Broadband Signature Information Identification and Extraction

Operators have some difficulty classifying contacts on current system displays. Existing display techniques could incorporate broadband spectra to assist operators in the discrimination of contacts. A unique approach is proposed that uses color encoded broadband spectral signature information to discriminate contacts. This simple addition of encoding contact broadband information with color allows the smooth integration of new classification capabilities into current BTH displays in operation. In this Phase I SBIR study I, several encoding techniques will be investigated to determine which provides the best target discrimination improvement. Verifying the performance of automatic systems in dense contact environments, manually operating sonar systems, and discriminating between submarine and surface traffic should become less taxing with ITA's proposed enhancement of existing displays.