Background
As individual sensors usually provide only fragmentary views of the complete situation of interest, the increasingly complex environment of the U.S. Borders drives the requirement for the presentation and interactive control of the stream of information arriving from the various sensors deployed. The situational awareness picture is fragmented without the benefit of sensor fusion and correlation to present a true picture from all information sources. Sensor fusion combines data from a wide array of sensors into a single, unambiguous data set to produce information of value to the user, and possesses the ability to deal with conflicting data, producing interim results that can be revised as more data becomes available. Since no single sensor provides the capability to find, fix, track, target, engage, and assess in all weather conditions, the ability to fuse information from various sensors enables multiple looks at each target, and takes advantage of the strengths of each sensor type, to increase target identification and location accuracy.
Functionality
FusionCommand is a Command and Control (C2) system that provides a Common Operating Picture (COP) framework of sensor fusion, target tracking, and user/target location for situational awareness on an openGIS-based map with application specific or user-defined overlays. The open architecture platform for FusionCommand provides an information sharing solution that delivers structured information (including sensor and geospatial information) to authenticated users, enables end-to-end information control, and provides alert notification and secure audit trails.
Our FusionCommand software application consists of an open architecture (OA), scalable, adaptable Command and Control (C2) middleware and a Sensor Fusion Engine (SFE) that incorporates Gaussian and Non-Gaussian Data Fusion. FusionCommand is an adaptable, integrated application that solves the problem of C2 management, sensor fusion, and target tracking. Furthermore, FusionCommand provides for non-disruptive integration of emerging technologies, without having to redevelop the architectural infrastructure, and/or integration of existing stovepipe infrastructures.
Architecture
- Scalable, adaptable OA Linux-based C2 middleware with openGIS map overlay performs all required data parsing, importing, storage, conversion, map building, rendering, and geo-referencing of map data
- Sensor Fusion Engine provides correlation and association of all sensors
- API’s implemented for messaging and communications between C2 middleware and Sensor Fusion Engine
- Flexible input filtering to assure sensor specific data preprocessing and prevent undesired target merging leading to higher tracking accuracy
- Optimized to solve target track ambiguity
- Automated and manual target tracking with PTZ camera regardless of detection from other sensors
- Common Operating Picture (COP) provides GPS track data and sensor location/detection range for situational awareness and collaborative planning
- XML database used to manage all sensor and target information
- Data input feature for new sensors, relocation of sensors, and removal of sensors
- COTS Advanced Storage Area Network (ASAN) provides application servers and Fibre Channel (FC) storage with RAID 5 protection
- IP-based Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
- Incorporates wireless mobile network
- Health & status and event notification of sensors
- Deployable as independent system or interface to existing system
- Modularity provides for migration to IP-addressable sensors, ad-hoc mesh network and 802.20 standards, XML schema, and interfaces to disparate database
