Satellite image processing gives sight to visually impaired
A collaboration between British AI company GiveVision and Austrian company Catalysts has resulted in life-changing improvements to headset technology for visually impaired people, thanks to image processing technology used on ESA space projects including Sentinel-3.
Hundreds of visually impaired people in the UK are now able to see clearly again using augmented reality headsets, thanks to expertise gained through high performance processing of satellite imagery. The latest headsets from GiveVision were significantly enhanced thanks to an introduction to Austrian company Catalysts made through ESA Space Solutions network.
Catalysts, which is now part of IT service company Cloudflight, has worked on several ESA space projects including Sentinel-3. The skills and knowledge it shared with GiveVision resulted in a new version of its low vision aids that has been described by users as “amazing” and “life-changing”.
Maisy lost most of her vision around six years ago due to a brain tumour. At the Hay Festival in the UK, she was given the opportunity to use the SightPlus headset for the first time in front of a live audience during an interview with the BBC.
SightPlus enables people who have lost the central portion of their vision, due to conditions such as macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, to see in near real time. It does this by processing incoming images and projecting the augmented feed onto the working part of their retinas. The solution, which can be adjusted by the user, works at multiple focal lengths and replaces magnifier-style options that only work at close distances. It also works for people with conditions affecting the whole visual field, including albinism and optic neuritis.
Turning functional into usable
By early 2018, the team at GiveVision had developed a fully working version of its augmented reality headset, based on a smartphone. The next stage was to reduce both the processing time and the load on the processor, in order to significantly reduce lag and heat output and increase the battery life.
It was at this point that GiveVision was introduced to Catalysts through ESA’s Technology Broker Network in the UK and Austria, as part of the ESA Space Solutions network.
“GiveVision had a very clear technical challenge that they wanted to overcome,” says Helen Rogerson from the Science and Technology Facilities Council, ESA Space Solutions UK broker. “That’s exactly what we aim to help resolve with the ESA Technology Broker Network. I directed them to ESA’s Space Solutions portfolio where they identified a technology offering what they needed. Our Austrian broker Brimatech then put them in touch with Catalysts.”
“The broker involvement at this stage was critical,” explains Stan Karpenko, GiveVision’s CEO.
“Our users need to receive the augmented video feed as if they’re looking at it with their own eyes, so there needs to be no lag. We were struggling to do this and to reduce the load on the smartphone’s chips. Catalysts, who we found through the Space Solutions programme, optimised the code so well that we now run our advanced vision processing algorithms at a fraction of the speed.”
From space to sight
The development by Catalysts was funded by ESA’s Technology Transfer and Patent Office through its proof of concepts call.
“We analysed and optimised the core algorithms using know-how taken directly from our work on space projects, including the CAWA project,” notes Alessio Montuoro at Catalysts.
CAWA is the Advanced Clouds, Aerosols and Water Vapour Products for Sentinel-3/OCLI. Led by Catalysts, the CAWA consortium is developing and improving algorithms related to atmospheric measurements. The company’s skills and know-how relating to high performance image processing are also used in Earth observation (EO) projects covering crop and wetland monitoring.
“With something like SightPlus, a high number of frames per second gives the image smoothness, low latency helps avoid nausea, and consistency in processing removes variability in the image quality,” explains Montuoro.
“Despite the relatively short project time, we managed to reduce the image processing times from 250-450ms per image to around 50ms, which is far more usable. Our work also cut down the heat that’s generated, which makes the headset more comfortable to wear, and has extended the battery life.”
Providing privacy and independence
Over 400 people in the UK are now living with the enhanced SightPlus device. People using earlier versions can now see more, and see it more clearly. Others for whom the original version was too weak can now use SightPlus: this will benefit many potential users whose sight will continue to degenerate, because the upgraded version will provide a solution for longer.
Globally, there are over 191 million people suffering from moderate and severe untreatable sight loss. The substantial performance enhancements from Catalysts’ work will support GiveVision’s aim of developing a headset that looks as close as possible to a pair of spectacles, rather than being based on a smartphone. This design approach augments the natural field of view without blocking any peripheral vision, and will be lighter and more comfortable; all of which should help to significantly increase the rate of user adoption of SightPlus.
