2008 IEEE International Geoscience & Remote Sensing Symposium
July 6-11, 2008 | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

HD-1: Modeling the Spectral Responses of Natural Materials under Varying Environmental Parameters: Theoretical and Practical Challenges

Sunday Morning, July 6, 08:30 - 12:30

Presented by

Gladimir V. G. Baranoski, University of Waterloo, Canada

Abstract

Computer simulations, in conjunction with experiments, are regularly being used by remote sensing researchers to understand and predict the quantitative and qualitative spectral responses of natural materials (e.g., plants and soils) under varying environmental parameters such as illumination and moisture. The main purpose of this tutorial is to discuss theoretical and practical challenges that need to be tackled to improve the efficacy and accuracy of the current simulation frameworks. Furthermore, since similar modeling approaches are also used in fields addressing human health issues such as biomedical optics, this tutorial also aims to foster the cross-fertilization with these fields by identifying common needs and complementary resources. The tutorial begins by providing a concise review of relevant biophysical background, followed by a discussion on the fundamental concept of predictability. The tutorial continues by examining the specific constraints and pitfalls found in each of the key stages of the simulation framework, namely data collection, modeling and evaluation, and proposing alternatives to improve the fidelity of existing and new models. Although a model is usually designed aiming that specific applications, such as the quantification of biochemical variables, their scope of scientific contributions can also include the prediction of spectral responses prompted by conditions still requiring experimental investigation in related fields. The tutorial closes with a detailed look at recent examples of models which have been employed in such multidisciplinary research efforts.

Outline

  1. Introduction
  2. Biophysical Background
    1. Light and Matter Interactions
    2. Optics Terminology
    3. Measurement of Spectral Light Distribution
    4. Measurement of Spatial Light Distribution
  3. Quest for Predictability
    1. What does it mean?
    2. Why is it useful?
    3. How it can be attained?
  4. Data Collection
    1. Characterization Data
    2. Evaluation Data
  5. Modeling Issues
    1. Level of Abstraction
    2. Simplifying Assumptions
    3. Generalizations
    4. Accuracy vs. Efficiency
  6. Evaluation Approaches
    1. Parallel Comparisons
    2. Qualitative Comparisons
    3. Quantitative Comparisons
  7. Scientific Prospects
  8. Conclusion

Speaker Biography

Gladimir V. G. Baranoski received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Calgary (Canada) in 1998. Currently, he is an Associate Professor at the School of Computer Science and the leader of the Natural Phenomena Simulation Group at the University of Waterloo (Canada). He is also a senior member of IEEE and an elected member of Executive Committee of the European Association for Computer Graphics. The results of his multidisciplinary research on the modeling of light interactions with natural materials (e.g., plants, soil and human tissues) have been made available to the scientific community through the publication of articles in remote sensing, applied optics and computer graphics journals. He has also organized and presented several tutorials for international conferences (e.g., SIGGRAPH (2002 and 2003) and EUROGRAPHICS (2001, 2002 and 2005)), and co-authored a book on topics related to his research.