1. Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) and SensorML January 2008
Mike Botts
Principal Research Scientist
University of Alabama in Huntsville

2. OpenGeospatial Consortium
(OGC)

3. Open Geospatial Consortium
The Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc (OGC) is an international industry consortium of 334+ companies, government agencies and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available interface specifications and encodings.
Open Standards development by consensus process
Interoperability Programs provide end-to-end implementation and testing before spec approval
Standard encodings (e.g. GML, SensorML, O&M, etc.)
Geography Markup Language (GML) – Version 3.2
Style Layer Description language (SLD)
SensorML
Observations and Measurement (O&M)
Standard Web Service interfaces; e.g.:
Web Map Service (WMS)
Web Feature Service (WFS)
Web Coverage Service (WCS)
Catalog Service
Open Location Services – used by communications and navigation industry
Sensor Web Enablement Services (SOS, SAS, SPS)

4. Sensor Web Enablement

5. Basic Desires
Quickly discover sensors and sensor data (secure or public) that can meet my needs – location, observables, quality, ability to task
Obtain sensor information in a standard encoding that is understandable by me and my software
Readily access sensor observations in a common manner, and in a form specific to my needs
Task sensors, when possible, to meet my specific needs
Subscribe to and receive alerts when a sensor measures a particular phenomenon

6. Sensor Web Enablement Framework
Heterogeneous sensor network
In-Situ monitors
Bio/Chem/Rad
Detectors
Surveillance
Airborne
Satellite
sparse
disparate
mobile/in-situ
extensible
Decision Support Tools
vendor neutral
extensive
- flexible
adaptable
Sensor Web Enablement
discovery
access
tasking
alert notification
web services and encodings based on Open Standards
(OGC, ISO, OASIS, IEEE)
Models and Simulations
nested
national, regional, urban
adaptable
data assimilation
M. Botts -2004

7. Background -1- 1999 - 2000 2001 2002 2003-2004 OGC Web Services
Testbed 1.2:
Sponsors: EPA, General Dynamics, NASA, NIMA
Specs: SOS, O&M, SensorML, SPS, WNS
Demo: Terrorist, Hazardous Spill and Tornado
Sensors: weather stations, wind profiler, video, UAV, stream gauges
Specs advanced through independent R&D efforts in Germany, Australia, Canada and US
Sensor Web Work Group established
Specs: SOS, O&M, SensorML, SPS, WNS, SAS
Sensors: wide variety
OGC Web Services
Testbed 1.1:
Sponsors: EPA, NASA, NIMA
Specs: SOS, O&M, SensorML
Demo: NYC Terrorist
Sensors: weather stations, water quality
SensorML initiated
at University of Alabama in Huntsville: NASA AIST funding
2001
2002

8. OGC Web Services Testbed 4.0:
Background -2-
OGC Web Services
Testbed 3.0:
Sponsors: NGA, ORNL, LMCO, BAE
Specs: SOS, O&M, SensorML, SPS, TransducerML
Demo: Forest Fire in Western US
Sensors: weather stations, wind profiler, video, UAV, satellite
SAS Interoperabilty Experiment
OGC Web Services Testbed 4.0:
Sponsors: NGA, NASA, ORNL, LMCO
Specs: SOS, O&M, SensorML, SPS, TransducerML, SAS
Demo: Emergency Hospital
Sensors: weather stations, wind profiler, video, UAV, satellite
OGC Web Services
Testbed 5.1
Sponsors: NGA, NASA,
Specs: SOS,SensorML,TML
Demo: Streaming JPIP of Georeferenceable Imagery; Geoporocessing Workflow
Sensors: Satellite and airborne imagery
SWE Specifications toward approval:
SensorML – V0.0
TransducerML – V0.0
SOS – V0.0
SPS – V0.0
O&M – Best Practices
SAS – Best Practices
2005
2006
2007

