A model was developed to understand the effects of spatial resolution and Signal to Noise ratio on the detection and
tracking performance of wide-field, diffraction-limited electro-optic and infrared motion imagery systems. False positive
detection probability and false positive rate per frame were calculated as a function of target-to-background contrast and
object size. Results showed that moving objects are fundamentally more difficult to detect than stationary objects
because SNR for fixed objects increases and false positive probability detection rates diminish rapidly with successive
frames whereas for moving objects the false detection rate remains constant or increases with successive frames. The
model specifies that the desired performance of a detection system, measured by the false positive detection rate, can be
achieved by image system designs with different combinations of SNR and spatial resolution, usually requiring several
pixels resolving the object; this capability to tradeoff resolution and SNR enables system design trades and cost
optimization. For operational use, detection thresholds required to achieve a particular false detection rate can be
calculated. Interestingly, for moderate size images the model converges to the Johnson Criteria. Johnson found that an
imaging system with an SNR >3.5 has a probability of detection >50% when the resolution on the object is 4 pixels or
more. Under these conditions our model finds the false positive rate is less than one per hundred image frames, and the
ratio of the probability of object detection to false positive detection is much greater than one. The model was
programmed into Matlab to generate simulated images frames for visualization.
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