Results of field testing with the FightSight infrared-based projectile tracking and weapon-fire characterization technology

Steve Snarski; Alberico Menozzi; Todd Sherrill; Chris Volpe; Mark Wille

doi:10.1117/12.850523

5 May 2010 Results of field testing with the FightSight infrared-based projectile tracking and weapon-fire characterization technology

Steve Snarski, Alberico Menozzi, Todd Sherrill, Chris Volpe, Mark Wille

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7666, Sensors, and Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C3I) Technologies for Homeland Security and Homeland Defense IX; 76662C (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.850523
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2010, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

This paper describes experimental results from recent live-fire data collects that demonstrate the capability of a prototype system for projectile detection and tracking. This system, which is being developed at Applied Research Associates, Inc., under the FightSight program, consists of a high-speed thermal camera and sophisticated image processing algorithms to detect and track projectiles. The FightSight operational vision is automated situational intelligence to detect, track, and graphically map large-scale firefights and individual shooting events onto command and control (C2) systems in real time (shot location and direction, weapon ID, movements and trends). Gaining information on enemy-fire trajectories allows educated inferences on the enemy's intent, disposition, and strength. Our prototype projectile detection and tracking system has been tested at the Joint Readiness Training Center (Ft Polk, LA) during live-fire convoy and mortar registration exercises, in the summer of 2009. It was also tested during staged military-operations- on-urban-terrain (MOUT) firefight events at Aberdeen Test Center (Aberdeen, MD) under the Hostile Fire Defeat Army Technology Objective midterm experiment, also in the summer of 2009, where we introduced fusion with acoustic and EO sensors to provide 3D localization and near-real time display of firing events. Results are presented in this paper that demonstrate effective and accurate detection and localization of weapon fire (5.56mm, 7.62mm, .50cal, 81/120mm mortars, 40mm) in diverse and challenging environments (dust, heat, day and night, rain, arid open terrain, urban clutter). FightSight's operational capabilities demonstrated under these live-fire data collects can support closecombat scenarios. As development continues, FightSight will be able to feed C2 systems with a symbolic map of enemy actions.

Citation Download Citation

Steve Snarski, Alberico Menozzi, Todd Sherrill, Chris Volpe, and Mark Wille "Results of field testing with the FightSight infrared-based projectile tracking and weapon-fire characterization technology", Proc. SPIE 7666, Sensors, and Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C3I) Technologies for Homeland Security and Homeland Defense IX, 76662C (5 May 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.850523

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