Target Recognition and Acquisition in Complex Environments (TRACE)

Toyon Research Corporation and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) propose an advanced development project that includes leveraging the AFIT Sensor and Scene Emulation Tool (ASSET), automated target recognition and acquisition algorithm development, and efficient software implementations of the developed algorithms. ASSET will be modified and optimized to create a wide range of data observed by sensors operating in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) including complex background clutter and accurate target models. This data will be used to mature the algorithms developed during Phase I. A verification and validation (V&V) process will be developed and used to ensure accuracy of the simulated data as compared to future SDA flight data, and to prove effectiveness and utility of the developed algorithms. The validated algorithms will then be implemented in software, and integrated within SDA’s existing payload image processing software where further V&V will be performed. Lastly, during the development process considerations will be made, and a plan will be developed, to enable portability of the algorithms to on-orbit systems in Phase III.