Dim and Small Target Detection Based on Characteristic Spectrum

Dim and small target detection is one of the most challenging issues based on space-based detector. Original space-based detector only uses infrared bands, and the target information is limited in one-band image, so that detection error rate is high. In order to increase the target information, we suppose spectral imaging technology can be applied to the space-based detection system. Use bands of stronger radiation of targets than that of background as detection bands theoretically; the detection bands also can be called as the characteristic bands of targets. On these bases, the paper proposes methods of fuzzy fusion and fusion segmentation to achieve the target detection. Fusion is a combination of images from the characteristic bands, which can eliminate background, restrain noise, and enhance the target. Threshold segmentation and fuzzy algorithm assisted fusion algorithm to complete the final detection. In the simulation experiment, missile plume is considered as the detection target, atmosphere, cloud and jet plume is considered as the detection background, and the advantages of the characteristic spectrum detection and the proposed algorithm are verified from SNR, SCR, ROC curve, and time.