Session M28: Imaging in Industry

Subterranean Visualization Through Multi-Sensor Fusion

We depend upon the subsurface for much of the energy and raw material that enables
civilization. Groundwater sources often supply water for agricultural, drinking, and industrial use.
However, we remain relatively blind in the subsurface environment. Geological formations can
be strongly heterogeneous at all length scales, making it difficult to locate resources.
Furthermore, the performance of subsurface engineering is difficult to monitor due to our
blindness.
I will describe challenges associated with engineered geothermal systems (EGS) and hydraulic
fracturing in shale formations. In both instances, our optimization of an engineered system is
impeded by gaps in understanding of the fundamental processes and our inability to monitor
and visualize system performance.
I will present sensors that help us image the subsurface. Of note is the recent growth of fiber
optic measurements. Leveraging interferometry applied to light pulses sent down a fiber, we
infer the state of the fiber along its entire length. However, each sensor technology has
strengths and weaknesses. By combining multiple sensors, we can best avoid blind spots.
I will discuss examples of multi-sensor fusion in petroleum and EGS field projects where
concurrent measurements of velocity, acoustic, chemical, thermal, and resistive properties
enable determination of system performance. Today, such projects rely on large teams of
scientists and engineers to collect and interpret data and make engineering decisions.
Increasing automation through machine learning is showing promise for decreasing the lag
between measurement and decision making. I will close by describing a new initiative that seeks
to develop a comprehensive platform for integrating data and providing a virtual environment for
exploring the subsurface.   

How Self-Driving Cars Find Their Way

Autonomous vehicles such as self-driving cars (SDCs) use sophisticated sensors and complex perception and planning algorithms to navigate in a variety of environments. The sensor systems include lidar, radar and RGB video cameras, while the algorithms include localization, object detection and tracking, and path planning. SDCs have the potential to save thousands of lives when widely deployed, but they face technical, economic and regulatory barriers. Industry is currently investing billions of dollars to develop SDC technology, and it is eager to identify technical talent. Physicists are extremely well suited to work on these technical issues, and have many opportunities to do so. I will describe the basics of SDC technology, give a brief summary of the economic and policy landscape, and highlight ways that physicists can enter this important and interesting field.   

Augmented Reality in Aerospace

TBD   

The Role of Physics in Overhead Imaging

Basic physics has profound implications for overhead imaging. This presentation will examine
illustrative surveillance concepts for defense applications using unmanned and space-based
platforms. We focus on two topics where physics plays a crucial role: 1) wide-area drone
surveillance, and 2) low-earth orbit (LEO) imaging. To accommodate drone limitations, sensor
concepts minimizing size and weight while maximizing scene coverage and resolution are
preferred. One intriguing concept uses composite focal plane arrays (CFPA). CPFAs apply
multiple discrete FPAs on a flat surface behind a single optical path. For this technology, we
discuss trade-offs for field-of-view and resolution and describe a number of engineering
challenges addressed for a realizable system. Given CFPA ‘big-data’ acquisition, physical
principles are invoked to facilitate a key capability – automated object tracking. Here, traditional
kinematics permits the tracking of moving entities from a moving platform over a large area.
Cheaper and frequent rocket launches have resulted in a burgeoning ‘small satellite’ market. This
has motivated desire for small earth-observing payloads. We discuss critical trade-space drivers
including LEO’s high velocity and stringent platform volume bounds. The space environment
also presents challenges for analysis using traditional electronics. We discuss the trade-off of
cost and reliability that defines LEO operation by examining the impact of the physical radiation
environment.   

The Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS) CubeSat Microwave Radiometer Constellation for Weather and Climate Intelligence

The need for persistent microwave imaging spectrometry of the Earth within 100-200 GHz and with sub-hourly temporal resolution for severe weather monitoring had been identified in 1978 by Staelin et al. in a NASA-sponsored study [1]. The clear need presented in this study has driven the laboratory-level development of large geostationary filled-and synthetic-aperture microwave sounders throughout the past period of more than four decades. However, the recent demonstration of small CubeSat-based imaging microwave spectrometers in this frequency range suggests a new pathway to achieving these goals. The successful launch in April 2019 and subsequent demonstration of the Global Earth Monitoring System (GEMS) GEMS-1 In-orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission using a 118-GHz imaging microwave spectrometer supports this goal. Importantly, however, it enables a scalable constellation framework with the capability to provide temporal Nyquist-sampled microwave imagery of the Earth’s troposphere and lower stratosphere.

GEMS-1 IOD was developed by Orbital Micro Systems in partnership with the University of Colorado’s Center for Environmental Technology and the UK Space Applications Catapult. The GEMS-1 IOD sensor is currently the highest spatial resolution microwave temperature sounding sensor on orbit. The GEMS-1 sensor design, its on-orbit performance, and the pathway to an evolved GEMS constellation capable of meeting and exceeding the severe weather observation requirements set forth over 40 years ago will be discussed.

[1] “High Resolution Passive Microwave Satellites”, D.H. Staelin and P.W. Rosenkranz (eds.), Applications Review Panel Final Report for NASA, MIT Research Laboratory for Electronics, 14 April 1978.