USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Ryan Decker

Oleg A Yakimenko

Mathias N Kolsch

Michael S Hollis

Marco Duca

Gary Dundon

Kyle Schaarschmidt

Raymond Chaplin

Boris Flyash

Shawn Spickert-Fulton

Douglas Chesnulovitch

Gregory Farbanish

Matthew Ledyard

Christopher Vesper

Dominic Cantatore

The impact angle of a small caliber projectile is determined by accurately measuring the orientation angle of the projectile in flight and modeling epicyclical flight of the projectile. To measure the orientation angle, a projectile is fired along a trajectory within a test gantry. One or more sets of cameras captures images of the projectile in flight. The images are processed using computer vision to measure the position and orientation angle at each station. Calibration of the test equipment prior to the test firing of the projectile, allows for determination of these points in the 3d space of the test fixture. Aeroballistic models are fit to the orientation history. From these models, an impact angle is extrapolated.

Automated ammunition photogrammetry system

A method and apparatus for estimating the position and attitude of an aerial vehicle transiting over terrain through a combination of steps combining image registration and the inherent image coordinate system of the camera. The aerial vehicle captures an image of the terrain and extracts features from the camera image and pre-existing aerial imagery, and determines a perspective transform between the images. Image reference points are projected with the 2D perspective transform and an elevation map provides estimated 3D coordinates of the image reference points. Subsequently a camera position and orientation necessary for the camera to obtain the initial camera image is determined by projecting reference points with locations defined by the image coordinate system of the camera to define terrain points, and conducting an optimization to minimize displacements between the estimated coordinates and the terrain coordinates. The estimated camera position provides a location and attitude for the aerial vehicle.

Image-matching navigation method and apparatus for aerial vehicles

Systems and methods are provided to quantify the geometric change of a projectile during ballistic flight using a camera/tracker video system. Image processing tools are used to segment the shape of the projectile in each frame of a launch video, which allows the length to be calculated with sub-pixel accuracy. Subsequent automated analysis uses a baseline length history of a constant length projectile to correct for variations in measured length due to system layout and camera location.

Measuring geometric evolution of a high velocity projectile using automated flight video analysis

Methods and systems for determining a spin rate of a projectile are provided. A receiving module receives a video of a launch of a projectile in which the projectile having at least one marking disposed thereon. A segmenting module segments a plurality of shapes of the projectile from the video. The segmenting module includes a sensitivity module configured to increase a sensitivity of the video to find the projectile in the video. An extraction module extracts at least one column of pixels of the at least one marking from the shapes. A generating module generates a stripe pixel column history image from the at least one column of pixels. A calculating module calculates a spin rate of the projectile from the stripe pixel column history image.

Method and apparatus for computer vision analysis of spin rate of marked projectiles

Systems and methods are provided to quantify the pitching and yawing motion of a projectile during ballistic flight using two camera/tracker video systems. Image processing tools are used to segment the shape of the projectile in each frame of a launch video, which allows the location and observed pitch angle to be calculated with sub-pixel accuracy. Subsequent automated analysis uses the history of the projectile location and the pitching behavior to calculate estimates for the epicyclic motion, as well as other ballistic parameters such as aeroballistic coefficients. Using two cameras located at different orthographic views of the line-of-fire (LOF) allows the pitching and yawing motion history of the projectile to be calculated in three dimensions (3D). In addition, input of the camera locations, cannon trunnion location, and the cannon pointing direction allows for automatic correction for camera misalignment.

Method and apparatus for computer vision analysis of cannon-launched artillery video

An automated method to quantify the pitching and yawing motion of a projectile during ballistic flight using two camera/tracker video systems. Image processing tools are used to segment the shape of the projectile in each frame of a launch video, which allows the location and observed pitch angle to be calculated with sub-pixel accuracy. Subsequent automated analysis uses the history of the projectile location and the pitching behavior to calculate estimates for the epicyclic motion, as well as other ballistic parameters such as aeroballistic coefficients. Using two cameras located at different orthographic views of the line-of-fire (LOF) allows the pitching and yawing motion history of the projectile to be calculated in three dimensions (3D). In addition, input of the camera locations, cannon trunnion location, and the cannon pointing direction allows for automatic correction for camera misalignment.

A new mortar projectile for use to resupply various payloads to distant troops. The mortar projectile has the capability of rapidly and accurately transporting the payloads to forward disposed combatants without interference of terrain or enemy action. The mortar projectile includes a shell body for housing the payload to be delivered, and a GPS-guided parafoil for delivering the payload to the designated remote target location.

Mortar projectile with guided deceleration system for delivering a payload

An instrumented projectile that senses and transmits change(s) in position of a projectile subsystem(s) during an interior ballistic event in real-time.

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Hoboken, NJ, United States of America

Ryan Decker