Dubai, UAE, October 26, 2016:  The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has attended the SPIE Remote Sensing Conference 2016, held this year in Scotland at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre in Edinburgh, between the 26th and 29th September, presenting three technical studies to the international remote sensing community.

The space centre has now participated in the conference for the last five years in a row, and this year three members of the centre each presented a technical paper within a specialist area of remote sensing.

Eng. Saeed Al Mansoori, Head of Application Development and Analysis at MBRSC, presented a study on coastline image mapping using a spectral band method and Sobel edge operator. Eng. Meera Al Shamsi also showcased a technical paper on vegetation extraction from high-resolution satellite imagery using the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), while a third team member, Eng. Alya Al Maazmi, presented a study on water bodies extraction from high-resolution satellite images using water indices and optimal threshold.

The contribution of the three representatives of MBRSC marks a continuation of the commitment the space centre has to maintain a presence at global conferences of this nature, to connect with the world’s leaders in the field of satellite imagery and remote sensing, and to showcase its own expertise in the field. 

HE Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director General of MBRSC, confirmed the importance of an ongoing presence for the centre at such events. “By participating in the 2016 SPIE Remote Sensing Conference in Scotland, we are able to further our reputation in the sector, showcasing our growing level of expertise across the board, which is now at an internationally respected level. Having been working in remote sensing now for more than ten years, we are pleased to be able to contribute to the remote sensing community with innovative studies and presentations, the like of which our three team members presented this year,” he said.

Al Mansoori is a regular representative for the Space Centre at international events throughout the year, where he presents technical studies and also a number of innovative applications which have been developed by his team at the Centre. A recent application, which is now being put to use, is an environmental application that detects, studies and analyses the coastline within a specific timeframe. This helps to monitor any decrease or expansion in land, which may impact the coastal environment and its infrastructure.