Image exploitation - A forefront area for UAV application

Image exploitation, an innovative image utilisation program uses high revisit multisensor, multiresolution imagery from unmanned air vehicle or other reconnaissance platform for intelligent information gathering. This paper describes the image exploitation system developed at the Aeronautical Development Establishment, Bangalore, for the remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) Nishant and highlights two major areas (i) In-flight image exploitation, and (ii) post-flight image exploitation. In-flight image study includes real-time enhancement of image frames during RPV flight, target acquisition, calculation of geo-location of targets, distance and area computation, and image-to-map correspondence. Post-flight image exploitation study includes image restoration, classification of terrain, 3-D depth computation using stereo vision and shape from shading techniques. The paper shows results obtained in each of these areas from actual flight trials.