Defense Technology International - October 2007 - (Page 35) targets. Binocular eyepieces, which are said to reduce eye fatigue during prolonged observation, are preferred for the commander’s periscope. New panoramic periscopes feature a stabilized line of sight and advanced image intensifiers for night vision, as well as monitors connected to thermal vision systems in the gunner’s sight. Viewing stability is achieved with gyro-stabilized head prisms that decouple the line of sight from vehicle motion, o ering improved target detection in rough movement. The evolution of information-processing software is having an impact on imaging capabilities. Multiple sensors attached to a tank can create an “image flood” that overwhelms crews with data. Advanced processing filters compare and combine images to create a fused visual product that is easier to comprehend. With this technology, commanders can focus on critical elements of a situational picture rather than a collection of video streams. Critical elements could, for example, be identified as threats, once characterized by their location, movement or other attributes. Processing filters also permit sensor feeds from di erent sources to be combined, eliminating redundancy and offering data-rich displays based on several spectral bands or additional information. “We call this smart imaging at ElOp,” says Ruso, referring to the ability to look at duplicate or parallel images of the same target from di erent direc- tions or through spectral bands. “The combination of visual, image-intensified and thermal spectral bands generates a fused picture that, in whole, represents a much more detailed image than the sum of its elements.” Smart imaging also includes spectral manipulation of a signal by a filter or polarizer to eliminate irrelevant data or improve the signal-tonoise ratio for further processing. The IDF has pioneered urban modification kits for Merkava Mk 3 tanks. Similar solutions have been adopted by at least two other countries, the U.S. and Germany. Kits include video cameras with 360-deg. omnidirectional imaging. The cameras enable a driver to reverse and turn without external guidance and to monitor blind spots around a tank, especially at the flanks and rear, which are vulnerable in combat. One configuration involves multiple cameras covering different directions, with individual views stitched together electronically to provide a continuous 360-deg. image. This type of imaging is supplied by Elbit Systems with its OmniVision and by O.D.F. Optronics Ltd. of Tel Aviv with the ODR viewing device. These omnidirectional panoramic systems can be positioned on a sensor mast above the tank’s turret or around the vehicle. Omnidirectional pictures are taken by cameras that cover a 360-deg. field without rotating the imaging device. The system enables multiple users to watch the vehi- cle’s surroundings simultaneously, each with a specific region of interest, or allows a single user to assess surroundings. The rapid stitching of pictures, performed in real time and on the move, requires significant image-processing capability, says Danny Nadri, vice president of sales and marketing at O.D.F. Pre-processing is performed on the sensor mast, and final processing is done in the system’s versatile operating computer. Besides image processing, the computer can be used for video motion detection, enabling perimeter protection on “silent guard” missions; for obstacle avoidance when driving or reversing in narrow urban terrain; and for close-up views of areas of interest, regardless of where the vehicle or sight is pointing. Nadri says the system can be mounted on any vehicle within 10 min. with a quick-attach magnetic mount and a console utilizing a toughened laptop computer. The camera system is suitable for turreted armored vehicles and remotely operated weapon stations. Since a commander or gunner sits on a rotating turret and uses another rotating device, the remote weapon station or sight, he can become disoriented, resulting in degraded spatial and situational awareness. A full panoramic or hemispherical view with heading and aiming indications o ers an intuitive point of reference to eliminate this problem. I SENSORS MOUNT UP JORIS JANSSEN LOK•LONDON Electro-optical imaging systems are gaining greater use on armored vehicles in Europe and the U.S., in part due to the success the Israeli military is having with the technology. At the DSEi exhibition in London last month, examples of visualization systems were on display by various companies. Barco N.V. of Belgium, for one, showed a variety of capabilities that it claimed address the need for local situational awareness (LSA) on urban and other asymmetric battlefields. Saab Trackfire is a Barco utilizes visual aids and flexible huremotely operated, man-machine interfaces designed to make it gyro-stabilized easy for operators to assess large amounts of sensor and weapon information, much of it collected and processed system. simultaneously by open, expandable and network-connected computing architecture. The company’s electro-optical sensor technologies include thermal imaging, high-definition imaging and image fusion. Rheinmetall of Germany offers the digital AZEV system, providing panoramic close-ups day and night. It is designed for urban warfare and checkpoint monitoring. The system comprises www.aviationweek.com/dti modules with 3-megapixel cameras covering an area of 180-deg. azimuth and 60-deg. elevation. Uncooled thermal imaging modules and video recording capability can be added. AZEV is integrated into the fire-control system. Many forces add electro-optical surveillance to remote weapon stations. Saab Systems unveiled its latest offering in this area, Trackfire, at DSEi. The gyro-stabilized unit, which includes CCD cameras, thermal imagers and an eyesafe laser range-finder, offers near- and wide-field imaging and zoom-in capability. The system can be mounted on a retractable mast to enhance situational awareness. I SAAB OCTOBER 2007 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 35 http://www.aviationweek.com/dti
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