Automatic Three-Dimensional (3-D) Target Template Generation

The US Navy seeks improved capabilities to generate automatically 3-D target template data in support of the Tomahawk Cruise Missile Program. Our collective approach herein is divided between: (1) feature generation using enhancements to the IAVO TrueDEM DEM extraction tool and (2) a new high-level system called TrueTemplate that automatically builds 3-D target templates from the TrueDEM feature sets and any available a-priori knowledge about the targets and/or environment. Of prime importance for an automated solution are: - A capability to define man-made structural objects and connect these accurately to a ground DEM; - A capability to create a template with few false points; - A capability to infer building material(s) as per the modeling output; - A method for quantifying the reliability of the output; and - Emphasis on leveraging existing capabilities from both Government and Commercial off-the-shelf packages whenever possible. These 3-D data are critical for missile support; and this includes generation of reference content as well as advanced target and site modeling. Generally, commercial and DoD 3-D marketplaces are demanding robust modeling solutions of this type, which suggests an eventual commercialized solution should do well within the spirit and intent of the SBIR program.