TL;DR:
- Planet’s Earth Observation Lab (EO Lab) is dedicated to infusing scientific excellence into product development.
- EO Lab focuses on sensor fusion, Planetary Variables, and machine learning for innovation.
- Key priorities include providing expertise, credibility, and exposure for Planet’s products.
- Research projects in Land Surface Temperature, Crop Biomass, and Soil Water Content aim to enhance data quality and coverage.
- Planet will share these innovations at AGU 2023, showcasing their commitment to scientific advancement.
Main AI News:
In the ever-evolving landscape of Earth observation, innovation and scientific excellence are core values that drive the work at Planet. At the heart of their commitment to advancing scientific knowledge lies the Earth Observation Lab (EO Lab), a dedicated team within the organization. The EO Lab’s primary mission is to infuse scientific rigor into every facet of product and feature development, ensuring that Planet remains at the forefront of the industry.
A Hub for Innovation and Scientific Excellence
Planet’s EO Lab operates as a hub where innovation and scientific excellence converge. This specialized team of Planeteers is on a relentless mission to support early-stage product and feature development with a strong scientific foundation. Their work spans a wide range of areas, including sensor fusion, Planetary Variables, and harnessing the power of machine learning to drive forward-thinking solutions.
Fostering Expertise, Credibility, and Exposure
Among the core objectives of the EO Lab is to provide both internal and external expertise, credibility, and exposure for Planet’s suite of products. This involves strengthening existing products through extensive early-stage research and development efforts. Furthermore, the team is dedicated to enhancing the value offered to customers through constant innovation, validation, and the integration of scientific advancements. In essence, the EO Lab serves as the Planet’s center of scientific excellence.
The Emphasis on Planetary Variables
As the EO Lab approaches AGU 2023, a pivotal scientific event, they are eager to share the latest developments with a particular focus on their work in advancing Planetary Variables.
- Elevating Land Surface Temperature: Land Surface Temperature is a critical data feed, supporting research into urban heat, agricultural changes, and water management. The EO Lab is actively engaged in improving the consistency and reducing latency in this data feed. Their approach involves a methodology that combines passive microwave temperatures from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) with optical data from Sentinel 2. This innovative synergy leverages the strengths of both sensors to deliver reliable Land Surface Temperature retrievals across all weather conditions. Additionally, the team is exploring novel validation techniques using other thermal data feeds.
- Advancing Crop Biomass Monitoring: The EO Lab’s capabilities extend to monitoring three major U.S. crops: corn, wheat, and soybean. In recent studies, they have successfully demonstrated the capacity of their Crop Biomass product to provide near-real-time monitoring of crop conditions, both in irrigated and rain-fed fields. Furthermore, the product exhibits the ability to forecast yields early in the growing season, accommodating various cropping systems.
- Innovating Soil Water Content Insights: The EO Lab’s Soil Water Content product serves as a vital resource for industries such as insurance, agriculture, and water management. To bolster the resilience of this data feed, the team is actively diversifying their satellite data input. They have introduced a pioneering method that utilizes multiple passive microwave observations within a unified framework, enabling the provision of near-daily global Soil Water Content data at a 1 km resolution from 2012 onwards. This groundbreaking approach ensures the reliability of data even in the face of satellite outages.
Joining the Conversation at AGU 2023
These remarkable research projects are just a glimpse of what the EO Lab plans to share at AGU 2023 in San Francisco this December. The AGU 2023 Program & Schedule is now available, allowing attendees to explore Planet’s abstracts and events in advance. Those interested in delving deeper into the innovative solutions developed by the EO Lab are encouraged to visit Booth 1041. Stay tuned for more insights and stories from the EO Lab as they continue their pursuit of scientific excellence in the field of Earth observation.
Conclusion:
Planet’s EO Lab’s dedication to scientific excellence and innovation in Earth observation positions them as leaders in the market. Their research projects in key areas like Land Surface Temperature, Crop Biomass, and Soil Water Content demonstrate a commitment to improving data quality and coverage, making them a valuable partner for industries reliant on precise Earth observation data. This emphasis on scientific rigor is likely to solidify Planet’s position and increase its market influence.
