Automatic Generation of Obstruction Databases from IFSAR Data

The Air Force needs the ability to land aircraft in all weather conditions, at any given point on the globe, within 24 hours notice. This implies the need for a rapid instrument approach procedure (IAP) development capability, which will depend ondetailed knowledge of terrain and vertical obstructions, such as towers and buildings, near the landing area.This Phase II SBIR effort will produce prototype Vertical Obstruction Detection and Registration (VODR) software. VODR will automatically locate and measure the height of terrain and obstructions in hi-resolution sensor data, including IFSAR. IAP designsoftware, when coupled with VODR, will facilitate safe and reliable access to remote landing areas for the military, and will allow for faster, cheaper, and more reliable IAP design and update cycles for the FAA and similar international agencies.Technology Service Corporation will create a comprehensive software package to import standard NIMA height products and raw height data from high-resolution IFSAR and LIDAR sensors, combine different georeferenced data sets into a single