MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of an Advanced Low-altitude Earth Observing System (ALEOS) with Hyperspectral and LiDAR Capabilities to Advance Interdisciplinary Research and Training

俄克拉荷马州立大学(OSU)被授予通过收购先进的低空地球观测系统(Aleos)进行集成高光谱和LiDAR(光探测和测距)传感的奖项。Aleos是一种安装在无人驾驶飞机系统(UAS)上的综合研究仪器，它将推动来自俄亥俄州立大学10个部门的至少18名研究人员的研究计划，他们反过来将为本科生、研究生和博士后研究人员提供大量STEM培训途径，他们中的许多人来自历史上在科学界代表性不足的群体。鉴于就业市场对无人机技术专业知识的需求日益增长，由Aleos推动的这项研究将吸引所有背景的学生，并增加俄亥俄州立大学学生的就业安置。每年，这个项目将使大约九门课程的170多名学生体验第一手先进的成像技术，并完成由现实世界应用程序驱动的课堂项目，例如评估草原火灾产生的气溶胶排放的组成，以及研究某些作物对不同水平的土壤氮的反应。项目团队将把与Aleos研究相关的实践活动纳入到OSU支持的外联活动中，例如国家实验室日和STEM教师学院活动，以及由OSU组织和主办的俄克拉荷马州科学与工程博览会。ALEOS将通过提供最先进的遥感技术为OSU增加新的研究能力。该项目将促进创新研究，推动农业生产系统和自然资源管理，对该区域产生积极的经济影响，并与国家和全球问题相关。部署Aleos将使新的研究课题成为可能，例如评估地上和地下生物多样性之间的联系，确定气候对碳和水循环的影响，开发基于UAS的饲草监测系统，以及限制规定火灾的气溶胶排放对气候影响的不确定性。Aleos还可以为目前的大规模监测系统提供校准和验证支持，例如国际空间站上的传感器和即将到来的星载地球观测系统，例如NASA的表面生物学和地质任务。因此，该项目将有助于回答围绕遥感尺度问题的一系列重要科学问题。该项目团队将通过科学出版物、课程设置以及向部落国家、土地管理人员和利益相关者宣传这一信息。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

An award is made to Oklahoma State University (OSU) to conduct integrated hyperspectral and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensing through the acquisition of an Advanced Low-altitude Earth Observing System (ALEOS). ALEOS is an integrated research instrument mounted on an unoccupied aircraft system (UAS) which will advance the research programs of at least 18 investigators from 10 departments across OSU, who will in turn provide numerous STEM training avenues for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom are from groups historically underrepresented in science. The research driven by ALEOS will captivate students of all backgrounds and increase job placement of OSU students given the increasing demand for expertise with drone technology in the job market. Every year, this project will enable more than 170 students in roughly nine courses to experience first-hand advanced imaging technologies and to complete class projects driven by real-world applications, such as assessing the composition of aerosol emissions from grassland fires and studying how certain crops respond to varying levels of soil nitrogen. The project team will incorporate hands-on activities related to ALEOS research into outreach activities supported by OSU, such as National Lab Day and STEM Teacher Institute events, as well as the Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair which is organized and hosted by OSU.ALEOS will add new research capabilities to OSU by providing state-of-the-art remote sensing technology. This project will facilitate innovative research that will advance agricultural production systems and management of natural resources with positive economic implications for the region and relevance to national and global issues. Deployment of ALEOS will enable novel research topics, such as assessing the linkages between above- and below-ground biodiversity, determining impacts of climate on carbon and water cycles, developing UAS-based forage monitoring systems, and constraining uncertainty in the climate effects of aerosol emissions from prescribed fires. ALEOS can also provide calibration and validation support for current large-scale monitoring systems, such as the sensors aboard the International Space Station and forthcoming spaceborne Earth observing systems, such as NASA’s Surface Biology and Geology mission. As such, this project will help answer a wide array of important scientific questions surrounding the issue of scale in remote sensing. The project team will disseminate this information through scientific publications, course curricula, and outreach to tribal nations, land managers, and stakeholders.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.