Application of an image feature network-based object recognition algorithm to aircraft detection and classification

A network created from the distance-values representing the spacing between points identified by an image feature detection algorithm can be utilized for object classification. This paper presents work on the application of this algorithm to the problem of aircraft presence detection and classification. It considers algorithm performance across a variety of scenarios, including instances where the sky has different characteristics, detection and characterization from different levels of image resolution and detection and characterization where multiple craft are present in a single frame. An extension to the base algorithm, which determines the orientation of a detected aircraft is also presented.