Topic: MERX WATCH: "What ELSE Could That Be?"

[milnews.ca]

MERX posting - .pdf attached if link doesn't work

.... DRDC Valcartier has recently undertaken a research and development (R&D) project entitled "Multiple Hypothesis Link Analysis for Anomaly Detection in the Maritime Domain" (MHLA-4-ADMD). The main objective of this project is to study, develop and implement a situation analysis tool to support anomaly detection, the identification of vessels of interest (VOI), and threat analysis in the maritime domain. Among other things, R&D is being conducted to provide this tool with a capability for the generation and management of multiple hypotheses. In this regard, the project seeks to exploit the main concepts behind Multiple Hypothesis Tracking (MHT), and to reuse these ideas to deal with uncertainty in the analysis of the maritime situation  ....

More on link

[Jim Seggie]

Sounds like radar or sonar. Or maybe space alien detection???

[milnews.ca]

Sounded to me (GUESSINT) more like figuring out some sort of system (software?) that'll tell a radar or other detector operator, "here's what's been found, and here's what it could be" when spotting anomalies.

[GAP]

Could that not be something similar to this

 Better Than X-Rays

[Ex-Dragoon]

Some sort of sensor that uses laser light underwater?

[Blackadder1916]

. . . the project seeks to exploit the main concepts behind Multiple Hypothesis Tracking (MHT), and to reuse these ideas to deal with uncertainty in the analysis of the maritime situation  ....

It could be exactly what it says it is.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=1263228

Multiple hypothesis tracking for multiple target tracking
Blackman, S.S.   
Raytheon Co., El Segundo, CA, USA;

This paper appears in: Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, IEEE
Publication Date: Jan 2004
Volume: 19,  Issue: 1, Part 2

Abstract
Multiple hypothesis tracking (MHT) is generally accepted as the preferred method for solving the data association problem in modern multiple target tracking (MTT) systems. This paper summarizes the motivations for MHT, the basic principles behind MHT and the alternative implementations in common use. It discusses the manner in which the multiple data association hypotheses formed by MHT can be combined with multiple filter models, such as used by the interacting multiple model (IMM) method. An overview of the studies that show the advantages of MHT over the conventional single hypothesis approach is given. Important current applications and areas of future research and development for MHT are discussed.

 

[milnews.ca]

Necropost revived to include latest phase of research...

".... The objectives of the work for this contract is to enhance the reasoning capabilities of the Multi-Intelligence Tools Suite - Maritimes (MITS-M) from three perspectives:

1) the analysis and exploitation of historical data,
2) case-based reasoning (CBR), and,
3) reasoning with ontologies...."

Reference Number     PW-$QCL-028-12229
Solicitation Number    W7701-092682/A

Plain English translation:  Can someone develop some software that'll help refine the process of figuring out what new "blips" are, based on (among other things) algorithms and analysis of what past "blips" have been?

[Spectrum]

Necropost revived to include latest phase of research...

".... The objectives of the work for this contract is to enhance the reasoning capabilities of the Multi-Intelligence Tools Suite - Maritimes (MITS-M) from three perspectives:

1) the analysis and exploitation of historical data,
2) case-based reasoning (CBR), and,
3) reasoning with ontologies...."

Reference Number     PW-$QCL-028-12229
Solicitation Number    W7701-092682/A

Plain English translation:  Can someone develop some software that'll help refine the process of figuring out what new "blips" are, based on (among other things) algorithms and analysis of what past "blips" have been?

I was under the impression that we were already quite capable in this area. Are we not already able to determine the class (and sometimes the specific ID) of a vessel of interest based on emissions and comparision to previous contact logs?


What else do they want to know? Navy guys?

[PanaEng]

I was under the impression that we were already quite capable in this area. Are we not already able to determine the class (and sometimes the specific ID) of a vessel of interest based on emissions and comparision to previous contact logs?


What else do they want to know? Navy guys?

Yes, but the system is not perfect - there are always improvements to be made.
As I understand it, some current systems would select a single hypothesis as "the answer" even if there is still uncertainty with some parts of the signature and not revise that decision when better data becomes available leading to some percentage of false attribution. This "new" method will continue monitoring all the "what if's" until there is sufficient data to properly bracket the id. Ideally, it will improve detection to id time and be more accurate.
However, I don't know anything about it beyond the previous "impression" and only in a theoretical sense - you might say I pulled that out my a$$ 

[Pusser]

Auroras (and the Argus previous to that) have been using Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) for submarine hunting for years (it's the big spike out of the tail on the aircraft).  I presume this is a later generation of that, but that's just a guess.

[Jim Seggie]

Auroras (and the Argus previous to that) have been using Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) for submarine hunting for years (it's the big spike out of the tail on the aircraft).  I presume this is a later generation of that, but that's just a guess.

Space aliens...or zombies....