EO School Lab (Draft 1.0 18 04 2014)ceos.org/document_management/Working_Groups/WGCapD...Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) German Aerospace Center EO School Lab

Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) German Aerospace Center

EO School Lab (Draft 1.0 18‐04‐2014)

1 INTRODUCTION

Background 1.1During the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) 2012, in Munich, a SchoolLaboratory (School Lab) was organised by DLR and ESA. The School Lab consisted of hands‐onexperiments demonstrating EO principles and techniques with the aid of instruments including aspectrometer, thermal camera and radar imager.The experimentswereheldduringperiodic groupsessions to visiting school classes throughout the week long symposium in a dedicated open area.While theyweremainly targetedtosecondaryschoolstudentsandteachers,hundredsof interestedconference participants from varying age groups and backgroundswere attracted, both during thegroupsessionsandduringthebreaks.

Figure1:IllustrationofSchoolLabs.

FollowingthesuccessoftheIGARSS2012SchoolLab,theeventwasrepeatedattheESALivingPlanetSymposium in 2013 in Edinburgh. In addition to ESA and DLR, the UK Space Agency (UKSA) alsocontributed. Activities included thermal imaging of water bodies, spectroscopy of plants and othermaterials,computerpracticalswithEOdata,and3Ddemonstrations.FromEdinburghalone,around200highschoolstudentsandteachersattendedtheSchoolLab,andaswithIGARSS,manyinterestedconferenceparticipantsalsoattended.

Objectives 1.2Having seen the impact andeducational utility of theSchoolLabheldduring the various symposia,ESA and DLR decided to develop jointly a tutorial which describes the experiments that weredeveloped.Theultimategoalof this tutorial is toprovide teachersandstudentsadescriptionofEO


principlesandtechniquesinastimulatingandfunpracticalenvironment,emphasisingtherelevanceandvitalroleofEOinrealworldapplications.

Remote Sensing Experiments at the DLR_School_Lab 1.3TheDLR_School_LabOberpfaffenhofen,operatedby theGermanAerospaceCenter (DLR) isa typicalextracurricular science lab, its main objective being to attract secondary school students toMathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences, and Technology (MINT). It has been developed andoperatedsince2003andoffersthirteenhands‐onexperimentsforsecondaryschoolclasses,aswellasadvanced teacher trainings in physics and geography. Since it opened in 2003, the DLR_School_LabOberpfaffenhofenhasbeenvisitedbymorethan20,000studentsand2,000teachers.StudentsintheDLR_School_Labhavethechoicetoconductthirteenhigh‐techexperimentseachwitharemote sensing background to a greater or lesser extent. To give an example, the following sixexperiments are closest to the subject matter: Radar Measuring Technology, Laser Technology,InfraredMeasuringTechnology,OpticalEnvironmentalRemoteSensing,SatelliteNavigationandEarthObservationwith SatelliteData.Table1 gives anoverviewof the experiments, their subject‐specifickeywordsandtheinstrumentsavailable.Allof theseexperimentshave incommon that theystartwitha short introduction to thesubject.

The physical basis of almost all those experiments is the theory of electromagnetic radiation. Thestudentsare taught thegeneraldefinitionsof radiationand its characteristicsaswellas thespecifictheoreticalbackgroundofthecurrentexperiment.

Experiment Keywords Instruments

RadarMeasuringTechnology

Microwaves,Echo,DopplerEffect,Frequency,SAR,Tandem‐X

ImagingRadar(SAR),OneDimensionalRadar,RadarSpeed

Sensor

LaserTechnologyPolarisation,Emission,Monochromatic

Light,QuantumOptics,SignalTransmission,LIDAR,HALO

InfraredClassIVLaser,ClassIILaserforsignaltransmission,simulating3D‐Laserscanner

InfraredMeasuringTechnology

thermometry,emissivity,blackbody,prism,BIRD,Herschel,Boltzmann

2FLIR‐Cameras,Pyrometer,specialcoatedexaminationobjects

OpticalEnvironmentalRemoteSensing

sunspectrum,ozone,reflectance,spectroscopy,VNIR,NDVI

portableSpectrometer,SunPhotometer,Pyrometer

SatelliteNavigationrelativity,Einstein,geocaching,traveltimemeasurement,atomictiming

