DigitalGlobe announces Global 8-Band Research Challenge
DigitalGlobe, a leading global content provider of high-resolution earth imagery solutions, announced the DigitalGlobe 8-Band Research Challenge, a contest designed to encourage researchers to investigate how 8-band, high-resolution imagery can enhance image analysis and classification research. The 8-band data is unique in the marketplace to DigitalGlobe, as a result of the newest commercial satellite WorldView-2 launched in October of 2009.
The call for proposals is open now, and will close on August 31, 2010. All accepted proposals will receive a limited quantity of free 8-band imagery in order to conduct their research and submit a final paper for review. A panel of experts selected by DigitalGlobe will review these papers and select five winners, each of whom will receive a $5,000 grant and an invitation to present their findings at the Geospatial World Forum in Hyderabad, India in January.
One of WorldView-2's unique characteristics is its eight high-resolution multispectral bands, which are proving very valuable for advanced remote sensing applications, such as vegetative analysis, bathymetry and land use/land cover. The first commercial high-resolution satellite to offer this capability, WorldView-2's eight bands in the visible to near-infrared range, combined with two meter multispectral resolution, offer imagery users a finer level of discernment and allows them to analyze information in new ways.
"We're excited about the potential for the 8-Band Research Challenge," said Walter Scott, CTO of DigitalGlobe. "This is a truly unique opportunity for DigitalGlobe to work directly with the scientific community in an effort to develop preemptive, value-added imagery applications. We are confident the scientific community's most gifted minds will develop solutions to pressing market challenges with this unprecedented access to our technology."
For official rules and conditions regarding the 8-Band Research Challenge, please visit www.digitalglobe.com/8bandchallenge