Techniques for Automatic Target Recognition

Automatic target recognition (ATR) is an application of multi sensor data fusion technology which is an essential ingredient for achieving automation required in the areas of guidance navigation and control (GNC), weapon targeting and surveillance for modern manned and unmanned aerospace vehicles. The application of ATR technology is a critical element of electronic warfare, advanced avionics and reconnaissance systems, smart weapons, and serial data interface. Multi sensor data fusion (MSDF) activities are being pursued at FMCD for the past 10 years. The MSDF Group has successfully completed several sponsored projects from DRDO labs. Also, under the 10th five year plan project several sophisticated and state of the art algorithms in the field of target tracking, data fusion including multi sensor multi target tracking, algorithms for situation assessment, application of fuzzy logic for decision fusion and algorithms for kinematic and image fusion have been developed. Development of ATR strategies and software is the logical extension of the capabilities developed by the MSDF group. It falls in the niche domain of research and development for GNC applications which would be useful in all the future manned and unmanned aerial vehicle programs of the country. This ATR project has been conceptualized under 11th five year plan to meet the development of indigenous capability in this important area of research particularly for application in enhanced and synthetic vision system (ESVS) which is planned to be pursued under 12th five year plan.