Result: NV-THERM based sensor effects for imaging simulations

The Night Vision and Electronics Sensors Directorate Electro-optics Simulation Toolkit (NVEOST), follow-on to Paint-The-Night, produces real time simulation of IR scenes and sequences using modeled backgrounds and targets with physics and empirically based IR signatures. Range dependant atmospheric effects are incorporated, realistically degrading the infrared scene impinging on an infrared imaging device. Current sensor effects implementation for Paint the Night (PTN) and the Night Vision Image Generator (NVIG) is a 3 step process. First the scene energy is further attenuated by the sensor optic. Second, a prefilter kernel developed off-line, is applied to scenes or frames to affect the sensor modulation transfer function (MTF) blurring of scene elements. Thirdly, sensor noise is overlaid on scenes, or more often frames of scenes. NVESD is improving the PTN functionality, now entitled NVEOST, in several ways. In the near future, a sensor effects tool will directly read an NVTHERM input data file, extract that data which it can utilize and then automatically generate the sensor world view of a NVEOST scenario. These will include those elements currently employed: optical transmission, parameters used to calculate prefilter MTF (telescope, detector geometry) and temporal-spatial random noise (σTVH). Important improvements will include treatment of sampling effects (under sampling and super-resolution), certain significant postfilters (signal processing including boost and frame integration) and spatial noise. The sensor effects implementation will require minimal interaction; only a well developed NVTHERM input parameter set will be required. The developments described below will enhance NVEOST's utility not only as a virtual simulator but also as a formidable sensor design tool.