Abstract
Progress in several technical areas is being leveraged to advantage in Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) systems. This
paper discusses advanced technologies that are appropriate for use in UGS systems. While some technologies provide
evolutionary improvements, other technologies result in revolutionary performance advancements for UGS systems.
Some specific technologies discussed include wireless cameras and viewers, commercial PDA-based system
programmers and monitors, new materials and techniques for packaging improvements, low power cueing sensor
radios, advanced long-haul terrestrial and SATCOM radios, and networked communications. Other technologies
covered include advanced target detection algorithms, high pixel count cameras for license plate and facial recognition,
small cameras that provide large stand-off distances, video transmissions of target activity instead of still images, sensor
fusion algorithms, and control center hardware. The impact of each technology on the overall UGS system architecture
is discussed, along with the advantages provided to UGS system users. Areas of analysis include required camera
parameters as a function of stand-off distance for license plate and facial recognition applications, power consumption
for wireless cameras and viewers, sensor fusion communication requirements, and requirements to practically
implement video transmission through UGS systems. Examples of devices that have already been fielded using
technology from several of these areas are given.
