IR and SAR image exploitation systems

In the past, DASA/Dornier has developed various image exploitation systems. A summary of their characteristics will be presented here. The changing reconnaissance tasks in the world, together with cost and manpower restrictions demand new image exploitation solutions which are influenced by different technical approaches. They range from individual image processing steps to powerful fusion and classification techniques. In order to develop, test and integrate improved exploitation techniques, a generic functional architecture for exploitation systems has been designed. In this article we will report on the general development strategy for the realization of DASA/Domier's image exploitation systems and their technical features. In order to test and validate different exploitation algorithms, image data produced during flight campaigns is fed into the image exploitation systems. Performance of integrated algorithms is evaluated by systematic testing. This is illustrated by some examples.