Opportunistic Rainfall Monitoring from Single Pictures Using Artificial Intelligence

Urban flood risk mitigation requires fine-scale near-real-time precipitation observations that are challenging to obtain from traditional monitoring networks. Novel data and computational techniques offer a valuable potential source of information. This study explores an unprecedented, device-indepe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nicla Maria Notarangelo, Kohin Hirano, Raffaele Albano, Aurelia Sole
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-10-01
Series:Environmental Sciences Proceedings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4931/21/1/35
Description
Summary:Urban flood risk mitigation requires fine-scale near-real-time precipitation observations that are challenging to obtain from traditional monitoring networks. Novel data and computational techniques offer a valuable potential source of information. This study explores an unprecedented, device-independent, artificial intelligence-based system for opportunistic rainfall monitoring through deep learning models that detect rainfall presence and estimate quasi-instantaneous intensity from single pictures. Preliminary results demonstrate the models’ ability to detect a significant meteorological state corroborating the potential of non-dedicated sensors for hydrometeorological monitoring in urban areas and data-scarce regions. Future research will involve further experiments and crowdsourcing, to improve accuracy and promote public resilience.
ISSN:2673-4931