Detection of illegal airstrips in digital images using artificial intelligence techniques

Abstract

Ecuador is considered a transit country for drug trafficking and smuggling activities. Being a current problem in the northern and coastal border of the national territory, unauthorized airstrips are used for these illegal activities where controlled substances, money, weapons, ammunition, and explosives are transported. The research will be based on the design and development of a methodology using artificial intelligence techniques for the analysis and processing of images that will be obtained from reconnaissance missions carried out by Ecuadorian Air Force airplanes. For the recognition of clandestine airstrips, the YOLO deep learning-based object detection method and segmentation techniques will be used.