Modeling human performance with low light sparse color imagers

David P. Haefner; Joseph P. Reynolds; Jae Cha; Van Hodgkin

doi:10.1117/12.885152

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9 May 2011 Modeling human performance with low light sparse color imagers

David P. Haefner, Joseph P. Reynolds, Jae Cha, Van Hodgkin

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Proceedings Volume 8014, Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling, and Testing XXII; 801404 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.885152
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2011, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

Reflective band sensors are often signal to noise limited in low light conditions. Any additional filtering to obtain spectral information further reduces the signal to noise, greatly affecting range performance. Modern sensors, such as the sparse color filter CCD, circumvent this additional degradation through reducing the number of pixels affected by filters and distributing the color information. As color sensors become more prevalent in the warfighter arsenal, the performance of the sensor-soldier system must be quantified. While field performance testing ultimately validates the success of a sensor, accurately modeling sensor performance greatly reduces the development time and cost, allowing the best technology to reach the soldier the fastest. Modeling of sensors requires accounting for how the signal is affected through the modulation transfer function (MTF) and noise of the system. For the modeling of these new sensors, the MTF and noise for each color band must be characterized, and the appropriate sampling and blur must be applied. We show how sparse array color filter sensors may be modeled and how a soldier's performance with such a sensor may be predicted. This general approach to modeling color sensors can be extended to incorporate all types of low light color sensors.

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David P. Haefner, Joseph P. Reynolds, Jae Cha, and Van Hodgkin "Modeling human performance with low light sparse color imagers", Proc. SPIE 8014, Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling, and Testing XXII, 801404 (9 May 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.885152

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