Optical Tracking Investigations into Image Information and Adaptive Guidance

摘要

A two part study into critical aspects of optical tracking systems is presented. The basic question of what comprises information in a textural image is addressed in a study to investigate the application of an erosion process to a binary image. The objective of the erosion is to enhance the image properties that match the properties of the structural element, or mask, used in the erosion process. The resulting image can be used for further processing, but the enhanced properties would now dominate other qualities of features in the image. A statistical study of various textural edges is presented. The use of the variance and mean to indicate textural transitions is investigated on two different types of textural edges. An adaptive guidance technique based on reachable set theory is compared to pursuit and proportional navigation approaches presently employed in missile systems. It is shown that this approach adapts to maneuvering targets far better than the traditional approaches. The computational requirements for the algorithm are evaluated in terms of present digital hardware capability. The results indicate that using current technology, substantial improvements in guidance system performance can be realized.