This paper is focused on the development and the flight performance analysis of an image-processing technique aimed at detecting\r\nflying obstacles in airborne panchromatic images. It was developed within the framework of a research project which aims at\r\nrealizing a prototypical obstacle detection and identification System, characterized by a hierarchical multisensor configuration.\r\nThis configuration comprises a radar, that is, the main sensor, and four electro-optical cameras. Cameras are used as auxiliary\r\nsensors to the radar, in order to increase intruder aircraft position measurement, in terms of accuracy and data rate. The paper\r\nthoroughly describes the selection and customization of the developed image-processing techniques in order to guarantee the best\r\nresults in terms of detection range, missed detection rate, and false-alarm rate. Performance is evaluated on the basis of a large\r\namount of images gathered during flight tests with an intruder aircraft. The improvement in terms of accuracy and data rate,\r\ncompared with radar-only tracking, is quantitatively demonstrated.
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