Insertion of Synthetic Features in Sar Ccd Imagery

Synthetic Aperture Radar Coherent Change Detection (SAR CCD) images are highly sensitive change maps produced by multiple SAR images. The noise and characteristics of SAR and CCD result in SAR CCD images being challenging to interpret, making human analyst training essential. Simulating a SAR and CCD dataset with realistic noise is an unsolved problem, and collecting real data with a wide variety of scenarios is challenging and error prone. In this paper, we introduce two algorithms to insert tire tracks and footprints (simulated activities) into existing, nonsimulated CCD images. In the first approach, we directly insert synthetic tracks that are modeled to characterize the appearance of tire tracks and footprints into existing CCD images. In the second approach, we use a phase-shift technique prior to CCD formation, providing more realistic activity signatures at an increased computational complexity. The position of the tire tracks and footprints are determined using a simulation software application such as Joint SemiAutomated Force (JSAF), allowing this SAR CCD simulation capability to be integrated into a larger overall system. In this paper, we provide a full description of the algorithms and the integration into a software system, and we provide experimental results showing the simulated CCD image output with comparisons between the two approaches. ∗This work is sponsored by the United States Air Force under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.