Carlson Collaboration Draft Letter

FR: Dave Carlson

SUBJ: ATD Collaboration with UNIDATA

As you both know, ATD and UNIDATA have a productive history of
collaboration. ATD uses the UNIDATA LDM to manage data flow in our
S-POL radar observing systems network. ATD and UNIDATA have worked
jointly on the Integrated Data Viewer and previewed that tool, at least
for users of ATD systems, in the recent IHOP field project. As UNIDATA
works on its renewal proposal, I offer several goals for continued
collaboration.

I hope (and intend) that ATD continue to work with UNIDATA to develop
platform independent data analysis and
visualization tools for use by the research and education communities.
I hope that we continue progress on visualization and analysis tools for
rapid-update volume data as produced by ATD radars and lidars - I do not
see other commercial tools likely to meet the unique challenges
presented by these types of data. I also hope that we jointly explore
tools that allow merging of atmospheric data sets with land-use and
terrain data sets typically handled in GIS formats. ATD has plans for a
network of smart surface sensor units that would benefit greatly from
connection to GIS information.

More and more of ATD's data fits a definition of real-time. I would
like to see that data eventually become a component of the UNIDATA data
stream. In particular, the new HIAPER aircraft will have advanced
satellite communication systems and a need for real-time ground to air
interaction with instruments. ATD-UNIDATA collaboration on distribution
systems and display tools seems essential to ensure broad research and
educational applications of HIAPER and other real-time data streams.

ATD has moved steadily toward a remote control capability for field
projects. We recently operated a radar in Oregon from a classroom in
Seattle. The whole concept of field program information management,
with operational data streams, regular and special satellite imagery,
research products from multiple sensors operated by many different
groups, and real-time planning and coordination using networked display
tools, presents a challenge and and opportunity for ATD and UNIDATA.
Together we plan to show a concept for field project information sharing
next week at the NSF Observing Facilities Advisory Panel meeting. I
would like to see ATD and UNIDATA extend those preliminary concepts into
a larger vision of a future international field program seamlessly
integrated with future UNIDATA distribution systems and digital library
access systems.

We might consider all of these activities as fitting under the general
theme of merging research and education, in our cases developing common
tools and systems among the ATD user community focussed on research and
the UNIDATA community focussed on education. I could not spin these
ideas without the stimulus I get from the ATD-UNIDATA partnerships. I
do not consider that ATD could or would undertake any of these efforts
without guidance and shared effort from UNIDATA. Thanks very much for
this opportunity to contribute a few ideas to the UNIDATA proposal.