Detection of Texture Anomalies on the Ground (DTAG)

Footprints trails left on unimproved roads during illegal border crossings are often useful starting places for Border Patrol Agents to begin their pursuits. Currently searching for footprints involves CBP agents driving over long stretches of road and visually searching for signs of human activities. In this technology and product development effort, Lynntech proposes to develop a COTS mobile-device based system (smart-phones and tablets) which can utilize vehicle-mounted COTS cameras to automatically scan upcoming segments of road for human footprint trails. In the Phase I Lynntech successfully proved the feasibility of this approach and demonstrated real-time footprint detection at a Kingsville, Texas border patrol station using COTS components mounted on a moving vehicle. In the Phase II effort, Lynntech will increase footprint trail detection performance and make the developed system easier for border patrol agents to integrate into their day-to-day operations. This work includes modifications to the system to enable footprint trail detection at night, as well as changes to the user interface to enable users to maximize detection performance over different border road soil types. Multiple rounds of on-site visits to border patrol stations over the Phase II period ensure system relevance to DHS and to border patrol agents' day-to-day operations. The proposed footprint detection approach has direct commercial use by Customs and Border Patrol to enhance border agent performance. Additionally, the technology can be used to automate the detection of surface defects on large airport runways.