Registration of Multiple Sensor Earth Science Data

To address future NASA challenges, integration of multiple source data will be a key component, and as a first step towards this goal, very accurate registration of multi-sensor data is the first requirement for such integration. While navigation often refers to “systematic correction”, image registration refers to “precision correction.” The systematic correction is modelbased, while precision correction is feature-based. Starting from the results of the systematic correction (usually accurate within a few pixels), precision-correction utilizes selected features or control points to refine the geo-location accuracy within one pixel or a sub-pixel. Our work focuses on precision correction or automatic image registration, with the goal of achieving subpixel accuracy. We have built a modular registration framework in which different components of the registration process can be assessed and then combined in an optimal manner as a function of the application, the required accuracy and the available computational capabilities.