Imaging Science Thesis Defense: Methodology for Volumetric Estimation of Condensed Water Vapor Plumes from Remotely Sensed Imagery

Imaging Science Thesis Defense
Methodology for Volumetric Estimation of Condensed Water Vapor Plumes from Remotely Sensed Imagery

Ryan Connal
Imaging Science Ph.D. Candidate
Rochester Institute of Technology

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Abstract:

In recent years, technological developments have advanced the capabilities of computer vision techniques, including those leveraged toward 3D reconstruction with Structure-from-Motion. This process allows for the generation of accurate 3D models from sets of 2D imagery. With accurate feature detectors and matchers, Structure-from-Motion remains a widely used technique. However, the reconstruction of 3D structure is heavily dependent on the spatial characteristics of the object of interest. Fast-moving, featureless, and dynamic objects suffer from this latter issue, where standard or advanced feature detectors cannot derive any information on the object's surface.

With the goal of producing three-dimensional geometric reconstructions of condensed water vapor plumes, this research presents a robust methodology utilizing the space carving technique. Paired with an extensive data collection campaign, convolutional neural networks such as U-Net and Mask R-CNN are assessed and utilized to produce accurate segmentation masks of plumes. This research introduces a comprehensive methodology for transforming Structure-from-Motion models, reconstructed using a hierarchical global-to-local approach, to derive precise camera pose in a metric coordinate frame.

Finally, a space carving implementation was utilized to produce scale volumetric reconstructions of condensed water vapor plumes from repeated observations in the visible region of the spectrum. This methodology, implemented on a diverse ground and aerial data set, demonstrates exceptional robustness against varying illumination and meteorological conditions, including challenges posed by the presence of condensed water vapor plumes emanating from mechanical draft cooling towers, a dynamic observation.

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