Mathematics and sensors come together in some new ways to form a powerful tool for combating terrorism, piracy and the transport of drugs. In a project that combines resources at ORNL and Clemson University, researchers and students are using something called Level 3 sensor fusion to identify and predict the behavior of ships, tanks, people and more. "This means we not only know where they are, but we can make educated guesses about what they're going to do and when," said Chris Griffin of ORNL's Computational Sciences & Engineering Division. The system, called LEPERD ? Learning and Prediction for Enhanced Readiness and Decision Making ? involves a lot of new math and uses techniques from pattern recognition, learning theory, statistical analysis and control theory. Funding is provided by the Office of Naval Research.
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