Graduate School of Engineering
Kyushu University
Research Skills
GIS & Remote Sensing
■ GIS
A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth’s surface. GIS can show many different kinds of data on one map, such as streets, buildings, and vegetation. This enables people to more easily see, analyze, and understand patterns and relationships. (National Geographics)
I use GIS for urban studies at high-resolution by combining many layers, such as, land-use, real estate prices, income, infrastructure, transportation, shopping facilities, demographics, green space.
Author
■ Remote Sensing
Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object and thus is in contrast to on-site observation. The advantages of remote sensing are real time accessibilies to worldwide data.
JAXA (ALOS-3)
I use remote sensing for creating global and local data, such as carban dioxcides, air pollutions, urban green spaces, and land-use.
Author
● 1st Example
COVID-19 has restriced many economic activies. On the other hand, CO2 and air pollutions declined due to the less economic activities. Remote sensing allows us to visualize monetary benefits from CO2 reduction.
● 2nd Example
Night-time light become a proxy of the economic activities such as GDP. Remote sensing allows us to analyze the geographical distribution of economic activies and its inequalities. In addition, we can estimate the impacts of events and the recoveries, such as natural disasters and COVID-19.
NASA (satelite image)
JAXA
left: ALOS, 2.5m resolution
right: ALOS-3, 0.8 resolution (simulated image)
● 3rd Example (future work)
High-resolution satelite images allow us to structurelize urban areas. Currently, there are only limited sources of green spaces, such as urban parks. JAXA is planning to launch ALOS-3, whose resolution is 0.8 meters. Using the high-resolution image, we can evaluate the importance of green space in urban areas and urban planning of municipalities.