Recent progress on grayscale optical correlator for automatic target recognition

Abstract

Recent progress on developing a Grayscale Optical Correlator (GOC) is described. The development efforts have been simultaneously focused on the adoption of a composite correlation filter algorithm and the development and integration of high-resolution, high-speed, miniature GOC hardware system. We have selected the Optimum Trade-off Maximum Average Correlation Height (OT-MACH) filter synthesis algorithm due to its great target recognition performance and its suitability for optical implementation in a real-valued Spatial Light Modulator (SLM). We have, to date, participated in the development of the high speed (1000 frames/sec) and high resolution (1024 pixel x 1024 pixel), small form factor (5 micron pixel pitch) Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal SLM. We have also developed a portable 512 x 512 GOC system and used it to various ATR applications such as target detection from surveillance data, sonar mine detection, etc. The status of our GOC hardware system and correlation filter synthesis status will be reported. Potential applications and system issues will also be discussed.