About the Technology Transfer and Patent Office
The TTPO's funding for demonstration activities aim at proving the relevance of transferring a given technology or know-how into the non-space context, reducing the technical risk and confirming the market opportunity. An annual open call invites the submission of proposals from industry for Feasibility Studies, Proof of Concepts and Demonstrators. These have been designed as a funnel of activities, de-risking the activities on a step-by-step basis. Please see here for more information.
About ESA Space Solutions
ESA Space Solutions is the go-to-place for great business ideas involving space in all areas of society and economy. Our mission is to support entrepreneurs in Europe in the development of business using satellite applications and space technology to improve everyday life. Funding typically ranges from 50KEuro to 2MEuro and supports everything from early stage incubation programs, feasibility studies to large-scale demonstration projects.
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OroraTech launches commercial wildfire detection system
Hot on the heels of the worst bushfires in Australia for a decade, ESA BIC Bavaria alumnus OroraTech has launched a new wildfire management tool using global satellite data, enabling fires to be identified remotely and fire management teams to react quickly.
The 2019 bushfire season in South Australia was the most devastating in the last decade. Not only were animal populations and their ecosystems destroyed in the fires, but the air quality and local weather conditions were greatly altered, including a sharp rise in CO2 levels. The Government scrambled to make decisions when it came to fire management and exhausted first responder resources, incurring millions of dollars of extra costs.
One potential aid for the future – in Australia and elsewhere – has been launched by Munich start-up OroraTech. Founded in 2018, the company specialises in early wildfire detection and monitoring from space using existing satellite data and advanced wildfire algorithms.
OroraTech recently released the first early access version of its wildfire monitoring system that provides notifications of potential wildfires in a user’s area. Features include visualisation of a fire's propagation, satellite overpass projections and tools for scientific hotspot analysis. The system also provides numerous map layers, such as fire danger and fuel maps that are updated daily to incorporate the latest weather forecast.
Global satellite data fuels all-in-one fire management tool
OroraTech's wildfire system stands out from its competitors by combining a large amount of data from several satellites, including ones from ESA, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and EUMETCast, and through the subsequent analysis and presentation.
The vision behind the system's creation was to help reduce CO2 emissions, conserve nature, and protect lives and infrastructure.
OroraTech's customers in forest services and commercial forestry have confirmed the system offers a faster update rate that has helped them spot fires remotely.
“We are making a real difference in the rising global wildfire challenges with an all-in-one system that enables the fastest detection of wildfires on a global scale,” said OroraTech Lead Engineer and Co-founder Rupert Amann.
'Eyes in the sky' set to replace 'boots on the ground'
With the effects of rising temperatures and longer dry seasons, wildfires are likely to become larger and burn longer in areas that do not have the capacity to maintain an early fire management and execution plan. This means fire management developers are searching for alternative resources for early detection, rather than only relying on watchtowers and boots on the ground.
The satellite images in the OroraTech system, provided by the Copernicus Programme, enable users to monitor fires from a different perspective.
Multiple satellite sources provide the extensive data for the wildfire system, allowing customers to react before a fire becomes uncontrollable. The data is quickly processed through a cloud-based processing framework and is then accessible through a wildfire API and an innovative web-based interface. This combination results in a system that offers customers and researchers an advanced tool for fire analytics.
The OroraTech system with all premium features is currently available for a free trial period, accessible at OroraTech.
ESA BIC Bavaria
ESA Business Incubation Centre (BIC) in Bavaria promotes companies with disruptive products and digital businesses in areas like robotics, mobile, mobility, automotive, aviation and satellites. Since 2004, ESA BIC Bavaria, managed by Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO), has supported more than 165 start-ups with an annual turnover of around €150 million (2018), creating more than 2,800 high-tech jobs in Bavaria and attracting over €50 million in venture capital (2018). For more information, see www.esa-bic.de.
