A New Reconfigurable, Compact, Fault-Tolerant, Very High-Speed, FGPA-based Image Processing Architecture

The newest generation of Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have up to half a million logic gates, connectable in arbitrary ways by down-loading a binary configuration file. These FPGA's, coupled to CCD arrays and trained using evolutionary techniques, offer a new and powerful approach to high speed, compact image processing systems. The proposed Phase I effort will develop a robust, reconfigurable, compact, fault-tolerant image processing and classification architecture as a new and innovative application of existing commercial off-the-shelf technology. The specific target application is a universal reader of holograms and other optically variable devices (OVDs) used internationally for anti-counterfeit/security on currency, credit cards, passports and identifica-tion cards. In addition to substantial commercial applications in the anticounterfeit/security industry, the resulting image processing archi-tecture will have potential applications of interest to the Department of Defense in missile interceptor guidance, multiple target tracking, and autonomous vehicle guidance. The potential market for a universal OVD (optical variable device) reader; is hundreds of millions of dollars per year. New Light Industries, Ltd., will both manufacture the readers and license the technology to other manufacturers.