Complementary Observation, Long Duration Track Fusion (COLD Track Fusion)

Maintaining continuous track of high-value ground targets in complex environments presents challenges for which use of complementary sensors offers a solution. A significant problem is targets moving in and out of hide sites, where track is lost and identification of targets emerging from hide is uncertain. In Phase I, we demonstrated feasibility of fusion of complementary sensing by airborne GMTI/HRR-radar and MSI/HSI spectral sensors to overcome these limitations and support long-duration tracking and reacquisition of targets emerging from hide. The proposed Phase II effort will create an integrated prototype system of combined GMTI tracking, HRR/HSI learning on-the-fly, and recognition of target signatures sensed from a space-based radar constellation augmented by one or more airborne HSI sensors. Tracking will be aided by HSI & HRR target features discovered while learning, and spatial context extracted using spectral data mining. Target learning will be guided by tracking, in conjunction with spectral anomaly detection to localize the target of interest in a small moving area. We will develop and transfer an integrated system based on this strategy using an existing multi-modality (EO, HSI) 3D urban site model, and embedded moving targets (possessing HSI and HRR signatures, and GMTI detections from the simulated radar constellation).