Proceedings Article | 19 May 2010
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Acoustics, Imaging systems, Infrared imaging, Weapons, Data fusion, Algorithm development, Sensor fusion, Ultraviolet radiation, Visible radiation
A research-oriented Army Technology Objective (ATO) named Sensor and Information Fusion for
Improved Hostile Fire Situational Awareness uniquely focuses on the underpinning technologies to detect
and defeat any hostile threat; before, during, and after its occurrence. This is a joint effort led by the
Army Research Laboratory, with the Armaments and the Communications and Electronics Research,
Development, and Engineering Centers (CERDEC and ARDEC) partners. It addresses distributed sensor
fusion and collaborative situational awareness enhancements, focusing on the underpinning technologies
to detect/identify potential hostile shooters prior to firing a shot and to detect/classify/locate the firing point
of hostile small arms, mortars, rockets, RPGs, and missiles after the first shot. A field experiment
conducted addressed not only diverse modality sensor performance and sensor fusion benefits, but
gathered useful data to develop and demonstrate the ad hoc networking and dissemination of relevant
data and actionable intelligence. Represented at this field experiment were various sensor platforms
such as UGS, soldier-worn, manned ground vehicles, UGVs, UAVs, and helicopters. This ATO continues
to evaluate applicable technologies to include retro-reflection, UV, IR, visible, glint, LADAR, radar,
acoustic, seismic, E-field, narrow-band emission and image processing techniques to detect the threats
with very high confidence. Networked fusion of multi-modal data will reduce false alarms and improve
actionable intelligence by distributing grid coordinates, detection report features, and imagery of threats.
