Multi-Target Track and ID with Persistent Hyperspectral Data

Military operations in urban warfare provide an added emphasis to effectively detect, track, and ID ground targets in challenging environments.  Given the high dynamic nature of ground targets and the ambiguity that may result from closely spaced targets, incorporation of feature data from sensors such as hyperpsectral imagery (HSI) cameras provides a means to disambiguate the tracking of these targets.  The benefit of using these sensors in multi-target tracking is the ability to build feature models for target tracks based on the spectral information over multiple wavelengths.  The video-based tracking community has demonstrated the ability to resolve closely spaced targets by incorporating color features versus intensity data alone.  The addition of 20 to 200 additional wavelengths has the potential to significantly improve a target trackers ability to distinguish among targets.  The Phase II effort will develop and demonstrate an innovative multiple target feature-aided tracking system and culminate in a hardware and software prototype for delivered to AFRL for on-going test and analysis. The system will focus on HSI feature-aided tracking of multiple targets in an urban setting using both real and simulated data collected from persistent surveillance platforms. BENEFITS: The results of the Phase II effort will provide a compelling resource for demonstrating the applicability of our system to DoD customers. The hardware and software demonstration tools will allow both Numerica and AFRL to directly illustrate the utility of an autonomous multiple target tracking system based on persistent hyperspectral data. This will appeal to customers ranging from researchers, who will see the potential enhancements that could be developed within the system, to users, who will be able to immediately recognize the operational benefit of employing our system. Admittedly, the system will have varying levels of capability for a given application, requiring additional effort to ensure it meets specific requirements. This is, however, in direct line with the commercialization concept of bringing a capability to a level that allows customers to realize the benefits of continued investment for the purpose of transition. In this regard, the Phase II program is essential in providing a foundation for Phase III where the validated concepts, innovative approaches, and tested methods could be transitioned to an operational system for a specific real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.