Image Signal Processing for Armament Research

To attain high levels of accuracy and robustness advanced seekers require increasingly sophisticated image signal processing. Much of the signal processing needed is difficult to do efficiently with digital hardware, as it involves billions of simple operations per second. A digital processor is much more efficient at command and control tasks such as interpreting the processed image signals and manipulating actuators for guidance. Dedicated analog IC hardware is best suited to seeker image signal processing, as it can perform the essential repetitive tasks quickly and compactly with little power comsumption. Neuromorphic analog processors are particularly well suited to the needs of advanced seeker designers. These chips perform simple operations in a massively parallel manner akin to the neural computations of the eye and brain. Under development over the past ten years, a few neuromorphic chips are now available for evaluation. Computational speed, temperature stability, etc of these chips should be characterized to determine the degree of applicability of the present state of the art. In Phase I, we will perform a variety of tests on the neuromorphic image low-pass filter, fabricated by Amber Electronics, Inc. In particular, since this processor was designed for operation at low temperatures (but may work well at room temperature), noise and performance characteristics will be measured across a temperature range.