Autonomous Cross-Correlation Of Optical Mti For Live Inspection And Tracking

The Naval Research Laboratory has developed and demonstrated an autonomous multi-sensor motion-tracking and interrogation system that reduces the workload for analysts by automatically finding moving objects, and then presenting high-resolution images of those objects with little-to-no human input. Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets in the field generate vast amounts of data that can overwhelm human operators and can severely limit an analyst's ability to generate intelligence reports in operationally relevant timeframes. This multi-user tracking capability enables the system to manage the collection of imagery without continuous monitoring by a ground or airborne operator, thus requiring fewer personnel and freeing up operational assets. During flight tests, March 2011, multiple real-time motion-target-indicator (MTI) tracks generated by a wide-area persistent surveillance sensor (WAPSS) were autonomously cross-cued to a high-resolution narrow filed-of-view interrogation sensor via an airborne network. Both sensors were networked by the high-speed Tactical Reachback Extended Communications (TREC) data-link provided by the NRL Information Technology Division.