Determining detection, recognition, and identification ranges of thermal cameras on the basis of laboratory measurements and TTP model

TTP (Targeting Task Performance) model is widely used for the estimation of theoretical performance of observation devices. It is used, for example, in the NVTERM software and makes it possible to determine the detection, recognition and identification ranges for a standard target types on the basis of known technical parameters of analyzed device. Many theoretical analysis concerning TTP model can be found, as well as a few experimental, field test results. However the usability of the TTP model for the calculation of range parameters on the basis of laboratory test results has not been widely analyzed. The paper presents an attempt to apply TTP model for the estimation of range parameters of thermal cameras using laboratory measurement results of camera properties. The test stand consists of an IR collimator, a standard IR source, a set of test targets and a computer with data acquisition card. The method used for the measurement of aforementioned characteristics will be described and the algorithms used to finally estimate the range parameters of a tested thermal camera using TTP model.