SBIR-STTR Award

This proposal is directed to the objective of obtaining visibility estimates for "silent" areas using dmsp imagery. The method proposed for evaluation is fourier analysis of digitized images to permit spatial frequency analysis of either natural or man made patterns present in the scenes. Changes in the spatial frequency content from one area to the next or from scene to scene would be indicative of changes in visibility in the vertical path above the target. Dms presolvable targets would be large dimensioned geological features such as fold belts and joint patterns and must produce a stable spatial frequency pattern under like visibility conditions. Use would be made of man-made patterns due to crop marks and lighted nighttime city grid patterns. The type of scatterers involved (rayleigh or mie) would also be considered based on the color of the target. The phase I effort would be concerned with establishing feasibility by selecting and evaluating targets from actual dmsp scene archives. Criteria would be stability of spatial frequency content, and variation with visibility changes. Phase II effort would involve field tests of US. Targets chosen using conventional visibility techniques against the proposed periodic target-contrast method.