Merging Sensor and Stored Terrain Database Data for Rotorcraft Poor Visibility Weather Operations

The product of the Integrated Multi-sensor Synthetic Imagery System (IMSIS) program will be a unique display system that fuses FLIR and radar with synthetic terrain data and presents it to the helicopter pilot as a single, coherent image. IMSIS will expand both the operational weather envelope for mission performance and concurrently increase the margin of safety. It will satisfy the pilot's need for a long-range view of the terrain as well as the need detect and avoid obstacles. IMSIS' synthetic imagery component will allow pilots to minimize radar emissions when operationally necessary and to fly when atmospheric conditions reduces the FLIR effectiveness. Conversely, the active and passive sensors will bring the local "ground truth" into the synthetic display by detecting natural and cultural elements not in the terrain data base. Flight symbology will overlay the terrain presentation. The deliverable IMSIS system will be an operational prototype embedded in an aircraft emulation testbed. The sensor data acquisition, fusion and display mechanisms will be identical in design to a flight worthy system, but not hardened. The display presentation will be refined through iterative testing with Army and SOF pilots at Ft. Campbell, KY. IMSIS is being developed as a joint venture by a consortium of three qualified small businesses.