Project Description

Contact Information

PRoVisG stands for “Planetary Robotics Vision Ground Processing”

It is a Collaborative Project in the frame of FP7-SPACE -2007-1.

Starting date:                Oct 1^st, 2008

Project duration:            39 Months

Official Link:                    http://www.provisg.eu

What does PRoVisG want to achieve?

PRoVisG will build a unified European framework for Robotic Vision Ground Processing. State-of-art computer vision technology will be collected inside and outside Europe to better exploit the image data gathered during future robotic space missions to the Moon and the Planets. This will lead to a significant enhancement of the scientific, technologic and educational outcome of such missions.

Why is PRoVisG important for Europe?

At present, mainly the US have realized planetary space missions with essential robotics background. Europe needs to catch up with leading-edge technology and science. By joining institutions, companies and universities from different established groups in Europe and two relevant players from US, PRoVisG will demonstrate the European ability to realize high-level processing of robotic vision image products from the surface of planetary bodies. In such way Europe gains independence and reputation as a competitive partner for international research and exploration missions to the Planets.

How does PRoVisG benefit European citizens?

PRoVisG will address the public by means of a final robotic field test in representative terrain. The European tax payers will be able to monitor the imaging and vision processing in a Mars – similar environment, thus getting an insight into the complexity and methods of processing, the potential and decision making of scientific exploitation of such data and not least the elegancy and beauty of the resulting image products and their visualization. The educational aspect is addressed by a summer school, presenting robotic vision to the students who are future providers of European science and technology, inside and outside the space domain.

PRoVisG Participating Institutions

• JOANNEUM RESEARCH, Graz, A, Institute of Digital Image Processing
• Aberystwyth University, UK, Department of Computer Science
• DLR, Berlin, D, Institute of Planetary Research
• Czech Technical University, Prague, CZ, Center for Machine Perception
• SciSys Ltd., Bristol, UK
• EADS Astrium, Stevenage, UK  
  
• Technical University Berlin, D, Department for Geodesy and Geoinformation Science
• University College London, UK, MSSL Planetary Science Group
• Ohio State University, Columbus, USA, Mapping and GIS Laboratory
• University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, Surrey Space Centre
• CSEM, Neuchatel, CH
• CNES, Toulouse, F

Associated

•   JPL, Pasadena, USA, Instrument Software Systems Section
•   Univ. Leicester, UK, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

Further Links

• PRoVisG in FP7 Project List
  
•  PRoVisG on Wikipedia

Funding