HI SNR Lab

Research

The High-quality Imaging, Signals, N’ Radar (HI-SNR) laboratory develops data assimilation, computational imaging, and signal processing methods in two areas:

1. Multistatic Radar for Environmental Applications
We develop multistatic radars and algorithms for retreiving properties of the environment for the following purposes: 1. Equip scientists with the tools needed to improve our understanding of the environment. We develop radar-based methods for making measurements of environmental processes at a quality or scale that is not possible with existing tools. This includes projects such as generating 2D maps of the temperature distribution inside glaciers. 2. Develop systems than enable resource monitoring and improved resource management. This includes projects such as monitoring soil moisture for improved irrigaiton practices. We are a crib to grave team that puts environmental solutions into the hands of scientists and and environmental agencies.
2. Computational Photography
We develop computational photography algorithms that improve image quality, make camera performance more equitable, and reconstruct 2-4D images from incomplete data.

Research Areas in Computational Photography

Equitable Imaging

Equitable Imaging

We develop equitable imaging methods that ensure beautiful, crisp images for all users. From the technical side, this includes improved skin tone mapping, 3A algorithms, and composite photography that adapt to a user’s skin tone and the surrounding scene.

Behavioral Studies for Improved Imaging

Behavioral Studies for Improved Imaging

We research human behavioral processes that influence subjective interpretation of image quality and integrate findings from these studies into improved imaging algorithms.

Compressive Sensing

Compressive Sensing

We develop imaging methods and rendering algorithms for reconstructing 3D images from reduced dimensionality data.

Research Areas in Environmental Radar

Cryosphere Radars

Cryosphere Radars

We are inventing radar techniques to measure ice properties at scales previously unexplored. The systems she develops provide measurements that better constrain ice sheet models to improve the accuracy of sea level rise predictions.

Biosphere Radars

Biosphere Radars

We are developing radars and data assimilation techniques for 3D mapping of vegetation structure and water content to improve wildfire risk predictions, CO2 sequestration assessment, and ecosystem health.

Near Subsurface Radar

Near Subsurface Radar

We are creating new methods of monitoring our limited resources including drone-based soil moisture estimation and satellite-based aquifer volume retrievals.

Highlighted

2020 IGARSS Prize Paper Award Winner
Processing-Based Synchronization Approach for Bistatic Radar Glacial Tomography
This novel processing based synchronization approach allows coherent long-offset radar processing. This is a key enabling technology for radar tomography of glaciers.
N. Bienert, D.. Schroeder, S. Peters, M. Siegfried

All

2025

Multi-Offset Radio-Echo Sounding for Estimation of Englacial and Subglacial Thermal Conditions and Material Properties
Multi-Offset Radio-Echo Sounding for Estimation of Englacial and Subglacial Thermal Conditions and Material Properties
Daniel May, Dustin Schroeder, Paul Summers, Thomas Teisberg, Anna Broome, Nicole Bienert
Copernicus GmbH  ·  20 Jan 2025  ·  doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu24-61

2024

A Concept For Multistatic Radar Tomography Of Crop Root Zone Soil Moisture
A Concept For Multistatic Radar Tomography Of Crop Root Zone Soil Moisture
Nicole Bienert, Mahta Moghaddam
IGARSS 2024 - 2024 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium  ·  07 Jul 2024  ·  doi:10.1109/igarss53475.2024.10640578

2023

Bistatic Radar Tomography of Shear Margins: Simulated Temperature and Basal Material Inversions
Bistatic Radar Tomography of Shear Margins: Simulated Temperature and Basal Material Inversions
Nicole Bienert, Dustin M. Schroeder, Paul Summers
IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing  ·  01 Jan 2023  ·  doi:10.1109/TGRS.2022.3213047

