Computational Methods for Applications in Imaging and Remote Sensing

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

The investigators, along wit their students and collaborators, will develop novel mathematical formulations and computational techniques for applications in data science, remote sensing, atmospheric sciences, and medical imaging. This multidisciplinary research includes advancement of discovery and understanding of many natural phenomena and the development of new imaging sciences methods for the medical field. Super-resolution of hurricane imagery will be of value to science, where many aspects of hurricane formation and strength prediction are still unknown, and to society, which could benefit from more accurate information being used in forecasts of storm strength and development. Improving the quality of images distorted by atmospheric turbulence will have applications in defense, while improving image registration algorithms will tremendously help research, diagnosis, and treatment decisions in the medical field. This project will provide support for one graduate student per year. The project's activities will provide links between efficient mathematical formulations, imaging approaches and applications in remote sensing, atmospheric sciences, and medical imaging, where similar approaches have not yet been attempted. Novel variational approaches, iterative and numerical analysis techniques will be developed for solving these and related inverse problems. In particular, this investigation will study novel robust variational approaches and their numerical approximations, including: a new combined deconvolution and geometric correction variational model for restoration of atmospherically-distorted images; local and nonlocal total variation regularized super-resolution method and an efficient computational algorithm for space-time deconvolution of low-resolution sequences; novel applications of multiscale hierarchical decompositions to blind deconvolution and image registration. The investigators will promote multidisciplinary teaching, training and learning. Mathematics students will be exposed to a broad range of topics and techniques: (i) in applied and computational mathematics, image processing and analysis, and (ii) topics outside mathematics, including remote sensing, atmospheric sciences, and medical imaging. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.