WANDER:WHTS Airman Navigation and Direction EstimatoR

ABSTRACT: The Design Knowledge Companys (TDKCs) proposed WHTS Airman Navigation and Direction EstimatoR (WANDER) is a technique that combines innovative image feature selection, registration, tracking, and helmet position and angle calculation processes to provide accurate battlefield airman (BA) helmet orientation in geospatial coordinates.WANDER includes four principal components: (1) a helmet-mounted camera, (2) a Helmet Angle Calculator that includes Object Locator, Offset Detector, and Angle Estimator functions; and (3) a Position/Orientation Analyzer and Calculator that produces accurate, absolute helmet position and angular orientation in geospatial coordinates.The TDKC team is well-qualified to perform this research due to our related helmet tracking experience, success with similar development projects, and proven expertise with sensing, video/image processing, image registration, and real-time computing technologies.During Phase I, we will build, test, and demonstrate a WANDER Feasibility Testbedan early functional prototype to experimentally and analytically assess feasibility and to verify and demonstrate our feasibility conclusions to the Air Force.We will also produce a preliminary design that includes size, weight, and power (SWaP) assessment and an architecture and plan for integration into a BAO kit for testing in Phase II.Our Phase I effort will also produce an initial commercialization assessment.; BENEFIT: WANDER integrates innovative image processing and other sensing technologies to provide accurate battlefield airman (BA) helmet tracking at real-time video speed, using TDKCs existing and proven image registration technique, the Simple Topographical Area Registration Engine or STARE, and an automatic feature selection technique to assist the registration.WANDER provides this helmet tracking in a small-volume, transportable package with no setup or calibration requirements, and autonomous operation. WANDER offers cost-effective and accurate helmet tracking and geospatial positioning advantages to numerous government or military organizations that need to track helmets (or other objects) in real-time with high accuracy. Commercial applications are significant, predominantly in the gaming and security domains, as well self-orienting robots, drones or UAVsanywhere a camera can be mounted.WANDER is a lower-cost, higher-speed alternative to tracking vehicle, personnel, or object motion and geolocation in general, which may occur in numerous reconnaissance, surveillance, or other missions.