CSIS Seminar

Information Based Sensor Management for ISR

Abstract

Management of systems of heterogeneous sensors for performing situation assessment leading to actionable situation awareness is a ubiquitous and increasingly complex problem. Of particular difficulty is the integration of cyber and social network data with conventional physics based observations. Conventional optimization criteria are based on ad hoc measures consisting of weighted sums of non-commensurate criteria. This talk partitions the problem of sensor management into six orthogonal components and two information measures, situation information and sensor information. In combination with a mission value decomposition called goal lattice, the expected information value rate is used to manage sensors.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Ken Hintz has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at George Mason University since 1987. He designed and established the Bachelor and Masters in Computer Engineering Degree Programs at GMU and teaches courses in sensor engineering, image processing, and computer engineering. Dr. Hintz' current research interest is in Orchestrated Resource Management (ORM) and Information Based Sensor Management (IBSM) supported by the Naval Postgraduate School. He also developed a new method for pre-shot detection of barreled weapons based on his discovery of cavity induced modulation (CIM). Before joining GMU, Dr. Hintz was with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, VA, working in electronic warfare and radar signal processing where he designed and built the original AN/ULQ-16 pulse analyzer. Prior to working at NSWC, Dr. Hintz was with the U. S. Navy as a designated Naval Aviator stationed for 3 years in Rota, Spain flying Electronic Warfare Reconnaissance with Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two (VQ-2). During that time he became designated Electronic Warfare Aircraft Commander (EWAC) in both the EC-121 and EP-3E aircraft. Dr. Hintz holds 24 patents, 9 patents pending, is a Fellow of SPIE, a Senior Life Member of IEEE, and lead author on a book on Microcontrollers. He received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana in 1967 and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia in 1979 and 1981 respectively.