Development of proto-type KOMPSAT-5 SAR image analysis tool for automatic change detection and cueing

Abstract

The Republic of Korea is presently operating the KOMPSAT-5 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite and intends to launch the KOMPSAT-6 SAR satellite and a constellation system of micro-SAR satellites in the future. Therefore, the demand for SAR satellite information is increasing in various fields, but many public and private users who use national satellite information in practice use Electro-Optical and Infrared (EO/IR) satellite images. In this research, an independent KOMPSAT-5 SAR imagery analysis tool for Automatic Change Detection and Cueing (ACDC) was developed to promote the utilization of domestic SAR satellite information by practitioners in public sector organizations in Korea. For the development of SAR ACDC, the functions required for each processing step were analyzed in detail, and this was implemented as a proto-type tool. Algorithms that are the basis of the KOMPSAT-5 ACDC, for example, KOMPSAT-5 SAR image import, metadata comparison, SAR noise removal filtering, image co-registration, and change image generation, etc. were implemented. Moreover, the proto-type tool was developed so that users can use it correctly and conveniently by supporting an actual user-friendly interface. The ACDC algorithms and the tool are anticipated to be used in the future by users who use Korea's national satellite data for early detection of illegal ships and structures, as well as confirmation of wide-area disaster damage.