Access to Global Satellite Composite Imagery on Mobile Devices

A major challenge in mobile-device map application development is to offer rich content and features with simple and intuitive controls and fast performance. Our goal is to bring visualization and animation of near real-time weather and earth observation information derived from satellite and sensor data to mobile devices. Mobile devices offer spatial and temporal awareness with persistent data connections, allowing timely displays to the user's geographic and time context.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) has developed a native app to display and animate full resolution, real-time global composite satellite imagery on iOS- and Android-based mobile devices. WxSat leverages SSEC's RealEarth Web Map Services (WMS) to provide near real-time access to visible, infrared, and water vapor channel composites. These images are constructed hourly by SSEC using data from over 10 geostationary and polar orbiting satellites. The capability exists to deliver these products directly to the user allowing them to animate, and freely roam around as they choose.