Dynamic 3-D Threat Mapping Using a Sensor Constellation Deployed on Mobile Platforms

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) and its partners, Research Support Systems (RSI, a PSI-subsidiary) and Professor Thomas Strohmer of UC Davis, propose to develop an innovative approach that can be employed by an ‘on-the-move’ sensor constellation to determine the size (length, width, and height), absolute geo-location, and 3-D concentration distribution of chemical threat clouds released on battlefields. The available information from such a system will enhance the situational awareness of the warfighter. Through the development of a simulation environment, PSI and its academic partner will develop and demonstrate optimum triangulation and reconstruction algorithms that are robust to pointing uncertainties, noisy and limited projection data from uneven terrains, while at the same time minimizing reconstruction errors and reducing the computational load. A deployable prototype will be developed and demonstrated as part of a follow-on Phase II program. The system (2 or more sensors moving at ~30 mph) will be capable of 3-D cloud reconstructions accounting for total threat mass with less than 30% errors. Threat Center-of-Mass tracks will be accurate to better than 80% while the mobile sensors provide ~0.2º absolute pointing accuracy. 3-D threat reconstructions will be generated once every 90 seconds.