This thesis is concerned with methods to facilitate automatic target recognition using images generated from a group of associated radar systems. Target
recognition algorithms require access to a database of previously recorded or
synthesized radar images for the targets of interest, or a database of features
based on those images. However, the resolution of a new image acquired under
non-ideal conditions may not be as good as that of the images used to generate
the database. Therefore it is proposed to use super-resolution techniques to
match the resolution of new images with the resolution of database images.
A comprehensive review of the literature is given for super-resolution when
used either on its own, or in conjunction with target recognition. A new superresolution algorithm is developed that is based on numerical Markov chain
Monte Carlo Bayesian statistics. This algorithm allows uncertainty in the superresolved image to be taken into account in the target recognition process. It
is shown that the Bayesian approach improves the probability of correct target
classification over standard super-resolution techniques.
The new super-resolution algorithm is demonstrated using a simple synthetically generated data set and is compared to other similar algorithms. A variety
of effects that degrade super-resolution performance, such as defocus, are analyzed and techniques to compensate for these are presented. Performance of the
super-resolution algorithm is then tested as part of a Bayesian target recognition
framework using measured radar data