Computer vision and image processing for military applications

Processing, analysis, and understanding of visual information is important in many military situations. Intelligent computer visions can aid humans in making decisions and are able to relieve humans of the burden of interpreting image and video data. Development of image sensor technologies and embedded computer systems, together with development of image analysis methods, has enabled implementation of intelligent computer vision-based systems, which enable visual detection, recognition, and tracking of objects in real-time. Applications include systems for navigation of autonomous vehicles, automatic target recognition, missile guidance, smart helmets to detect enemy soldiers, and battle control systems in command centers. Development in sensor technologies bring new sensors with increasingly high resolutions, high low-light sensitivity, and ability to acquire images in multiple spectral ranges including visible, infrared and thermal images. Intelligent computer vision systems provide a rich set of information that is important for realization of the battlefield awareness, which aids force commanders to predict courses of action on the battlefield. Computer vision systems are important for improved human-computer interfaces and for systems for estimating the emotional state of pilots or soldiers. Advanced image processing methods can help enhance and restore images acquired under difficult imaging conditions such as in remote sensing situations, or low-light imaging.