| 2005 Technology
Symposium > Sensors and Environment
Sensors and Environment
Sensors and Environment researches technologies employed to detect, monitor,
and characterize the environment (terrain, weather, targets, etc.) to
determine position within that environment (geoposition), and to manage,
exploit and disseminate positional data (Geographic Information Systems).
The use of radar, optical, sonic, and multispectral sensors will be
covered.
Adaptive Sensor Tasking and Control
Walter Kuklinski, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
Most operational multi-sensor and multi-platform surveillance systems lack an analytically tractable approach to target ID or automated target recognition (ATR). Historically, target ID/ATR systems have been developed through empirical approaches, leaving few means for understanding observed system performance or predicting how system performance could be improved by including data from new sensing modalities. Theoretical approaches to target ID/ATR can provide the ability to analyze and predict performance and allow sensor systems developed for one application to be assessed in other problem domains.
Objectives
The primary objective of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate optimal fusion approaches for target ID. These approaches will be developed within a unified analytic framework that will allow them to be readily employed in multiple problem domains. The domains range from ground combat situations, where both non-cooperative and cooperative targets are present, to space-based and airborne multi-platform sensor systems.
Activities
Two case studies will be undertaken. The first will continue work done during FY02 on surface target characterization. Hyperspectral-imagery/synthetic-aperture-radar data registration, feature extraction, and detection algorithms will be implemented within the framework being developed by the government for high performance computing. The second case study will quantify the potential utility of high range resolution features for air target characterization.
Impact
The innovative multiple sensor fusion approaches developed here will improve performance on tracking and identification of time-critical targets. ISR activities that currently rely exclusively on human decision making, such as combat ID/ATR/ATV, can be improved using a hybrid approach. In this approach multiple sensor data-level fusion products are used by human decision makers to improve combat ID performance
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Cross-Spectrum Integration and Analysis
Sherry Olson, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington
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Innovative Space-Based Radar Antenna Technology
William McLaren, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington
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Kaleidoscope: Multi-Sensor GMTI-VMTI Track Fusion and Visualization
Steve Matechik, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
A foremost challenge facing combatant commanders at the operational level of war is the Find-Fix-Track-Target-Engage-Assess process associated with mobile, fleeting targets. The Aerospace Operations Center is flooded with data, but starved for methods that aggregate and transform the seemingly chaotic data into actionable information.
Objectives
This research will employ computationally simple data visualization techniques that model human cognitive processes to fuse multi-sensor target tracks into composite tracks. We will derive and introduce an extensible mobile target ontology to simplify machine-to-machine processes for time-critical targeting (TCT). We will also improve and quantify the contrast-sensitivity performance of video target tracking algorithms.
Activities
This research employs innovative visualization techniques to render multi-sensor fusion products consistent with the attributes of network centric warfare and effects-based operations. Specifically, JSTARS ground moving target indicator (GMTI) tracks will be automatically correlated with Video MTI (VMTI) tracks derived from Predator UAV electro-optic sensors to meet the Air Force Chief of Staff's challenge to provide "the best MTI available."
Impact
To meet warfighter objectives, it is insufficient for sensors simply to communicate with one another. Their "conversation" must focus on the end state: bombs on target. From this focus we can expect significantly improved battlefield situational awareness and more timely, precise, and directive TCT. Impacts include a streamlined target detection-identification process, more accurate coordinates, and reduced risk of fratricide and collateral damage.
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Lead System Architect NEST Program
Kenneth Parker , Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington
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Netted Sensor Megaproject
Laurens Tromp, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
The Netted Sensors (NS) concept is based on the premise that large numbers of sensors, broadly dispersed in an area, can through the power of the network provide the means to expedite the development of actionable knowledge. Examination of the solution space for netted sensor systems yields a number of challenges. NS "blurs" the boundaries among traditional sub-system engineering disciplines; Sensing, processing, communications, resource control and information management are all embedded within the network. As a result, NS requires interdisciplinary R&D. The MITRE Corporation is making an integrated multi-year investment in NS research and development. This work should yield benefits to the NS development community in new technology, demonstration of NS system capabilities, and a laboratory tool suite to facilitate development, test, and demonstration.
Objectives
We will develop and carry out an integrated NS R&D program in the areas of sensors and packaging, signal and information processing, information management, communications and networking, and resource management. We will also develop a NS testbed environment for focusing and integrating company-wide collaborative netted sensors technologies research and examine through a series of experiments the efficacy of netted sensors (NS) technologies, new concepts and technical issues associated with NS solutions to sponsor operational problems.
