Passive Wind Speed Measurement Through Image Analysis

Accurate and timely measurement of wind information is vital to the performance of many weapon systems and is critical to maximizing soldier lethality; however, current electronic solutions utilize expensive devices with non-ideal size, weight, and power (SWaP) characteristics, limiting their deployment. One potential approach to solve this problem would be to attempt development of cheaper and smaller hardware devices. However, we have identified a solution that takes this concept one step further by providing the same information simply using software that can be paired with a soldier’s or weapon system’s existing camera and optic, thereby eliminating the need for a dedicated hardware device at all. In this project, we will deliver software capable of measuring wind speed and direction by analyzing the video captured by a standard camera system. The resulting solution can be easily integrated with current and future fire control systems without adding SWaP. In addition, since no hardware is required, the cost for acquisition, deployment, and maintenance will be minimal.