During last years our research group has developed several scientific applied researches, discovering new methods and new technologies to perform an advanced environmental monitoring and today, after the scanning of several miles of the coast and flights on critical zones using different aerial platforms with a customized “payload” (e.g. digital HD IR- camera), we have gained a specific research curriculum to support environmental police actions. We tested the effectiveness of our expertise and our specific equipment to support Italian Coast Guard law enforcement. First positive results of this experimentation have encouraged the signature of a memorandum of understanding between University of Naples Parthenope and Italian Coast Guard and, today we have a permanent cooperation. The detection of illegal sanitary sewer and storm-drain connections, illicit discharges, illegal landfills and other “anomalies” produced by illegal actions is the core of our recent researches and, departing from this experience, we defined aerial infrared thermography as optimal tool to support this studies. Usually when the people use a thermal camera they try to reply at this question: ”how hot or cold an object is?” We decided to change the point of view when we analyze the raw thermal data answering to a new question: “how much energy objects give off?”. If we remember that the emissivity is the ability for an object to give off energy, we can try to determine object materials studying the emissivity by the radiometric matrix grabbed by our digital HD IR-camera. For example, analyzing the thermal dataset of a small area of sea surface if we find a gap of temperature of more than 5° C between two adjacent points/spots, according to the physic oceanography laws, the only reasonable explanation derives from the analysis of radiometric matrix. Where we find the anomalies we can introduce a different emissivity in the computation (based on the Stefan-Boltzmann law) and there we discover a variation in water chemical/biological/physical composition (e.g. a pollutant). In order to perform this advanced environmental monitoring we need specific aerial platforms (e.g. rotorcraft, UAV multi-rotors) with our sensors onboard, not only to examine a wide area, but also to obtain an effective proximal sensing: to grab the data close to the target with high resolution, but with a proper distance that allows the full overview of the surrounding area. In this paper, starting from the examination of mission requirements, we will introduce methods and technologies used in some study cases and, finally, we will report the most representatives data collected, highlighting innovative aspects of this applied research.
APPLIED RESEARCHES TO DETECT ENVIRONMENTAL ILLICITS: FIRST RESULTS TO SUPPORT ITALIAN COAST GUARD LAW ENFORCEMENT
LEGA, MASSIMILIANO;
2011-01-01
Abstract
During last years our research group has developed several scientific applied researches, discovering new methods and new technologies to perform an advanced environmental monitoring and today, after the scanning of several miles of the coast and flights on critical zones using different aerial platforms with a customized “payload” (e.g. digital HD IR- camera), we have gained a specific research curriculum to support environmental police actions. We tested the effectiveness of our expertise and our specific equipment to support Italian Coast Guard law enforcement. First positive results of this experimentation have encouraged the signature of a memorandum of understanding between University of Naples Parthenope and Italian Coast Guard and, today we have a permanent cooperation. The detection of illegal sanitary sewer and storm-drain connections, illicit discharges, illegal landfills and other “anomalies” produced by illegal actions is the core of our recent researches and, departing from this experience, we defined aerial infrared thermography as optimal tool to support this studies. Usually when the people use a thermal camera they try to reply at this question: ”how hot or cold an object is?” We decided to change the point of view when we analyze the raw thermal data answering to a new question: “how much energy objects give off?”. If we remember that the emissivity is the ability for an object to give off energy, we can try to determine object materials studying the emissivity by the radiometric matrix grabbed by our digital HD IR-camera. For example, analyzing the thermal dataset of a small area of sea surface if we find a gap of temperature of more than 5° C between two adjacent points/spots, according to the physic oceanography laws, the only reasonable explanation derives from the analysis of radiometric matrix. Where we find the anomalies we can introduce a different emissivity in the computation (based on the Stefan-Boltzmann law) and there we discover a variation in water chemical/biological/physical composition (e.g. a pollutant). In order to perform this advanced environmental monitoring we need specific aerial platforms (e.g. rotorcraft, UAV multi-rotors) with our sensors onboard, not only to examine a wide area, but also to obtain an effective proximal sensing: to grab the data close to the target with high resolution, but with a proper distance that allows the full overview of the surrounding area. In this paper, starting from the examination of mission requirements, we will introduce methods and technologies used in some study cases and, finally, we will report the most representatives data collected, highlighting innovative aspects of this applied research.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