Activities
The NS program is a multi-year mega project that has three components which consists of research, the development of a robust test bed and the demonstration of netted sensors solutions to operationally relevant problems within the sponsor community. The program is managed as an integrated activity and consists of a set of MTP projects which are funded by MSR, MOIE programs and CEM IR&D. We perform research on critical technology required to make netted sensors viable (e.g., power management, ad hoc network formation, distributed processing and data management). In addition to doing NS technology R&D, the project will: (1) Develop a testbed environment for experimentation and demonstration of netted sensors R&D technology and concepts; (2) Develop NS experiments and demonstrations plans and (3) integrate technology components into testbed and demonstrate NS solutions and concepts in a set of application-oriented experiments which address sponsor related operational problems.
Impact
This project will position MITRE at the forefront of efforts in the netted sensors community. The project will further develop corporate expertise, contribute to the advancement and impact the development of heterogeneous netted sensor systems. In addition, by providing an integration focusing function and coupling our research with important operational problems of significance to our sponsors, MITRE will be able to leverage this work and strengthen our NS contributions in the system engineering, modeling and performance evaluation areas.
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Netted Sensors
Laurens Tromp, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Bedford
Problem
Netted sensors (NS) can address problems such as asymmetric threats and homeland security. The NS concept is based on the premise that large numbers of sensors, broadly dispersed in an area, can through the power of the network expedite the development of actionable knowledge. However, NS "blurs" the boundaries among traditional subsystem engineering disciplines. As a result, NS requires interdisciplinary R&D.
Objectives
The overall objectives are to research and develop technology to make NS viable, build a testbed, and demonstrate technology and NS concepts and solutions relevant to sponsors' operational problems.
Activities
We perform research on critical technology required to make NS viable (e.g., power management, ad hoc network formation, distributed processing and data management). The project will also develop a testbed environment for NS R&D technology and integrate technology components into the testbed. We will demonstrate NS solutions and concepts in a set of application-oriented experiments that address sponsor-related operational problems.
Impact
This project will position MITRE at the forefront of the NS community. It will further develop corporate expertise and advance the development of heterogeneous NS systems. This work will yield new technology, demonstrate NS capabilities, and produce a laboratory tool suite.
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Netted Sensors Fence for Homeland Defense
Gregory Crawford, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
Potential terrorists/adversaries can exploit a wide range of airborne vehicles to effectively deliver weapons (nuclear, chemical and biological) against civilian and military targets. Given the sheer number of potential targets in the United States and the difficulty of detecting and discriminating low observable airborne vehicles in realistic environments, there is currently no effective, reliable solution for dealing with this threat.
Objectives
We will establish a technical foundation for pursuing operational system concepts by first developing an in-depth understanding of candidate target signature phenomenology in the modalities of interest (i.e., microwave, infrared, and acoustic). We will then demonstrate a proof-of-concept approach for effective detection and discrimination of airborne threats using a ground deployed, low cost, low power, multimodal sensor fence.
Activities
We will analyze, design, and implement concepts and algorithms to demonstrate detection and discrimination of candidate targets using netted data from multiple sensor types. We will identify unique characteristics of the target signature phenomenology, leverage these characteristics to detect small targets, estimate their speed and heading, classify them as "threat" or "no threat," and communicate this information to an interceptor.
Impact
This project will provide a low cost, low power (potentially disposable) methodology for performing key 24/7 sentry functions to protect critical civilian and military infrastructure from airborne threats. Armed with the established technical feasibility of this approach, developers can pursue operational systems with numerous civilian and military applications.
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Netted Sensors for the 21st Century Warfighter
Garry Jacyna, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
Future networks will contain a large number of adaptive, heterogeneous sensors that can be flexibly configured to support many simultaneous missions. Significant netted sensors (NS) R&D challenges exist in sensors and platforms, communications and networks, signal and information processing, resource and information management, and security. This work continues to support the multi-year corporate investment in netted sensors through the development of new technology, demonstrations of NS system capabilities, and the completion of a test bed infrastructure to facilitate development, test, and evaluation.
Objectives
The multiyear NS mega project has three components: R&D, completion of a robust test bed facility, and demonstration of NS solutions to operationally relevant problems within the sponsor community. We will carry out an integrated R&D program addressing sensors and packaging, signal and information processing, information management, communications and networking, and resource management, focusing on critical technology to make NS viable.
Activities
The project will complete the development of a robust test bed environment for NS experimentation and demonstration; develop NS experiments, and demonstration plans; and integrate technology components into the test bed. We will create new algorithms for combat ID and demonstrate NS solutions and concepts in a set of application-oriented experiments addressing combat ID problems.
