Environmental DNA analysis – non-invasive detection of endangered species in aquatic and terrestrial environments

Poster presented at Human Identification Solutions (HIDS) 2017, 16th-17th May, 2017, Vienna, Austria

Profiling system design tradeoffs using the sparse detector sensor model

This paper details the continued development of a modularized system level model of a sparse detector sensor system. The assumptions used to simplify the equations describing the effects of individual system components and characteristics such as target to background properties, collection optics, detectors, and classifiers will be detailed and modeled. These individual effects will then be combined to provide an overall system performance model and used to compare two sensor node designs. The model will facilitate design trade offs for Unattended Ground Sensors. The size and power restrictions of these sensors often preclude these sensors from being effective in high-resolution applications such as target identification. However, these systems are well suited for applications such as broad scale classifications or differentiations between targets such as humans, animals or small vehicles. Therefore, the demand for these sensors is increasing for both the military and homeland security. © 2010 SPIE

Human target identification and automated shape based target recognition algorithms using target silhouette

Human target identification performance based on target silhouettes is measured and compared to that of complete targets. The target silhouette identification performance of automated region based and contour based shape identification algorithms are also compared. The region based algorithms of interest are Zernike Moment Descriptor (ZMD), Geometric Moment Descriptor (GMD), and Grid Descriptor (GD) while the contour based algorithms considered are Fourier Descriptor (FD), Multiscale Fourier Descriptor (MFD), and Curvature Scale Space Descriptor (CS), The results from the human perception experiments indicate that at high levels of degradation, human identification of target based on silhouettes is better than that of complete targets. The shape recognition algorithm comparison shows that GD performs best, very closely followed by ZMD. In general region based shape algorithms perform better that contour based shape algorithms

Cell balancing for vehicle identification perception experiments and correcting for cell imbalance in test results

Corrections are given for cell imbalance in the design and analysis of twelve (12)-target identification (ID) perception tests. Such tests are an important tool in the development of the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) observer performance model used in NVThermIP to compare electro-optical systems. It is shown that the partitions of the 12-target set previously used in perception experiments exhibit statistically significant cell imbalance. Results from perception testing are used to determine the relative difficulty of identifying different images in the set. A program is presented to partition the set into lists that are balanced according to the collected observer data. The relative difficulty of image subsets is shown to be related to the best-fit V 50 values for the subsets. The results of past perception experiments are adjusted to account for cell imbalance using the subset V 50 terms. Under the proper conditions, the adjusted results are shown to better follow the TTP model for observer performance

Parameters Of Spinning Am Reticles

A new method of obtaining amplitude modulation (AM) for determining target location with spinning reticles is presented. The method is based on the use of graded transmission capabilities. The AM spinning reticles previously presented were functions of three parameters: Amplitude vs angle, amplitude vs radius, and phase. This paper presents these parameters along with their capabilities and limitations and shows that multiple parameters can be integrated into a single reticle. It is also shown that AM parameters can be combined with FM parameters in a single reticle. Also, a general equation is developed that relates the AM parameters to a reticle transmission equation. © 1991, Optical Society of America

Effect Of Phasing-Sector Angular Extent In Fm Reticles

A technique is presented for increasing the useful power of the FM modulation signal from a spinning FM reticle with a phasing sector. Spinning FM reticles often determine a target location by using a combination of a phasing sector to establish the angular target location and a radial frequency variation to establish the radial target location. Typically, the phasing sector of this reticle type consists of a semicircular transmissive sector with the other semicircular sector which provides FM modulation. The power of the FM modulation signal is increased by matching the phased-sector geometry to the size that corresponds to the period of the modulation frequency. This type of reticle is compared and contrasted with the more typical semicircular phasing-sector reticle in both the time and frequency domains. © 1992 Optical Society of America

Sensors at Center for Advanced Sensors

Sensing applications for Homeland Security, Sensor Arrays, Wireless and Networked Sensors, Multisensor Data Fusion, and Remote Sensing are being developed at The University of Memphis\u27 Center for Advanced Sensors (CAS). In addition, many other sensor systems are being analyzed, developed and designed. This keynote paper considers the breadth and depth of the recent and current sensor research at the CAS. The paper serves as an introduction to the special session dedicated to the center. © 2009 IEEE

Parameters Of Spinning Fm Reticles

The literature describes tracking devices that allow a single detector coupled to a spinning FM reticle to determine target location. The spinning FM reticles presented were limited to single parameter reticles of frequency vs angle, frequency vs radius, or phase. This study presents these parameters with their capabili­ties and limitations and shows that multiple parameters can be integrated into a single reticle. Also, a general equation is developed that describes any FM reticle of the spinning type. Key words: Reticles, FM reticles, tracking devices. © 1991 Optical Society of America

Sparse detector sensor model

This paper details the development of a modularized system level model of a sensor whose detector dimensions may be small with respect to the distance between adjacent detectors. The effects of individual system components and characteristics such as target to background properties, collection optics, detectors, and classifiers will be modeled. These individual effects will then be combined to provide an overall system performance model. The model will facilitate design trade offs for Unattended Ground Sensors. The size and power restrictions of these sensors often preclude these sensors from being effective in high resolution applications such as target identification. Consequently, existing imager performance models are not directly applicable. However, these systems are well suited for applications such as broad scale classifications or differentiations between targets such as humans, animals or small vehicles. Furthermore, these sensors do not have to be spaced closely together to be effective in these applications. Therefore, the demand for these sensors is increasing for both the military and homeland security

Tilted surfaces in short-wave infrared imagery: Speckle simulation and a simple contrast model

An effective simulation of speckle with tilted surfaces illuminated by short-coherence-length lasers is presented. Two new tools for assessing speckle and/or its contrast under these conditions are developed and validated. The first is a simulation of the time-domain tilted-surface effects that provides speckle imagery. The second is a simple intuitive model for contrast derived from speckle reduction due to averaging. Field results of speckle imagery for a laser-illuminated target and a short-wave infrared imager validate the simulation. Simulated speckle is compared visually with the actual speckle. Also, contrasts of the speckle generated by simulation and actually imaged in the field are compared for one tilt angle. Existing analytical models of the contrast also validate the simulated speckle contrast. Contrast-versus-angle characteristics of simulated speckle are compared with the general analytical contrast model for speckle from tilted surfaces. © 2007 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers