Roke launches advanced UAV Moving Target Indicator

Roke Manor Research today launches VTA (Visual Target Analysis), the first moving target indicator system which immediately tracks and maps vehicle and personnel movement within real-time UAV surveillance footage.

Long UAV surveillance missions increase the risk of operator fatigue, so that key events may be missed when monitoring a video feed. VTA reduces this risk by automatically alerting operators to moving vehicles and personnel. The system also provides a visualisation of the motion on a map for improved situational awareness. For example, changes in behaviour can be identified by comparing the current flow of vehicles and personnel with historical data.

VTA also allows real-time UAV video to be overlaid onto existing satellite images. This means that operators can immediately identify the precise location of any unusual activity and quickly share that information.

VTA enables rapid forensic analysis during mission debriefings or after a major event by allowing operators to filter and replay recorded tracks through a simple 'click-to-replay' interface. Recorded tracks are automatically tagged with metadata such as location, speed and direction. Operators can then filter or search for data of interest using these tags to speed up the review process and provide actionable intelligence. For large amounts of data generated by high resolution cameras or long term surveillance missions, VTA provides only the data of interest through the communications channel. This reduces the burden on high-integrity communications systems, freeing up resources for other tasks.

Robert Whitehouse, Business Development Manager at Roke Manor Research, said: "Moving target indication systems are proving increasingly valuable in counter-insurgency battle situations. Roke's innovative development of VTA takes this technology to another level by increasing operators' ability to provide actionable intelligence significantly faster than ever before to support operations on the ground. Using this application, users are able to detect, track, record, visualise, review and disseminate information about vehicle and personnel movement".

VTA is a software plug-in compatible with all common operating systems for use with both visible band and infrared video imagery. A clearly defined Application Programming Interface (API) allows this new functionality to be integrated in a swift and cost effective manner.

Source: Roke