An Integrated Fusion Engine for Early Threat Detection Demonstrated in Public-Space Trials.

Counter terrorism is a huge challenge for public spaces. Therefore, it is essential to support early detection of threats, such as weapons or explosives. An integrated fusion engine was developed for the management of a plurality of sensors to detect threats without disrupting the flow of commuters. The system improves security of soft targets (such as airports, undergrounds and railway stations) by providing security operators with real-time information of the threat combined with image and position data of each person passing the monitored area. This paper describes the results of the fusion engine in a public-space trial in a metro station in Rome. The system consists of 2D-video tracking, person re-identification, 3D-video tracking, and command and control (C&C) formulating two co-existing data pipelines: one for visualization on smart glasses and another for hand-over to another sensor. Over multiple days, 586 commuters participated in the trial. The results of the trial show overall accuracy scores of 97.4% and 97.6% for the visualization and hand-over pipelines, respectively, and each component reached high accuracy values (2D Video = 98.0%, Re-identification = 100.0%, 3D Video = 99.7% and C&C = 99.5%).

Assessing the poplar photochemical response to high zinc concentrations by image processing and statistical approach.

Exposure of plants to high-heavy metals concentration inhibits multiple metabolic processes in plants and leads to an oxidative stress commonly referred as heavy metal ion toxicity. Chlorophyll a fluorescence has enhanced understanding of heavy metal ion action on the photosynthetic system. A rapid and non-invasive technique involving imaging of chlorophyll fluorescence is a useful tool for early detection of plant responses to heavy metal ion toxicity. In this work chlorophyll fluorescence emission and photochemical parameters in plants of Populus x euramericana clone I-214 were investigated by the portable Imaging PAM fluorometer at different days after soil treatment with zinc. Custom software for analysis of the photochemical parameters images has been developed in order to gain a better assessing of the plant performance in response of metal stress. The imaging analysis allowed visualizing heterogeneity in plant response to high zinc concentrations. The heterogeneity of images suggests spatial differences in photochemical activity and changes in the antenna down-regulation.

Underwater three-dimensional imaging with an amplitude-modulated laser radar at a 405 nm wavelength.

We report the results of underwater imaging with an amplitude-modulated single-mode laser beam and miniaturized piezoactuator-based scanning system. The basic elements of the device are a diode laser source at 405 nm with digital amplitude modulation and a microscanning system realized with a small-aperture aspheric lens mounted on a pair of piezoelectric translators driven by sawtooth waveforms. The system has been designed to be a low-weight and rugged imaging device suitable to operate at medium range (approximately 10 m) in clear seawater as also demonstrated by computer simulation of layout performance. In the controlled laboratory conditions a submillimeter range accuracy has been obtained at a laser amplitude modulation frequency of 36.7 MHz.