Infrared passive ranging using sea background for accurate sensor registration

J. Patrick Reilly; Larry T. Younkins; Robert Joseph Taylor

doi:10.1117/12.210600

2 June 1995 Infrared passive ranging using sea background for accurate sensor registration

J. Patrick Reilly, Larry T. Younkins, Robert Joseph Taylor

Proceedings Volume 2469, Targets and Backgrounds: Characterization and Representation; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.210600
Event: SPIE's 1995 Symposium on OE/Aerospace Sensing and Dual Use Photonics, 1995, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

Target range can be determined via triangulation with two IR sensors located along a known baseline. Achievable range accuracy depends on the baseline length, camera height, accuracy of relative orientation of cameras, and the accuracy of the angular position of the target. This paper investigates a method for determining the relative azimuth pointing angles of two IR cameras using a novel method in which sea background contrast features are used for registration. The method employs scene matching of sea contrast features with correction for optical distortion of the images and parallax. To evaluate this technique, IR scenes containing a target over the sea were acquired with two focal plane array IR sensors separated by about 30 m, and placed 30 m above sea level. Cross correlation functions were used for camera registration, and target range was calculated. Even with low sea-state conditions and low contrast irradiance, sufficient contrast features existed to generate meaningful cross-correlation functions. A requirement of the method is that the horizon must be accurately located in one of the two image pairs. The paper discusses experimental procedures, errors, data processing, and some results.

Citation Download Citation

J. Patrick Reilly, Larry T. Younkins, and Robert Joseph Taylor "Infrared passive ranging using sea background for accurate sensor registration", Proc. SPIE 2469, Targets and Backgrounds: Characterization and Representation, (2 June 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.210600

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