most land areas are covered in satellite imagery with a resolution of about 15 m/pixel

(multispectral Landsat which is pansharpened with the 15 m panchromatic Landsat

imagery) and, where available, with 2.5 m SPOT imagery or < 1 m Geoeye or aerial

products. Highest resolution images (up to 0.1 m) are concentrated in some specific areas

like some German cities.

One of the most important features of the software are Google Earth layers, which

provide access to all kinds of other data including, for example, real-time weather or

thermal imagery. This functionality enables the possibility to show proprietary material

on the 3D Earth globe almost instantaneously. In order to do this data must be accurately

prepared and georefernced. Layers can also be completed with additional information

relative to the acquisition campaign to better organize the output result.

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VIA Technologies EPIA SN-Series Specifications Page 53