device,GALILEO,GPSGPSHandhelds,simulationtools

EarthObservationwithSatelliteData

resolution,multispectralsensor,imageprocessing,changedetection,Landsat

Leoworksimageprocessingsoftware,LandsatData

Table 1: Summary of remote sensing experiments with subject‐specific keywords and available

instruments


Subsequently the focus lies on actively exploring and discovering, so the students are given thepossibility to use several technical devices, depending on the experiment, in order to learn aboutremote sensing inmore depth. These instruments can range from comparatively simple ones like apyrometeroraclassIILaserrightuptocomplexinstrumentssuchasaportablefieldspectrometeroran imaging SAR. The students are supervised by a capable tutorwhosemain task is to support thestudentsexploringontheirownratherthantoteachthem.In summary, the three major components of the experiments are technology, methodology and

application,withavaryingmain focusdependingon theexperiment.The Infrared,Laser,andRadarexperiments inparticular focusontechnologicalaspects,whereas forOpticalEnvironmentalRemoteSensing and Satellite Navigation, the emphasis lies more on methods and theoretical background.Earth Observation with Satellite Data is, by contrast, distinctive for its high degree of practicalapplication.

2 EARTH OBSERVATION SCHOOL LAB MODEL

FollowingthemodeloftheDLRSchoollab,thefollowingjointschoollabshavebeenbasedonasetofexperiments tobe carriedoutby/withgroupsof youngpeople (mainly secondary school students),under the direction of the EO School Lab instructors. The experiments vary in duration andcomplexity,andinvolvetheuseofstate‐of‐the‐artinstruments.

Figure2:Descriptionbyaninstructorofthethermalradiation.

Instruments 2.1Applications inEOrelyonspecific satellite sensors.Toexplainwithin theEOSchoolLabhowthesesensorscanbeusedtomonitortheEarth,various instrumentsarerequired.Thissectionprovidesanon‐exhaustivelistofinstrumentsthatcanbeconsideredwithinanEOSchoolLab.


2.1.1 Spectrometer

Thefocusisonmeasuringreflectancebytheuseofaportablespectrometer.Afterabriefintroductiononhowitfunctionsandhowtooperateit,variousmeasurementsaretakenandinterpreted.Potentialtargets for demonstration of spectroscopy and reflectance behaviour are, e.g., different‐colouredpaperboards(bothdryandwet),apotplantshowingthetypicalreflectanceofactivevegetation,deadleavesbycontrastandliquidwaterinapot.

2.1.2 Thermal camera

Based on the historical investigation byWilhelmHerschel leading him to the discovery of infraredradiationover200yearsago,athermalcameraallowsstudentstoconvertheatradiationintovisibleimages and thus comprehending the physical background and the principles of infrared radiation.Potentialtargetsforthedemonstrationare,e.g.,awirewhichisheatedupelectricallyuntil itbeginsemitting light, weakly heated surfaces with a different emissivity and targets which differ intransmissivitycomparedtothevisiblespectrum(e.g.,glasses,plasticbags).

2.1.3 Stereo camera

TO BE WRITTEN

2.1.4 Further instruments

TO BE WRITTEN. Including: ‐ Drone‐ 3Dvisualisationhardware

Activities 2.2Practicalapplicationsusingtheinstrumentsdescribedinsection2.1arepresentedbelow.

2.2.1 Spectroscopy

a) IntroductiontotheElectromagneticSpectrum

Experiment:

‐ Introducethespectrumandcoloursoflightseenbythehumaneyewiththeaidofaprism.


