KEO Demonstrator with Models for Land Use Management (KLAUS)

The project “KEO Demonstrator with Models for Land Use Management (KLAUS)”, performed under European Space Agency Contract No. 22823/09/I-AM, addresses the definition, evaluation and trade-off of operational scenarios where Image Information Mining (IIM) can bring benefits to satellite Earth Observation (EO) Payload Data Ground Segments (PDGS) and to users.

IIM denotes (primarily probabilistic) methods and computer processing techniques for linking user defined semantic terms to pixel or area features in image collections. Knowledge-centred Earth Observation (KEO) is a prototype environment assembling selected IIM technologies. KEO mainly consists of two subsystems:

• KIM (Knowledge-based Information Mining) which exploits probabilistic approach and permits interactive feature extraction;
• CPE (Component-based Processing Environment), which permits to design, implement and run any user-provided Feature Extraction Algorithm.

The KAOS client interface provides a common access to both subsystems.

Specifically, the KLAUS project encompasses the following activities:

• Upgrade of the KEO prototype into a demonstrator, including improvements, availability, reliability and performance (in particular for the ingestion modules and chain)
• Assessment of the potentialities of the KEO demonstrator with selected Key Users for specific KEO Demonstrator Applications (KDA) in land use management, addressing also issues related to:
  • Generalised data models
  • Bidirectional interfaces with user’s systems  
  • Implementation of new Processing Components in CPE
• Definition of possible KIM enhancements
• Enhancements of the co-registration chain
• Identification of possible KEO operational configurations and related transfer to operations requirements.

KLAUS started at the end of 2009, has an assigned budget of 1 Mio. Euro and will run for two years.  The French and German space agencies CNES and DLR are contributing KIM and OTB developments. The industrial team includes the companies ACS and Epistematica (KEO demonstrator) as well as ENVEO and SISTEMA (KDAs). The KLAUS Prime Contractor EOX  is responsible for coordination, and operational scenarios.