RSI Extends the Power of Envi4.1 !

RSI Extends the Power of Remote Sensing and Image Analysis with ENVI 4.1

The newest release of ENVI brings powerful, new spectral processing tools, data access capabilities and ease-of-use to the field of remote sensing.

Boulder, Colorado - October 5, 2004 - Research Systems, Inc. (RSI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ITT Industries, today announced the release of ENVI Version 4.1. ENVI 4.1 delivers exciting new capabilities, including new spectral processing and information extraction tools, updated support for file formats, enhanced orthorectification capabilities, numerous ease-of-use improvements, and much more.

"This release of ENVI represents one of the most important developments in spectral processing technologies this year," said Richard Cooke, president and COO of RSI. "The new BandMax?target detection wizard, and the SMACC endmember extraction algorithm, available exclusively in ENVI, are the result of RSI's continued focus on forging strategic alliances to further the field of remote sensing, and we are very excited to offer this capability to our customers."

New Spectral Tools Deliver Unsurpassed Target Detection and Process Automation

Version 4.1 builds on ENVI's set of industry-leading, spectral tools with the addition of the new Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) Target Finder with BandMax?Wizard. This wizard is especially useful when targets and backgrounds are very similar, or where the target is hidden or small relative to the pixel size of the image. The new BandMax?tool, exclusively available in ENVI, automatically finds the most relevant bands from a hyperspectral image and dramatically reduces false positives. BandMax can also be used outside of the wizard and in batch mode.

ENVI 4.1 also adds the Sequential Maximum Angle Convex Cone (SMACC), a more automated approach to ENVI's traditional spectral image processing workflow that requires less user knowledge and less time than other methods. With SMACC, users can now extract endmember spectra from a spectral image and map the subpixel abundances of those materials with even greater ease and speed.
  
The image on the left shows a traditional target detection attempt that failed to identify a hidden tank. On the right, the same image, processed in ENVI with BandMax, shows the successful detection of the obscured tank and the elimination of false positives.

Improved Data Access Tools Provide Even More File Format Compatibility

Continuing the ENVI tradition of providing unprecedented file format compatibility, ENVI 4.1 now includes improved data access tools. Users can now open LIDAR files in the recently published ASPRS LAS LIDAR format, view the LAS header information and import the LIDAR data as either a raster grid or as vector points. Users can also automatically georeference ENVISAT data (AATSR, ASAR and MERIS) using the georeferencing information stored in ENVISAT files, read and write ArcGIS GRID files (Windows only), calculate radiometric calibration, sea surface temperature, and automatically georeference AVHRR files in the ESA SHARP format, and read images (including map information) in the GeoJ2K format.

Enhanced Atmospheric Correction

Released for ENVI 4.1, FLAASH 4.1 allows for the correction of the effects of the atmosphere for both multispectral and hyperspectral images. FLAASH 4.1 corrects for water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone, as well as molecular and aerosol scattering and the adjacency effect. Users can now apply a wavelength calibration to hyperspectral images to determine the exact wavelengths measured by each band of a hyperspectral sensor.

Enhanced Orthorectification and Image Support

ENVI 4.1 now allows you to use ground control points to improve the accuracy of RPC orthorectification and apply RPC orthorectification to data from your own sensor using a new generic RPC orthorectification tool. Users can also now orthorectify SPOT 5 and OrbView-3 images in addition to IKONOS and QuickBird images.

Enhanced Ease-of-Use Options Improve the Image Analysis Environment

ENVI 4.1 includes many enhancements and new features that make it easier for both advanced and novice users to use, including an updated statistics reporting tool, the ability to interchangeably use vectors and regions of interest, the ability to export regions of interest directly to ESRI shapefiles and much more.

New programming routines have been added to ENVI 4.1 allowing users to distribute code more easily, georeference SeaWiFS data, and add the BandMax band optimization algorithm to their own code.

ENVI's 3D SurfaceView has been improved as well, allowing regions of interest and vectors to be overlaid and an animated visualization of a 360 degrees rotation can now be created automatically around a chosen point.

RSI will be showcasing ENVI 4.1 at the geoint 2004 conference in New Orleans, October 13-14. geoint 2004 is the premier event for the geospatial intelligence community bringing government, industry and military leaders together with leading suppliers and industry experts. Attendees are invited to drop by the ITT Industries Booth #701 for a demonstration.