Segmentation of the Images Obtained From Onboard Optoelectronic Surveillance Systems by the Evolutionary Method

The essence of the simpler evolutionary method of image segmentation which relates to ant methods was set forth. The image segmentation process was presented as a set of areas in which agents (ants) move. Probability of transition from one turning point of the route to another was determined taking into account attractiveness of the route and concentration of pheromones on it. A timely convergence of decisions (choice of the same route by the agents) is processed by the use of feedback, i.e. evaporation of pheromones. The parameters setting pheromone weight and attractiveness of the area were calculated. The routes which are the most attractive according to the selected criteria (with the maximum concentration of pheromone) were determined. Unattractive routes disappear with a gradual "drying" of pheromone on such routes. When checking function ability of the simpler evolutionary segmentation method, it was found that implementations of this method with obviously unsuccessful results are possible.Essence of the advanced evolutionary method of image segmentation as improvement of the simpler evolutionary method was outlined. In the improved method, only the best agents increase the level of pheromone on their routes. The level of pheromone on the routes is limited. An expression has been obtained for renewal of pheromone levels. The best route may be either the iteration best or the best-so-far (found since the start of the method) route.In contrast to the simpler evolutionary method, an optimal route of agent movement was found during segmentation of images in all implementations with the use of the advanced evolutionary method.Experimental studies of segmentation of the images obtained from the onboard systems of optoelectronic surveillance using the evolutionary method have been carried out. As an example, possible objects of interest were defined in the segmented image and it was established that the outlined contours of the main objects of interest coincide with the boundaries of the objects in the original image. Presence of a large number of outlined contours of small-sized objects in the segmented image was pointed out and an example of such area was given. Visual estimation of efficiency of application of the evolutionary method was mad

Devising A Method for Processing the Image of A Vehicle's License Plate When Shooting with A Smartphone Camera

This paper reports an improved method for processing the image of a vehicle's license plate when shooting with a smartphone camera. The method for processing the image of a vehicle's license plate includes the following stages: – enter the source data; – split the video streaming into frames; – preliminary process the image of a vehicle's license plate; – find the area of a vehicle's license plate; – refine character recognition using the signature of a vehicle's license plate; – refine character recognition using the combined results from frames in the streaming video; – obtain the result of processing. Experimental studies were conducted on the processing of images of a vehicle's license plate. During the experimental studies, the license plate of a military vehicle (Ukraine) was considered. The original image was the color image of a vehicle. The results of experimental studies are given. A comparison of the quality of character recognition in a license plate has been carried out. It was established that the improved method that uses the combined results from streaming video frames works out efficiently at the end of the sequence. The improved method that employs the combined results from streaming video frames operates with numerical probability vectors. The assessment of errors of the first and second kind in processing the image of a license plate was carried out. The total accuracy of finding the area of a license plate by known method is 61 % while the improved method's result is 76 %. It has been established that the minimization of errors of the first kind is more important than reducing errors of the second kind. If a license plate is incorrectly identified, these results would certainly be discarded at the character recognition stage

Segmentation of Optical-electronic Images From On-board Systems of Remote Sensing of the Earth by the Artificial Bee Colony Method

It was established that it is not possible to apply the known methods of image segmentation directly to segmentation of optical-electronic images of on-board systems of remote sensing of the Earth. We have stated the mathematical problem on segmentation of such images. It was established that the result of segmentation of images of on-board systems of remote sensing of the Earth is separation of an image into artificial objects (objects of interest) and natural objects (a background). It has been proposed to use the artificial bee colony method for segmentation of images. We described the essence of the method, which provides for determination of agents positions, their migration, conditions for stopping of an iteration process by the criterion of a minimum of a fitness function and determination of the optimal value of a threshold level. The fitness function was introduced, which has the physical meaning of a sum of variance brightness of segments of a segmented image. We formulated the optimization problem of image segmentation of an on-board optical-electronic observation system. It consists in minimization of a fitness function under certain assumptions and constraints.The paper presents results from an experimental study on application of the artificial bee colony method to segmentation of an optical-electronic image. Experimental studies on segmentation of an optical-electronic image confirmed the efficiency of the artificial bee colony method. We identified possible objects of interest on the segmented image, such as tanks with oil or fuel for aircraft, airplanes, airfield facilities, etc.The visual assessment of the quality of segmentation was performed. We calculated errors of the first type and the second type. It was established that application of the artificial bee colony method would improve the quality of processing of optical-electronic images. We observed a decrease of segmentation errors of the first type and the second type by the magnitude from 7 % to 33 % on averag

Developing the Model of Reliability of A Complex Technical System of Repeated Use with A Complex Operating Mode

Solving the problems of setting requirements to the reliability of complex technical systems for various purposes presupposes their classification according to the features characterizing the purpose, modes of use, etc. According to the modes of use, systems are divided into objects of continuous long-term use, repeated cyclic use, and single-use. The objects of repeated cyclic use include the systems operating in cycles. Durations of the periods of work and pause in the cycle are considered deterministic values. Technological and/or technical maintenance is carried out in pauses between the operation periods.In addition to the known classification, it was proposed to introduce a group of systems of repeated use with a complex operating mode. A complex mode is understood as a mode that includes waiting for a request of the system use and executing the request after it arrives at a random time.An analytical model of reliability of such a system has been developed in the form of a ratio for a non-stationary total coefficient of operational readiness. This model describes the processes of the system functioning in the intervals of waiting and use. In this case, the duration of the intervals of waiting and/or execution of the request are random values.Ratios for this indicator were obtained for three options of specifying the functions of distribution of durations of waiting in a turn-on condition and fulfilling the request for use.The developed model makes it possible to set requirements for reliability and maintainability of the systems with a complex operating mode.The results of modeling the dependences of the operational indicators of reliability on parameters of the functions of distribution of durations of waiting and executing the request were obtained for different distributions. Recommendations were formulated concerning the substantiation of the requirements to reliability and maintainability of the systems under consideratio

