Bootstrap geometric ground calibration method for wide angle star sensors.

Wide angle star sensors are becoming more prevalent in aeronautics. A wide angle lens provides a greater field of view for star detection, but consequently incurs significant lens distortion. The effects of distortion complicate star identification, causing algorithms to fail or report false identifications. We address the issue of calibrating a wide angle star sensor without any specialized equipment, by analyzing two time-separated images captured from a static camera. An initial estimate of the focal length is obtained by observing the displacement of stars between the images. The focal length is subsequently used to build an initial estimate of camera intrinsics, and to identify stars in the image. A RANSAC-augmented Kabsch algorithm is implemented to determine camera orientation, while simultaneously removing false identifications. The identified stars are used to provide a precise estimate of camera focal length, before applying non-linear optimization in a radial search algorithm. The methodology was tested on two cameras, demonstrating the effectiveness of this algorithm in achieving a precise geometric calibration using real hardware, without any specialized calibration equipment.

Computer Vision Techniques Demonstrate Robust Orientation Measurement of the Milky Way Despite Image Motion.

Many species rely on celestial cues as a reliable guide for maintaining heading while navigating. In this paper, we propose a method that extracts the Milky Way (MW) shape as an orientation cue in low-light scenarios. We also tested the method on both real and synthetic images and demonstrate that the performance of the method appears to be accurate and reliable to motion blur that might be caused by rotational vibration and stabilisation artefacts. The technique presented achieves an angular accuracy between a minimum of 0.00° and a maximum 0.08° for real night sky images, and between a minimum of 0.22° and a maximum 1.61° for synthetic images. The imaging of the MW is largely unaffected by blur. We speculate that the use of the MW as an orientation cue has evolved because, unlike individual stars, it is resilient to motion blur caused by locomotion.

Noncontact Sensing of Contagion.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a pandemic. We review and reduce the clinical literature on diagnosis of COVID-19 through symptoms that might be remotely detected as of early May 2020. Vital signs associated with respiratory distress and fever, coughing, and visible infections have been reported. Fever screening by temperature monitoring is currently popular. However, improved noncontact detection is sought. Vital signs including heart rate and respiratory rate are affected by the condition. Cough, fatigue, and visible infections are also reported as common symptoms. There are non-contact methods for measuring vital signs remotely that have been shown to have acceptable accuracy, reliability, and practicality in some settings. Each has its pros and cons and may perform well in some challenges but be inadequate in others. Our review shows that visible spectrum and thermal spectrum cameras offer the best options for truly noncontact sensing of those studied to date, thermal cameras due to their potential to measure all likely symptoms on a single camera, especially temperature, and video cameras due to their availability, cost, adaptability, and compatibility. Substantial supply chain disruptions during the pandemic and the widespread nature of the problem means that cost-effectiveness and availability are important considerations.