Water Effects Correction Software (WECS)

Infrared (IR) target scenes can suffer from distorting effects by atmospheric species present along the atmospheric paths through which the signals are propagated, causing errors in derived target characteristics (e.g., position, velocity, angle). The main contributor to these errors is refraction of the signals by water, in its various forms (e.g., vapor, cloud, air-ice mix, etc.), along the path. Turbulence phenomena and dynamic climate conditions change the parameters (water density, temperature, pressure) that affect the refraction. It is crucially important to correct for these distorting effects in order to accurately determine the position, velocity and angle of the target object. Spectral Sciences, Inc (SSI) in collaboration with CG2, Inc., proposes to develop a software algorithm, dubbed"Water Effects Correction Software"(WECS), to accurately model the distorting effects of water on IR scenes and correct for the errors they cause in the interpretation of target characteristics. The software will make use of weather databases to provide accurate atmospheric conditions for realistic simulations of scenes under dynamic climate conditions. The algorithms will be designed in Phase I to be suitable for acceleration to real time on board performance. The real time capable software will be our Phase II product.