Effect of image enhancement on the search and detection task in the urban terrain

This research investigated the effects of using medical imaging enhancement techniques to increase the detectability of targets in the urban terrain. Targets in the urban environment present human observers different challenges than targets located in the traditional, open field, search environment. In the traditional environment, targets typically were military vehicles in a natural background. In the urban environment, targets were humans against a man-made background. The U.S. Army Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) and the U. S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) explored three image processing techniques: contrast enhancement, edge enhancement, and a multiscale edge domain process referred to as "mountain-view". For the mountain-view presentation, high-contrast edges were enhanced. Human perception experiments were conducted with non-enhanced real imagery collected from an Urban Operations training center. These human perception experiments establish a baseline response. Processing the imagery using the previously mentioned techniques then allowed human perception experiments to be conducted. The performance parameters used for comparison were probability of detection, and time required to detect a target. This research provided a methodology of evaluating and quantifying human performance differences in target acquisition based on image processing techniques in the urban environment.