This work is being pursued in collaboration with researchers in the Biology Department and at NASA. Our goal is to investigate the potential for using Remote Sensing data in identifying vegetation stress by which farmers would be able to more precisely monitor their crops and increase yield.

Image processing techniques along with 3D visualization are used to provide scientists with data and user interfaces which will simplify their work. This project also contributes a more intuitive user interface for dealing with satellite-based imagery of earth.

Image processing techniques are used on a number of medical image modalities (e.g. MRI, CT, SPECT) to combine their information into a single, "more informative" image. Then, 3D computer graphics are utilized to provide an immersive experience and a more efficient means of interacting with the data.

An artificial intelligence system was developed to aid experts in localizing areas of interest on remote sensing and medical imagery (e.g. tumors). This information can then be used to search for similar patterns in larger databases. Similarly, the information can be shared with others for collaboration among experts and non-experts. Techniques are also being investigated to permit collaboration among human experts through the Internet.

A software platform is being developed to interface one of the robot manipulators in the laboratory to a web server. In this manner, users will have the ability to log in to a website and control the robot’s movements. This project aims to demonstrate the integration of the hardware and software components of a tele-robotics application.

A gesture recognition system has been developed which tracks hand movement, calculates hand orientation, and can count the number of fingers being held up.  This system is a demonstration of machine vision techniques and will be extended to several applications including spelling of American Sign Language, manipulation of 3D graphics, and augmented reality.