Moving targets in sights

NEW technology developed by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) will help military surveillance analysts to locate hard-to-find moving targets.

A new computer processing method will improve analysts’ ability to detect previously inconspicuous moving targets on airborne surveillance video of a land battlefield.

DSTO scientist Dr Robert Caprari has spent the last year working on the “Video Moving Target Indication” (VMTI) technology.

“We have developed a technique that enables us to turn what are hard to see targets into ones that are highly conspicuous to a human surveillance analyst,” he said.

Initial trials of the system demonstrate a major improvement in the ability of analysts to detect targets, and a high effectiveness of the system’s own automatic target detection functionality.

“If the DSTO system is developed for operational use, it would significantly help military aircraft on tactical missions to prosecute or defend against hostile ground vehicles,” Dr Caprari said.

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