01/29/2007
Student Symposium 2007
Centre for Earth and Environmental Technologies
01/29/2007
Assisted Target Detection for Search and RescueFebruary 7, 2007
Vladimir MagdinM.Sc. Student
Where Next Happens
Defense Research and Development Canada (DRDC)•Provides scientific and technological support to the Canadian Forces.
Array Systems Computing•Specializes in computationally intensive, real-time digital signal processing systems
Partners and Collaborators
Partners and Collaborators
Researcher Position % Research Time
Dr. James Elder Principal Investigator 20%
Vladimir Magdin M.Sc. Student 75%
Dr. Bob Hou Senior Research Associate 20%
Dr. Francisco Estrada Postdoctoral Fellow 10%
Researcher Position % Research Time
Kevin Cannons PhD Student 20%
Alumni
York University Personnel
Goal:
To develop assisted target detection (ATD) algorithms that will improve human target detection performance
Major Tasks:
• Design and implement algorithms that can incorporate cues from various imaging sources to establish spatial probability distributions
• Research the optimal methods of visualizing the spatial probabilities
Original Project Goals
Task Description Start Finish
Recruit Personnel
Recruit a postdoctoral fellow, a computer vision and a psychology graduate student
Nov 05 Mar 06
Complete legal agreements
Prepare and sign NDAs and IP agreements between York and Array, allowing sharing of source code
Nov 05 Dec 05
Single-frame algorithm development
Develop and evaluate single-frame statistical target models. Transfer MATLAB code to Array for integration and testing.
Dec 05 Mar 06
Milestones
Task Description Start Finish
Continuous algorithm development
Acquire new search-and-rescue data, and develop foreground and background models by integrating motion and temporal cues. Transfer MATLAB code to Array for integration and testing.
Apr 07 Dec 07
Develop and evaluate visualization methods
Develop psychophysical methodology for visualization of target probability data onto incoming visual data stream. Conduct human-in-the-loop evaluation experiments using the search and rescue simulator
Dec 06 Dec 07
Final system integration and reporting
Refine complete software system, including ATD and visualization algorithms. Transfer final MATLAB/C++ source code to Array for integration and testing.
Dec 07 Mar 08
Milestones
Technology
Current Technology
• Nonparametric models of target and background pixel statistics.
Future Directions
• Incorporation of motion cues
• Incorporation of shape cues
• Multiclass learning and identification
Current Status
Database
• Obtained and analyzed a new dataset
• Performed manual segmentation and labeling of the ground truth
• Compiled a train/test ATD database
Algorithm
• Developed proof-of-concept intensity statistics algorithms• Successfully transferred code to Array Systems Computing to
demonstrate real time performance
Deliverables:
• Assisted target detection algorithms
• Assisted target detection software (MATLAB and/or C++)
• A demonstration of ATD software integrated with Array Systems proprietary hardware for real-time operation
• Results of human-in-the-loop experiments using the ATD technology at the DRDC SAR simulation system
Additional Outcomes:
• Publications on Assisted Target Detection algorithms
• Publications on Search and Rescue Simulation results
Project Outcome
End Users
Primary Applications
Search and Rescue
• The Canadian Forces: Primarily responsible for aeronautical search-and-rescue services in Canada and up to 1,000 nautical miles off our coastlines
Other Air-to-Ground Surveillance
Accomplishments after One Fiscal Year
Following a joint meeting at Valcartier involving both AIMS and ALERT TD projects, we have agreed to collaborate with the ALERT TD project on defining and evaluating ATD algorithms for visual surveillance.
Success Story
There is a strong likelihood that the AIMS project will be extended and will lead to follow-on projects at DRDC. We are exploring the possibility of reprofiling our project to spread DRDC funding out to March 2009. We hope to continue to work with DRDC beyond this date. Depending on the outcome of the current project we may seek next-stage support from OCE for this follow-on work.
What is Next