Integrated Color Coding and Monochrome Multi-Spectral Fusion

The proposed effort is aimed at the development and demonstration of the feasibility of a new integrated color coding and a contrast-based monochromatic fusion process. We will investigate two methods for color coding that utilize the monochrome fused image. Each of the color coding methods will provide consistency of color presentation as a function of daytime, background variability and illumination conditions. The new monochrome fusion process will maximize the information content in the combined image, while retaining visual clues that are essential for navigation/piloting tasks. The Phase I development will focus on the fusion of imagery from image intensifiers and forward looking infrared sensors currently used by the U.S. Navy for navigation and targeting. The approach is easily extendible to more than two bands. To be effective, the fused imagery will maintain relationships that correspond to natural (daytime) vision of the same features. Under stress the human operator is liable to revert to his most natural interpretation and act on it. Thus any image transformation which distorts such relationships, even if it can be learned by the user and responded correctly in the lab or during training, may be less effective. Since the overall objective of the effort is a real time demonstration, we will focus during the Phase I program on practical and computationally efficient image processing components. The real-time implementation of the developed process using commercially off the shelf (COTS) digital signal processors (DSPs) will be deferred to the Phase II effort Since the overall objective of the effort is a real time demonstration, we will focus during the Phase I program on practical and computationally efficient image processing components. The real-time implementation of the developed process using commercia