9. SWE Specifications Information Models and Schema Web Services
Sensor Model Language (SensorML) for In-situ and Remote Sensors - Core models and schema for observation processes: support for sensor components, georegistration, response models, post measurement processing
Observations and Measurements (O&M) – Core models and schema for observations
TransducerML – adds system integration and multiplex streaming clusters of observations
Web Services
Sensor Observation Service - Access Observations for a sensor or sensor constellation, and optionally, the associated sensor and platform data
Sensor Alert Service – Subscribe to alerts based upon sensor observations
Sensor Planning Service – Request collection feasibility and task sensor system for desired observations
Web Notification Service –Manage message dialogue between client and Web service(s) for long duration (asynchronous) processes
Sensor Registries – Discover sensors and sensor observations

10. Status Current specs are in various stages
SensorML (and SWE Common) – Version 1.0.1
TransducerML – Version 1.0
Observations & Measurement – Version 1.0
WNS – Request for Comments
SOS – Version 1.0
SPS – Version 1.0
SAS – Request for Comments
Approved SWE standards can be downloaded:
Specification Documents:
Specification Schema:

11. Known Open Source Software for SWE
52 North / University of Muenster
Full suite of SWE services (SOS, SPS, SAS, WNS)
University of Alabama in Huntsville
SWE Common parser/writer, SensorML parser, process chain executor and process model library
editors for SensorML/O&M instances and profiles Space Time Toolkit SWE client
SOS/WCS services
SWE portrayal service (initially KML)
Texas A&M / Marine Metadata Initiative
Non ebRIM registry based on ontology
light weight clients, several services
MapServer / GDAL
SWE services incorporated into MapServer
NASA GSFC / GeoBlinky
Several components used with the EO1 SAT activities
Northrop Grumman
Several components used within the PulseNet activity
SAIC
Ongoing development of several Open-Source SWE components under MASINT funding
There is an initiative to begin to look at joint development and management of Open Source SWE software

12. Example Known External Activities using SWE
Community Sensor Models (NGA) – SensorML encoding of the CSM; CSM likely to be the ISO19130 standard
Multi-Int Metadata Standards (DIA) – Committed to SensorML and SWE as direction
OGC OWS5.1 Georeferenceable Imagery (NGA/NASA) – will be demonstrating use of SensorML within JPEG2000 and JPIP for support of geolocation of streaming imagery
Oak Ridge National Labs SensorNet – funded project will be adding SensorML support in SensorNet nodes for threat monitoring
Northrop Grumman IRAD (NGC TASC) – demonstrated end-to-end application of SensorML/SWE for legacy surveillance sensors in field
Empire Challenge (NGA - SAIC) – planning to test SWE for sensor observation processing and integration in 2008 testbed
European Space Agency – developing SensorML profiles for supporting sensor discovery and processing within the European satellite community
Canadian GeoConnections Projects – used SensorML in water monitoring network
Hurricane Missions (NASA MSFC) – using SensorML for geolocation and processing of satellite and airborne sensors
Sensors Anywhere (SAny) – intending to use SensorML/SWE Common within large European sensor project
NASA ESTO – funded 30 3-year projects on Sensor Webs; 5 SBIR topics with SensorML and Sensor Web called out

13. SensorML

14. What is SensorML? XML encoding for describing sensor processes
Including sensor tasking, measurement, and post-processing of observations
Detectors, actuators, sensors, etc. are modeled as processes
Open Standard –
Approved by Open Geospatial Consortium in 2007
Supported by Open Source software (COTS development starting)
Not just a metadata language
enables on-demand execution of algorithms
Describes
Sensor Systems
Processing algorithms and workflows

15. Why is SensorML Important?
Importance:
Discovery of sensors and processes / plug-n-play sensors – SensorML is the means by which sensors and processes make themselves and their capabilities known; describes inputs, outputs and taskable parameters
Observation lineage – SensorML provides history of measurement and processing of observations; supports quality knowledge of observations
On-demand processing – SensorML supports on-demand derivation of higher-level information (e.g. geolocation or products) without a priori knowledge of the sensor system
Intelligent, autonomous sensor network – SensorML enables the development of taskable, adaptable sensor networks, and enables higher-level problem solving anticipated from the Semantic Web

16. SensorML Processes Physical Processes Non-Physical Processes
Processes where physical location or physical interface of the process is not important (e.g. a fast-Fourier process)
Processes where physical location or physical interface of the process is important (e.g. a sensor system)
Atomic Processes
Composite Processes
Processes that are considered Indivisible either by design or necessity
Processes that are composed of other processes connected in some logical manner

