83:—enough to detect and track moving targets throughout the scene. Should a user need to take a closer look at a subject, the WAMI system can cue other available sensors, such as hi-res full-motion video cameras, to make the identification. Users can select different video streams pulled from the WAMI system's vast field of view and, with the help of advanced data compression techniques, watch them live on their computer screens or handheld devices. In some systems, users can also designate "watchboxes" within the sensor's field of view to provide automated alerts should the system detect movement in the area.
106:
Since the deployment of
Constant Hawk, WAMI systems have gotten smaller, lighter, and more capable. The current generation Kestrel Block II, for instance, employs eight electro-optical/infrared cameras that, together, form a 440-megapixel mosaic and cover 113 square kilometers. Yet this WAMI system
46:
A WAMI sensor images the entirety of its coverage area in real time. It also records and archives that imagery in a database for real-time and forensic analysis. WAMI operators can use this live and recorded imagery to spot activity otherwise missed by standard video cameras with narrower fields of
86:
All WAMI is tagged for time and location before being stored in an airborne or ground-based database. Users can remotely access this database and, similar to DVR functionality, can speed through or rewind the imagery to find specific incidents. In addition, just as with the real-time imagery, WAMI
95:
The very first WAMI system was developed in the early 2000s by a
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory team led by John Marion, as part of the Sonoma Persistent Surveillance Program. In 2005, the sensor transitioned to the U.S. Department of Defense, and in 2006, the Army sent the system—dubbed
50:
Military and security personnel are the typical users of WAMI, employing the technology for such missions as force protection, base security, route reconnaissance, border security, counter-terrorism, and event security. However, WAMI systems can also be used for
42:
hundreds of people and vehicles moving out in the open, over a city-sized area, kilometers in diameter. For this reason, WAMI is sometimes referred to as wide-area persistent surveillance (WAPS) or wide-area airborne surveillance (WAAS).
67:
The typical WAMI sensor produces imagery at an update rate of 1 Hz or faster from one or more multiple megapixel cameras. The system then seamlessly stitches together the collected images and applies algorithms to
103:
Weighing 1500 pounds, Constant Hawk initially comprised six electro-optical 11-megapixel cameras that covered 25 square kilometers. This payload was later upgraded to six 16-megapixel cameras.
187:
The history of WAMI systems initially in the US military and subsequently in domestic US law enforcement and commercial applications is covered in Arthur
Holland Michel's 2019 book
547:
247:
208:
498:
100:—to Iraq on Short 360-300 turboprop aircraft as part of a Quick Reaction Capability. Three years later, Constant Hawk also deployed to Afghanistan.
433:
446:
403:
364:
47:
view, analyze these activities in context, distinguish threats from normal patterns of behavior, and perform the work of a larger force.
221:
34:-gathering that employs specialized software and a powerful camera system—usually airborne, and for extended periods of time—to
325:
137:
475:." Center for Technology and National Security Policy, National Defense University. February 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
552:
377:
260:
416:
299:
542:
80:
537:
31:
312:
234:
56:
459:
351:
289:." IEEE Signal Processing Magazine. Volume 27, Issue 5. 2 September 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
519:
485:
52:
390:
35:
557:
69:
39:
27:
531:
120:
97:
472:
150:
73:
23:
365:
Corvuseye: Intelligent Wide-Area Motion
Imagery from the Air Any Time Day or Night
510:
Jane's
Aviation Review 1982-83 - Taylor, Michael J. H. (ed.). ISBN 10: 0710602162
429:
338:
286:
499:
Kestrel Block II: Day-Night, Lightweight Wide-Area Motion
Imagery for Aerostats
378:
Redkite: Lightweight Wide-Area Motion
Imagery for Manned and Unmanned Aircraft
107:
weighs less than 85 pounds—light enough to be mounted on a tethered blimp, or
189:
Eyes in the Sky: The Secret Rise of Gorgon Stare and How It Will Watch Us All
146:
Autonomous Real-Time Ground
Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System (ARGUS-IS)
248:
Wide-Area Motion
Imagery Systems: Evolution, Capabilities and Mission Sets
209:
Wide-Area Motion
Imagery Systems: Evolution, Capabilities and Mission Sets
145:
108:
155:
237:." Open Geospatial Consortium. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
273:
131:
Lightweight Expeditionary Airborne Persistent Surveillance (LEAPS)
79:
As far as resolution goes, WAMI systems usually have a 0.5 meter
313:
A Primer for Dissemination Services for Wide Area Motion Imagery
235:
A Primer for Dissemination Services for Wide Area Motion Imagery
224:." Lexington Institute. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
211:." RUSI Defence Systems. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
417:
An All-Seeing Eye In The Sky Will Watch Over The Rio Olympics
222:
Wide Area Persistent Surveillance Revolutionizes Tactical ISR
520:
https://www.royalsignalsmuseum.co.uk/on-this-day-7th-april/
393:." Defense Systems. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
391:
Army weighs new lightweight wide area motion imagery sensor
87:
users can pan, tilt, and zoom within the archived imagery.
