An automatic target detection algorithm is developed for infrared image small target in complicate background of sea and sky. Wavelet multiresolution edge detection algorithm is adopted to detect the sea-level line from coarse to fine. A strip can be decided accordingly as the potential area where the naval vessel targets in infrared images usually appear. We realized target detection by defining an energy function that integrated the results of horizontal wavelet transform. We complete the detection by marking the position where the energy is assumed the maximum and improving the target location precision by comparing the dissimilarity between a couple of windows. Experiment results indicate that the method can detect and locate small targets precisely in an infrared image with high detection probability.

Date Published: 4 August 2003
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 5082, Acquisition, Tracking, and Pointing XVII, (4 August 2003); doi: 10.1117/12.485763

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5082:
Acquisition, Tracking, and Pointing XVII
Michael K. Masten; Larry A. Stockum, Editor(s)