What We Do
Field-science services across the research lifecycle — available on their own or end to end.
The Fossett Lab takes on the technical work around observation — field surveys, data processing, analysis, and open publishing — so research groups can stay focused on their questions instead of the tools behind them.
From the field to discovery
Every dataset is handled the same way — automated, versioned, and repeatable.
The pipeline climbs from field data through cloud storage, automated processing, AI analysis, and visualization to research products and, finally, discovery.
- Field Data
- Cloud Storage
- Automated Processing
- AI Analysis
- Visualization
- Research Products
- Discovery
- Field Data
- Cloud Storage
- Automated Processing
- AI Analysis
- Visualization
- Research Products
- Discovery
The research lifecycle
Four stages, each available on its own or as part of an end-to-end project.
01
Collect
Drone surveys, terrestrial laser scanning, GNSS, total stations, and ground-penetrating radar — run end-to-end by lab staff, or by collaborators we train.
Explore Collect →02
Process
Raw field data become research-ready products — photogrammetric reconstruction, orthomosaics, and point clouds — through reproducible, automated pipelines.
Explore Process →03
Analyze
Deep-learning segmentation and classification, GIS workflows, and statistical analysis, delivered as version-controlled code with methods documentation.
Explore Analyze →04
Share
Publication figures, interactive 3D viewers, XR experiences, and an open data catalog with programmatic STAC access.
Explore Share →Models and compute
Beyond the research lifecycle, the lab runs models on its own compute for other groups, and advises on applying machine learning to their data — helping choose an approach, then build and evaluate the models. Much of this work involves deep learning and foundation models for imagery and point clouds, but the same pipelines run models from other fields: seismic phase picking, rainfall-runoff prediction, powder-XRD phase identification, and genome-scale sequence models. The emphasis throughout is on methods a group can reproduce and keep using on its own.
Talk to Us About AIAccess & Rates
Open to WashU researchers, external collaborators, and industry partners. The lab operates as a recharge facility under a User Agreement, and initial scoping conversations are free.
See Access & RatesReady to start, or have questions?
Lead times, training, data formats, and other common questions are answered on the Contact page. Reach out and we'll respond within a few business days.
Contact the Lab