Photo/Image Analysis Aids
Written by Erin Flynn Jay
TISR 2011 Volume: 1 Issue: 1 (March)
Image analysis software can be used to exploit geospatial
imagery for tactical purposes, such as assessing combatant
movement and positions. The military has made progress
using video to improve mision efficiency within ISR communities.
A challenge faced by ISR communities is how to efficiently acquire, manage and distribute full motion video into a usable intelligence package. Harris provides an infrastructure for changing the way that video is ingested, managed and broadcast to dramatically shorten the decision cycle, improve the real-time operational picture and improve forensic analysis. In addition to the need for full motion video solutions, the reliance on geospatial imagery as a source of actionable intelligence also continues to grow, and solutions like ITT’s ENVI provide scientifically proven processes to solve defense and intelligence challenges and meet the needs of tactical ISR operations.
The FAME (Full motion video Asset Management Engine) team at Harris Corporation has made significant contributions to the progress of using video within ISR communities. “The team has led the way in demonstrating the benefits a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) full motion video solution for the military can bring in improving mission efficiency, as well as its application to protecting our soldiers,” said Geeter Kyrazis, FAME product manager with Harris Corporation’s Broadcast Communications Division.
Harris has leveraged its broadcast products to support tactical mission requirements by providing systems to move, store and manage broadcast video content. Kyrazis said the FAME team has applied its expertise in managing and distributing all types of rich media content to create a COTS solution that enables intelligence agencies to benefit from the same technology used in demanding commercial broadcast applications around the world.
The newest release of the architecture, FAME 3.1, provides virtualization of the FAME solution’s server-side components; enterprise services that federate motionimagery data across many locations; a new Web-based client; a geospatially enabled multiviewer; and a video exploitation processor that conditions, normalizes and corrects incoming motion-imagery streams. “These latest advances improve situational awareness by fusing metadata with video, and managing the massive quantity of video and other data that military and government agencies receive every day,” said Kyrazis.
The FAME 3.1 system ingests H.264, MPEG-2 and M-JPEG transport streams in digital (SD and HD) formats. Metadata is retained with the ingested stream and is stored in the FAME database for future searching/cataloging purposes. “The stored information is Motion Imagery Standards Board (MISB)-compliant and includes geospatial and mission-critical information— greatly augmenting the ability to discover relevant video clips,” said Kyrazis. “Temporal and geospatial searches can be filtered further using mission or external metadata. Geospatial markers within the video are inserted into the database as quickly as they are received, making the data searches accurate to the second/frame.”
One challenge faced by ISR communities is how to efficiently acquire, manage and distribute full motion video into a usable intelligence package. Kyrazis said the Harris FAME architecture integrates video analytics, video and audio coding, video, audio, chat and imagery capture, processing/ storage, graphics insertion and dynamic distribution capabilities into a single digital asset management platform. This provides an infrastructure for changing the way that video is ingested, managed and broadcast to dramatically shorten the decision cycle, improve the real-time operational picture and improve forensic analysis.
An advantage of FAME 3.1 over current tools is how quickly it allows pertinent information to be passed from collection to analyst to warfighter, and disseminated to users as useful intelligence—the kind that helps decision-makers form strategies, avert disaster and save lives. “Using FAME 3.1, all video is time-stamped, providing a universal reference for annotation, metadata correlation and searching,” said Kyrazis. “User and group security are maintained in FAME by applying ‘filters’ to find a specific person or group.” FAME is deployed on virtual machines, and different virtual machines can run multiple operating systems and applications on the same physical computer.
This integrates the components, which allows for advanced failover and redundancy techniques; reduces the hardware footprint; reduces the complexity involved with scaling FAME systems to many hundreds of users or streams; provides load balancing services; and increases network efficiency by constraining much of the network traffic to a single physical server.
“An analyst can view the incoming stream and add markers in real time, while a system that is collecting or generating other intelligence data can use the FAME marker interface to simultaneously annotate the motion imagery,” said Kyrazis. “Video and metadata created and catalogued in one region are immediately available to all users, allowing soldiers, analysts and decision-makers to collaborate in real time across the entire network.”
The FAME 3.1 system also provides a new method to view motion imagery displays via a geospatially enabled multiviewer. The multiviewer provides a mapping context to a data wall, allowing multiple incoming motion imagery streams to be displayed in the context of a common operating picture.
