The Effects of Bandwidth Compression on Image Interpreter Performance

Abstract

Conventional imagery differing in resolution (8-inch ground resolved distance GRD, 16-inch GRD, and 24-inch GRD), digitized and treated to represent four levels of bandwidth compression (1:1=no compression, 4:1, 8:1, and 10:1) was interpreted by 12 experienced image interpreters. A Greco-Latin square design was used to control for differences between interpreters, imagery subsets, and period effects at each GRD and to test the effects of bandwidth compression. The dichotomized image variables of sun angle, image contrast, and target obscurity were distributed equally across all conditions, but could be analyzed only for the 24-inch GRD imagery. Significant decreases were found in the number of correct identifications due to bandwidth compression; the largest decrease occurred between 4:1 and 8:1 bandwidth compression ratios. System developers should make careful trade-off evaluations in using bandwidth compression. More research in this area is required on the search function of interpretation and interactions of image variables.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1979
Accession Number
ADA081740

Entities

People

  • Alvin Zarin
  • Harold Martinek

Organizations

  • U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Analysis Of Variance
  • Combinatorial Analysis
  • Command And Control
  • Command And Control Systems
  • Compression Ratio
  • Detection
  • Drops
  • Engineers
  • Frequency
  • Identification
  • Military Research
  • Photography
  • Recovery Vehicles
  • Self Propelled Guns
  • Social Sciences
  • Training

Readers

  • Computer Vision.
  • Critical Infrastructure Protection in CBRN and WMD Threats.
  • Image Processing and Computer Vision.