Imagery analysis: Difference between revisions

    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.
       Please keep in mind that since imagery analysis has it's start in military 
       intelligence, whose collection methods and analytical techniques for most of the last
       century has been classified, it is close to impossible to independently verify many
       details related to the development of imagery technology and analytical methods.
       On the basis of my own training as an Army Imagery Analyst, my access to very old
       imagery, pictures and anecdotes of collection and analysis of the time and open-source 
       information of the time makes it possible to paint a well-informed portrait of basic 
       techniques and technologies. 
       Keeping in mind that many of the pioneers are now dead, it's important to access
       testimonials of retired analysts and technicians in order to obtain more exact 
       information, adding it as it becomes available.

       Table of Contents:
       I.   The Origin of Imagery Analysis.
       II.  The Computer and how it affected Imagery Analysis.
       III. The Development of Analytical Techniques.
       IV.  Actual Applications.
       V.   Future Applications.

    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 including one named
       Eisenhower 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 an 
       overpowering optimism cause by the recent collapse of the western front overuled any 
       possibility of an objective threat assessment, resulting in a night-time river-crossing 
       in which out of 10,000 members of the british 1st Airborne Division that jumped into
       Arnhem, only 2,600 survivors would reach reach the southern shore 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 echo-
       cardiograph, 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
       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 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 in the case of pre-natal scans body dimensions and 
       growth rates 

       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 other sources.

       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.
       The Border patrol has the use of imaging technology, determining transit routes
       and the detection of illegal aliens trying to escape into the interior, beyond the
       reach of the agents. Their only real problem is that there are way too many routes
       to cover with the manning and technology only able to do so much.
     
       2. Highway departments make use of stereo and terrain analysis techniques to 
       determine potential highway routes. As in the case of currently available programs,
       imagery is included 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 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 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 use what little confirmed information is available. Following  terrain, they 
       would have set out eastward along the mediterranean coast, 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. Travel 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.Radical man 7 21:58, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

imaging technologies photo analysis radar ultrasound infra red military intelligence tactical intelligence military history archeology Radical man 7 23:50, 6 January 2007 (UTC)