17. Example Atomic Processes
Transducers (detectors, actuators, samplers, etc.)
Spatial transforms (static and dynamic)
Vector, matrix, quaternion operators
“Sensor models”
scanners, frame cameras, SAR
polynomial models (e.g. RPC, RSM)
tie point model
Orbital models
Geospatial transformations (Map projection, datum, coordinate system)
Digital Signal Processing / image processing modules
Decimators, interpolators, synchronizers, etc.
Data readers, writers, and access services
Derivable Information (e.g. wind chill)
Human analysts

18. Example Composite Processes
Sensor Systems, Platforms
Observation lineage
from tasking to measurement to processing to analysis
Executable on-demand process chains:
geolocation and orthorectification
algorithms for higher-level products
e.g. fire recognition, flood water classification, etc.
Image processing, digital signal processing
Uploadable command instructions or executable processes

19. Status of SensorML and SWE Common
SensorML history
Influenced by interoperability challenges for satellite sensors at NASA
Started at UAH in 1998 under NASA AIST funding; brought into OGC in 2000
Approved as Public Discussion Paper (2002)
Approved as Recommended Paper (2004)
OGC approved as Best Practices Document in Bonn (Nov 2005)
OGC r3 approved as Version 0.0 Technical Specification in July 2006
OGC approved as Technical Specification Version 1.0 on June 23, 2007
Current: document (OGC )
Approved Version 1.0 of SensorML and SWE Common data types
Official document available at OGC ( )
Official Reference Schema resides online at
Doc and schema also available at

20. Where has SensorML been demonstrated and tested ?

21. Known Demonstrations and Testbeds for SensorML
Previous OGC OWS Testbeds
OWS 1.1 (2001) – description and access to in-situ sensors
OWS 1.2 (2002) – discovery, access, and georeferencing of remote sensors; fusion with in-situ sensors
OWS 3.0 (2005) – discovery, on-demand processing of radar, satellite, UAV, weather station, and plume model observations
OWS 4.0 (2006) – discovery, on-demand processing of CBRNE, plume model, and weather sensors
NASA SMART ODM (2006-present) – have used SensorML to georeference satellite data and to automatic determination of coincidence between sensor and numerical model data
Northrop Grumman IRAD (PulseNet ) – demonstrated end-to-end application of SensorML/SWE for legacy surveillance sensors in field
Empire Challenge 2007 (NGA) – SensorML used for discovery and data access of disparate sensor sources
Canadian GeoConnections Projects (2005) – used SensorML in water monitoring network (discovery and data access)
NASA Hurricane Missions (2006-present) – using SensorML for geolocation and processing of satellite and airborne sensors
NASA SensorML Project (2006-present) – incorporation and demonstration of SensorML execution engine into Space Time Toolkit and SWE services

22. Previous OGC OWS Testbeds: SensorML-Enabled Discovery and Georeferencing
Weather
LaPlata Tornado
UAV for Fire Detection
Radiation plumes and weather

23. A Few Known Ongoing Activities using SensorML
Community Sensor Models (NGA) – SensorML encoding of the CSM; CSM likely to be the ISO19130 standard
Multi-INT Metadata Standards (DIA and DISA) – Committed to SensorML and SWE as direction
OGC OWS5.1 Georeferenceable Imagery (NGA/NASA) – will be demonstrating use of SensorML within JPEG2000 and JPIP for support of georeferencing of streaming imagery
Oak Ridge National Labs SensorNet – funded project will be adding SensorML support in SensorNet nodes for threat monitoring (including georeferenced streaming video)
Empire Challenge 2008 (NGA) – planning to test SensorML for sensor observation processing and fusion in 2008 testbed
European Space Agency – developing SensorML profiles for supporting sensor discovery and processing within the European satellite community
Hurricane Missions (NASA MSFC) – working toward using SensorML for geolocation and processing of satellite and airborne sensors during real-time missions
Sensors Anywhere (SAny) – intending to use SensorML/SWE Common within large European sensor project
NASA– funded 30 3-year projects developing capabilities for SensorML and Sensor Webs; Also recently announce call for SBIR proposals with SensorML and Sensor Web topics identified

