Contact

Start a project, request equipment, or arrange a scoping call. We respond within a few business days.

What to include in your message

You don't need every answer up front — anything you can share helps us scope faster. Include what you have; we'll work out the rest together.

  • Project goal in 1–3 sentences
  • What you have to start with — existing data, model weights, source 3D content, or nothing yet
  • What you need delivered — orthomosaic, classified point cloud, AI predictions, XR experience, processed dataset, methods write-up, etc.
  • Target dates and any hard deadlines
  • Affiliation and funding source — WashU department, partner organization, grant

How we work

Most projects move through three steps. We reply within a few business days, schedule a short scoping conversation to understand your goal, then send a written proposal with deliverables, timeline, and cost. Once agreed, we execute and deliver against scope. Initial scoping conversations are free.

The lab is open to WashU faculty, staff, students, and postdocs (recharge billing), and to external academic and industry collaborators (fee-for-service or sponsored research). The lab operates as a recharge facility under a User Agreement provided at scoping; rates are structured per project and scope-dependent. WashU users can review the WashU internal rate schedule (PDF, WashU login required); final cost is confirmed in a written estimate.

For an overview of the lab, see What We Do; field equipment is listed under Collect. For data and our STAC catalog, see Data.

Send a Message

We typically reply within a few business days.

Bill Winston

Geospatial Technology Specialist

First point of contact for project inquiries, equipment, and field-work coordination.

billwinston@wustl.edu

Alex Bradley

Director, Fossett Laboratory

Collaborations, methodology consultation, and partnerships.

Reach via the message form

Lab Address

Fossett Laboratory for Virtual Planetary Exploration
Rudolph Hall, MSC 1169
Washington University in St. Louis
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130

Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences (EEPS) →

Frequently asked questions

Who can use the lab?
Faculty, staff, students, and postdocs at Washington University in St. Louis, plus external academic and industry collaborators. Students typically engage through their faculty advisor's account.
How is pricing structured?
The lab operates as a recharge facility under a User Agreement, provided at project scoping. Internal (WashU) and external rates differ. We publish a WashU internal rate schedule for WashU users; because rates are structured per project and scope-dependent, we confirm final cost in a written estimate after a short scoping conversation. Initial scoping conversations are free.

WashU internal rate schedule (PDF · WashU login required)

How far in advance should I plan?
For field campaigns: typically 2–8 weeks, longer for international travel or specialized permits. For data processing of existing data: typically 1–3 weeks depending on scope and queue. Urgent requests are sometimes possible — ask.
Can the lab support work outside St. Louis?
Yes. We have supported field campaigns across the USA and internationally, including Indonesia, Madagascar, and Central Asia. International travel adds lead time and typically requires partner-organization coordination.
Do I have to use the lab to process my own data?
No. You can rent equipment, take training, and run your own pipeline. The lab also offers standalone data processing services if you have already collected data and want photogrammetric reconstruction, point cloud classification, or AI-based analysis.
What data formats do you deliver?
Cloud-native by default — Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF (COG), Cloud-Optimized Point Cloud (COPC), GeoPackage. Standard formats (GeoTIFF, LAS/LAZ, shapefile) on request. Custom formats negotiable.
Can my dataset be added to the public Fossett Lab catalog?
Often, yes. Datasets that aren't bound by an embargo or partner restriction can be published in our STAC catalog under a Creative Commons license, with attribution to you. Discuss this during scoping.
Do you provide training on equipment use?
Yes. Training is available for all lab equipment. Contact Bill Winston to arrange a session.
What AI and machine learning methods does the lab use?
Models in regular use: aerial / drone imagery analysis (DeepForest, SAM 2 + samgeo, thermal-video animal detection), remote-sensing foundation backbones (Clay, Prithvi-EO, Satlas, RemoteCLIP), and point-cloud segmentation (SegmentAnyTree, TreeLearn, with 3DFin as a classical baseline). The same pipelines run models from other fields: seismic phase picking (SeisBench), rainfall-runoff prediction (NeuralHydrology), powder-XRD phase identification (autoXRD), and genome-scale sequence modeling (Evo 2). Analysis runs on H100-class GPUs for training and large inference, with pipeline workloads on AWS, all in version-controlled containers. See /analyze for the full list.