A procedure for high resolution satellite imagery quality assessment

Area of Science:

• Remote Sensing
• Geospatial Analysis
• Image Quality Assessment

Background:

• High-resolution satellite imagery (HRSI) undergoes in-orbit testing for quality verification and parameter correction.
• Existing quality assessment is primarily for ground processing centers, limiting end-user evaluation capabilities.
• Key image quality metrics include radiometric resolution (noise level) and geometric resolution (Modulation Transfer Function - MTF).

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and implement a software-based procedure for evaluating HRSI image quality parameters.
• To enable image quality assessment at the final user level, complementing existing in-orbit tests.
• To validate the proposed procedure using real-world HRSI data.

Main Methods:

• Development of a software tool to automate image quality parameter evaluation.
• Implementation of algorithms to measure radiometric resolution (noise) and Modulation Transfer Function (MTF).
• Testing the software on HRSI data from QuickBird, WorldView-1, and Cartosat-1 satellites.

Main Results:

• Successful implementation of a user-level software for HRSI image quality assessment.
• Demonstrated ability to quantify noise levels and MTF from satellite imagery.
• Validation of the procedure across multiple high-resolution satellite platforms.

Conclusions:

• The developed software provides a valuable tool for end-users to assess HRSI quality.
• The procedure effectively evaluates critical image quality parameters (radiometric and geometric resolution).
• This enhances data usability and reliability for various geospatial applications.