In summary, Kyrazis said FAME 3.1 organizes, processes and federates data about full motion video, in real time— making it available to the right people (warfighters, analysts and decision-makers) in the right format, and turning information into a benefit to the ISR community as a whole.
Creating Actionable Intelligence with Imagery
Defense and intelligence personnel face a variety of challenges from monitoring infrastructure and assets to vulnerability analysis, which can be overcome with the help of information extracted from geospatial imagery. Data extracted from imagery can save time and manpower and increase the likelihood of achieving tactical and operational goals.
A leading software package used to extract the valuable information in imagery is ENVI from ITT. “ENVI image processing and analysis software is a solution used in defense and intelligence to accurately extract critical information from geospatial imagery and turn it into actionable intelligence,” said Beau Legeer, director of product management at ITT Visual Information Solutions. “ITT has made ENVI’s advanced functionality available to analysts of all experience levels by providing a comprehensive package of automated, workflow- based image processing and analysis tools.”
For tactical ISR operations, military analysts rely on ENVI for applications ranging from assessing the combat environment, to finding hidden targets, to detecting changes. Leeger said ENVI can be customized to solve unique challenges, making it a flexible solution for defense and intelligence applications. When using a GIS to view, understand and visualize data, ENVI creates a streamlined workflow by delivering image analysis tools directly from the ArcGIS environment, eliminating the need to switch between multiple software packages. This unique capability saves critical time and effort and gives warfighters a tactical advantage.
Military analysts use a variety of data types to create intelligence, including panchromatic, multispectral and hyperspectral. “ENVI includes multispectral and hyperspectral tools developed in concert with the DoD to support exploitation and analysis of government and commercial multispectral and hyperspectral imagery,” said Leeger. “These tools, commonly known as SPEAR and THOR tools, provide users with automated workflows to make the most commonly needed image processing and analysis routines more intuitive for the defense analyst. In addition, certified NITF capabilities in ENVI allow military analysts to read, edit and deliver NITF files.”
Imagery is used in defense and intelligence for many practical and mission critical applications. Detecting and identifying targets is one common application. “Targets such as vehicles, disturbed terrain, or camouflaged objects that are not always visible can be detected with ENVI using spectral information,” said Leeger. “The target detection tool in ENVI combines advanced algorithms with a guided workflow to allow analysts to quickly find targets, regardless of their image analysis experience.”
After targets have been detected in ENVI, the software can help identify the materials they represent by matching them to spectra of known materials. The spectral analysis tools found in ENVI can work with the extensive libraries of spectra provided within the product or with users’ own spectral libraries.
ISR operations may also use imagery to extract features of interest. Leeger said the automated feature extraction tool in ENVI walks users through the process of finding objects within all types of imagery. The tool can be used to quickly extract buildings, vehicles, roads, coastlines, landing strips and other tactical land marks.
Defense and intelligence personnel may choose to use imagery to detect and monitor changes in a geographic area over time. “From vehicle movement to new structure development, change detection tools in ENVI are appropriate for detecting all types of changes,” said Leeger. “ENVI not only maps the detected changes, but also creates reports showing the area and percentage of changes. ENVI provides an array of sophisticated tools for dynamically viewing the same location in two or more images simultaneously.”
The ability to visualize topography is useful in many defense and intelligence operations. ENVI offers comprehensive topographic tools for tactical ISR operations so military analysts can visualize their data and understand the terrain ahead of time. With ENVI, analysts can produce dynamic three-dimensional models with overlain imagery or vector data. They can then easily navigate through the models to visualize terrain from varying view angles, as well as create automated fly-through movies.
“As the reliance on geospatial imagery as a source of actionable intelligence continues to grow, solutions like ENVI provide scientifically proven processes to solve defense and intelligence challenges and meet the needs of tactical ISR operations,” Leeger concluded.
Geospatial Intelligence Tool BAE Systems developed SOCET GXP, a versatile geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) tool that uses imagery from commercial, satellite and tactical sources to identify and analyze ground features. With SOCET GXP, users can automatically measure, annotate, store and retrieve ground features in a series of images to expedite geospatial production, image analysis and map creation. The data can be used to monitor changes over time, manage utilities and communications networks, facilitate infrastructure design and development, and coordinate operational missions.
