Terrain Strength Characterization Using Remote Sensing

Abstract

The Next Generation NATO Reference Mobility Model (NG-NRMM) is a simulation tool used by the military to assess the mobility under different terrain conditions. The output of NG-NRMM simulation is Go/No-Go maps (Figure 1). The NG-NRMM simulation requires terrain strength data, which is collected via in-situ measurement (Figure 2). The in-situ measurement places the soldiers' lives in danger. Determining the terrain strength properties is critical for achieving accurate mobility performance prediction as well as reliable operational planning using the NG-NRMM. In-situ soil measurement for strength at certain locations can be expensive, difficult, or unsafe to perform, and it only provides point data collection. This study is, therefore, proposing an alternate approach: Using remotely sensed thermal data, we can approximate the strength of the soil to help improve the Go/No-Go map development for the NG-NRMM. We also use hyperspectral remote sensing to characterize the soil based on the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 09, 2019
Accession Number
AD1086596

Entities

People

  • Jayakumar Paramsothy
  • Jordan Ewing
  • Russ Alger
  • Thomas Oommen

Organizations

  • Michigan Technological University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Classification
  • Climate Change
  • Data Sets
  • Equations
  • Field Tests
  • Ground Vehicles
  • Hyperspectral Imagery
  • Machine Learning
  • Measurement
  • Mining Engineering
  • Mobility
  • Moisture Content
  • Remote Sensing
  • Simulations
  • Soil Classification
  • Soils
  • Thermal Conductivity

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Coastal Oceanography
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Geotechnical Engineering.