Researchers Develop New Maritime Target Detection System

March 5, 2015

SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific has developed RAPIER® full motion video (FMV), a maritime target detection, tracking, and identification solution that quickly and automatically analyzes video, alerts analysts of important targets, and outputs target information.

RAPIER® Full Motion Video Maritime Target Detection from SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific.

At the core of RAPIER FMV is an object detection system that uses basic signal processing and machine learning approaches. The system maintains a high level of performance without making prior assumptions about foreground- background characteristics. It is robust to variations in illumination, ever-changing background characteristics and video quality, as well as abrupt changes in the perspective, size, appearance, and number of targets. RAPIER FMV also uses a unique detection method that aids in improving processing times.

Full motion video technology is increasingly being used for maritime surveillance. However, the immense amount of FMV data produced, lack of automation, and dependency on human analysis make processing and extracting intelligence from FMV challenging. Maritime characteristics such as sun glint, whitecaps, ship wakes, and ship size further complicate object detection and tracking in FMV. SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific’s RAPIER FMV fills the need for an automated process that can quickly and efficiently analyze maritime FMV by extracting meaningful information to assist analysts in improving FMV processing time. RAPIER FMV’s algorithms reduce the risk of false detection and lessen analyst workload.

RAPIER FMV has applications in military, search and rescue, vessel tracking, counter-piracy, harbor and port security, and other maritime applications. Key features of the technology include: processes 1080p video in real-time raw video streaming from unmanned aerial vehicles, and processes 640×480 video up to two times faster; supports real-time video feeds from manned and unmanned aircraft, satellite, ship-mounted, and shore-based sensors; supports recorded data; acquires and tracks multiple maritime targets simultaneously; processes color, black and white, electro-optical, and infrared video; provides simple and easy to read output formats for end users such as HTML tip sheet, KML (Google Earth™), shape files, XML, OTH-G, RIT, and others; displays detected and recognized targets; and annotates video streams with metadata, including sensor positions, coordinates, and time and date.

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