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UK launches space-based response to Covid-19 pandemic
Some £2.6 million to develop space-enabled technology and services that can strengthen the NHS’s response to coronavirus has been launched today by the UK Space Agency in collaboration with ESA.
The UK government has called on industry and universities help develop technology and equipment – from hand sanitiser to ventilators – to support the NHS.
Space-enabled solutions could include satellite communications, satellite navigation, Earth observation satellites or technology derived from human spaceflight.
Amanda Solloway, science minister, said:“The UK space sector is a world leader in applying satellite and data technology to challenges we face on Earth, from responding to natural disasters to managing outbreaks of infectious disease.
“We are all in this together and this new funding will help develop practical solutions from one of our most innovative industrial sectors to support our brilliant NHS.”
Nick Appleyard, Head of Downstream Business Applications at ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications in Harwell, Oxfordshire, said: “Even in normal times, satellites and space technology offer solutions to our needs in connectivity and inclusion, in resilience and logistics, and to support healthcare provision in even the most extreme situations.
“The current circumstances challenge the space business community to show just how much it can offer, to help us through this once-in-a-century event.”
The funding is being made available to support projects to develop hi-tech solutions that address: logistics within the health delivery system, for example, drone deliveries; managing infectious disease outbreaks; population health and wellbeing; recovering health system function and handling backlogs after the crisis; and preparedness for future epidemics.
To learn more about Space helping the UK on COVID-19 and other pandemics, please see here.
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Undersee – Improved decision-making with satellite observations and forecasting of water quality changes in marine environments
ESA Space Solutions Portugal alumnus Matereospace is forging ahead with its Undersee multi-sensor water quality monitoring project, designed to enable aquaculture companies to fine-tune management and plan ahead.
Entrepreneur Jorge Alexandre Vieira and Tiago Cristovão founded Matereospace in 2014 with the goal of monitoring environmental water quality. A two-year incubation period at the ESA Business Incubation Centre (BIC) in Portugal starting in 2016, helped them refine the business proposition and technology approach of their Undersee project to meet market needs. Subsequent support through an ESA Business Applications Kick-Start has seen the company receive investment from accelerator Katapult Ocean and sign up its first customers.
The Undersee monitoring service integrates post-processed Earth observation (EO) data from Sentinels 2 and 3, numerical models from the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) and hydrodynamic models with data collected in situ using the Undersee_water sensing device. This is then presented to users through a dashboard-style interface. Currently, users can see real-time water quality data, but soon they will also be able to access water quality forecasts and alerts about possible water contamination and threats such as algae blooms.
Central to the project is the Undersee_water system, a ‘ferrybox’-style device similar to those used to collect automated measurements on ships. It can be positioned on boats, buoys or aquaculture cages and is provided as part of the service subscription fee.
The potential for such a service is demonstrated by a major fishing event that occurred in Norway last year. “In May 2019, an algae bloom in Norway killed almost eight million salmon. After demonstrating that our service could have predicted this and allowed action to be taken, interest in our monitoring service increased significantly,” says Jorge.
Jorge estimates that the Undersee service could have saved businesses more than €200 million during that event.
ESA BIC support shows its value
Jorge and Tiago first applied to the ESA Business Incubation Centre (BIC) in Portugal, at Instituto Pedro Nunes at the end of 2015, but discovered their idea was too broad. With input from the University of Coimbra, they returned with a more focused approach to water quality and environmental monitoring in the form of Undersee – a multi-sensor water quality project.
After building and testing an underwater pilot vehicle to monitor water quality, the Matereospace team realised that the water quality and environmental monitoring sectors were tough to break into with such complex product. They changed course to focus on a new and more promising opportunity – aquaculture.
With renewed motivation, Matereospace took a new approach based on a small multisensory box that would collect data in situ and upload it into a cloud platform. Here it would be combined with satellite EO data and made available along with forecasting tools to give actionable insights to aquaculture managers.
Benefitting from ESA Kick-Start
ESA BIC Portugal is part of ESA Space Solutions Portugal. By the time the incubation in ESA BIC Portugal was over, the second working prototype had been tested and they had generated interested from potential customers. It was the perfect time to apply for ESA Space Solutions Kick-Start funding, especially as ESA had just opened a Kick-Start call on the theme of ‘Atlantic Area’.
