SBIR-STTR Award

Vista Research will develop and demonstrate the feasibility of an automated, integrated, and real-time sensor suite and a highly innovative approach to signal processing for a Southern Border surveillance system. Sophisticated algorithms enable the use of low-cost, COTS and GOTS sensors by shifting the surveillance burden from sensors to IBM CELL supercomputing technology. Our specific surveillance system uses tower-mounted, low-cost Radars and visible EO and LWIR sensors for automated, real-time, 360-degree, 24-h coverage. The wide area radar surveillance system will detect and track people and vehicles automatically at distances up to 12 km from the border and cue EO/IR sensors for high-resolution classification at distances up to 3 km. Vista's automated, real-time, Radar tracking algorithms provide powerful discrimination against false alarms, and enable effective operations in inclement weather. EO/IR sensors, which allow day/night operations, are automated and integrated with the radar, and enable stand-alone surveillance detection, tracking, and classification. Real-time, streaming LWIR and color images are presented to an operator for each suspected illegal person or vehicle for confirmation before deploying resources to an apprehension point. A low-cost tracker UAV can be launched to confirm classification and support apprehension

Vista Research proposes to deploy and test a baseline implementation of the "Smart Sensors" system evaluated under Phase I and measure the system performance within the context of the Southern Border environment. The Smart Sensors system concept combines low-cost, COTS sensor systems with advanced digital signal processing technologies and algorithms with the aim of providing automated, high-performance wide area search and target discrimination to the U.S. Border Patrol and other government entities. As an option to the main task proposed under Phase II, Vista will also: a.) extend the range and robustness of the system through hardware upgrades, b.) improve the sensitivity and reliability of the system through algorithmic and software upgrades, and c.) realize rapid gains in performance through two additional field experiments that will leverage the lessons learned and insights gained through "real world" experiences in the Southern Border environment. Vista Research anticipates that by the end of Phase II sufficient progress will have been achieved that a fully integrated, real-time operational Smart Sensors capability can be rapidly prototyped, tested, and productized under Phase III, with the goal of pursuing actual deployments within the setting of the Southern Border security infrastructure as soon as possible