Imagery analysis

    Imagery Analysis

            The successful extraction of useful information from mostly bi-dimensional graphic
       formats, including screen shots. In it's broadest sense it includes both color, and
       black & white photographs, infra-red photographs and video, radar screens and 
       synthetic aperture radar formats, ultrasound, EKG, EEG, MRI, echo cardiograms, seismographs
       and others. In short, any type of sensor-related data projected in 2 & 3D formats qualifies
       as imagery.

    I. The origin of Imagery Analysis.

            Prior to the invention of early photography, military commanders depended on scouts
       that would explore, and from high ground would survey or reconnoiter enemy activity,
       depending on simple eyesight and human memory. Once photography became available, tactical
       information became frozen in time, details could be preserved, enhancing the quality of
       available information.

            1. World war I saw the start of ground based and aerial photographic collection. For
       the first time commanders were able to access timely and accurate intelligence. Such was
       the value of this type of information that observers in tethered balloons and scout planes
       were attacked, first with crude weapons and later escalating to machine guns and the
       development of the fighter. Frank Luke, an american pilot procured incendiary ammunition
       and used it to destroy numerous enemy observation balloons, gaining the title of Balloon
       Buster.
            The end of the war resulted in the scaling down of tactical and strategic capabilities,
       resulting in almost dormant state in the development of photographic analysis. The perceived
       threat from Germany and Japan revived the collection and analytical  capabilities of the
       major powers and helped military planners prepare for the next war.

            2. In the 1930's experiments with film media and it's processing resulted in the
       introduction of film that could now detect non-visible wavelengths in the Infra-red spectrum.
       One of the first applications was the use by those associated with rare art collections.
       Previously invisible details made it possible to detect and deter forgeries. Radar made 
       its appearance during World War II, primarily in its early warning capability. In the 
       early days of the cold war, soviet troops would use a directional radar beacon to lure
       surveillance aircraft toward their airspace in order to shoot them down. By this time radar
       scopes became available in larger aircraft monitoring soviet-controlled border areas. Having
       these scopes made early radar navigation possible, indeed, in photos released by the Air Force,
       pictures were taken of the screens, documenting this use.
            The importance of tactical information is shown in the case of operation Market-Garden, 
       the aerial invasion of the Netherlands - sep 17, 1944. Photomissions revealed the presence
       of two Panzer(armored) Divisions in the city of Arnhem, a bridgehead at the farthest reach
       of those airborne troops assigned. British Intelligence Major Brian Urquhart warned his 
       commander of the  threat, but overpowering optimism prevailed with the resulting night-time
       river-crossing of 2,600 survivors out of 10,000, 9 days later.
            In spite of the introduction of color film, photo interpreters to this day continue
       to use Black & White because of the greater detail available. The early cold war era also
       saw the introduction of strategic collection. In tactical collection, you count guns, strategic
       collection includes butter. The categories of collection is of course, classified.

            3. The Post-Vietnam era saw the introduction of airborne infra-red sensors. Differences
       in temperatures between objects and their surroundings made it possible to detect targets on
       the ground. These early systems would record data which would be accessed once the aerial
       platform would land. Later developments in transmission technology would provide periodic data
       dumps and would further evolve into real-time collection.
          
            4. Synthetic Aperture Radar would soon be developed in the later part of the Cold War. 
       The concept of an optical camera aperture affecting the image acquisition process would be
       emulated with radar waves, providing an undisclosed amount of detail. One clue would be the
       NASA photo released in the late 1980's showing a previously hidden african dry riverbed.

            5. This is also about the time when ultrasound would make it's appearance. For the first
       time it was possible to view variations in tissue density which made it possible to detect
       possible tissue and organ anomalies. Another application was that of detecting material
       flaws in manufacturing.

     II.   The Computer and how it affected Imagery Analysis.

            1. Experimentation with monochromatic imagery(Black & White) imagery revealed the potential
       of exploiting the hundreds of shades of grey available in this medium. The next step would be to
       digitally manipulate the grey scale to enhance the acquisition of usable information. The first
       applications of this new technology would be by the intelligence community and by medical
       researchers who would refine and further develop the technology, resulting in the introduction
       of the CAT Scan.

            2. Another technology introduced roughly at this time would be that of the echocardiograph,
       which could show heart movements and the actual bloodflow through its chambers. One of the more
       recent developments has been that of Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI), where tissue and
       bloodflow anomalies could be detected. Evidence of spinal chord injuries and even complex
       neurochemical reactions in the brain could now be detected and documented. Scientists have
       also explored the possibilities of multi-spectral imaging such as the 1970's LandSat,
       and yet more parts of the electromagnetic spectrum such as astronomical gamma-ray imaging.

     III.  The development of Analytical techniques.
            
            1. The first use of tactical imagery obtained during th 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, that is, the chemical film plate was of immediate usefulness.

