Research Team: Prasad Gogineni, Ryan Taylor, Sara Neshani
Insitution: University of Alabama
Start Date: June 1, 2023 | End Date: May 31, 2024
Research Theme:
The proposed Remote Sensing Curriculum and Educational Certificate Program will develop a Certificate in Hydrological Remote Sensing (CHRS) to be offered by the College of Engineering (COE) and housed in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE). The CHRS program is designed to provide graduate students a comprehensive introduction to hydrological remote sensing with an emphasis on microwave remote sensing and uncrewed aircraft systems. Each student will be required to take a total of 12 credit hours that include courses covering ground and surface water remote sensing and water quality sensing. The proposal will provide compensation for the development of the new four courses this certificate program will develop.
The first course is ECE 521: Microwave Remote Sensing. The objective of ECE 521 is to teach the fundamentals of active and passive microwave remote sensing. The principle of operation and design of active (radars) and passive (radiometers) microwave remote sensing systems will be discussed with examples derived from existing satellite and airborne systems in operation. An overview of applications of microwave systems to remote sensing will be provided with examples derived from satellite and airborne data sets. These discussions will include algorithms used to transform raw data into geophysical data products. A major outcome from the course is to enable students to design and develop a radar sounder and imager, and an ultra-wideband microwave radar. It will also include projects to design a simple radar to collect backscatter data on targets around the campus and a total power radiometer using a software defined radio.
The second course is ECE 522: Ground & Surface Water Remote Sensing. The objective of ECE 522 is to teach the requirements, design, and operation of land-based, airborne, and spaceborne remote sensing technologies for surface-water hydrology, including soil moisture, groundwater storage, river flow, bathymetry, snow, and ice. This will include introducing the signal processing and limitations of gravimeters, radiometers, radars, and lidars for these remote sensing applications as well as Earth observation satellites such as Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE).
The third course is ECE 523: Water Quality Remote Sensing. The objective of ECE 523 is to teach the requirements, design, and operation of remote sensing technologies for water quality of river, lake, estuarial, and coastal regions. This will include introducing electromagnetic and spectral sensing techniques for obtaining water quality metrics such as dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, salinity, and turbidity and how to calibrate remote sensing technologies using in-situ systems as well.
The fourth course is AEM 518: Uncrewed Aircraft Systems. The objective of AEM 518 is to teach the design and operation of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), including radio communication systems, propulsion systems, actuation systems, sensor systems, control systems, and operations in the National Airspace System (NAS). A survey of remote sensing applications and operational practices will also be provided. In addition, the educational material required for taking the “Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG)” knowledge exam is also provided.