Validation of RADARSAT-1 vessel signatures with AISLive data

Automatic identification system (AIS) data have the potential to contribute significantly to the development of automated algorithms for ship signature identification in remotely sensed imagery. Datasets composed of RADARSAT-1 imagery collected over a 3-month period and the corresponding AIS data from AISLive were compiled. SAR-derived ship length and radar cross section features were validated against AIS data, thus demonstrating the utility of AIS as a source of ground truth.