Automatic Object Detection on SAR Images for UAV-HALE Surveillance Systems

This paper deals with the automatic detection of Objects of Interest (OOIs) in SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) still images. A particular scenario in which a Light-SAR is part of the payload for HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) platform, named Heliplat, currently under development at the Politecnico di Torino. This unmanned, solar powered aeronautical vehicle is especially tailored for operations at altitudes between 15 and 25 Km with a potential endurance of weeks to months. It could provide a wide range of potential applications within telecommunication and remote sensing: in this paper a particular surveillance application, the reconnaissance over sea regions, has been focused.