Construction of Methods for Determining the Contours of Objects on Tonal Aerospace Images Based on the Ant Algorithms

A method has been proposed for determining contours of objects on tonal aerospace images based on ant algorithms. The method, in contrast to those already known, takes into consideration patterns in the image formation; the ant algorithm is used for determining the contours. Determining an object's contours in the image has been reduced to calculating the fitness function, the totality of agents' motion areas, and the pheromone concentration along agents' motion routes.We have processed a tonal image for determining the contours of objects using a method based on the ant algorithm. In order to reduce the number of "junk" objects, the main principles and stages of the method for multi-scale processing of aerospace images based on the ant algorithm have been outlined. Determining the contours on images with a different value of the scale factor is carried out applying a method based on the ant algorithm. In addition, we rescale images with a different scale factor value to the original size and calculate the image filter. The resulting image is a pixelwise product of the original image and the image filter.The multiscale processing of tonal aerospace images with different scale values has been performed using methods based on the ant algorithms. It was established that application of a multi-scale processing reduces the number of "junk" objects. At the same time, due to multi-scale processing, not the objects' contours are determined but the objects in full.We estimated errors of first and second kind in determining the contours of objects on tonal aerospace images based on the ant algorithms. It was established that using the constructed methods has made it possible to reduce the first and second kind errors in determining the contours on tonal aerospace images by the magnitude of 18–22 % on averag

Development of A Direct Penetrating Signal Compensator in A Distributed Reception Channel of A Surveillance Radar

General structure of a compensator of a direct penetrating signal in the diversed reception channel was developed. It is advisable to use the antenna and the receiver of the auxiliary diverted reception channel as an auxiliary antenna and an auxiliary channel. To be able to suppress the penetrating signal in the band of the receiving device of the surveillance radar, distance between the antennas should be up to 6 m. In general, the compensator of the penetrating signals should contain an adder in which the signals received by the main channel are added with the signals received by the auxiliary channel and sent through the amplifier with a corresponding complex transmission coefficient. The direct penetration signal compensator features the obligatory condition of adjusting the value of the complex transmission coefficient of the auxiliary channel signal amplifier. The direct penetration signal compensator is digital and uses the direct method of forming weighting coefficients without the use of feedback. To reduce the time of formation of weighting coefficients when using direct methods of calculation of the correlation matrix, the technology of parallel computational processes was used. The quality of operation of the direct penetrating signal suppression system in the diverted reception channel was evaluated. It was established that without the use of suppression of direct penetrating signals, their powerful response at the output of the matched filter mask weak echo signals. When using a direct penetrating signal in the main channel of the compensator, its response at the output of the matched filter is significantly reduced. This makes it possible to observe weak echoes against the background of a strong penetrating signal. The use of the developed direct penetrating signal compensator provides suppression of the direct penetrating signal from 57 dB to 70 d

Development of an Estimation-experimental Method for Estimating the Preservation Indicators of Single-use Articles

To manage the operation of modern single-use products, it is necessary to evaluate their preservation indicators as uncontrolled, non-repairable, and maintenance-free objects. Data for assessing its parameters are considered as one-time censored samples with continuous monitoring, which does not correspond to the mode of storage of products during operation. Under the conditions of limited volumes of censored samples, it is problematic to identify the parametric model of persistence. To solve this problem, a non-parametric estimation-experimental method has been devised, which is a set of models for data generation, estimation of the function of the distribution of the preservation period and preservation indicators. The data generation model is represented by a scheme of operational tests and analytical relationships between the quantities of tested and failed articles. The model of estimating the distribution function describes the process of its construction on the generated data. Models for estimating preservation indicators are represented by ratios for their point and interval estimates, as functionals from the restored distribution function. Unlike the well-known ones, the developed method implements the assessment of indicators under the conditions of combined censorship. The method can be used to assess the preservation indicators of single-use articles with an error of at least 7 %. At the same time, their lower confidence limits are estimated at 0.9 with an error not worse than 14 % with a censorship degree of not more than 0.23. The restored distribution function agrees well (reliability 0.9, error 0.1) with the actual persistence of articles with censorship degrees of not more than 0.73, which is acceptable for solving the problems of managing their operation

Development of Methods for Determining the Coordinates of Firing Positions of Roving Mortars by A Network of Counter-battery Radars

The mathematical formulation of the problem of determining the coordinates of targets in the network of counter-battery radars is formulated. It has been established that the problem of estimating the coordinates of targets in the network of counter-battery radars for an excessive number of estimates of primary coordinates should be considered as a statistical problem. The method for determining the coordinates of the firing positions of roving mortars has been improved, in which, in contrast to the known ones, the coordinates of targets on the flight trajectory are coordinated with space and time and the information is processed by a network of counter-battery radars. The developed simulation mathematical model for determining the coordinates of the firing positions of roving mortars by a network of counter-battery radars. Simulation modeling of the method for determining the coordinates of the firing positions of roving mortars by a network of counter-battery radars has been carried out. It has been established that the use of a network of radars makes it possible to increase the accuracy of determining the coordinates of the firing means on average from 23 % to 71 %, depending on the number of counter-battery radars in the network. It has also been found that the appropriate number of counter-battery warfare radars in the network is three or four. A further increase in the number of counter-battery warfare radars in the network does not lead to a significant increase in the accuracy of determining the coordinates of artillery and mortar firing positions. In carrying out further research, it is necessary to develop a method for the spatial separation of elements of a group of targets and interfering objects by a network of counter-battery warfare radar