Imagery Analysis - Analytical Techniques

Analytical Techniques

The first use of tactical imagery obtained during the first World War readily revealed the straight man-made lines of roads, cites, airfields and trenches. Finding concealed high-value targets like artillery, ammo dumps, and other logistical sites was quite another matter.

This was a process that was strictly by trial and error, with the resulting body of knowledge transmitted to new recruits and officers. Terrain and the proximity to supported units would dictate probable locations of logistical routes, ammo dumps, supply depots and assembly areas. Being that the military by definition embraces uniformity, patterns of emplacement and concealment, once discovered would result in widespread targeting by artillery and air strikes. The size, shape, and surroundings of items frequently gave away the location of military assets, with shadows only making it that much easier to identify targets. The development of analytical techniques is really a part of the evaluation of the new technology itself. The first photograph to be taken was that of a French neighborhood. It was crude, yet it clearly showed the outline of the houses. Immediately it was apparent how the new technology, the chemical film plate, was of immediate usefulness.

In the case of infra-red photography, the new details made available were puzzling at first, and took some time to explain. In the pictures taken of works of art, the strange images would eventually be interpreted as showing a feature being painted over and finished. Simultaneous aerial coverage by photo and IR of a given target would reveal how a warm vehicle would warm up the ground and once moved, the warmed plot would stay warm for some time, giving the illusion of more vehicles. Just as in the case of an experienced scientist, once a new observation is made, it must then be explained.

In the case of the application of radar, all there was at the beginning was a variation of the cathode ray tube which would show only the distance to a single target. Only with the introduction of the more familiar round-screen format would radar reach its full potential. So, there were the raw data, but without the use of a readable 2- or 3-D format no-one can make that much use of this information. One thing to remember about radar is that when it comes to illuminating aircraft, most of the energy is deflected. Only the existence of corners, air intakes and flat surfaces that face the radar makes it possible to detect these aircraft. What is actually seen by traffic controllers is the return beep from the aircraft's IFF. As in the case of 9/11, once the hijacked aircraft's IFF was turned off, there wasn't much to see. This can also be seen in the use of radar reflectors that are routinely added to power lines in order to avoid crashes by low-flying aircraft. The actual characteristics of synthetic aperture radar is of course, classified, so one can only speculate on what is actually observable.

For the development of CAT scans, computer-aided design (CAD) had to come first. Pictures were publicized in the 1960s showing design engineers using light pen peripherals to draw proposed design features to be evaluated for fit and aerodynamics before costly manufacturing jigs had to be built. In the case of CAT scans, the information from x-rays is useless without 3-D capability.

For the development of ultrasound, the use of anatomical studies, dissections, and autopsies would have been necessary to provide insight and confirmation of what was now visible. It would have taken some time to establish average dimensions for organs and, in the case of pre-natal scans, body dimensions and growth rates.

The development of MRI would have been a question of comparing their data with that of CAT scans and ultrasound. As far as how they established the visibility of neurochemical reactions, that would have been dependent on current knowledge of neurological and physiological processes. Now a situation exists where a new technology that is based on previous understanding actually increases those fields of knowledge that made it possible.

The current emphasis of multi-spectral imaging is really a question of maximizing the amount of data available for geological, agricultural, and environmental research. This means that a given area would only have to be covered once, making global coverage a more economical proposition.

The latest imaging technologies are driven by nuclear physics and astronomic research. This can be seen in the evaluation of particle acceleration, where theoretical physics helps to make sense of the collected data. As in the case of particle physics, multi-spectral orbital imaging is driven by theoretical research, only to be confirmed by other sources.