Broader Security

Cognitive Processing

Cognitive information processing is based on the role of the three stages of memory: sensory, short-term, and long-term in retrieving information and then transferring it to store and then recall later in memory. Sensory memory allows the learners to organize groups of information or patterns in their environment; learners recognize and then process these patters. Short-term memory allows the learner to hold and to understand small amounts of information. If the information is effectively connected to previous knowledge, it is stored in long-term memory. Long-term memory allows the learner to remember and then apply knowledge across learning environments; and, remember the information for large amounts of time after it is learned. Encoding and retrieval also play key roles in the cognitive information processing theory.

In addition to the role of feedback in behaviorism, feedback has two important functions in the cognitive information processing theory. These functions include: (1) feedback provides the learner with some type of response so that they know if their answer is correct or incorrect; and (2) feedback can be used to provide corrective answers/responses to incorrect answers/responses. The informational and educational value of feedback was realized and emphasized in the cognitive information processing theory.

Military Application of Cognitive Processing:

The application of cognitive processing algorithms emulate how we see as humans see images and processes the image data in brain.  The images allow us to identify salient targets or events as they occur in the streams of image data and alert system operators to the occurrence of potentially significant events.

Aimed at improving the timeliness and accuracy of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) data interpretation from electro-optical and hyperspectral sensor systems.  The first generation Cognitive Appliance, based on using multiple boards each with multiple FPGA processors, is in  development now under sponsorship by the Defense Intelligence Agency and is focused on processing high resolution imagery and hyperspectral data outputs from two selected systems.  The Cognitive Appliance, is designed to be deployed in multiple sites where ISR data is being processed for military exploitation.  It is intended to become a key new element in the Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (PED) chain associated with each of the wide variety of ISR sensor systems.  The product is a response to the problem of the massive amounts of data currently being collected in Theater and the large increases in the data flows anticipated as new sensor systems come on line.

The second generation of the Cognitive Appliance, based upon exploiting a custom ASIC optimized for the cognitive processing application, would exhibit a 100X increase in processing load with a similar reduction in power required. The ASIC concept development and preliminary design evaluation has already been completed.  This 2.0 version of the Cognitive Appliance could be deployed directly with sensor suites on the hosting platforms and operate on the massive data flows in real-time.  Reductions in communications bandwidth requirements, increases in survivability, and speed up of data exploitation will significantly improve the effectiveness of the ISR sensor suites.

Principal Applications for ISC8's Cognitive Processing:

• Military and Commercial

• Government Agencies in the U.S. and abroad

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security

• Commercial Security Applications benefiting from correlation search techniques.

3D LIDAR Technology

ISC8 has won several development contracts over the past few years for delivery of 3D LIDARS.  They are for JIGSAW-a foliage penetration, tactical application and space operations support LIDARS.  ISC8 has made an invention of a new type of receiver focal lane array/ROIC which offers a new level of performance of 3D LIDAR systems performance.  3D LIDARS have traditionally been used in narrow beam modes for the high resolution imaging of small target areas.  The ISC8 invention relies on 3D stacking and integration with micro-channel plate elements for very high gain operation  thus permitting designs with very small detectors (compared to other high gain approached) in arrays with very large numbers of detectors (hundreds of thousands vs hundreds).  This technology will enable 3D LIDARS to be used for Wide Area Surveillance applications as well as narrow area imaging applications. Manufacturing of these high gain, large Focal Plane Array (FPA)/Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) elements  is the product focus for the technology.

Principal applications include 3D LIDARS:

• Unmanned Aircraft Systems Search and Avoid Systems operating in national air spaces

• Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Wide Area Surveillance from airborne platforms thus extending a high resolution 3D Imaging capability to Theater searches

• Situational Awareness of activity in spaces surrounding high value areas/installations/vehicles rendered in 3D and not dependent upon lighting conditions which limit the effectiveness of passive visible surveillance systems

Multi-mode Sensor Suites for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

The family of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have the advantage of being operated by smaller groups or even individual soldiers and of providing them with direct data on the situations they face in battlefield situations.   Disadvantages occur because of the limited payload weight and power budgets on small vehicles have not permitted flexible, high performance sensor suites to be deployed.  Improved sensor capabilities are needed to increase the effectiveness of such systems to find and track enemy soldiers, geo-locate them, and provide accurate, timely target designation data.  Reductions in size, power while increasing imaging and targeting capabilities is the challenge.