Geomatics Program at
UF
The Geomatics program provides skills that are
at the heart of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
research mission and goals. My research interest is focused on
building a multidisciplinary research program in the area of
geospatial data collection, analysis, and dissemination that is
integrated with other IFAS disciplines.
My position at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center
and my academic ties with the School of Forest Resources and
Conservation provides an excellent opportunity to engage in
multidisciplinary research.
Technology is playing a major role in today’s’ information
dissemination. Spatial data publishing through the web has been
under continuous development since the start of this century. The
same technology used to provide fast, cheap, comprehensive, and
pleasant methods for data presentation, can also be utilized to
establish community-based methods that could revolutionize the data
collection process and lead to a better understanding of our world.
Despite these technology advances, community-based data collection
techniques are hindered by some practical and technological
obstacles, especially if the spatial dimension is considered.
One of the objectives of my research is to establish new
techniques for web-based data collection that is supported by, and
integrated with, current Geomatics spatial data collection methods
such as close range photogrammetry and satellite/airborne imagery.
Many applications utilize information about earth surface objects to
enhance our understanding of the world and to contribute to the
solution of social, environmental, and economic problems.
Image data collected remotely through advanced sensors and
analyzed to extract useful information is one of my current research
activities. Such imagery can identify certain plant characteristics
that ultimately lead to better plant classification. This concept is
demonstrated by using hyperspectral and multispectral imagery to
identify different plants for accurate water use estimation,
invasive species detection, and studying global warming symptoms.
Understanding the relationships between this data and the
socioeconomic aspects of a spatial data analysis scheme is an
integral part of my research activities.
Part of my research interest is devoted to custom
building of a ground-based mobile mapping system. Unlike traditional
airborne and space-borne remote sensing, ground-based techniques
provide closer and targeted contact with sensed objects, which can
significantly improve the achieved accuracy and can provide
frequent, diversified and comprehensive sensing capabilities.
Applications, such as managing vegetation along right-of-ways,
detecting and monitoring invasive plant species spread along roads
and water ways, assessment of water quality, and early detection of
crop diseases are examples of the huge potential for ground-based
sensing systems in our lives.