One of the aspects we enjoy most at EORC is the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines. A recent example is our interaction with Moritz Heimbach and Fernando Rodriguez, PhD students in the Embedded Systems and Sensors for Earth Observation (ESSEO) group led by Prof. Marco Schmidt at the University of Würzburg.

Moritz and his colleagues are developing technologies at the intersection of Earth observation, embedded systems, and small satellite missions. As part of this work, they have been using our rotating globes to evaluate different camera systems and imaging concepts for future space applications. The experiments include testing multispectral cameras and investigating how mapping data can be acquired from satellite-like observation geometries using rotating globe surfaces as test targets.

These experiments fit well with the broader research activities of the ESSEO group, which develops technologies ranging from onboard computing and satellite image processing to CubeSat missions and Earth observation sensors and algorithms.

We greatly appreciate these informal collaborations between remote sensing scientists and computer scientists. They often lead to new ideas, unexpected perspectives, and practical opportunities to share infrastructure and expertise.

We are looking forward to following the development of the next generation of spaceborne sensors emerging from the ESSEO group and are excited to see how these technologies will contribute to future Earth observation missions.