The Partners
About eo-WIMEX
eo-WIMEX, funded by ESA, is a framework designed to enhance the development, execution, and reuse of wave interaction forward and inverse models created by the scientific community.
The framework aims to strengthen the role of these models in the support of future and existing Earth Observation missions, to improve their contribution to mission performance simulators and to support the advancement of Earth science applications within collaborative prototyping environments.
Wave Interaction models are crucial for understanding how electromagnetic waves interact with Earth's environment.
These models come in two main types:
Forward Models: These simulate how waves interact with natural features. By simulating these interactions, they help us understand and predict the data we get from satellite observations. In other words, they are crucial for figuring out how different environmental factors impact the signals we receive from space.
Inverse Models: These models transform observed data from space into meaningful geo-physical variables that scientists and researchers can use. They are the backbone of processing pipelines that turn raw satellite data into valuable insights on our planet.
Over the years, the scientific community has developed a wide range of these models, tailored to different environments and observation methods.
The past decade has seen a surge in Earth Observation data availability. This opened the opportunity to expand the use and testing of these forward and inverse models to benefit science and practical applications. However, it appeared sometimes difficult to reach this point. Many models weren't fully developed or were only tested on small datasets, making them hard to use with large amounts of data or modern techniques like machine learning.
These issues often made it difficult for users to engage with and utilize new models.
That’s where eo-WIMEX steps into the scene.
eo-WIMEX aims to elevate the performance of both new and existing forward and inverse models developed by the scientific community. By leveraging the unprecedented availability of Earth Observation data and utilizing parallel computing technologies, eo-WIMEX introduces a novel systematic approach to develop, validate, execute, share, and reuse these models, fostering collaboration and innovation.
This pilot project showcases the framework's potential, specifically targeting Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing applications over land.
The future versions of WIMEX are expected to support additional sensors and geophysical variables, as well as advanced retrieval techniques, serving current and new Earth Observation missions while improving user experience