ABSTRACT
A transition is underway in imaging technology for airborne surveillance and reconnaissance operations. Large independent sensor systems carried in dedicated airframes, are being replaced by more economical, compact, and integrated multisensor arrays with a common processor that are portable enough to fit into a variety of small aircraft. Development of such a system was stimulated by a perceived need to enhance marine oil spill response and cleanup, and to better mitigate the environmental and economic impact of such incidents.
The newest of these systems incorporates an aerial platform, a suite of advanced commercial sensors, a six degrees of freedom global positioning system (GPS), advanced database technology to manage spatial data, and image analysis capabilities.
The operational goal of this development is to furnish valuable reconnaissance information in real time to ground users. Such a capability could advance oil spill response and other applications where rapid acquisition, integration, and communication of complex data is essential to decision-making. The ability to conduct day, night, and adverse weather surveillance operations is restricted in current systems and is another benefit this system is designed to provide.
The innovation in the system especially lies in the development of a common processor and image fusion system which integrates, georeferences, and geocorrects multisensor data and transmits it in real time. A graphic interface was designed to provide maps or other projections as a spatial reference system on which to plot data from a surveillance mission. New imaging numerical methods allow processing of composite images, multi-image mosaics, change detection, and other data manipulation, and were tested in field trials of the system.
AIRBORNE DETECTION, IMAGING AND TELEMETRY OF OIL AND OTHER SPECTRAL FEATURES ON THE OCEAN SURFACE
