ABB tech could be used to monitor the Earth's climate from orbit, as it secures a $30 million contract with Canada's EarthDaily for imaging systems that will be placed in 10 satellites around the planet's orbit.
An artists' representation of a satellite in the EarthDaily Constellation. Credit: Loft Orbital
The satellites aim to capture images of both the planet's landmasses and larger marine areas, which will be filtered via artificial intelligence to track significant changes to the Earth's ecosystems.
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The images will be captured using Multispectral imaging systems (MIS), which capture data from specific light frequencies, which are then sifted through by artificial intelligence and can be used to track changes in the Earth's ecosystems.
This tech is able to capture very high-quality pictures of an area with a resolution that scales down to around five metres.
Current Earth observation satellite systems provide either high image quality with low coverage or low image quality with high coverage. The EarthDaily Constellation brings high image quality and rich spectral band diversity together with daily global coverage – something that has never been available before", EarthDaily CEO Don Osborne said.
He described the upgrades made to the MIS tech as "groundbreaking" and could finally map out large portions of the planet to track environmental changes in real-time.
"ABB’s long track record of success at the forefront of space sensors and Earth observation provides us with not only best-in-class technology, but also the confidence that comes from working closely with a tech company of its calibre", he added.
Once the images are taken, the AI will record any changes and insights into how the Earth's climate is changing and impacts on its ecosystems.
ABB claims the tech has other uses outside of its primary function. For instance, it could be used to monitor forest fire build-up or progression or help farmers monitor crop health.
It could also see use in aiding sustainable resource management - highlighting areas where natural resources are dwindling and offering alternatives.
“We are proud to be part of the EarthDaily Constellation project set to transform the understanding of natural and human-caused change on Earth", said Jacques Mulbert, the president of ABB's Measurements & Analytics division.
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"We are confident that this project will be key to empowering industries across diverse domains to make the best possible decisions for their businesses and reach their sustainability goals", he added.
In addition to EarthDaily, ABB will also be working alongside IT specialist Xiphos, who will be supplying electronics for the satellites and Loft Orbital, who will be providing space infrastructure for the EarthDaily Constellations.
Credit: ABB via YouTube
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