Long-range Target Identification

This effort’s objective is developing algorithms that detect, isolate, and track individual scatterer returns in target clutter. The innovative signal processing algorithms proposed include novel tracking approaches, furthering a phase-sensitive range-compression method that provides sub-wavelength spatial resolution, exploiting the separation provided by Doppler processing for tracking separate scatterers, and advancing statistical analyses for sidelobe rejection and a better understanding of system sensitivities. This work will address four technical areas. A brief description of each follows. (1) We will build on existing algorithms that isolate, detect, and track individual scatterers. This involves methods for estimating scatterer amplitude densities online, refining track termination models, and modeling scatterer phase. (2) We will improve our phase-sensitive method for scatterer tracking that provides sub-wavelength accuracy. We will investigate methods for reducing or eliminating discrete errors that characterize this method. (3) We will exploit the signal separation offered by Doppler processing. While range compression offers some signal isolation due to the different ranges of individual scatterers, Doppler offers much more scatterer separation. (4) We will perform advanced statistical analyses, further isolating returns from individual scatterers via a sidelobe rejection method, describing the efficacy of the scatterer tracking process for target shape estimation. BENEFIT: At the completion of this effort, the proposed technologies will provide an algorithm suite for estimation of target size, shape, and motion. The algorithms apply in many commercial applications, including border protection, airport security, traffic analysis, and commercial security. In particular, DHS, the FAA, other government agencies, and commercial entities routinely need to analyze all traffic passing through a particular area. Furthermore, policing applications often require certain hot-spots to be intensely monitored for identifying unauthorized traffic, particularly in situations poorly equipped for traditional EO techniques (e.g., nighttime and poor weather conditions).