Spacevee provides real-time image enhancement for drone, manned aircraft, and satellite imagery
Technology company Spacevee was founded to overcome the visual barriers from satellite and video imagery. Users of satellites, drones, UAVs, autonomous and manned vehicles can use Spacevee’s solutions to overcome visibly challenging conditions such as haze, dust, smoke and more.
Imagery acquired by satellite sensors is often rendered worthless or ineffective due to weather conditions such as atmospheric haze and fog. Millions of various particles suspended in the atmosphere scatter and absorb light, resulting in degraded imagery. Recognition of the particles causing the diffusion of light and removing them from the overall image enables stronger contrast for the target image content is called image enhancement, a process used by tech startup Spacevee to counter visibility issues for the satellite and drone industries. The startup wants to become the go-to company for solutions requiring passive visibility through visual barriers, for both Earth and Space exploration.
The company originated in 2007, when technologist Tayo Akiwumi wanted to combine his passion for Space exploration, astrobiology and archeology with the ability to view beyond visual barriers, including ground cover, dust or airborne particles like haze. Akiwumi explains that the results of image enhancements are dependent on a range of factors, especially the initial visibility condition and the context of the image.
In general, the more remote or inaccessible the target object, the greater the value of image enhancements. — Tayo Akiwumi, Spacevee CEO
Why almost everyone benefits from image enhancement
Perhaps the greatest benefit of enhanced images is real-time enhancement, such as for a drones, other autonomous vehicles, or human-driven vehicle that enables visibility in poor weather. For example, pedestrians or road markings are not visible during rain, fog, or smoke. Even in the darkness of remote roads, accidents may be avoided by having better vision. Drones and UAVs can operate for longer in poor visibility conditions and because Spacevee’s solution is passive, there is a lower demand on on-board batteries.
Additionally, there’s post-processing enhancement such as with satellite imagery including Sentinel-2 and Google Earth where free imagery is available and people conduct virtual discovery ’trips’ around the world online. They can now ‘dig’ dust surfaces virtually with Spacevee’s solution, to see more, whereas geoscientists and others can see more through forest fire smoke, atmospheric haze, thin cloud cover, etc.
Some incredible image enhancements were realized using footage from NASA’s Mars’ rovers. Some screenshots from these were used in the scientific paper authored by Akiwumi, which was published in a peer-reviewed journal, Astrobiology and Outreach, covering the possibility of life on Mars. Many examples of image enhancements are visible on Spacevee’s website. Currently, the company is working on a real-time enhancement solution for autonomous vehicles, which is similar to its current drone offering.
How to find Spacevee Images on Soar
Peering through the Australian bushfire crisis of 2019/2020: https://api.soar.earth/short/1170oa69aa
https://api.soar.earth/short/1170oa69r6
Adding texture to a bland desert landscape, Namibia: https://api.soar.earth/short/1170oa69ro
Seeing the desert in a new way, Luxor, Egypt: https://api.soar.earth/short/1170oa69r7
The Soar platform continues to serve the needs drone image hungry consumers who are utilising drone images in news and media, construction, land management, resources, and many other critical industries. If you have a special technology use case challenge, the team at Soar is keen to assist and provide a solution. We monitor our SM feeds closely and are always quick to respond and reach out to our users and clients.
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