            2. 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 you have a new observation, you then have to explain it.
            In the case of the application of radar, all you had 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 it's full 
        potential. So, you have the raw data but without the use of a readable 2 or 3D format,
        you can't 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 911, once the hijacked aircraft's IFF was 
        turned off, there wasn't much to see. You can also see this 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.

            3. For the development of CATScans, computer aided design,CAD, had to come first.
        Pictures were publicized in the 1960's showing design engineers using light pens to draw
        proposed design features to be evaluated for fit and aerodynamics before costly
        manufacturing jigs had to be built. In the case of CATScans, if you don't have a 3D 
        capability, the information from Xrays is useless.

            4. 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 body dimensions in the case of pre-natal scans. 

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

            6. 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 you would only have to cover a given area once, making global coverage a
       more economical proposition.

            7. The latest imaging technolgies are driven by nuclear physics and astronomic research.
       You can see this in the evaluation of particle acceleration, where theoretical physics
       helps to make sense of the collected data. As in the case of particle physics, multispectral
       orbital imaging is driven by theoretical research, only to be confirmed by actual collection.

       IV. Current Applications.

            1. Besides the traditional tactical and strategic use by civilian and military
        intelligence, other entities have made extensive use of this discipline. Law enforcement
        has made use of imagery in forensic crime scene documentation in order to determine how
        crimes were commited to include how the assailant approached and left the crime scene. 
        Also, bullet trajectories can be detected in order to determine the location of a sharpshooter.
     
            2. Highway departments make use of stereo and terrain analysis techniques to determine
        potential highway routes. As in the case of Google Earth, imagery is include with other types
        of information to create detailed maps useful for commerce, taxation, city planning and
        infrastructure.
 
            3. The most important application has been for medical and research purposes. Many
        advances in diagnostics and monitoring have contributed to the ever-increasing body of 
        knowledge and treatment options. The only problem is that with the increase in diagnostic
        capability, the aspect of accountability and malpractice has made necessary the costly
        regimen of multiple-discipline testing. This is not about to change. The positive side of
        developing new imaging technologies is that enhanced observation and understanding that will
        result in better diagnostics and treatments.

            4. The introduction of LandSat in the mid '70s made possible new applications in the
        fields of agriculture, geology, mining, and the environment. The actual resolution would
        not be great, but sufficient for these types of applications. The raw data would include
        the grey scale, and information from a variety of sensors. The designers would find it
        necessary to assign colors for each type of return, creating a multicolored map.

            5. Meteorological imagery since the '60s has made it possible to detect and monitor
        severe weather well in advance of it's arrival, saving numerous lives.

       V. Future applications.

            One promising application would be in the field of Archeology. Terrain analysis would
         show trade routes, lines of communication, cities, forts, farming, grazing, water sources,
         supporting communities that surround cities and service trade routes, ancient borders and more.

            1. In the case of Ancient Egypt, IR would reveal water sources that would have supported
       communities in the desert. Terrain Analysis reveals that in order to access the Sinai copper
       mines, one had to access the shallow eastward valley north of present-day Cairo and reach
       the Red Sea just south of Port Said. From there it would have been a question of sailing east 
       toward the western coast of the Sinai and turn southward toward Ras Abu Rudeis, a small coastal
       plain just east of the 2 copper mines.
            The reason for this is that an overland route would have required the costly logistical
       support of garrisons through hostile territory held by hostile desert tribes.

            2. In the case of the biblical exodus, terrain analysis excludes the traditional sites as
       being too far and not being accessible to such a large group of people. Advancing through
       mountainous terrain would have exposed them to ambushes. The only confirmed location within
       Egypt or the Sinai is that of Baal Zephon. Ancient papyrii describe this location as being 
       close to Ramses, Tahpanhes and present-day Lake Menzaleh. Being that Biblical Archeology is
       almost devoid of independent confirmation, one has to follow the terrain, traveling along the
       mediterranean coast eastward, reaching the Wadi of Egypt(Al-Arish), and turning southward, 
       following the wadi towards the interior. There are numerous dams crossing the wadi, easily
       seen from above. Travelling would have depended on the use of scouts who would survey water
       sources, grazing areas and topography that would permit travel for such a large group of
       people.

            3. Imagery would benefit exploration in greater Palestine. Radar would readily detect
       tells(mounds indicative of] multiple layers of ruins) in the plains. In mountainous terrain,
       it would be a question of branching out from confirmed locations and  establishing a 10 mile
       radius, the idea being that cities depend on smaller, surrounding communities. Terrain would
       dictate probable trade routes, water sources, grazing, farming and supporting infrastructure.

            4. Surveying jungles would require terrain analysis and radar to detect stone cities and
       temple complexes.