Monica Gherardelli

Rainfall and Clutter Discrimination by Means of Dual-linear Polarization Radar Measurements

Abstract The presence of undetected mixed-phase precipitation or superimposed intense clutter can cause serious errors in the estimation of rainfall rate and other parameters of precipitation occurring in the radar scattering volume. To reduce or avoid these errors it is necessary to distinguish between the rain echo, and that due to other types of precipitation, and between precipitation radar echoes and ground clutter. Multiparameter radar measurements may be exploited for this discrimination. In particular, it is demonstrated that dual-linear polarization measurements may play a major role in this process. Sample radar data are employed to illustrate several different tests to classify radar data: the results refer to comparisons of dual-polarized echoes due to precipitation (rain or mixed-phase event) and land with echoes from land alone. This is illustrated by example through the application of a series of tests on a clutter-contaminated dual-polarized dataset obtained during the May Polarization Exp...

3D LASER SCANNING OF HISTORIC MOLDS FOR DOCUMENTING THE RICHARD-GINORI FACTORY COLLECTION

Abstract This paper illustrates the use of three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning to produce virtual models from plaster piece molds of the Richard-Ginori porcelain factory (Sesto Fiorentino, Italy). This study was carried out as part of a long-term project to document the artifacts of the factory including porcelain sculpture, models in wax, terracotta, and plaster, as well a collection of several thousand plaster piece molds dating from the mid-18th to the early 20th century. The objects contained inside the molds are often not recognizable as the molds are made up of several pieces and the internal surfaces are, of course, in negative. Previously, the identification of the molds’ subject matter has been limited to recasting porcelain models to produce positives. This time-consuming process can compromise the preservation of the molds. Virtual reconstruction using 3D laser scanning was applied to a set of plaster molds for a statuette called the Giant. Comparison of the virtual reproduction to the original model in terracotta demonstrated it was a faithful copy. The method described in this paper proves that identification of the subject and preservation of the molds are possible with numerous benefits over the traditional process for producing finished porcelain artifacts.

Dynamic threshold cloud detection algorithm improvement for AVHRR and SEVIRI images

The aim of this work is to present a simple and fast automatic cloud detection algorithm for Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) satellite images. The algorithm was developed by the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications (University of Florence) for the Satellite Receiving Station of Prato Campus (University of Florence), where AVHRR and SEVIRI data have been directly received since 1997. The algorithm is designed to meet the need for real-time operational processing of land and sea products, such as vegetation indexes and regional land/sea surface temperature maps (i.e. Italy). It is developed as simple and fast processing which does not need to use ancillary data. The algorithm is tested for AVHRR and SEVIRI images directly received at the Station which are characterized by different percentages of cloudy pixels. Algorithm results are compared with control cloud masks, which are created manually by a visual inspection of the image to be cloud screened.

OFDM radar signals for both surveillance and navigation aids to landing aircrafts

In the Air Traffic Control domain, currently the airport primary radar performs surveillance function, while dedicated radio channels in the VHF band allow ground-air voice communications, which notify information about ground conditions. It is believed of interest in increasing security in the most sensitive phases of landing, to explore the possibility to combine the traditional tracking function performed by airport primary radar (radar function) with a broadcast communication function. This function simultaneously and automatically provides aircrafts, monitored near real-time, with a series of particularly useful data, such as local air-meteorological conditions and management of airport runways. This information is integrated in the waveform emitted by the radar, thus implementing a broadcast transmission channel, whose content can be automatically decoded by the aircraft equipped with an appropriate receiving system. This paper illustrates a preliminary feasibility analysis of using radar&communication techniques in this particular application, and consequent parameters setting.

SITMar project: An integrated platform for goods monitoring in multimodal transport

The SITMar project (Integrated System for Maritime Transport) is an applied research project in the maritime freight providing a set of innovative real-time services for maritime surveillance and goods monitoring. SITMar services are offered on an integrated platform. Specifically, in this paper the system architecture and services for monitoring and tracking of containerized goods during both terrestrial and maritime transport are described. Performance of this system was tested by means of a suitably implemented demonstrator.

