A 3-D environment mapping systems and methods of dynamically mapping a 3-D environment includes identifying at least five point correspondences associated with image frames of a scene recorded by a camera from a plurality of viewpoints. A down direction is determined from IMU motion data. The down direction is an absolute global downward direction. Components of the scene that are vertical are identified using the down direction, an iteration of 3-D position of each of the five point correspondences, and a current iteration of refined relative locations and poses of the camera. A 2-D map is generated of the scene by mapping the identified components of the scene in an eagle view of the scene.

The present invention has applications that include detecting color variation in a region, for example, color variations due to temperature changes in an area of ocean water, and, in a more specific application, detecting bioluminescence of certain organisms known to attach themselves to various objects. In one aspect of the invention, an acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system is moved across the region to collect a series of images in which each image represents the intensity of light at a different wavelength. In one embodiment, the acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system includes a motion platform for positioning the acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system over successive Y-coordinates of a region in a direction substantially parallel to a direction of motion of the motion platform. In one such embodiment, the motion platform may be an aircraft or any other platform suitable for moving the acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system over the region.

Noise effects in a signal for driving a plant are reduced by generating a reference signal from the error signal. A signal generator generates a reference signal for input to a finite impulse response (FIR) filter. The error signal is produced by differencing the transfer function output and a disturbance signal. The error signal is input to the signal generator and to a least mean square calculator. The reference signal is input to a copy of the transfer function that outputs a modified reference signal. The modified reference signal is input to least mean square calculator. An LMS signal that updates the filter coefficients to minimize the mean square error is calculated and the LMS signal and the reference signal are input to the FIR filter with the FIR filter being arranged to process the LMS signal and the reference signal to minimize the error signal.

A method involves adapting a vessel detection algorithm based upon received synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image data and associated metadata, detecting one or more vessels within an image tile of the SAR image data by iteratively applying the adapted vessel detection algorithm to successive portions of the image tile, discarding a detected vessel if a false alarm is determined, extracting one or more features from the detected vessels that are not discarded, and generating one or more output products based upon the extracted features.

An adaptor for an unmanned vehicle for inspecting an object, the adaptor includes a moveable ring assembly and a fixed ring. The moveable ring assembly rotates around a periphery of the unmanned vehicle and allows the unmanned vehicle to move along a surface of the object while maintaining a fixed stand-off distance between an exterior surface of the adaptor and the surface of the object. The fixed ring is connected around the exterior surface of the unmanned vehicle and secures a lateral position of the moveable ring assembly with respect to the unmanned vehicle.

A wireless communications basestation that utilizes a light weight high directivity electronically-steerable antenna mounted on a lighter-than-air vehicle to providing relay broadband communication service among mobile units in a geographic area is provided. The lighter-than-air vehicle carries aloft the antenna; a radio and a switching device for routing. A gateway may also be provided to enable communications with a wide area network. A communication system for a geographic area utilizing the airborne wireless communications basestation is also presented. The system includes a number of user equipment units located in the geographic area in communication with the airborne wireless communications basestation. The user equipment units may utilize omni-directional antennas for low data rate communications, and/or a high directivity antenna.

A tracking system having an acquisition sight for use by a pilot to acquire and track a target. Once the target is acquired an operator using a track handle can control tracking of the target. The operator monitors the target utilizing narrow and wide field of view monitors. A computer receives azimuth and elevation positional signals from the tracking device which may be the acquisition sight, the track handle, or other tracking device. The computer then processes the azimuth and elevation data and provides azimuth and elevation angle signals to a gimballed mirror steering the mirror to the target. The mirror receives image forming light from the target and then directs the image forming light to a wide field of view camera and a zoom telescope. The wide field of view camera is connected to the wide field of view monitor displaying the target on the monitor. The zoom telescope directs a narrow field of view image to a narrow field of view camera, which is connected to the narrow field of view monitor allowing the narrow field of view image of the target to be displayed to the operator.

A wireless communications basestation that utilizes a light weight high directivity electronically-steerable antenna mounted on an aircraft to providing relay broadband communication service among mobile units in a geographic area is provided. The aircraft carries aloft the antenna; a radio and a switching device for routing. A gateway may also be provided to enable communications with a wide area network. A communication system for a geographic area utilizing the airborne wireless communications basestation is also presented. The system includes a number of user equipment units located in the geographic area in communication with the airborne wireless communications basestation. The user equipment units may utilize omni-directional antennas for low data rate communications, and/or a high directivity antenna.

A method of identifying and imaging a high risk collision object relative to a host vehicle includes arranging a plurality of N sensors for imaging a three-hundred and sixty degree horizontal field of view (hFOV) around the host vehicle. The sensors are mounted to a vehicle in a circular arrangement so that the sensors are radially equiangular from each other. For each sensor, contrast differences in the hFOV are used to identify a unique source of motion (hot spot) that is indicative of a remote object in the sensor hFOV. A first hot spot in one sensor hFOV is correlated to a second hot spot in another hFOV of at least one other N sensor to yield range, azimuth and trajectory data for said object. The processor then assesses a collision risk with the object according to the object's trajectory data relative to the host vehicle.

Data fusion and visualization of video and LADAR data includes using a fusion matrix to electronically transform each point of a LADAR point cloud from Cartesian coordinates into a homogeneous fusion coordinate system (FCS). The FCS has projective geometry dimensions of row, column, and depth. A control camera is provided for user input to generate a control matrix. A fusion point cloud is generated by electronically fusing each transformed point. The pixel color is found in the video frame at the row and column indicated from the transform of each point of the LADAR point cloud. The control camera is used to control a view of the fusion point cloud by removing non-visible points found at depths deeper than a point having the smallest depth for each row and column. The visible points are rendered on the fusion point cloud to generate a control frame.