TEXTURE MODELING TECHNIQUES FOR SIMULATION OF INFRARED SENSOR DISPLAYS FOR MISSION PRACTICE IN NIGHT/LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS

CURRENT METHODS FOR SIMULATING INFRARED (IR) SENSOR DISPLAYS USE A COMPLEX DATABASE THAT REQUIRES LARGE AMOUNTS OF OFF-LINE PROCESSING TO CREATE THE DATABASE, WHILE PRODUCING LOW FIDELITY REAL-TIME IMAGES. THE CURRENT METHOD FOR CREATING A SIMULATED IR DATABASE STARTS WITH A DETAILED 3D MODEL FOR THE TERRAIN AND OBJECTS ON THE TERRAIN, THEN CALCULATES THE SURFACE TEMPERATURES BY SOLVING A SET OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS FOR EACH SURFACE. ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR CREATING THE SIMULATED IR DATABASE WILL BE EXPLORED. THESE METHODS WILL USE TEXTURE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF POLYGONS THAT THE REAL-TIME IMAGE GENERATOR WILL PROCESS, WHILE INCREASING THE VISUAL COMPLEXITY OF THE SIMULATED SENSOR'S IMAGE. THE METHODS WILL ALSO REDUCE THE COST TO CREATE THE SIMULATED IR DATABASE.