Presented at USA-SOUTH AFRICA: BORDER SURVEILLANCE AND ANTI-POACHING TECHNOLOGY COOPERATION SYMPOSIUM by Mr. Francois Anderson and David Horner, PhD

1. What are Appropriate Border
Surveillance Technologies?
David Horner, PhD

2. ERDC Border Security
Surveillance S&T Activities
David Horner, PhD
Technical Director,
Military Engineering Program
US Army Corps of Engineers
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3. Engineer Research and Development Center
Research Laboratories of the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
 Construction Engineering Research
Laboratory (CERL) – Champaign, IL
 Coastal & Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL)
 Environmental Laboratory (EL)
 Geotechnical & Structures Laboratory (GSL)
 Information Technology Laboratory (ITL)
70% US Army Engineer Research
and Development Center
(ERDC)
Headquarters - Vicksburg, MS
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ERDC R&D Labs
Field Offices
 Cold Regions Research &
Engineering Laboratory
(CRREL) - Hanover, NH
 Geospacial Research
Laboratory (GRL, formerly
TEC) – Alexandria, VA
3
2000 Employees
$1.6B Budget
Major Missions
Civil Works
Warfighter Support
Military Installations

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Engineer Research & Development Center
Interdisciplinary laboratory teams work together to
undertake R&D in four Business Areas:
Civil Works &
Water Resources
Military
Engineering
Geospatial Research &
Engineering
Environmental
Quality & Installations

5. ERDC Technologies for Border
Security Surveillance
Unclassified, High Resolution, Three
Dimensional Terrain Data (HR3D-TD) for a
Standard and Sharable Geospatial
Foundation
Ground-Based Non-Line of Sight
Sensors

6. FOUNDATION DATA REACH BACK SUPPORT SYSTEMS INTEGRATION ENABLE HORIZONTAL / VERTICAL EXCHANGE 1
Unclassified, High Resolution, Three Dimensional
Standard and Sharable Geospatial Foundation
US Army Corps of Engineers
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Terrain Data (HR3D-TD) for a
Mr.Michael A. Harper
Director, Tactical Source Directorate

7. WHAT IS HR3D?
High Resolution, Color, Unclassified Imagery and Elevation Data
that can be shared among interagency and international partners
for both military and civilian applications
Digital Elevation Model
Point Cloud
IMU
Roll
LIDAR
CAMERA
Imagery
GPS
SATELLITE
GPS
Z
Y
X
FOUNDATION DATA REACH BACK SUPPORT SYSTEMS INTEGRATION ENABLE HORIZONTAL / VERTICAL EXCHANGE 7

8. HIGH RESOLUTION 3D DATA COLLECTION
Platforms / Sensors Program Description
Buckeye Data
Color Imagery 2-10cm
Processed to individual image
frames with web-based index,
and then to ortho-rectified
mosaics – used for mission
planning/rehearsal and feature
identification
LIDAR Elevation Data-1m
Processed to point cloud data
and then to gridded raster data
– used for 3D visualization, LOS,
feature extraction and control of
imagery mosaics
• Provides 2-10cm geo-registered, ortho-rectified, color imagery
and 1m resolution elevation data, all unclassified
• Rapidly collects, processes and disseminates high-resolution,
high-accuracy geospatial data in support of operations and
intelligence
• Co-collection of imagery and elevation data improves
situational awareness and provides precision data for mission
planning, operations and a foundation data layer for other
sensors and systems
• Current sensors: 60mp color EO camera and OPTECH LIDAR
sensors
• BuckEye data is used extensively by Soldiers at all levels, all
services and the IC
Status
• Operated in OIF from 2004-2010; collected over 85,000 km2
of data primarily over urban areas andMSRs / ASRs
• Operating in OEF since 2006; collected over 460,000 km2
Optech Gemini Optech Orion LIDAR LIDAR Aeroptic EOMapping Camera
• CONUS collects include several military bases and training
areas
• Approved Army Acquisition Program Candidate
• Developing next generation Lidar sensor to increase collection
efficiency
ArrowUAS King Air B100
FOUNDATION DATA REACH BACK SUPPORT SYSTEMS INTEGRATION ENABLE HORIZONTAL / VERTICAL EXCHANGE 8

9. HR3D TERRAIN DATA ENABLES
Accurate Vertical Obstruction Data 3D Extracted Features Detailed LOS based on real terrain
Soldiers to Visualize and Understand the Terrain
Detailed Situational Awareness DetailedMission Analysis 3D Visualization
An accurate and precise foundation for all sensor and operations data
FOUNDATION DATA REACH BACK SUPPORT SYSTEMS INTEGRATION ENABLE HORIZONTAL / VERTICAL EXCHANGE 9

10. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
• Situational Awareness / Understanding Terrain
• Enables Accuracy and Precision
• Reduces Casualties / Collateral Damage
• Provides Required Foundation Data
– Mission Command Systems
– Infrastructure Development / Real Estate
• Unique Partnering Opportunity thruMapping
Benefits of HR3D for Global Engagement
•
•
•
•
•
Supports host nation security / strengthens defense
Supports development
Promotes regional stability
Advances U.S. strategic objectives
Improves crisis response and theater security
cooperation
Helps • close the geospatial data gap
– Enables Access / Sharing
– Connects to Government and Institutions
– Aids in Stability and Establishment of Governance
– Has Value to Partner Nations
HR3D is the basis for developing a multi-purpose spatial data infrastructure that
can aid countries in their development, internal security, and preparedness for
humanitarian assistance and disaster response scenarios
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FOUNDATION DATA REACH BACK SUPPORT SYSTEMS INTEGRATION ENABLE HORIZONTAL / VERTICAL EXCHANGE

11. Sensor Development for Provide persistent surveillance capability for
perimeter defense and entry control point non-line of sight sensing
Broadband Multimode
Intrusion Detection Logistics Reduction
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•Integrated broadband acoustic (0.5
Hz infrasound to 100,000 Hz
audible range) point sensor arrays
for battlespace awareness at ranges
up to 150 km; seismic linear
sensors for tagging, tracking, and
localization of threats to small base
• Optimized sensor suite for
deployment in austere
environments: Smaller footprint,
lightweight, rugged, limited
comms area, easier installation
• Water installation techniques for
personal watercraft detection
Thin String TTP
Training
Seismic Linear
Sensor-environment
coupling
Combined Signal
Processing
• Single signal processing system for
all modalities to pass that information
to other sensors and mission
command systems in limited comms
area
Integrated Processing and Localization
Effects of Terrain
and Weather

12. Remote Standoff Assessment
 Pioneering use of infrasound
signatures to monitor
structures of interest such as
bridges and dams for damage
or capacity.
 Border Security - Monitoring
of vehicle/personnel mobility,
cultural activities, and
industrial sources
WHAT IS IT?
Low frequency acoustics ( .01 – 20 Hz) that can
propagate tactical distances without degrading the
source signature
Sources: • Subsurface/surfa
ce/airborne
explosions
• Terrestrial and
airborne vehicles
• Missiles,
Rockets, RPGs
• Urban Noise
• Structures
Infrasound signatures can provide complementary, but previously
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unexploited, information to military and civilians.
20-200 km range

13. Border Security: Ultra-Light Air Craft Intrusion
Electric powered ultra-light aircraft provide reduced potential for audio
compromise; nearly undetectable/radar invisible.
Low frequency information indicates
that infrasound would detect flyovers
from greater distances, both in altitude
and in lateral distance.
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Spectrogram Signature at Sensor 1
Spectrogram Signature at Sensor 2
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

14. Rapid Reaction Tunnel Detection
Our Response: Develop and transition a
capability to detect, classify, exploit, and
remediate clandestine, purpose-built tunnels
illegally entering the U.S. and foreign battlefields
200 cross-border tunnels found since 1990
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15. Rapid Reaction Tunnel Detection
Products:
• Technologies to detect and localize tunnels
 Border Tunneling Activity Detection
System (BTADS) – Point/Linear
 Active Seismic Imaging (ASI) System
 Electromagnetic Imaging (EMI) System
 Robotic Insertion/Mapping/Sensing
 R2TD Common Operating Picture
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(COP)
• CONOPS and TTPs for employment
Purpose:
Develop an enduring system of systems
capability to detect, precisely locate,
exploit clandestine, purpose-built tunnels
illegally entering the US and on AORs of
interest to DoD

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Optimization of Sensor Placement & Performance
ERDCs Environmental Awareness for
Sensor and Emitter Employment (EASEE)
project is an advanced software framework for
calculating terrain and weather impacts on
multimodal signal emission, propagation,
sensing, and processing.
EASEE integrates highly realistic physics and
statistical modeling methodologies for many
signal modalities (acoustic, seismic, EO/IR,
radar, RF, chemical/biological, …) through a
flexible, reusable, object-oriented software
design (primarily Java).
EASEE provides the capability to determine
the optimal placement of environmental
sensors based on the characteristics of the
sensor(s) and their interaction with the terrain
and atmosphere.
Infrared
UNCLASSIFIED // FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
x (m)
y (m)
2000
1500
1000
500
0
-500
-1000
-1500
-2000
-2000 -1000 0 1000 2000
dB
-60
-80
-100
-120
-140
-160
Acoustic
&
Seismic
Chem/Bi
o
LOS and high-resolution
terrain
Optimized sensor
selection and
placement
RF
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Colored by LADAR
Environmental Effects on Sensor Performance

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Contact Information
Dr. David Horner
(601) 634-2481
David.A.Horner@usace.army.mil