NextGen: Leading the Way in Emerging Near Real-Time Imaging

Few companies are equipped or willing to take on the challenge of near-real-time satellite imaging—it’s not for the faint-hearted. To lead in Near Real-Time (NRT) imaging services, a company must share a common value ethic and have a clear focus on its goal. Technical expertise is crucial; proficiency in internet technologies, programming, cloud computing, and decades of hands-on experience with radar image data interpretation are all essential. At NextGen Environmental Research Inc. (NGE), we view this approach as fundamental to understanding how our world and its people evolve, with the goal of helping communities adapt to environmental changes.

Our marketing team had an opportunity to speak with NGE’s founder Dr. Paul M. Cooley recently about running a quick turnaround satellite imaging company that publishes image data to devices via the Internet.

Understanding NGE’s Ethic and Approach

The goal of NGE has always been one of vision and transformation. This all started when Dr. Cooley, was lucky enough to study at the University of Manitoba under Dr. David G. Barber, who established the Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS). 

“I was not entirely sure where I was going back then, and there wasn't much of a radar path to follow at that time, but I stayed on it and slowly made sense of the technology. Then one day you get to escape velocity, and it all comes together.” 

He shared how persistence shaped his career path and how, over time, he realized he was creating a trail for others to follow. That's when it became truly interesting for him.

“I enjoyed publishing in science, but my goal as a professional has always been to promote that R&D should track more often to the people who need it. Let’s face it. We have plenty of professors teaching. It’s time for change, so NGE will push down this path to demonstrate the need exists and [that] there is a way to offer solutions that real people will adopt.”

Near Real-Time Satellite Radar Imaging

Radar imaging might be unfamiliar to many, even though it's been around in various forms for decades. “When you are thinking… [how] can radar help my problem… do not be detracted from the unfamiliar,” he emphasizes, noting that while radar technology is still evolving, it's here to stay.

n fact, governments currently launching constellations of radar satellites into orbit have committed to continuing these efforts through signed agreements extending beyond 2040. Because there are an increasing number of radar satellites in orbit each year, access will become easier and the value derived will also continue to grow. He just had one piece of wise advice for the other early adopters, "hold your course and learn to appreciate the value that radar imagery brings."

 Near real-time satellite radar imaging is an all-weather technology that effectively detects changes over time from low Earth orbit, approximately 700 km above the Earth. Unlike optical satellites, which use light from the sun after it reflects from the surface of the Earth, radar platforms have their own energy source. As a result, high-resolution images can be taken from space to “see” at night, through clouds, in the cold of winter, and through snow to freshwater ice, for example. This unique ability demonstrates how radar attributes offer promise for tracking environmental change over time.

“The thing that spurred us into NRT services was the radar imagery. It was [a] proof in hand. You can get it day or night pretty much year-round with few environmental effects that create uncertain conditions. You can’t do reliable NRT imaging with optical satellite data because of cloud cover. Satellite Radar is a game changer, and that’s not an overstatement.”

Hearing this from Dr. Cooley proves once again that facts are well known to science; a radar image displays scattering off Earth's surfaces and yes—even volumes, and radar data captured at a specific frequency penetrates some surfaces, whereas others it does not. 

“Radar data works. It’s true you can’t just look at a radar image and make sense of it because the image is not [the] reflected light that you and I both use to guide our day, which is normal.” 

Since this isn't an intuitive method to look at images, NGE, working under his direction, didn't wait long before the R&D company leaped headfirst into the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for classification.

Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI, particularly machine learning, has revolutionized what scientists can achieve with data compared to just a decade ago.

“There’s a lot of buzz about AI now, which I am not really fond and do not participate in as most of the conversation is not productive… We have pushed hard on our lake ice hazards platform in terms of AI. We have learned far more than we expected. The fact is machine learning of radar images is a consumptive and intensive process, but when guided properly it really works!”

NGE's ongoing IceTime™ project, the first and only AI-powered lake ice hazard mapping application, demonstrates this assertion. He admits that sometimes findings can be complex and hard to render, but he also recognizes that this is an inconvenient truth.

 “The fact is when you are on the cutting-edge, you will trip on so many things just because you are first… We take a pragmatic step-wise approach that always keeps doors open and our ears to the ground, so we don’t have to relearn anything twice. That is why we will stay ahead of the competition for some time to come. We as a company are chest-deep in AI. We harnessed machine learning in a big way. Most of us love it simply because we are good at it, and it shows.”  

NextGen’s Environmental Science Applied: Our Innovative Apps

NGE is currently working on an overland flooding satellite radar project, which aims to build community resilience against flood risks, and Dr. Cooley with visible frustration said, 

“We learned a whole lot about water scattering in radar images at freeze-up in the lake ice hazards platform, but the fact is freshwater is a bit of a chameleon at certain wavelengths. So, yeah, we’re still confronting the beast each day but are making [a] good headway now, thank goodness! It’s one of those things when somebody says to you-- oh, you’re working on that… See you later… much later!”

NGE offers a growing number of apps as part of its environmental initiatives, with the company's services focused on addressing environmental challenges and helping communities adapt. 

“You know, all of this technology really is fun and takes us places we otherwise could not go. This is good, but if NGE was not an R&D company, the underlying data that shows radar data works in our use cases otherwise would not exist. It’s tough to beat boots on the ground and we excel at that, too. Don’t forget NGE is rooted in science.”