New Approach to Feature Extraction Using Wavelet Transforms for ATR Problems

The subject of wavelet transform has received a lot of attention in research in the past few years. Wavelets are being widely applied in image compression, fractal analysis, speech synthesis, texture discrimination etc. In this paper, we discuss the feasibility of applying wavelet transformation to obtain a viable target feature vector for use in an automatic target recognition problem. The objective of target recognition problem is to discriminate the targets such as tanks, trucks, missile launchers, etc. from the background. We have applied our technique to the images supplied by the Air Force. The targets are segmented from the background clutter and subjected to wavelet decomposition. Energy values are computed for the wavelet decomposed target images and they form the target signature. Each target has a unique feature vector. Numerical results with field images are provided which show the potential of wavelets for feature extraction.