Explosion in the Amount of Satellite Acquired Image Data and the Requirements for New Image Data Base Systems

Abstract

Digital image processing (IP) is one of the new branches of electrical engineering and computer science that has matured within the last decade or so. Development and widespread application of IP was catalyzed by several other developments in other branches of engineering. They are: i) Tremendous increase in the performance/cost ratio of digital electronics and computers. Although many of the fundamental techniques of image processing and pattern analysis were suggested about three decades ago, they were not considered as “solutions” and was abandoned as their computational requirements far exceeded what was available then. ii) Availability of CCD devices and other high quality low cost cameras for image acquisition and high resolution digital image displays and hard copy devices. iii) Developments in robotics, medical imaging, ultrasonic, radar and infrared imaging, military surveillance satellites.