<title>Thermal signature training for military observers</title>

Abstract

The U.S. Army's CECOM Center for Night Vision and Electro-Optics, C2NVEO, has been conducting a series of human perception tests. These tests score military observers on their ability to identify and recognize thermal images. The results of these tests are used to develop and refine the Night Vision FLIR Performance Model (FLIR90/ACQUIRE). The Thermal Image Training Package is a useful by-product of these tests. It was originally developed to train military observers for perception tests, but the soldiers tested pointed out its value for general training. Since that time, the package has been used by several Army units and has been found to be a valuable asset for training. The Thermal Image Training Package consists of software and imagery designed to quickly teach an observer how to recognize and identify thermal images. It runs on an IBM PC/AT compatible computer with VGA graphics and a hard disk. It loads into a computer in about 15 minutes and a complete training session is self- paced and usually takes less than two hours. It is effective, inexpensive, and simple to use. The package uses actual thermal images, simulated ranges, allows contrast and brightness adjustments, black or white hot polarity, red, green, or gray screen coloring and provides output files of scores for progress checking and analysis. The training package is a useful tool in its present form, but with continued interest and the development of better, cheaper PCs possible future versions have even greater potential.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.