During the six months of this feasibility study, the team took the opportunity to strengthen their knowledge of the aquaculture sector as well as to assess the technical feasibility and economic viability of the envisaged solution. In addition, they secured their first monitoring contract and letters of intent from a range of stakeholders.
The Kick-Start activity and visibility through the ESA BIC ecosystem brought Undersee to the attention of Katapult Ocean, an accelerator that helps build and scale businesses with a positive impact on the oceans. As one of 11 companies chosen from around 500 start-up candidates, Matereospace received €130,000 seed investment, mentoring and crucial introductions to stakeholders.
Next step – an ESA Business Applications Demonstration Project
Now, in 2020, three Undersee monitoring projects are underway in Portugal, with more to follow. MARETEC (Marine, Environment & Technology Centre) is using an Undersee_water unit installed on a passenger boat to carry out environmental monitoring of the Tagus estuary in Lisbon and another unit installed on a stationary station to monitor oyster production in Sado estuary. The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, I. P. (IPMA, IP) is also using the Undersee service for environmental monitoring of the Portuguese coast in the OBSERVA.PT project (Observations on board national commercial vessels to support the protection and restoration of biodiversity in the marine ecosystems of the Portuguese Sea).
Following the encouraging outcomes of the Kick-Start study, the Undersee team successfully applied to an ESA Business Applications’ Open Call for proposals.
“Within this framework, the Undersee team will develop an end-to-end service with an integrated offer of hardware, software, installation and customer support. The integration of in-situ data (such as water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity/conductivity, turbidity, chlorophyll-a, oxidation/reduction potential) and satellite data processed through ad hoc numerical models will offer both higher accuracy and enhanced temporal resolution,” said Cristiano Cialone, Technical Officer for ESA Business Applications.
“Furthermore, the integration of numerical models for water quality forecasting as a commercial daily management tool is a huge step forward in the field of marine environments, allowing a paradigm shift from reactive to predictive operational approach. This will enable functionalities such as risk alerts and early warnings. The Demonstration Project will be developed within the next 18 months.”
The Demonstration Project will follow a staged approach, which includes the definition of user requirements as well as the implementation and testing of the related functionalities. More importantly, it will include development of a pilot project to be used by customers for four months to validate the commercial value proposition.
"The Business Applications and Space Solutions programme offers the opportunity to start-ups and SMEs to successfully develop their ideas, thanks to the technical and business guidance received from ESA, in addition to the easy access to funding schemes such as Kick-Start," stated Rita Rinaldo, Head of the Institutional Project Section at ESA. "Furthermore, this structure strengthens a company's capabilities, helping them in the journey towards commercialisation and roll-out of space-based applications. We are pleased with the success of Matereospace in a domain like aquaculture that is so crucial in addressing the challenges related to sustainability of food production, which aligns with two of the UN Sustainable Development Goals – SDG 2 Zero Hunger and SDG 14 Life Below Water."
In the near future, Matereospace plans to expand its activities to Norway, Scotland and Canada and is also planning to explore opportunities in Chile and New Zeeland.
“When you see the path of companies that have benefited from more than one ESA programme at different stages, and the maturity they reach, it’s clear that ESA Space Solutions is the key to a successful network,” said Carlos Cerqueira, Coordinator of ESA Space Solutions Portugal.
About ESA Space Solutions
ESA Space Solutions is the go-to-place for great business ideas involving space in all areas of society and economy. Our mission is to support entrepreneurs in Europe in the development of business using satellite applications and space technology to improve everyday life. Our programme is designed to provide multiple entry points such as ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs), ESA Technology Transfer Brokers, and the ESA Business Applications programme. Funding typically ranges from 50KEuro to 2MEuro and supports everything from space technology transfer, early stage incubation programs, feasibility studies to large-scale demonstration projects.
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Robotics for Society
July, 13 / 2020
Space for covid19
ARTES 4.0 BASS helping to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak
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