Figure3:Lightdispersionusingaprism

‐ Explaintheelectromagneticspectrumandcomparethesensitivityrangeofaspectrometer

withhumaneye.

Figure4:Spectrumrange

‐ Explaintheoperationofthespectrometer.

Accessories:

‐ Prism‐ Sourceoflightwithlightcache‐ ESAposter‐Spectrum

b) Vegetationmonitoring


Experiment:

‐ Showspectrumofhealthyvegetation.Explainwhyweseetheplantisgreen.ExplainredabsorptionduetophotosynthesisandNIRreflectancetoavoidtheplantoverheating.

Figure5:Spectracomparisonbetweendifferentmaterials.

‐ Comparespectrumofhealthyvegetationtodryvegetation.ExplainwhyspacebornesensorshaveredandNIRbandsforvegetationmonitoring.Explaintheconceptofvegetationindices.

‐ Showspectrumofwhitepaper,seehowsimilaritistovegetation.‐ Showspectrumofcolouredpaperandnotethatonlydifferenceisinvisiblerange.‐ Comparespectraofwetanddrysoil.NotetheIRabsorptionbywater.

Accessories:

‐ Spectrometer‐ Samples:healthyplant,deadplant‐ (Computer)‐ (LargescreenTVorProjector)‐ (Tripod)

c) Blackbodyradiation

Experiment:


‐ Comparespectraofdifferentblackandwhiteitemstoseeiftheyarereallyblackorwhite.Aparticularlygoodexperimentwouldbetoshowthespectraofdifferentitemsofstudents’blackcolouredclothing,andshowthatsomeofthemmaybeclosetoatrueblackbodyandabsorbIRlight(thusheatingupwhenexposedtoe.g.sunlight),whileotheritemsmayonlybeblackinthevisiblespectrum,reflectmoreintheIR,andwouldthereforeheatuplesswhenexposedtosunlight(morecomfortabletowearinsummer).

Figure6:Comparisonofthespectrumderivedforblackandwhiteobjects.

Accessories:

‐ Spectrometer‐ Samples:whiteandblackobjects‐ (Computer)‐ (LargescreenTVorProjector)‐ (Tripod)

d) Additionalactivities

Experiment:

‐ Lookatthespectrumofotherobjectssuggestedbystudents.

Accessories:

‐ Spectrometer‐ Samples:objectssuggestedbystudents


‐ (Computer)‐ (LargescreenTVorProjector)‐ (Tripod)

2.2.2 Thermal Imaging

a) Introductiontothermalradiation

Experiment:

‐ ExplainthedifferenceinwavelengthbetweenthethermalIRandthespectrometerrange.


‐ ExplaintheconceptofPlanck’slawofblackbodyemission(conceptonly,notthename),and

whythisregionisusedtomeasureseaandlandsurfacetemperature.‐ Showradiationofdifferentsamples(fingerprintsontable,students’faces,etc.).

Accessories:

‐ Thermalcamera‐ Samples:objectssuggestedbystudents‐ ESAposter‐Spectrum‐ (Computer)‐ (LargescreenTVorProjector)‐ (Tripod)


b) Monitoringofseasurfacetemperature:

Experiment:

‐ Demonstratethedynamicnatureofwatertemperaturebyfilminghotwaterpouredintoabasinofcoldwater.

‐ Describetheutilityofthermalremotesensingtomonitoroceancurrents.

