Human recognition of infrared images

This paper presents the results of an experiment that studied human recognition of infrared images. An experiment is described in which human observers were asked to to discriminate between different types of modern armored vehicles at various resolutions. In the original study', Johnson was concerned with the four criteria of detection, orientation, recognition, and identification, and a limited number of objects were used. This experiment used many more vehicles than Johnson, but concerns only the tasks of identification friend or foe (1FF), and identification. The vehicles are ones that would be commonly encountered in a modern day confrontation between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces. Simulated infrared images of these vehicles were presented to trained observers and the resolution threshold for the identification friend or foe task was determined.