Outback Rover, a prototype autonomous vehicle, is helping scientists improve the accuracy of Earth observation satellites that provide clues to Earth’s soil condition, mineralogy and vegetation.
Satellite data, used for resource exploration, environmental monitoring and agricultural management such as soil mapping, must be regularly cross-checked to ensure that observations are accurate.
This checking process, called vicarious calibration, is undertaken by ground crews who walk in grids or transects, taking measurements with hand-held devices known as spectrometers, as satellites travel overhead.
The acquired accurate data can then be used for a range of applications like exploration for mineral deposits and monitoring of soils.
Read more at CSIRO