Modeling defined field of regard (FOR) search and detection in urban environments

Abstract

Currently there is no model validation to confirm the extension of the US Army Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) field-of-view (FOV) urban search model to a field-of-regard (FOR) model. Human perception testing has been performed at NVESD to further understand the search and target acquisition task within a defined FOR in the urban environment. A modification to the current search model is proposed based on 30 simulated long-wave infrared (LWIR) FORs created by the NVESD Electro-optics Simulation Tool-kit. The FOR model was tested against human observer performance using an additional set of real LWIR FOR images that were captured at a US Army MOUT training site. The real imagery included thermal signatures during both day and night, and visible imagery during the day. Comparisons have been made between these perception test results and the time-limited search model. Current model assumptions concerning the relationship between the FOV search and FOR search tasks are evaluated and discussed.