Image Exploitation-A Forefront Area for UAV Application

Abstract

Image exploitation, an innovative image utilisation program uses high revisit multisensor, multiresolution imagery from unmanned air vehicle or other reconnaissance platform for intelligent information gathering. This paper describes the imagc exploitation system developed at the Aeronautical Dcvclopment Establishment, Bangalore, for the remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) Nishonr and highlights two major areas (i) In-flight imagc exploitation, and (ii) post-flight imagc cxploitatlon. In-flight imagc study includes real-timeenhancement of images frames during RPV flight. target acquisition. calculation of geo-location of targets, distance and area computation, and image-to-map correspondence. Post-flight image exploitation study includes image restoration, classtfication of terrain, 3-D depth computation using stereo vision and shape from shading techniques. The paper shows results obtained in each of these areas from actual flight trials.