Use of synthetic imagery in target detection model improvement

Perception tests have been performed by Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) addressing the process of searching an image with the intent of detecting a target of military importance. The imagery used in the experiments was generated using NVESD's Paint-the-Night (PTN) thermal image simulation. The use of PTN simulation permits the same scene and target to be viewed with different sensor characteristics (such as resolution, noise and sampling). This allows the isolation of single variables in an experimental environment and the evaluations of their effect on probability of detection. Typical first and second generation FLIR sensor effects were applied to each of 100 synthetic images resulting in an experimental data set with identical thermal signatures and sensor fields of view. Experimental results are presented and the advantages of using synthetic imagery to evaluate differences in sensor resolution, noise, and other characteristics are discussed.