Earth Search Sciences Receives Navy Contract to Assess Va. Coast
Using Breakthrough Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Technology
KALISPELL, Mont., July 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Earth Search Sciences,
Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: EDIS), the leading commercial provider of the
revolutionary hyperspectral technology, today announced that it has been
awarded a contract by the Naval Research Laboratory of the U.S. Navy to assess
the coastline of Virginia using the company's breakthrough remote sensing
instrument in an airborne survey.
Terms for the Navy contract with Earth Search were not disclosed. The
company said that the twice-daily -- high tide and low tide -- flights at
8,000 feet have already begun and that the project is part of a larger,
ongoing relationship with the Navy in which the results of airborne hyper
spectral remote sensing complement satellite data.
Hyperspectral sensing is the breakthrough imaging technology so precise it
can differentiate from an airborne vantage point a field of oats from a field
of barley -- and determine if the field is infested with insects or damaged by
nitrogen depletion -- or show clearly whether the metal object under a tree is
a car or a tank. The technology can detect changes in soil composition,
vegetal stress and chemical toxins.
"These flights are for the purpose of homeland security," commented Larry
Vance, chairman of Earth Search. "The data and techniques developed will be
applied to coastline evaluation on a global basis.
"Warfare has changed. The Navy no longer fights major sea battles, ship
against ship. The Navy now is a mobile staging vehicle that transports and
deploys men and equipment to every corner of the globe for the purpose of
in-country action. Because of this change in strategy, the Navy needs very
detailed information about the coastlines not only of our country but also of
every country in order to prepare and plan for delivery of men and machines."
While existing satellite and remote sensing technology provides the
ability to identify objects primarily by shape or spectral response, the
revolutionary hyperspectral imaging, by measuring the degree of spectral
reflectance of solar energy across the spectrum and creating a digital
fingerprint, can map specific minerals, compounds or any other surface
objects.
In addition to security applications, Earth Search hyperspectral
applications are used for environmental and oil and mineral surveys. For
example, the company has conducted an environmental survey for the Dian Fossey
Gorilla Fund surveying the Virunga conservation area in Rwanda in an airborne
hyperspectral-sensing probe to find and measure the distribution of bamboo and
nettles necessary to sustain mountain gorillas its natural habitat. Earth
Search has been surveying parts of Montana in a vegetation assessment and has
frequent assignments throughout the West and Southwest for mineral and oil
detection.
This news release includes forward-looking statements that involve a
number of risks and uncertainties. The information reflects numerous
assumptions as to industry performance, general business and economic
conditions, regulatory and legal requirements, taxes and other matters, many
of which are beyond the control of the company. Similarly, this information
assumes certain future business decisions that are subject to change. There
can be no assurance that thee results predicted here will be realized. Actual
results may vary from those represented, and those variations may be material. |
