Experimental results from fusion of binary correlation filters implemented on an optical correlator

TLDR: Fusion of different types of filters where the weaknesses of each design can be avoided and the strengths preserved leads to suppression of false alarms, and enhancement of the true correlation peaks.

Abstract: Over the years many correlation filter designs for automatic target recognition have been proposed. Some designs offer high tolerance to different types of noise and clutter with the disadvantage of not so sharp correlation peaks. Other designs give sharp correlation peaks but low tolerance to disturbances. A fusion of different types of filters where the weaknesses of each design can be avoided and the strengths preserved has earlier been proposed. We have used an optical correlator with binary SLM:s. Because of this, the complex gray-scale correlation filters are binarized. The input image is edge enhanced and binarized before entering the system. By using different binarizations, the filters produce different false alarm-peaks, but equivalent correlation peaks in the correlation plane. Optical correlation is performed with the filters and the results are fused giving the resulting correlation image. Fusion of the results leads to suppression of false alarms, and enhancement of the true correlation peaks. Tests have been performed on both high and low contrast cluttered images with good results.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.