ACTIVE DETECTION AND TRACKING SENSOR FOR PASSIVE TARGETS

CAD PROPOSES TO DO MODEL BASED COMPUTER VISION RESEARCH CULMINATING IN FASTER AND MORE CAPABLE PROGRAMS. CAD WILL DEMONSTRATE A SUPERIOR ACTIVE DETECTION AND TRACTING SENSOR (ADTS) BY COMBINING ITS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) SOFTWARE WITH A MICROCOMPUTER, VIDEO CAMERA, AND IMAGE DIGITIZING ELECTRONICS. THE ADTS WILL HAVE SUPERIOR CAPABILITY BECAUSE OF A NOVEL OBJECT RECOGNITION ALGORITHM BEING DEVELOPED BY CAD FOR THE USAF. WITH A PASSIVE MARKER (HIGH CONSTRAST SYMBOL OR TARGET) AFFIXED TO AN OBJECT (SPECIMEN CARRIER OR MODULE) THE ADTS WILL BE ABLE TO DETECTAND TRACK THE OBJECT IN 3D ATTITUDE AND POSITION IN REAL TIME. THE PROPOSED ADTS WILL BE INNOVATIVE BECAUSE OF ITS TOLERANCE OF CLUTTER IN THE IMAGE AND BECAUSE OF ITS SPEED. PROJECT OBJECTIVES SHALL BE TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS THAT CAN DETECT EDGES, LINES AND TARGETS IN REAL TIME ON A MICROCOMPUTER. DURING THE PROPOSED EFFORT CAD'S THREE ENGINEER/PROGRAMMERS SHALL DEVELOP AI/COMPUTER VISION ALGORITHMS AND CODE FOR DETECTION PROGRAMS USING TWO MACINTOSH II COMPUTERS. APPLICATIONS FOR THE ADTS INCLUDE TERMINAL GUIDANCE OF A TELEROBOT FOR GRASPING OR BERTHING ANY OBJECT TO WHICH A MARKER/TARGET IS ATTACHED. THE ADTS COULD ALSO GUIDE THE ORBITAL MANUVERING VEHICLE DURING AN AUTONOMOUS DOCKING.