In-cloud image processing used for civil protection and employed by World Bank

Currently, there is a steep rise in the number of Earth Observation applications being developed, partly due to the availability of large and heterogeneous (big) data, such as that from the Sentinel missions.

Currently, the tools available on the market to view, edit and process Earth Observation images are mostly desktop-based. But, as high performance computing progresses, the is more and more need for Earth Observation image processing  to be moved onto the cloud, to minimize data transfer.

A GSTP Element 1 activity with Acrotec Foundation and FadeOut Software, both in Italy, wanted  to implement a tool that can let Earth Observation image experts work directly in the cloud without needing to download and process images on their PC first. 

Called WASDI, the prototype is already available on line: users can register to access the platform, create their own workspaces, search and import Earth Observation images from different catalogues, manipulate Earth Observation images, create and run workflows, publish images on maps and search for new possible acquisitions in the future. Users can also develop their own processors and deploy the algorithms on the cloud.

The WASDI prototype has also been also installed on the Copernicus ONDA DIAS. At the same time, WASDI is hosting operational Earth Observation services for the Italian Civil Protection (floods, forest fire) and pre-operational services for the World Bank (Continuous Flood Monitoring System for Risk Transfer).

WASDI is now a bridge between the users and the DIAS. With WASDI, users does not have to deal with a virtual machine on a server, but can focus on data manipulation and processing. Users can develop processors at home and deploy them to the cloud for the most effective execution.

Next, the activity is exploring new opportunities to add further services through ESA, the World Bank or EU tenders. Some frther development is also needed to reach a much broader set of end-users and sell commercial services.

G611-030EO closed in 2020 but all final documentation was received in 2021.