An outline of fusion and sensor combinational methodologies for disparate, sparse multi-sensor networks for detecting icebergs

摘要

Regions of extensive marine activity, particularly regions that span hundreds of nautical miles, require wide-area, timely, and reliable remotely sensed information to ensure safe and efficient offshore operations. In some areas, such as the western North Atlantic, this issue is exacerbated for one-third of the year when the region can be frequented by icebergs. This paper reports on development of a framework for "fusing" the various sensor data to provide the most accurate and timely "picture" of the region of interest. Available data includes satellite SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) imagery, longrange HF (High Frequency) radar, airborne radar, conventional and enhanced marine radar from ships and platforms, and human observation. Work to date has focused primarily on developing performance curves for the various sensors based on empirical data collected over the past two years. This paper presents an overview of that work and the parameters to be optimized in combining data from the disparate sensors.