Matching
Automatic Image Matching (AIM) is an image processing technique that allows images taken from different sensors at different times to be aligned. It would allow, for example, matching of an infrared image taken from the payload of a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to a visible band satellite image. This could assist the UAV in terms of navigation or target detection.
For example, the left hand image below shows a thermal image extracted from an airborne platform. Given the position and orientation of the imager, it is possible to approximately match the viewpoint of the imager by warping a geo-referenced photo of the area, as shown by the warped aerial photo on the right.
The AIM process can now be used to determine a more accurate alignment of the images, or to match the input imagery with a predetermined target.