Special Feature
Decisive Data at the Right Place and Time As data moves from its raw form into usable, geo-registered metadata, the systems used to view the data must also evolve. The typical stovepiped information architectures with dedicated visual computing capabilities geared toward near real-time presentation of raw sensor data must give way toward a new archi-
tecture, stressing information fusion. The ability to fuse data from many sources, stored data, raw sensor data, metadata gleaned from sensors and operational planning information must be provided. And, in the urban operational climate dictated by the realities of the war on terror, the information must be provided in new ways that enable the soldier to understand 3D environments and to exploit
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the information in natural manner. The computing platforms employed to present this information must also be smaller, lighter, cheaper and consume less power, for the typical consumer of the information may be a dismounted infantry. The challenge of fusing data is enourmous, but, here again, embedded visual computing is an important component of the solution. The same concept of the GPU is a major element in the embedded end-user computer on the information battlefield. The process of constructing a visual representation of all the information must be data-driven, and must efficiently employ the limited computing resources to present the needed display. As in the sensor algorithm accelerator, high-performance parallel floating-point processing is required, this time to rectify, fuse and layer the required visual information, in 2D and 3D views.
Ingesting and Representing Visual Data GPUs provide a natural means to ingest visual information and to rectify it through stretching, rotation, or draping it onto a terrain representation. Live sensor data can be similarly rectified and placed in context on the information fusion display. Finally, symbols representing metadata, known data, or operational plans can be added into the visual representation to create an information fusion display. The processing to create the information fusion display can be hosted on even a small, lightweight computing system if it employs GPU technology. In this regard, systems based on technology used for mobile gaming devices or other small, low-power computers are ideal. Figure 3 shows a Quantum3D Thermite TL employed to generate a 3D information fusion display. Network-Centric Warfare—Situational Awareness—whatever you call it, information is the key to the battlefield. Many computing systems are deployed on the battlefield solely for the purpose of enabling the warfighter to gain, distribute and employ information. As the means to collect information grows exponentially, embedded visual computing technology