24. PulseNet: SensorML-Enabled Discovery, Data Access, and Tasking
Credit: Northrop Grumman PulseNet Project

25. NASA Projects: SensorML-Enabled On-demand Processing (e. g
NASA Projects: SensorML-Enabled On-demand Processing (e.g. georeferencing and product algorithms)
AMSR-E
SSM/I
TMI & MODIS footprints
MAS
TMI
Geolocation of satellite and airborne sensors using SensorML
Cloudsat
LIS

26. SensorML – Sensor Systems
System - Aircraft
IR radiation
Sensor 1 Scanner
Digital Numbers
Sensor 2 IMU
Pitch, Roll, Yaw Tuples
Attitude
We also describe sensor systems = collection of sensors with I/O = chain of interconnected atomic sensors
A system also defines connections between components which is even more important on the next slide
Sensor 3 GPS
Lat, Lon, Alt Tuples
Location
Mike Botts, Alexandre Robin, Tony Cook

27. AIRDAS UAV Geolocation Process Chain Demo
AIRDAS data stream geolocated using SensorML-defined process chain (software has no a priori knowledge of sensor system)
AIRDAS data stream (consisting of navigation data and 4-band thermal-IR scan-line data)

28. SensorML for Discovery

29. SensorML provides metadata suitable for discovery of sensors and processes
Find all remote sensor systems measuring in the visible spectral range with ground resolution less than 20m.

30. Discovery Based on SensorML
Credit: Northrop Grumman PulseNet Project

31. Specific Discovery Needs
Unique resource ids used throughout SWE;
sensor centric example:
Find sensors that can do what I need (returns id=“urn:ogc:id:sensor:123”)
Get me a full description of this sensor urn:ogc:id:sensor:123
Now, find a service (SPS) that lets me task this sensor urn:ogc:id:sensor:123
Find all services (SOS) where I can get observations from this sensor urn:ogc:id:sensor:123
Find all processes that can be applied to this sensor output to generate the information I require
Catalog profiles for each need:
SPS, SOS, SAS services
sensors and processes
observations
terms (either through dictionaries or ontologies)

32. Need for Term Definitions used in SensorML and SWE
Observable properties / phenomena / deriveable properties (“urn:ogc:def:property:*)
temperature, radiance, species , exceedingOfThreshold, earthquake, etc.
rotation angles, spectral curve, histogram, etc.
Capabilities, Characteristics, Interfaces, etc. (“urn:ogc:def:property:*”)
Width, height, material composition, etc.
Ground resolution, dynamic range, peak wavelength, etc.
RS-232, USB-2, bitSize, baud rate, base64, etc.
Sensor and process terms (“urn:ogc:def:property:*”)
IFOV, focal length, slant angle, etc.
Polynomial coefficients, matrix, image, etc.
Identifiers and classifiers (“urn:ogc:def:identifierType:*; urn:ogc:def:identifier:*” )
Identifiers – longName, shortName, model number, serial number, wingID, missionID, etc.
Classifiers – sensorType, intendedApplication, processType, etc.
Role types (“urn:ogc:def:role:*”)
Expert, manufacturer, integrator, etc.
Specification document, productImage, algorithm, etc.
Sensor and process events (“urn:ogc:def:classifier:eventType:*”)
Deployment, decommissioning, calibration, etc.

33. Help, Help, Help
We need authoritative bodies with access to subject-matter-experts (SME) to step forward to establish resolvable term dictionaries for sensors, processes, and observations
Potential authoritative bodies
IC community – GIG, MASINT WG, Multi-INT Interoperability Lab ??
Civilian satellite community – Committee for Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS)
Others - ???
Way forward
Create namespace for terms
Develop web interface for submitting term (Wikipedia perhaps, XML-based?)
Term
Definition
References
Relationship (?) – or allow separate ontologies to provide this
Level of authorization
Set up web services for resolving and getting filtered list of terms
Set up authentication process and authentication levels (e.g. submitted, under review, approved, rejected)
Accepting SensorML and SWE without creating authorized terms won’t accept interoperability

34. Where and how SensorML can be used

35. Supports description of Lineage for an Observation
SensorML
Observation
Within an Observation, SensorML can describe how that Observation came to be using the “procedure” property