Based on the Microsoft Office Fluent user interface, which features the customizable Ribbon, SOCET GXP is designed to simplify workflows. The intuitive interface provides a visual conduit into advanced functionality and extended capabilities. SOCET GXP automates the complicated processes associated with geospatial product creation, which allows users to build and export finished map products as simple as PowerPoint slides and GeoPDF files, and establishes the basis for future feature extraction and analysis.
In addition, the workspace can be organized according to individual or site preferences for maximum ease of use. SOCET GXP enables interoperability and collaboration among users and decisionmakers at all levels, and provides direct connectivity with Google Earth and the ESRI geodatabase to create, store and share geographic information. The data can be used by organizations and commands to satisfy long-term operating and maintenance requirements.
Based on more than 20 years of research and development, the SOCET GXP system architecture is built to provide high performance image processing from commercial hardware. It has a common software baseline, look and feel for both UNIX and Windows operating systems. A robust API eases integration of the application into larger system architectures and provides a solid prototyping tool and thirdparty development platform. This gives customers and systems integrators the capability to create complex commercial and government off-the-shelf solutions for specific programs and missions.
BAE Systems has created a product with important discriminators in terms of functionality and efficiency, backed by a strong support and training team. SOCET GXP’s technically advanced functionality serves government and civil customers’ needs for photogrammetry, rapid mapping, 3-D visualization, image exploitation and analysis, precision targeting, intelligence, simulation and mission planning.
SOCET GXP offers automated functionality that simplifies complex geospatial production workflows. Geospatial analysis and production have never been easier. Built-in shortcuts and pushbutton functionality shorten workflows that previously required proficiency with several specialized software packages. Moreover, frequently used features can easily be added to the customizable Quick Access Toolbar. Traditional menus and toolbars are replaced with tabs that display commands relevant to each task. Contextual tabs appear only when needed, revealing expanded capabilities and advanced functionality—features are never turned off or hidden by default. As SOCET GXP evolves and fresh functionality is developed, new tools can be added without crowding the workspace or draining system resources.
SOCET GXP is a powerful application with the capability to ingest imagery from an unprecedented number of commercial, satellite and tactical sources, making the product accessible to a greater number of users. In SOCET GXP, most mapping data is processed in its raw form, which simplifies the workflow and accelerates product generation.
From finding beach landing sites for combat troops to helping land the Mars Rover, SOCET GXP offers the XA, a suite of automated tools for in-depth analysis and product generation, reducing dependency on multiple tools.
SOCET GXP establishes the union of image analysis and geospatial production in one software package. Today, IA and GA production, which include secondphase product generation, are becoming integrated. With SOCET GXP, the XA is empowered to complete IA and GA tasks using a single application. Accurate products can be created quickly with automated tools.
Image analysis workflows require current and archived images to build ondemand products. Often, time constraints require rapid product generation. Second- phase product generators, typically geospatial analysts, provide value-added processing—and in many cases increase the accuracy of image data—by generating updated terrain, orthophotos and feature vectors.
SOCET GXP’s rigorous, automated processes let all users exploit imagery with ease, traditionally a task reserved for the GA. With the click of a button, tools such as Ortho On-the-Fly reduce measurement errors associated with sensor orientation and terrain topography. The Google Earth interface provides seamless integration, dynamic viewing and editing between the two applications. Furthermore, digital terrain elevation data can be loaded automatically to simplify terrain-dependent processes.
Image Analysis
SOCET GXP’s accuracy, quick visual analysis, and effortless change detection capabilities streamline image exploitation. The Ortho On-the-Fly tool orthorectifies and mosaics raw images in real time to produce continuous, accurate imagery of an expansive area. This can be used for immediate product generation or future analyses. Orthorectification removes geometric errors or displacements in an image caused by the orientation of the sensor or variations in the terrain elevation. The result has a consistent scale, allowing accurate measurements of position, distance and direction.
Ortho On-the-Fly enables first responders and analysts in the field to view and analyze orthorectified imagery without delay, or revert to the raw data. Raw images are still available for extended processing such as automatic terrain generation, 3-D feature extraction and mensuration, and stereo visualization. ♦