Project outline: „Optical live situation image and real-time data services for operational command systems, crisis units, mission control centers, and emergency personnel“ (live situation)

Affiliated partners: German Aerospace Center, Eurocommand GmbH, REINER STEMME Utility Air- Systems GmbH, ESRI, University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg

The research project‘s primary goal is to provide and integrate aerial images of current events in real-time into existing operational command systems (optical live situation image), in order to support crisis units, control centers, and emergency personnel, as well as to combat environmental catastrophes, large-scale emergencies, and major events. This does not refer to providing a geo-coded video image which is received   and visually interpreted by control centers, but rather to the integration of metric, geo-referenced aerial images and a calibrated survey photograph camera system into existing operational command systems. The optical live situation image will be given to black and red nets of the agencies and companies with public safety tasks, and the benefits will be tested and evaluated using real deployment scenarios (for example security conferences, major events, flooding and large-scale emergency drills).

The project‘s main focus lies on developing a demonstrator for providing a geo-referenced optical live situation image for the project partners‘ various operational command systems. By using an aerial survey camera adapted specially to the requirements of organizations with public safety tasks, geometrically and radiometrically corrected, high-resolution aerial images are taken, encrypted,  and sent to ground control using a powerful radio station. On the ground, the geo-referenced image information is combined with pre-existing terrain and altitude models to form a precise mosaic.

The optical live situation image is then transferred to a geoserver and made available as an additional service for existing operational command systems. That way, existing situation images and information (maps, geodata, position data, etc.) can be supplemented in realtime with current aerial imagery. In addition to the live display, the concept also enables analysis of chronological and spatial changes. The service will be provided to the red and black nets of participating organizations with public safety tasks. In order to determine the requirements of such a demonstrator, a preliminary specification analysis of all participating organizations with public safety tasks will take place. The service‘s value and practical use will be tested and evaluated using real deployment scenarios.

In addition to providing the optical live situation image, new approaches for live classification shall be developed based on the aerial images. These shall generate additional geo-information during the flight, such as information concerning land cover and visible changes on the ground.

Furthermore, more geo-information products can be provided as a service using the geoserver. These services can include digital surface models, true orthophotomosaics, and building on that, thematic maps that can be generated based on aerial images taken during regularly occuring flights. If necessary, these geo-databases can also be created using the survey photograph camera developed during the project. That way, specific regions can be documented ahead of time and put into a useful context for the command centers, if necessary.

Additionally in the project‘s scope is securing the demonstrator‘s approval for use in various aircraft, such as for commercial survey photographing airplanes or for use in external flight containers, so that a flexible application and commercial use can be ensured after the project ends.

Example video:

www.dlr.de/os/Portaldata/48/Resources/videos/os-ak/MACS-RT_OHB_promo_v6_720p_web.mp4

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