ISRO - DEM Generation from Satellite Imagery
POC for generating Digital Elevation Models (3D terrain maps) from multi-spectral satellite imagery by fusing spatial data layers.
Project Snapshot
Role
Data Engineer Research Intern
Organization
ISRO - National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad
Timeline
February – June 2025
Status
Research / POC
Deployment
POC / Research
Tech Stack
Impact & Results
- Demonstrated DEM generation from 2D satellite data
A proof-of-concept developed at ISRO NRSC for generating Digital Elevation Models (3D terrain maps) from 2D multi-spectral satellite imagery by fusing multiple spatial data layers.
The Problem
Generating 3D terrain visualizations typically requires dedicated altimetry hardware. The goal was to generate Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) purely from 2D satellite imagery by fusing available multi-dimensional spatial data layers.
The Solution
A spatial processing pipeline that extracts elevation cues from satellite observations, enabling DEM creation without specialized 3D sensors.
Architecture & Implementation
Data Fusion: Processed satellite images with multiple spectral and spatial layers.
Modeling: Fused stereo imagery, elevation data cues, and spatial modeling techniques to construct DEM representations.
Data Used: 2D satellite imagery and multi-spectral/spatial layers.
Tech Stack: QGIS, Python, Rasterio, NumPy, OpenCV.
Challenges & Solutions
Data Alignment: Aligning multi-spectral layers perfectly for accurate spatial fusion.
Occlusions: Dealing with physical occlusions like cloud cover and shadows in the spatial pipeline.
Algorithm Tuning: Tuning spatial modeling parameters to accurately reflect terrain elevation.
Key Takeaways
Advanced geospatial data fusion techniques.
Rasterio and GDAL manipulation in Python.
Fundamentals of 3D terrain modeling and photogrammetry concepts.