Impact
The project has positioned MITRE at the forefront of the NS community. This year's effort will continue that trend. The project will further develop corporate expertise in NS and contribute to the advancement and impact of NS systems within the sponsor community. MITRE will be able to leverage this work and further strengthen our NS contributions in systems engineering, modeling, and performance evaluation.
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Networked Embedded Software Technology
Alex Meng, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington
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Next-Generation Analyst Environment for Geospatial Intelligence
Tom Bartee, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
Significant hurdles exist in achieving the intelligence community vision of geospatial intelligence. Analysts will soon be overwhelmed by the volume of imagery available (including imagery from commercial sources). Additionally, the user interfaces to current softcopy workstations may be improved substantially through the application of various human-computer interface (HCI) techniques such as cognitive task analysis, adaptive interfaces, and alternative input devices.
Objectives
We will define a next-generation geospatial intelligence workstation environment that operates in conjunction with analysts' natural work processes and allows analysts to interface with the system utilizing heuristic knowledge. The focus is on two critical areas: improving the usability of imagery analysis interfaces and integrating imagery data with multi-source data and analysts' heuristic knowledge through research in intelligent image queuing.
Activities
We will develop the concept of intelligent image queuing to prioritize imagery for search based on the use of image processing algorithms, geographic information system functions, and multi-intelligence sources. We will build an instrumented environment to monitor and analyze the activity of imagery analysts. We will use HCI and cognitive modeling techniques to design and prototype a new geospatial intelligence production environment.
Impact
This activity will provide knowledge and prototype hardware/software capabilities in support of geospatial intelligence that will introduce the geospatial intelligence community to new ways of performing imagery analysis. Prototype capabilities may be transitioned through MITRE sponsors for follow-on development work. Additionally, the research will provide a more tangible understanding of the cognitive processes behind imagery analysis.
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Three Dimensional (3-D) Sensor Exploitation
Walter Kuklinski, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
Existing military target recognition systems fail to meet many desired operational objectives. Sensor systems that could provide accurate real-time 3-D information have the potential to revolutionize target recognition. Since targets and their local environments are three dimensional, 3-D sensors coupled with 3-D processing and exploitation algorithms can produce significant gains in target recognition.
Objectives
This project will develop a systems-level methodology to design, analyze, and implement 3-D sensor target recognition systems. To evaluate this methodology a prototype 3-D multiple modality sensor system will be constructed. This prototype system will process sensor data in conjunction with 3-D target models and terrain information to reliably recognize targets over broad ranges of obscuration and environmental complexity.
Activities
Statistical signal processing methods based on scattering phenomenology will be applied to the problem of 3-D target recognition. 2-D SAR image formation methods, at both foliage-penetrating VHF/UHF frequencies and millimeter wavelengths, will be extended to provide a 3-D capability. This project will also develop adaptive multi-sensor tasking procedures to optimally task multiple sensor platforms for enhanced 3-D imaging applications.
Impact
Sensor systems that provide accurate real-time 3-D information have the potential to revolutionize the target recognition process. The application of advanced signal processing algorithms and intelligent exploitation of 3-D image data in conjunction with a priori information will lead to systems resistant to camouflage, concealment and deception, and jamming, providing increased situation awareness to the warfighter.
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Tracking via Keystoning
David Zasada, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington and Bedford
Problem
Current radars cannot reliably track surface moving targets due to confusion with other targets, extremely slow target movement, and random target stops and starts.
Objectives
To develop a radar mode merging the strengths of synthetic aperture radar image formation and surface moving target information extraction, and to apply this mode to maintain long-duration unambiguous tracks on high value targets. The primary ingredient of this new mode is MITRE's patented Keystone Process.
Activities
During Fiscal Year 2005 we will generate emulated and actual data sets, develop, implement, and evaluate detection algorithms, provide performance prediction estimates, and compensate for detection ambiguities and offsets. In Fiscal Year 2006 we will develop and evaluate track initiation/tracklet generation algorithms and evaluate extended track maintenance and performance.
Impact
This work supports MITRE technical staff engaged in both imagery and surface moving target exploitation in the airborne, tactical, and national space communities. It continues our leadership in the keystone processing area. This technique can be fruitfully applied wherever high value time sensitive target prosecution is a top priority, such as in counter-terrorism or time-sensitive targeting cells.
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Urban Sensing
Nick Donnangelo, Principal Investigator
Location(s): Washington
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