New Frontiers 

Gathering Intelligence and performing Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) has always been a critical success factor to any mission or campaign. Today technology is helping us getting a tremendous advantage in situational awareness. The proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles and systems (UAV and UAS) the past decade is unparalleled.

• The sheer volume of sensor data creates huge challenges in itself; in almost all steps, such as available data link bandwith, data storage, data analysis, and data retrieval (with access restrictions and multi-level authorities)

• The volume of sensor data and the multitude of available sensors and airframes also poses the risk of action paralysis; the difficult call of judgment whether to choose to act on existing information, or to continue to collect intelligence. The challenge here is to provide different levels of an operation with tailored data fit for purpose; for example providing  accurate and unambiguous video data for very time critical decisions on a tactical level.

• The UAS proliferation also support the command paradigm change, where authority to make time critical decisions is pushed down the ranks. The individual dismounted soldier, and/or the group or squad leader, is now for good reasons entrusted with greater decision responsibilities. Providing as many individual soldiers as possible with increased situational awareness through ISR assets becomes a key driver.  From a technology viewpoint, this involves areas such as tailoring and distributing data, and providing clear and good imagery to small and portable viewing devices.

• Sensors now allow us to “see” in spectrums not otherwise possible by the human eye. In addition, we also get to observe in ways not well adapted to human perception; moving fast on high altitude with wide angle observation, suddenly zooming in dramatically to identify objects of interest under vibrations and turbulence. Unfortunately, humans do not have falcon view. In the adaptation of the human perception system, we have developed multi-stage visual signal processing capabilities – but in the area of aerial ISR; they might as well prevent us from finding the critical information, fool us, or simply make us tired and nauseated.

At Imint, we have analyzed these challenges, and we have developed both technologies and products to address them.

* The headline is a quote from Lt Gen David Deptula, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance at US Air Force

• Optics. Collecting image information with best possible granularity and resolution, a bigger lens simply allows for more photons to be detected, building up your visual representation.

• Momentum. As every photographer knows, the best way to get a clear picture is to use a steady hand. The heavier the payload, the more stable and linear its path.

These two principles work together to promote larger sensors in larger and heavier payloads. However, a third law of physics works to other way;

• Gravity. For an airborne asset, weight is the “currency” for everything. Whether it is endurance, cost of operation, alternative payloads, take-off characteristics, etc – reducing weight adds increased capabilities.

                 The currency of a better lens is weight          

      The currency of a more stable payload is weight    

At Imint,  we don’t rule over the laws of physics, but in the case of aerial ISR trade-offs, we circumvent the issue. By using clever software engine Vidhance on the ground, the live video quality can be greatly enhanced, at zero extra gram payload.

At Imint, we a bit provocatively say that among all development of new sensors, their carriers and carrier links, the final destination of all this data is somewhat neglected – the human eye, and our vision and perception system.

The human vision is a complex signal processing system

At the end of the days, the vehicles with the cameras are up there for the purpose of providing us clear, actionable information. Understanding optics, sensor technology,transfer of full motion video, visual presentation systems, and human perception, we can ensure that the visual information is greatly enhanced and presented in an optimal way. As an example, research has shown that watching blurry and shaky video causes visual fatigue, headache, eye strain and nausea – not a good setting for the person entrusted to staying alert and spotting danger.
We encourage you to read further on how our technology can improve the performance of the most important sensor of them all – the human eye.  

• Video enhancement processing must be efficient, as to allow our products to run on resource constrained systems – meeting both cost restraints and requirements on portability on target platforms (such as ruggedized lap-tops)
• Our technology must be flexible; to enable it not only to run in our own product suite of Remote Viewing Terminals (RVTs), but also to be able to plug-in into existing systems such as Ground Control Stations (CGSs) and RVTs, as well as handle all sorts of video input and other system requirements.
• Our technology should serve the purpose of enabling human detection of time critical events, meaning our focus is on the real-time visual presentation adapted for human observers, providing actionable intelligence.

Our video enhancement software Vidhance is constantly improved and further optimized using real life footage from aerial ISR assets, in an adaptive algorithm approach.

Schematic approach to Imint's video enhancement process adapted to to optimize human perception

Our Vidhance technology is available in our Ihvert® product suite of RVTs and Image Exploitation Terminals, and is also available as a software engine that can be plugged into an existing application. Please check out the products here , and have a deeper look at our technology here .
Regardless of how our technology increase your capabilities in your missions, we remain firm in our mission:
To increase safety and effectiveness of troops and missions through quick detection of time-critical events through enhanced live video quality, and with accurate geo-location.

Ihvert^® IET is based on the proven Vidhance^® real time video enhancement software . Ihvert® IET is designed for advanced aerial reconnaissance video exploitation in the field on a standard rugged laptop like for example the Panasonic Toughbook CF-30 or CF-19.