2022

Side-Facing UHF-Band Radar System to Monitor Tree Water Status
Side-Facing UHF-Band Radar System to Monitor Tree Water Status
Krishna Rao, Yesenia J. Ulloa, Nicole Bienert, Nona R. Chiariello, Natan M. Holtzman, …, Sean T. Peters, Keith Winstein, Davide Castelletti, Dustin M. Schroeder, Alexandra G. Konings
IGARSS 2022 - 2022 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium  ·  17 Jul 2022  ·  doi:10.1109/igarss46834.2022.9883620
SFMCW Orthogonal Wave Beamforming Concept for Distributed Orbital Sounding
SFMCW Orthogonal Wave Beamforming Concept for Distributed Orbital Sounding
Nicole Bienert, Mark S. Haynes, Dustin M. Schroeder, Robert M. Beauchamp
IGARSS 2022 - 2022 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium  ·  17 Jul 2022  ·  doi:10.1109/igarss46834.2022.9883236
Processing and Detecting Artifacts in Multi-Input Multi-Output Phase-Sensitive ICE Penetrating Radar Data
Processing and Detecting Artifacts in Multi-Input Multi-Output Phase-Sensitive ICE Penetrating Radar Data
Akua A. McLeod, Sean T. Peters, Riley Culberg, Dustin M. Schroeder, Nicole L. Bienert, Winnie Chu, Tun Jan Young, Poul Christoffersen
IGARSS 2022 - 2022 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium  ·  17 Jul 2022  ·  doi:10.1109/igarss46834.2022.9883837
Post-Processing Synchronized Bistatic Radar for Long Offset Glacier Sounding
Post-Processing Synchronized Bistatic Radar for Long Offset Glacier Sounding
Nicole L. Bienert, Dustin M. Schroeder, Sean T. Peters, Emma J. MacKie, Eliza J. Dawson, Matthew R. Siegfried, Rohan Sanda, Poul Christoffersen
IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing  ·  01 Jan 2022  ·  doi:10.1109/TGRS.2022.3147172

2021

Glaciological Constraints on Link Budgets for Orbital Radar Sounding of Earth's ICE Sheets
Glaciological Constraints on Link Budgets for Orbital Radar Sounding of Earth's ICE Sheets
Dustin M. Schroeder, Nicole L. Bienert, Riley Culberg, Emma J. MacKie, Thomas O. Teisberg, Winnie Chu, Duncan A. Young
2021 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium IGARSS  ·  11 Jul 2021  ·  doi:10.1109/igarss47720.2021.9553237
Debris: Distributed Element Beamformer Radar for Ice and Subsurface Sounding
Debris: Distributed Element Beamformer Radar for Ice and Subsurface Sounding
Mark S. Haynes, Robert M. Beauchamp, Ala Khazendar, Rayan Mazouz, Marco B. Quadrelli, Paolo Focardi, Richard E. Hodges, William Bertiger, Nicole Bienert
2021 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium IGARSS  ·  11 Jul 2021  ·  doi:10.1109/igarss47720.2021.9554746
Inferring Ice Fabric From Birefringence Loss in Airborne Radargrams: Application to the Eastern Shear Margin of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica
Inferring Ice Fabric From Birefringence Loss in Airborne Radargrams: Application to the Eastern Shear Margin of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica
T. J. Young, D. M. Schroeder, T. M. Jordan, P. Christoffersen, S. M. Tulaczyk, R. Culberg, N. L. Bienert
Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface  ·  01 May 2021  ·  doi:10.1029/2020JF006023
Polarimetric radar-sounding to infer and quantify shear margin ice fabric anisotropy
Polarimetric radar-sounding to infer and quantify shear margin ice fabric anisotropy
Tun Jan Young, Thomas M Jordan, Carlos Martín, Dustin M Schroeder, Poul Christoffersen, Slawek M Tulaczyk, Riley Culberg, Nicole L Bienert
Copernicus GmbH  ·  03 Mar 2021  ·  doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2107

2020

Processing-Based Synchronization Approach for Bistatic Radar Glacial Tomography
Processing-Based Synchronization Approach for Bistatic Radar Glacial Tomography
Nicole L. Bienert, Dustin M. Schroeder, Sean T. Peters, Matthew R. Siegfried
IGARSS 2020 - 2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium  ·  26 Sep 2020  ·  doi:10.1109/igarss39084.2020.9323969

2017

Inflatable antenna for CubeSat: A new spherical design for increased X-band gain
Inflatable antenna for CubeSat: A new spherical design for increased X-band gain
Alessandra Babuscia, Jonathan Sauder, Aman Chandra, Jekan Thangavelautham, Lorenzo Feruglio, Nicole Bienert
2017 IEEE Aerospace Conference  ·  01 Mar 2017  ·  doi:10.1109/aero.2017.7943897