Space-time measurement of ocean waves using stereo vision systems

Speaker: Guillermo Gallego, TU-Berlin

Remote sensing imaging systems for the measurement of oceanic sea states have attracted renovated attention in the last decade. Imaging technology is economical, non-invasive and enables a better understanding of the space-time dynamics of ocean waves over an area rather than at selected point locations of previous monitoring methods (buoys, wave gauges, etc.). In this talk I present my personal journey in interdisciplinary research between engineering and science. In particular, in the context of studying ocean waves. Technology (cameras and computer vision / data science methods) can provide rich space-time measurements of Nature (ocean waves). Such acquired data can be used to analyze and validate new scientific theories about waves or to predict disasters caused by extreme events. In turn, Science helps to develop more efficient remote sensing systems, for example, by incorporating physical models (e.g., statistical properties of ocean waves) into the data processing pipeline.