Abstract: We present an architecture for layered sensing which is constructed on open source and government off-the-shelf software. This architecture shows how leveraging existing open-source software allows for practical graphical user interfaces along with the underlying database and messaging architecture to be rapidly assimilated and utilized in real-world applications. As an example of how this works, we present a system composed of a database and a graphical user interface which can display wide area motion imagery, ground-based sensor data and overlays from narrow field of view sensors in one composite image composed of sensor data and other metadata in separate layers on the display. We further show how the development time is greatly reduced by utilizing open-source software and integrating it into the final system design. The paper describes the architecture, the pros and cons of the open-source approach with results for a layered sensing application with data from multiple disparate sensors. Keywords: SPADE, layered sensing, open-source, NASA World Wind, NITF, network centric warfare
Pursuer is based on NASA's World Wind and is a good example of Open Source within the government. We are currently hosting the project on forge.mil with an active open source DoD community. Links to paper, presentation, and code: