OVERVIEW

The teaching unit introduces the key concepts associated with remote sensing for Earth observation in the framework of the applications to renewable energy. Machine learning concepts are also introduced in the context of these applications.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Introducing the key concepts associated with Earth observation through remote sensing images for renewable energy applications. Providing the students with basic knowledge about remote sensing image acquisition and about mapping, through remote sensing image analysis, bio/geophysical parameters associated with renewable energy sources, including vegetation biomass, wind velocity field over sea water, solar irradiance, and air surface temperature.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

After the teaching unit, the student shall know basic notions about remote sensing with optical, radar, and laser sensors, and how to exploit the resulting data to map vegetation biomass, wind velocity over sea and ocean surface, solar irradiance, and air surface temperature. The student shall also know the basic methodological bases of machine learning for supervised classification and regression.

PREREQUISITES

There are no specific requirements, in addition to the normal bases of mathematics and physics that the students are supposed to have from their B.Sc. backgrounds in engineering.

TEACHING METHODS

Class lectures and software laboratory exercises.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Federico Scarpa (federico.scarpa@unige.it), the Polytechnic School's disability liaison. For more information, check the webpage https://unige.it/en/commissioni/comitatoperlinclusionedeglistudenticondisabilita

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Basic notions and terminology about sensors, platforms, and space orbits for Earth observation
• Remote sensing data acquisition through passive, active radar, and active laser sensors
• Vegetation biomass mapping through remote sensing image analysis
• Basics of machine learning for classification and regression from remote sensing data
• Wind field velocity estimation over sea and ocean water through remote sensing
• Solar irradiance and air temperature estimation through remote sensing
• Denoising, despeckling, and filtering remote sensing images

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Bishop C., Pattern recognition and machine learning, Springer, 2006
• Campbell J. B. and Wynne R. H., Introduction to remote sensing, Guilford Press, 2011
• Goodfellow I., Bengio Y., and Courville A., Deep learning, MIT Press, 2016
• Hastie T., Tibshirani R., and Friedman J., The elements of statistical learning, Springer, 2008
• Long D. and Ulaby F. T., Microwave radar and radiometric remote sensing, Artech House, 2015
• Manolakis D. G., Lockwood R. B., and Cooley T. W., Hyperspectral imaging remote sensing, Cambridge University Press, 2016
• Moser G., Analisi di immagini telerilevate per osservazione della Terra, ECIG, 2007
• Moser G. and Zerubia J. (eds.), Mathematical models for remote sensing image processing, Springer, 2018
• Sonka M., Hlavac V., Boyle R., Image processing, analysis, and machine vision, Cengage Learning, 2015
• Class slides will be provided to the students through AulaWeb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/en/corsi/10170/studenti-orario

Class schedule

REMOTE SENSING

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Mandatory written examination about the topics in the syllabus of the teaching unit, with maximum admissible mark equal to 24/30. If a student obtains a sufficient mark in this written exam, then he/she can also optionally take an additional oral examination with maximum admissible mark equal to 30/30 with honors.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Within the mandatory written examination, the student's knowledge of the main concepts discussed in the teaching unit shall be evaluated. Within the optional oral examination, the student's capability to address simple problems of remote sensing image analysis in energy applications and his/her capacity to critically discuss the related methodological bases shall be assessed.

Students with a valid physical or learning disability certificate on file at the University of Genova may contact the Professor of the teaching unit to discuss appropriate ways to assess their individual preparation for the course in question.

The student is asked to send an email to the Professor with a proper advance before the examination, inserting in copy the Polytechnic School's disability liaison (federico.scarpa@unige.it).

FURTHER INFORMATION

Ask the professor for other information not included in the teaching schedule.