Joint Research Lab

Last changes 02.10.2008
by Uwe Stilla

The Joint Research Lab (JRL) is a cooperation between the Technical University Munich (TUM) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). It is supported by the German Helmholtz Association of National Research Centres. The partners involved are the TUM Institute of Photogrammetry and Cartography (IPK) and the DLR Remote Sensing Technology Institute (IMF).

The research topic of the JRL is Image Understanding for High Resolution Remote Sensing. A major scientific focus is on the development of methods for automated data interpretation of Germanys first civilian radar-satellite system TerraSAR-X. Additionally, in the course of data fusion, techniques based on complementary data, e.g., high resolution optical data, will be developed to achieve a new quality of satellite products.

The Joint Research Lab takes advantage of the specific and complementary R&D environments of a university and a national research institute, and cooperation in the JRL is facilitated by the physical proximity of the two institutions. TUM provides expertise and academic research in geographic information sciences majored in photogrammetric methods, object extraction, knowledge discovery and cartographic visualisation. DLR provides remote sensing data processing algorithms and software systems, simulators, access to satellite data, and is responsible for developing the TerraSAR-X ground segment. Through the integration of a Helmholtz Young Investigators Group, young and talented researchers are directly involved in exciting current research projects in space-borne remote sensing.

Short description of JRL [Flyer, PDF format, 140 kB]