Project for the Cataloguing of the Antique Moulds of the Ginori Factory at Doccia

Using the sophisticated digital technologies that have been recently developed, the project that we are presenting here has the objective of cataloguing a vast and varied collection of moulds acquired by the Ginori factory in Doccia (Sesto Fiorentino, Florence) from the 1740s until the first decades of the 20th century. The moulds can be classified into two main categories: those made in the workshops of the sculptors working in bronze, most of whom were Florentine artists active in the 18th century, and those that were made by modelers in the factory using sculptures from private collections (in particular, antique marbles and bronze statuettes) or models that were specially made in the factory. The project is organized according to two workflows and includes the creation of a system for archiving, managing and retrieving the information which is called the Doccia Digital Archive System (DDA System). The first workflow is used for the sets of moulds for which we have no information concerning the positive (archetype). For the non-invasive exploration of the moulds we used 3D scans of the inside of the mould followed by the virtual reconstruction of the figure. The second workflow deals with groups of moulds that were part of the documentary campaigns conducted in 1960-1968 and in 2009-2010. For both of the workflows, there is an art historical study that completes the description of the sets of moulds being examined. The input into the DDA System of this vast quantity of heterogeneous data gathered during the development of the two workflows will make it possible for users at the Doccia Museum and the factory as well as ceramic restorers and scholars in Italy and other countries to make use of the information and the images.

Evaluation of a fully self-consistent methodology to correct attenuation and differential attenuation at C-band

A methodology to correct reflectivity factor and differential reflectivity at C-band for rain attenuation is presented and evaluated. The methodology is based on a full self-consistency condition describing the interrelation between polarimetric measurements and attenuation or differential attenuation along the rain medium. Evaluation is performed both using C-band profiles generated from S-band radar measurements collected by the NCAR S-Pol radar as well as data collected at C-band by the Polar 55 C radar in Italy. Evaluation shows improvement in performance with respect to the available techniques. In particular, it shows the capability to remove any systematic bias that could arise from drop size distribution variability from attenuation and differential attenuation estimates.

Improving rainfall measurement accuracy in spaceborne rain radar over sea

The problem of improving techniques for rainfall intensity estimation over the sea surface through spaceborne rain radars is analysed. In such case, the backscattered signal is composed of a rainfall volumetric contribution and of the sea surface contribution, which gives rise to the problem of extracting the information of interest from the composite echo. In particular, the authors focus on the problem of deriving a better estimation of the rain perturbed backscattering coefficient of the sea surface from polarimetric measurements, as a means for achieving such improvements. The effects of the additional roughness of the sea surface due to the rainfall have been taken into account and analysed by resorting to an electromagnetic model able to provide a full polarimetric description of the rainfall perturbed sea surface.

Toward a Novel Medical Device Based on Chromatic Pupillometry for Screening and Monitoring of Inherited Ocular Disease: A Pilot Study

Chromatic pupillometry is a relatively novel research tool for retinal function evaluation and may be an appropriate and easier way to diagnose and monitor inherited retinal diseases in paediatric population. Nevertheless, although the method is clinically feasible in paediatric populations, as shown by several non-ocular studies, only few studies, on a small size sample of paediatric subjects, are available. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no medical device based on chromatic pupillometry was CE-marked for diagnosis and/or monitoring of these conditions. Therefore, we designed a pilot study in order to evaluate clinical feasibility, reliability and utility of chromatic pupillometry. The study sample consists of sixty patients, affected by inherited ocular diseases. A pupillometric system, including definition of pupillometric protocols, have been set up. In the current paper, we present the comparison between the measurements obtained in one patient affected by Retinitis Pigmentosa and a healthy age-matched control in order to disclose differences in chromatic pupillometry parameters between case and control.

Network service description model for VNF orchestration leveraging intent-based SDN interfaces

Network Function Virtualization and Software Defined Networking promise to radically innovate the way network services are provisioned, especially in terms of dynamic and flexible service delivery. Although the problem of NFV/SDN orchestration is recently gaining increasing interest, the problem of how effectively realizing the as-a-service exposure of network functions and services remains essentially uninvestigated. Leveraging service-oriented principles and best practices, in this paper we propose a two-layer service-oriented description model and a logical architecture for network service provisioning distinguishing business and orchestration scopes. Our proposal takes into account ETSI specifications for NFV orchestration and intent-based abstractions for the SDN controller northbound interface. We present a preliminary validation of the proposed approach focusing on the orchestration layer, based on a Proof of Concept development and testing. Finally, we discuss future work.