A novel ship wake detection method of SAR images based on frequency domain

Moving ships produce a set of waves of “V” pattern on the ocean. These waves can often be seen by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). The detection of these wakes can provide important information for surveillance of shipping, such as ship traveling direction and speed. A novel approach to the detection of ship wakes in SAR images based on frequency domain is provided in this letter. Compared with traditional Radon-based approaches, computation is reduced by 20%–40% without losing nearly any of detection performance. The testing results using real data and simulation of synthetic SAR images test the algorithm’s feasibility and robustness.

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