The Center

ICREST is the overarching Center for interdisciplinary research and development in the geographic information sciences and remote sensing (GIS/RS) area at the University of Missouri- Columbia. ICREST draws upon research faculty from the Colleges of Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, from the Graduate School and from the Office of the Vice Provost for Research to link GIS/RS technology and sustainable Decision Support Systems in Federal, state and local government for routinely providing policy information in an operational environment.

VISION
ICREST is poised to become the leading interdisciplinary, self-sustaining remote sensing research and development center serving the needs of and providing cost-effective geospatial solutions for federal, state and local government agencies, private sector firms, and non-governmental public agencies.

APPROACH
ICREST begins with application of the Quality Function Deployment methodology to determine user requirements. ICREST then conducts necessary research, performs verification and validation analyses, demonstrates applications, and facilitates transition to end user operations. Finally, ICREST delivers information products in a web-based decision support system.

CORE COMPETENCIES
Research – Algorithms and Information Products.
ICREST facilitates research to meet user requirements/needs, acquires data, develops algorithms, creates information products, validates and assesses products, develops User tools, and provides training.
Application demonstrations – Proof of concept
ICREST demonstrates the routine extraction of information from data and algorithms, creates custom information Products, defines data needs for each application, and demonstrates value of custom remote sensing information for unique applications.
Application and Operational development – Creation of a process
ICREST refines, enhances, and validates applications for
routine end users.

Operational and/or Commercial products – Transition to User
ICREST facilitates transition from development to routine operational use while meeting user needs and trains operational and commercial users.

PRODUCTS
ICREST has developed and demonstrated the use of high resolution information products for urban mapping and change detection. Product examples include:
— DEMs (Digital Elevation Models) with 1-3 m horizontal resolution and 1-3 m vertical accuracy
— Digital multi-spectral (MS) image basemaps with 0.25-1 m horizontal resolution and 2-3 m RMS horizontal accuracy
— urban land cover maps from MS image basemaps
— road network and building footprint maps for creating vector layers
— urban growth/change detection maps identifying location and type of change
— environmental inventories and assessments
— land cover information and related change detection and impact assessments

TOOLS
ICREST has created the following tools:
— conservation opportunity area priority setting algorithm
— aquatic gap analysis classification and assessment methodology
— a Web-based geospatial data visualization tool
— a Web-based decision support tool for urban prediction and environmental sensitivity analysis
— a Web-based remote sensing techniques education tool.

ICREST can be reached at:

Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Earth Science Technologies

Director: Dr.Verne Kaupp
University of Missouri-Columbia
349 Engineering Building West
Columbia MO 65211
Phone: 573-882-0793