PC Based Dynamic Real-Time Infrared Image Generation Capability

This effort extends our current Missile Defense Agency Phase 1 award for real-time low-cost infrared scene generation to include capabilities that allow it to be applied for surface-to-air and air-to-air tactical aircraft applications as well.Capabilities such as aircraft countermeasures, low altitude atmospheric conditions, low-altitude background clutter, reticule seeker interfaces, and enhanced capabilities of the WISP III resistive array interface will be added.A physics-based real-time infrared image generation capability plays a critical role in supporting hardware-in-the-loop testing facilities whose missions are to test and evaluate the performance capabilities of a wide-array of seeker systems. These testsare usually performed parametrically in order to establish the seeker's capabilities and effectiveness of the target's evasive maneuvers. In order to synchronize with the system under test, the infrared scene generator must be able to run at real-timeframe rates producing imagery at fixed, predictable, time frames.This effort will focus on the use of inexpensive, PC-based, computational hardware. Commercial off-the-shelf components will be utilized that will minimize facility costs while providing an inexpensive pathway to upgrade the components as newertechnologies emerge. A PC-based dynamic real-time infrared image generation capability would directly benefit the Air Force since considerable facility costs are incurred to procure, maintain, and upgrade the current non-PC approach that is utilized to supporthardware-in-the-loop testing programs. These reduced costs will allow the test facility to direct their limited-resources on addressing other test requirements that include developing custom test article interfaces and databases to support the signaturegeneration codes. Additionally, since computational technology advances at rapid rates, a low-cost solution allows the test facility to readily adopt new hardware as it is introduced.This project would have wide appeal throughout the DoD since synthetic digital simulations are increasingly being utilized to test, evaluate, or derive guided-munitions targeting algorithms. We anticipate this program has the potential to become astandard within the DoD industry that will be inserted into many large DoD digital simulations and hardware-in-the-loop test facilities. Its low cost will also make it a candidate to support field-testing and man-in-the-loop training applications. Ourcontracting team consisting of Kinetics, Inc. and Dynetics, Inc. has considerable knowledge with the missile threats and industry scene generation requirements necessary to support efforts to neutralize these threats. We also have extensive knowledge insimulations used for tactical training applications and would look to extend the findings of this effort to those areas as well.