ACM TechNews

Immersed in Imagery, Analysts Get a Deeper View of Intelligence Data

Federal Times (07/14/08) Vol. 44, No. 21, P. 15; Singer, Jeremy

Trend analysis is one of the applications of immersive visualization, a system in which analysts examine imagery from various sources projected onto four walls, wearing special eyewear that facilitates a three-dimensional view. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) uses immersive visualization to study trends. Troy Gilbert, leader of DIA's immersive visualization team, says immersive displays are currently being used for 17 projects. He says other users of the technology include automakers, ship builders, and companies seeking natural resources. Among the sources of imagery that immersive displays incorporate are aerial sensors, satellites, and products developed from intelligence collected by human sources. The displays can be used to visualize past events as well as simulate expected events before they take place, says Tom Cooke with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency support team to DIA. Advanced geospatial intelligence (AGI) techniques are specially developed computer processes and algorithms that can help intelligence analysts perceive features that the human eye might miss, says Brian McIntosh of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's office of science and methodology. Applications of AGI methods include searching for chemicals that may have been leaked into a specific area, while the use of AGI tools with commercial imagery could help civil agencies contend with wildfires and other emergency situations by coordinating response strategies, McIntosh says.

http://www.federaltimes.com

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