Real-Time Detection, Registration and Recognition Using Pixel-Level Fusion of Active/Passive Imagery

A system has been developed whereby active ladar and passive electro-optic imaging data are aligned in hardware at the pixel level. The resulting arrays of fully aligned, high-dimension feature data permit dense point matching in three spatial dimensions for enhanced real-time detection, registration and target recognition. Military applications for which this technology is being developed or assessed include precision tactical targeting, Precision Controlled Reference Image Base (CRIB) production and automatic registration of targeting data into the CRIB. Civil applications include 3D city modelling, real-time airborne mapping, post-disaster reconnaissance, floodplain and coastline mapping, drug interdiction target detection, environmental monitoring, and search and rescue. The system combines the ability of active systems to work at long ranges and to penetrate obscurants with the passive arrayís wide instantaneous field of view at increased resolution. This has been found to enormous benefit is in observation through partial or intermittent obscuration; e.g. with partial cloud cover or foliage.