Digital Processing of Radar and Satellite Images

Abstract

<p>A microcomputer based image processing and display system was constructed, consisting of an Intel 8080 microcomputer development system, a 128 kilobyte memory, a colour television monitor, and an image display controller and interface. This display system was used to compare images from airport and surveillance radar and meteorological satellites. the main purpose of the comparison was to detect and classify hazards to aircraft, particularly weather and migratory birds. The image display system is a relatively inexpensive means of performing basic processing of images for a variety of applications.</p> <p>Data from the Winnipeg airport radar and from the NOAA 5 meteorological satellite, of the same area, was simultaneously obtained during May 1978, the time of the bird migration. The two images were geometrically transformed into the same map projection and then compared. It was found that some clouds were common to both images, but many were not. Birds, on the other hand, are only detected by the radar. More data needs to be collected and analyzed, under different weather conditions and the radar optimized for detecting clouds.</p>