Algorithm Intercomparison Service

The Algorithm Intercomparison Service benchmarks various algorithms against each other, providing a quality metric for EO services that implement the same capability. This aids end users in making informed decisions about which algorithm to choose.

Additionally, this service assists in identifying the algorithms that would most benefit from ‘cloudification’ or enhancement, ensuring that only the most effective and efficient tasks are pursued.

Examples

Intercomparison of Sentinel-1 backscatter computation

The APEx framework allows to simplify intercomparison by offering different implementations of the same algorithm through the same interface. One such example is Sentinel-1 backscatter computation, for which there are three openEO implementations, all accessible via the sar_backscatter openEO process on different openEO backends:

Backend	Implementation
EODC	Sentinel-1 toolbox ‘SNAP’ implementation
CDSE	Orfeo implementation
Terrascope	A custom implementation on the Sentinelhub

While all three implementations implement sar_backscatter, they may vary in the range of parameters they accept. Therefore, the range of supported parameters becomes an important point of comparison, alongside the cost specified in platform credits and the correctness of the results.

Call for service providers

APEx is looking for a first category of algorithms to be intercompared. If you have an algorithm, consider onboarding it via the Toolbox cloudification service, and request your peers to do the same so that a first intercomparison can be initiated.

If you believe your implementation outperforms one currently available in the APEx catalog, feel free to contact us. We will further evaluate your case to determine if you have a potential candidate for intercomparison.