473:
Some Recent Sensor-Related Army Critical Technology Events
276:." Persistent Surveillance Systems. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
134:
Airborne Wide Area Persistent Surveillance Sensor (AWAPPS)
488:." Jane's 360. 19 February 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
449:." FlightGlobal. 22 August 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
447:
Shorts 360 Constant Hawk system heads for Iraqi theatre
419:." Fast Company. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
16:
Approach to surveillance and intelligence gathering
72:them, ensuring that the sensor picture represents
436:. S&TR April/May 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
328:." Monch Publishing Group. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
302:." WIRED. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
300:New Army Camera Promises Super-Wide Surveillance
404:Multi-Sensor, Wide-Area Persistent Surveillance
261:Kestrel: Wide-Area Motion Imagery for Aerostats
111:, which can be kept aloft for weeks at a time.
501:." Logos Technologies. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
406:." Logos Technologies. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
380:." Logos Technologies. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
367:." Harris Corporation. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
263:." Logos Technologies. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
8:
354:." Aviation Today. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
326:IDEX 2017: Logos Technologies Double WAMI
200:
434:Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
63:Capabilities and enabling technologies
7:
548:Intelligence gathering disciplines
142:Kestrel Block II (formerly KS-200)
14:
20:Wide-area motion imagery (WAMI)
1:
81:ground sample distance (GSD)
55:, traffic pattern analysis,
574:
486:IDEX 2017: Bird's eye view
471:Ratches, James A., etal. "
462:." Retrieved 12 May 2018.
341:." Retrieved 12 May 2018.
315:." Retrieved 12 May 2018.
250:." Retrieved 12 May 2018.
91:Evolution of WAMI systems
339:Wide-Area Motion Imagery
287:Wide-Area Motion Imagery
430:From Video to Knowledge
59:, and law enforcement.
460:Persistence on Patrol
352:Persistence on Patrol
337:Porter, Reid, etal. "
285:Porter, Reid, etal. "
115:List of WAMI systems
415:Melendez, Steven. "
178:POPSTAR (IAI/TAMAM)
57:wildlife protection
553:Aerial photography
298:Hambling, David. "
183:In Popular Culture
22:is an approach to
484:Endres, GĂĽnter. "
458:Colucci, Frank. "
350:Colucci, Frank. "
53:disaster response
565:
522:
517:
511:
508:
502:
495:
489:
482:
476:
469:
463:
456:
450:
443:
437:
426:
420:
413:
407:
400:
394:
387:
381:
374:
368:
361:
355:
348:
342:
335:
329:
322:
316:
309:
303:
296:
290:
283:
277:
270:
264:
257:
251:
244:
238:
231:
225:
218:
212:
205:
175:WASP (IAI/TAMAM)
573:
572:
568:
567:
566:
564:
563:
562:
528:
527:
526:
525:
518:
514:
509:
505:
496:
492:
483:
479:
470:
466:
457:
453:
444:
440:
427:
423:
414:
410:
401:
397:
389:Osborn, Kris. "
388:
384:
375:
371:
362:
358:
349:
345:
336:
332:
323:
319:
310:
306:
297:
293:
284:
280:
271:
267:
258:
254:
246:Marion, John. "
245:
241:
232:
228:
219:
215:
207:Marion, John. "
206:
202:
197:
185:
117:
93:
65:
17:
12:
11:
5:
571:
569:
561:
560:
555:
550:
545:
543:Reconnaissance
540:
530:
529:
524:
523:
512:
503:
490:
477:
464:
451:
438:
421:
408:
395:
382:
369:
356:
343:
330:
317:
304:
291:
278:
265:
252:
239:
226:
213:
199:
198:
196:
193:
184:
181:
180:
179:
176:
173:
170:
167:
164:
161:
158:
153:
148:
143:
140:
135:
132:
129:
126:
123:
116:
113:
92:
89:
64:
61:
28:reconnaissance
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
570:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
535:
533:
521:
516:
513:
507:
504:
500:
494:
491:
487:
481:
478:
474:
468:
465:
461:
455:
452:
448:
442:
439:
435:
431:
425:
422:
418:
412:
409:
405:
399:
396:
392:
386:
383:
379:
373:
370:
366:
360:
357:
353:
347:
344:
340:
334:
331:
327:
321:
318:
314:
308:
305:
301:
295:
292:
288:
282:
279:
275:
269:
266:
262:
256:
253:
249:
243:
240:
236:
230:
227:
223:
220:Goure, Dan. "
217:
214:
210:
204:
201:
194:
192:
190:
182:
177:
174:
171:
168:
165:
162:
159:
157:
154:
152:
149:
147:
144:
141:
139:
136:
133:
130:
127:
124:
122:
121:Constant Hawk
119:
118:
114:
112:
110:
104:
101:
99:
98:Constant Hawk
90:
88:
84:
82:
77:
75:
71:
62:
60:
58:
54:
48:
44:
41:
37:
33:
29:
25:
21:
538:Surveillance
515:
506:
493:
480:
467:
454:
441:
424:
411:
398:
385:
372:
359:
346:
333:
320:
307:
294:
281:
268:
255:
242:
229:
216:
203:
188:
186:
151:Gorgon Stare
105:
102:
94:
85:
78:
74:ground truth
70:geo-register
66:
49:
45:
32:intelligence
24:surveillance
19:
18:
532:Categories
274:HawkEye II
195:References
169:HawkEye II
128:Blue Devil
125:Angel Fire
172:Heli-Tele
163:CorvusEye
109:aerostat
156:Redkite
138:Kestrel
160:Simera
36:detect
30:, and
558:Video
166:SkEye
40:track
38:and
432:."
534::
191:.
76:.
26:,
497:"
445:"
428:"
402:"
376:"
363:"
324:"
311:"
272:"
259:"
233:"
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.