PC-Based System for Thermal Image Identification Training

Abstract

The U.S. Army's CECOM Center for Night Vision and Electro-Optics (C2NVEO) has been conducting a series of human perception tests to complement results of field tests. The perception tests score military observers on their ability to identify and recognize simulated thermal images of combat vehicles. The results of these tests are used to develop and refine the Night Vision FLIR Performance Model (FLIR90/ACQUIRE) which predicts range performance for human target acquisition using different sensor designs. During the analysis of an early group of tests it became apparent that observers needed to be trained to equal levels of competence before taking the tests. For this purpose, we created a software package designed to teach observers about thermal signatures and to help the observer become more familiar with the target set used in our tests. In the following months we trained and tested dozens of soldiers and civilians with various backgrounds. These training and testing sessions provided a large database of observations for analysis. The paper includes discussions of the simulation techniques used to produce the test and training imagery and a description of the software package used for training. Conclusions are discussed in light of the patterns of learning achieved by the training and some implications for the human perception of tactical targets.