36. On-demand processing of sensor data
SensorML
Observation
SensorML processes can be executed on-demand to generate Observations from low-level sensor data (without a priori knowledge of sensor system)

37. On-demand processing of higher-level products
SensorML
Observation
Observation
SensorML processes can be executed on-demand to generate higher-level Observations from low-level Observations (e.g. discoverable georeferencing algorithms or classification algorithms)

38. On-demand Geolocation using SensorML
AMSR-E
SSM/I
TMI & MODIS footprints
MAS
TMI
Geolocation of satellite and airborne sensors using SensorML
Cloudsat
LIS

39. Clients can discover, download, and execute SensorML process chains
SensorML-enabled Client (e.g. STT)
SLD
SensorML
OpenGL
SOS
Stylers
For example, Space Time Toolkit is designed around a SensorML front-end and a Styler back-end that renders graphics to the screen

40. Incorporation of SensorML into Space Time Toolkit
Space Time Toolkit being retooled to be SensorML process chain executor + stylers

41. Space Time Toolkit Sample Applications -2-

42. SensorML-Enabled Web Services

43. SensorML can support generation of Observations within a Sensor Observation Service (SOS)
SOS Web Service
SensorML
Observation
request
For example, SensorML has been used to support on-demand generation of nadir tracks and footprints for satellite and airborne sensors within SOS web services

44. Incorporation of SensorML into Web Services
SensorML process chains have been used to drive on-demand data within services (e.g. satellite nadir tracks, sensor footprints, coincident search output)

45. SensorML can support tasking of sensors within a Sensor Planning Service (SPS)
SPS Web Service
SensorML
request
For example, SensorML will be used to support tasking of video cam (pan, tilt, zoom) based on location of target (lat, lon, alt)

46. SPS control of Web Cam

47. SensorML for Portrayal

48. SWE Visualization Clients can render graphics to screen
SensorML-enabled Client (e.g. STT)
SLD
SensorML
OpenGL
SOS
Stylers

49. SWE Portrayal Service can “render” to various graphics standards
SLD
SensorML
KML
Collada
SOS
Google Earth Client
Stylers
For example, a SWE portrayal service can utilize a SensorML front-end and a Styler back-end to generate graphics content (e.g. KML or Collada)

50. SensorML to Google Earth (KML – Collada)
AMSR-E
SSM/I
MAS
TMI
LIS

51. SensorML Support Activities

52. Current Tool Development and Support for SensorML
SensorML Forum – mail list for SensorML discussion (250+ active members from various backgrounds)
Open Source SensorML Process Execution Engine – Along with open-source process model library, provides execution environment for SensorML described algorithms
Open Source SensorML editor and process chain development client – on-going development of tools to allow human-friendly editors for SensorML descriptions
SensorML-enabled decision support client – Open source Space Time Toolkit is SensorML-enabled and will be available to discover, access, task, and process sensor observations; use as is or as template for COTS development
SensorML white papers and tutorials – being written and released on an array of SensorML topics
Describing a Simple Sensor System
Creating New Process Models;

53. SensorML Process Editors
Currently, SensorML documents are edited in XML (left), but will soon be edited using human friendly view (below)
Currently, we diagram the process (right top) and then type the XML version; soon the XML will be generated from the diagram itself (right bottom)

54. Simple SensorML Forms for the Mass Market
User fills out simple form with manufacturer name and model number, as well as other info. Then detailed SensorML generated.

55. How can you help? Investigate SensorML for you needs
Can it meet some of your needs?
What would be your main initial focus (discovery, lineage, processing, display)?
SensorML Forum – participate in the forum; ask/answer questions
Term Dictionaries – help develop online dictionary of sensor terms used in your community
Sensor and process profile – develop SensorML profiles for your sensors and processes
Test and demonstrate – Test SensorML applications for your environment
Demonstrate successes
Feedback failures, suggestions, and additional needs
Participate in the OGC process
Join and attend Technical Committee meeting (particularly SWE WG)
Sponsor Interoperability Projects in OGC

56. Relevant Links Open Geospatial Consortium Standard Documents
OGC Approved Schema
Sensor Web Enablement Working Group
SensorML information
SensorML Public Forum