Why Bildkedde?

The remote sensing industry is missing a FOSS - yet high-fidelity and flexible - imaging system simulation framework to support trade studies, prototyping, and simulation use cases, especially for space-based imaging applications.

Bildkedde is a first step towards filling that need.

This library includes:

MTF correlation-based methods for efficient unresolved or poorly resolved far-field target image simulation
CCD and CMOS sensor component (and noise!) models
Utilities for leveraging empirically determined calibration products, masks, and noise models
Support for hardware acceleration on GPUs for efficient image chain execution
Generics which can be used to extend the applicability of image chain components to other fields or other types of imaging hardware
Ready to use pipelines common in imaging system workflows, abstracted for easy transfer to multiple application domains

Why the name?

Some lore: my grandparents were Pennsylvania Dutch, so I wanted the name to be a tribute to them. The language is primarily spoken - not written - and to a German speaker some pronunciations or grammar might seem incorrect, but are largely able to be understood. "Bild" means "image" in Pennsylvania Dutch, and "kedde" means chain ("kette" if you look this up in most German translations). Contracted - as Germanic folk love to do - we end up with "Bildkedde" which should be taken to mean literally "Image Chain". Now you know!