Our Mission - DiGTL is committed to pioneering and exploring innovative technology-driven methods for perceiving, comprehending, and engaging with both our natural and human-created surroundings. We envision a world where cutting-edge technology not only deepens our understanding of the environment but also forges stronger connections between individuals and the landscapes that surround them. Our Projects As a laboratory operating within the Center for Geospatial Research (CGR), we harness the innovative potential of our faculty and students to create and integrate tools across a range of initiatives. Our work has strong teaching/learning components and involves hands-on training of undergraduate and graduate students from multiple departments at the University of Georgia. Our projects have had a widespread impact, reaching thousands of individuals within the UGA/Athens community and beyond through classes, demonstrations, presentations, and events. Some of our ongoing projects comprise: > High throughput phenotyping in agriculture: use of drones and remote sensors (RGB, multispectral, LiDAR, hyperspectral) for biometric extraction in support of plant status evaluation, yield estimation and plant breeding. > Basic and applied research in remote sensing: target characterization and evaluation of spectral properties of targets using multi-angle view (Droniometer experiment) and profiling of lower atmosphere for urban heat island studies. > Geospatial Artificial Intelligence: implementation of a GeoAI solution and solution integration into a large unmanned vehicle for near-real time onboard processing and decision making during image collections in the field. > Cobb’s World: a technology-based cultural and historical heritage preservation project. Creation of photorealistic historical landscapes using drones and ground-based strategies for 3D modeling and the generation of digital twins representing buildings and surrounding landscapes in the 1850s. > Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality in the Geosciences: strategies for geovisualization of objects and phenomena using AR/VR. Includes the integration of GIS and game engines in the creation of AR/VR tools for mobile platforms and the creation of experiences for an augmented reality sandbox (e.g., agent-based, erosion, fire and sea level rise modeling). Supports immersive, experiential teaching/learning and research. > Color Vision Deficiency in the Geosciences: AR implementation for mobile devices that simulates CVD in support of inclusive data analysis and communication in the Geosciences. In the News
