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The unit Earth Observation offers society access to reliable geo-information based on Earth Observation Sensors and in situ data and in this way increases the understanding in its changing enviroment on a local, regional and continental scale.  Because of this the following research is done:

• the development of new remote sensing systems, platforms and instruments (research team technology)
• the development of applications based on Earth Observation imagery (research team applications) 
• the processing and distribution of Earth Observation imagery (research team GEODATA & flight operations)

Research team Technology

• Innovative Earth Observation systems and sensors
  • High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: HALE UAV. The PEGASUS project (see www.pegasus4europe.com/pegasus/index.htm (new window)) 
  • Monitoring Equipment and Devices for Unmanned Systems at high Altitude (MEDUSA project) (see medusa.vgt.vito.be (new window))
  • Airborne Prism Experiment: APEX. A state-of-the-art hyperspectral sensor under development by Belgian and Swiss industry, will be delivered to VITO and RSL for operations in 2009 (see www.apex-esa.org (new window))
• Risk management 
  • Industrial Risk management: SEVESEO project (see www.seveseo.eu (new window))
  • Open architecture for Smart and Interoperable networks in Risk management based on In-situ Sensors (OSIRIS) (see www.osiris-fp6.eu (new window))
  • Reliable Image Management Systems in Support of Urban Services and Disaster Management (RIMS project) (see rims.vgt.vito.be (new window))

Research team Applications

• Remote sensing based agricultural services 
  • Monitoring Agriculture with Remote Sensing: MARS (see www.marsop.info (new window))
  • Global Monitoring for Food Security (GMFS project) (see www.gmfs.info (new window))
  • The “Belgian Crop Growth Monitoring System B-CGMS”(see b-cgms.cra.wallonie.be (new window))
• Agro-environmental information 
  • GEOLAND Integrated Project (see www.gmes-geoland.info (new window)) 
    • Observatory on Food Security and Crop Monitoring OFM (see www.gmes-geoland.info/OS/OFM/index.php (new window))
    • Observatory On Land Cover and Forest Change OLF (see www.gmes-geoland.info/OS/OLF/index.php (new window)
    • Core Service Bio-Geophysical parameters CSP (see www.gmes-geoland.info/CS/CSP/index.php (new window))
  • GEOSUCCESS: Free access to value added products based upon the low resolution sensors (see www.geosuccess.net (new window))
  • VGT4Africa: Distribution of VEGETATION data in Africa through EUMETCast (see www.vgt4africa.org (new window))
  • GEONETCast explained (see www.earthobservations.org/progress/GEONETCast.html (new window))
  • ENDELEO project (see dfwm.ugent.be/forsit/content/projects/endeleo/documents/ENDELEO_newsletter2.pdf  (new window) 
  • A classification framework for habitat status reporting with remote sensing (HABISTAT project) (see habistat.vgt.vito.be/modules/objectives  (new window)) 
  • Summary of R&D in “hyperspectrale imaging spectroscopy” at VITO (see publications.vgt.vito.be (new window))

Research team GEODATA & flight operations

• Global scale image processing (R&D and services) 
  • Image processing, archiving and distribution facilities (see www.vgt.vito.be (new window))
  • The SPOT VEGETATION programme (see www.spot-vegetation.com (new window))
  • Free access to the SPOT VEGETATION global image archive (see free.vgt.vito.be (new window))
• Local scale image processing (R&D and services) (see cvblocal.vgt.vito.be (new window))
  • Overview hyperspectral flight campaigns + quicklooks hyperspectral data (see campaigns.vgt.vito.be/links.htm (new window))
  • Summary of the TAP instrument laboratory (see islab.vgt.vito.be  (new window) 
  • Training session “imaging spectroscopy” (see hyperteach.vgt.vito.be  (new window)
  • Summary of R&D in “hyperspectrale imaging spectroscopy” at VITO (see publications.vgt.vito.be (new window))
  • HYperspectral REmote Sensing in Europe: Specific Support Actions (HYRESSA project) (see  www.hyressa.be (new window))

Contact:

Dirk Van Speybroeck
Tel. + 32 14 33 68 10
Fax + 32 14 32 27 95
Mobile + 32 479 97 76 38
Send a message to Dirk Van Speybroeck