Description
Most earth observation satellites, such as SPOT, IRS, Landsat 7, IKONOS, and QuickBird provide simultaneously low-resolution multi-spectral (colour) and high-resolution panchromatic (black and white) images. Algorithms and software tools for effectively fusing these multi-spectral and panchromatic images to produce fused (also called pan-sharpened) colour images are important for many remote sensing applications worldwide.

To date, a common problem associated with image fusion approaches is that the fusion quality significantly depends upon the operator's fusion experience. A further problem is that the available algorithms and software tools cannot adequately fuse the multi-spectral and panchromatic images of new satellites, such as Landsat 7, IKONOS and QuickBird. Even though experienced operators are involved, and manual interventions and colour adjustments are employed, the colour of the fused images is still significantly distorted.

This new technology solves these two major problems of existing fusion techniques – operator dependency and significant colour distortion. Using this new automatic technique enables the user to optimize fusion quality by minimizing colour distortion (making it almost identical to the colour of original image), maximizing spatial detail (so that it contains all the detail of the panchromatic image), and naturally (smoothly) integrating colour and spatial features from multi-spectral and panchromatic images.

Potential Applications
The end product can be used by all the users who are interested in combining Pan and MS images in their remote sensing applications, especially the companies or organizations such as NASA, USGS, Canadian Space Agency, Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), and software companies such as ERADS, and ENVI.

State of Development
This technology is commercialized. The invention has been licensed non-exclusively to PCI and Digital Globe. PCI develops and sells the software and Digital Globe uses the software to produce pan-sharpened QuickBird images which are then sold. A patent application has been filed for the invention.  The AUTM Better World Project story on the technology can be found at this link.

Link: http://www.tt.ku.dk/News%20archieve/Reports%20From%20The%20Field.pdf

Additional Information

This invention was created by Dr. Yun Zhang of the Department of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.