Getting Satellite Remote
Sensing from Demonstration Project to Operational use – The ongoing New
Zealand Experience S E Bellies Consultancy Group Leader Division of Information Technology Department of Scientific and Industrial Research PO Box 31 311, Lower Hutt New Zealand Abstract Research and demonstration projects using satellite remote sensing data have been undertaken in New Zealand for 15 years. During this time, a small group of researchers has been trying to convince resource specialists, mapping agencies, and other user groups that these data can form a useful and cost effective part of their operations. With a few exceptions, New Zealand user have been slow to adapt. It is thought that the reasons for this include:
In September 1989, 170 organizations in New Zealand were sent a questionnaire to find out what the current and potential users of remote sensing data thought about satellite remote sensing. The results of this survey will form the basis of the presented paper. Introduction The Division of Information Technology is one of 24 division in the Government’s Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. As well as running the national scientific compute network, one of the division’s primary objectives is to be the New Zealand centre of ezoellence for digital image processing and remote sensing, and to market this technology to other New Zealand organizations. Past Uses of Remotely Sensed Data in New Zealand Systematic aerial photographic coverage of the whole of New Zealand commenced in 1936 and has been updated at reasonably regular interval since then,. Most organizations needing mapping and surveying information are operational users of black and white aerial photographs. As well, there are available good quality topographical, geological, and some other “ theme” maps of the country to at least 1:250 000 scales . These factors, in combination, meant that when the first satellite remote sensing data of New Zealand ( Landsats 1 and 2) became available in 1973, most of the details discernable at that spatial resolution were already known or, at least, conjectured. Uses of the multispectral nature of the data (crop surveys, vegetation mapping, etc) were trilled also. The general consensus from these experiments was that these data were useful but that results would be more accurate once better spatial resolutions was available. In 1986/7, New Zealand participated in the French SPOT PEPS experiments ( Ellis et al., 1987 Belliss et al., 1987). With spatial resolutions of 10 and 20 metres, these data were at last appropriate to the scale of mapping and monitoring operations required by most potential users. Currently, SPOT is our only source of high resolution satellite data and imagery of approximately 20% of the country is archived at DIT, the New Zealand distributor. As well, New Zealand also took part in the Shuttle Imaging Radar-B experiments in 1984/85 (Belliss & Oliver, 1988, McDonnell, 1986). Although the data obtained was rated at 1% quality, some useful results were achieved and it is felt that these data have great potential for mapping both in New Zealand and in the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. Now that the scale of satellite remote sensing data is appropriate for New Zealand uses other problems, such as data availability, delivery times, and cost dominate people’s perception of the uses of these data. Facilities for Handling Digital data The Division of Information Technology (DIT) has operated an image processing service for more than a decade, offering high quality prints, transparencies, and digital data to clients, along with processing and consultancy expertise. Until recently, most organizations in New Zealand required prints for photo-interpretation only. In the last few years, more and more organizations are acquiri—equipment to handle data in digital formats, and so the gradual move to Geographic Information Systems and in –house image processing has begun. The remote sensing group at the DSIR Division of Land and Soil Sciences was one of the first organizations to embrace operational image processing. A number of their recent activities , especially the use of SPOT data to map damage after a tropical cyclone (Stephens et al., 1988) have proved the value of this technology. DIM has always encouraged other organizations to participate in remote sensing analysis via cooperative projects. This enables the organisation to trial digital data processing before investing in their own systems. The survey The Remote Sensing Survey has been sent out to 170 organizations and individuals within New Zealand to find out how DIT can best service the requirements of current and potential users. Respondents were selected either because:
As the people surveyed cover a full gamut from experienced, operational users of satellite data to those who know very little about it, many sections of the questionnaire include information on the data as well as questions on their use. In this way, the survey itself is helping to teach people about remote sensing and to market the data and services DIT can provide. Sections of the survey deal with general perceptions of remote sansing, past/current uses of remote sensing data, the ability to candle digital data, and information and questions on specific data types including AVHRR, Landsat TM, SPOT, radar, and Sojuzkarta space chotography. In addition, respondent’s opinions as to what limits or prevents their uses of satellite-based remote sensing technology are sought. At the time of writing (mid-September) the survey is already showing a 40% return rate. Several organizations that were sent one copy have taken it upon themselves to copy the questions and to distribute them within their own organizations to enable a fuller response. The returns will be collated next month and the result, implications, and conclusions shall form the basis of the spoken presentation in Kuala Lumpur. References
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