Analysis of Methods and Means for Offline Processing of Airborne Camera Image Sequences
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15407/intechsys.2026.04.043Keywords:
image sequences, offline image processing, computer vision, topographic clustering, virtual keypoints, cross-correlation analysis, trajectory reconstructionAbstract
Introduction. The paper addresses the relevant scientific and practical problem of improving the accuracy and reliability of aircraft flight trajectory reconstruction based on onboard video recording under conditions of complex terrain and visual interference. Onboard optical na vigation systems operating in real time face significant limitations when processing blurred images or textureless landscapes, necessitating the development of advanced offline visual data processing systems.
The purpose of the paper is to analyze existing computer vision methods and tools, and based on this analysis, to substantiate a synthesized method for offline processing of airborne aircraft image sequences to enable automated selection of high-quality frames, reliable image matching over textureless landscapes, and high-precision flight trajectory reconstruction.
Results. Conceptually structured as an offline stationary software and hardware complex, the developed technology implements a visual-analytical flight data reconstruction concept consisting of three pipelined components: automatic selection to eliminate degraded frames, topographic clustering based on image affinity, and cross-correlation clustering of virtual keypoints for markerless regions (e.g., bodies of water, dense forests). The mathematical models incorporate pixel correlation templates, geometric matching of triangular configurations using tilt angles and vector length ratios, and shift vector calculations for robust spatial dynamic evaluation (translation, rotation, scale, and altitude). Computation metadata and spatial-temporal dynamics are automatically exported into structured CSV and JSON datasets.
Conclusions. The proposed approach provides high-precision trajectory reconstruction and spatial dynamic analysis without interfering with aircraft flight control systems. Eliminating corrupted frames and utilizing virtual keypoints guarantees stable processing across homo ge nous terrains and reduces computational load. The created analytical complex creates a reliable technological foundation for applications in defense analytics, reconnaissance, scientific re search, and aircraft operator training assessment.
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