Figure8:ComparisonbetweentheAtlanticSeaSurfaceTemperature(SST)andthetemperature

measuredforhotwaterpouredintoabasinofcoldwater. Accessories:

‐ Thermalcamera‐ Cup,basin,hotandcoldwater‐ (Computer)‐ (LargescreenTVorProjector)‐ (Tripod)

Further activities 2.3

2.3.1 Microwaves

a) Introductiontomicrowaveradiation


Experiment:

‐ ExplainMicrowavespectrum


‐ Explainhowmicrowaveovenswork‐ Explainhowmicrowavesinteractwithwatermolecules‐ Demonstratehowmicrowavesinteractwithdifferentobjectsbyheatingtheminmicrowave

oven:o Watero Drysando Wetsand

‐ Estimatemicrowavewavelengthusedbyoven:o Insertflattrayofe.g.cheeseinoven,o Heatbrieflyo Removeandseewherethemicrowaveshaveheatedthecheese,andwherenot

(distancebetweentwoheated,ortwounheated,partscorrespondsapproximatelytowavelength)


Figure10:Estimationofthemicrowavewavelength. Accessories:

‐ Microwaveoven‐ Cheeseonaflattray‐ Sand‐ Basinofwater

2.3.2 Stereo Imaging

Threedimensionalimagingapplications Experiment:

‐ Introductiontotheconceptsofstereoscopy.‐ ExperimentEOandDEMderivation(DEMatsmallscale)

Accessories:

‐ Stereocamera‐ (Softwareforphotogrammetry)

2.3.3 Remote Sensing Platforms


a) Droneflight

Experiment

‐ ExplainanalogyanddifferencebetweenDronesandSatellites(scale,atmosphere,etc.)‐ ExperimentEOanddroneflight

Accessories

‐ Drone

3 LATEST ESA EO SCHOOL LAB EVENT – ESRIN, MARCH 2014

Thenewly set‐upESAEOSchoolLabhasbeenput intopractice for the first timeduring theESRINopendays,from18to21March2014.

Figure11:Comparisonofinfraredandopticalsceneswithschoolstudents InthisperiodhundredsofItalianschoolchildrenofdifferentschoolyearscametoESRINandattended1.5hoursessionsoftheESAEOSchoolLab.Thesessionsincludedthefollowingactivities:

Introductory Presentation 3.1(5mins)IntroductionoftheESAkidswebsiteandESAmascot.

Presentation: Introduction to EO 3.2(10mins)IntroductorypresentationofEarthObservation,withimagesandanimations:Earthinthecontextofthegalaxy,thesolarsystem;introductiontoorbits(geostationary,polar‐orbiting);examplesofsatelliteswiththeseorbits;examplesofapplications.


3D Demonstration 3.3(15mins)3Ddemonstrationtoillustratesatelliteorbitsandapplications(showingGOCEorbitin3D,geoidandEtnavolcanomovementduetofluctuationsinmagmachamber)

Presentation: Introduction to Radiation 3.4(5mins)Continuationofpresentationexplainingtheprinciplesofradiantemittance(withsimplewords!)ShowEOimageryacquiredatnight.Seelightsofcities.

Thermal Infra-Red Experiments 3.5(15mins)Showstudentsintheroomusinginfra‐redcamera.Showfeaturesofstudentvolunteersininfra‐red:glasses,hair,facialfeatures.Demonstration showing hotwater poured into coldwater, explaining the concept of ocean currentcirculation, and comparing to satellite images of SST over oceans and theMediterranean (seasonalcycles;elNinyo;theGuldStream…).

Presentation: Introduction to the EM Spectrum 3.6(5mins)(onlytoolderstudents)TOBEWRITTEN

Imaging Spectrometer Experiments 3.7(15mins)Experimentwithimagingspectrometer,explainingspectrumofhealthyvegetationandcomparingthiswithunhealthyvegetation.Showspectrumofmaterial/clothesofstudentvolunteers.

Explanation of Platforms 3.8(10mins)Presentationandvideoofdrones.Showadronetostudents(duringanothersessionthedroneisflownoutside).

Presentation of COPERNICUS for kids 3.9(10mins)PresentationofCOPERNICUSforkidsprogramme.

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EO School Lab (Draft 1.0 18 04 2014)ceos.org/document_management/Working_Groups/WGCapD...Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) German Aerospace Center EO School Lab