QUICK FACTS
Coleman Research Corp. uses Visual Numerics’ PV-WAVE to to build
an infrared sensor model and a signal/image processing test environment
called the Passive Sensor Workbench, which is an important tool
used for our national defense. PV-WAVE’s data analysis and visualization
tools provide Coleman Research Corp. with the ability to successfully
interpret and graphically display their data.
THE PROBLEM
Even with its vast internal resources, the U.S. government operates
effectively and efficiently only with the help of private contractors
that apply their expertise to various mission-critical projects.
While corporate giants such as Lockheed Martin and IBM are synonymous
with government contracting, less well-known yet equally talented
companies play an ever-increasing role in the design, development,
deployment, and sustainment of important government systems.
One such company is Orlando-based Coleman Research Corp. (CRC),
a 1,000-person systems integration, systems engineering and analytical
services firm. Since its inception in 1980, CRC has expanded its
operations through internal growth and acquisitions to include the
fields of energy, environment, information technology, laser measurement
systems, launch systems, advanced radar systems, and software engineering.
A wholly-owned subsidiary of Thermo Electron Corp., CRC is comprised
of two divisions: Coleman Federal and Coleman Aerospace.
While Coleman Aerospace provides target missile systems design,
integration and assembly services exclusively to the U.S. Department
of Defense (DoD), Coleman Federal expands the company's client roster
by providing systems design, engineering and integration
services to other Federal agencies, such as the Department of Energy
(DoE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as
the DoD and commercial customers.
One of Coleman Federal's flagship operations is its Huntsville
Group, headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, only minutes from the
U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Command, Program Executive Office
for Missile Defense, and Space and Missile Defense Command. The
Huntsville Group, which was established in 1983, employs some 160
engineering, software and administrative personnel. Among the group's
core competencies is its weapons systems design and evaluation capability,
which has been successfully applied to DoD, private industry and
international customers.
The design and evaluation of modern weapons systems relies heavily
on modeling the characteristics and processes of infrared sensors,
coupled with the effective application of advanced signal and image
processing techniques. Together, these technologies help mission
support specialists detect and track targets in cluttered environments.
This effort is dependent on the effective processing and analysis
of large technical data sets. As such, the Huntsville Group's Weapons
Systems Engineering Dept. required a software tool that combined
powerful data analysis tools, including signal and image processing,
with the ability to distribute that functionality through a graphical
user interface (GUI)-driven application, according to Senior Systems
Analyst, Brian Smith.
THE SOLUTION
To meet this requirement, Smith and his colleagues selected PV-WAVE
from Visual Numerics. PV-WAVE is an open environment for developing
and deploying Visual Data Analysis (VDA) applications that help
customers turn raw data into meaningful information.
These VDA applications let users visualize and manipulate complex
or extremely large data sets to detect and display patterns, trends,
anomalies, and other vital information. PV-WAVE includes hundreds
of mathematical and statistical analysis routines from Visual Numerics'
IMSL Numerical Libraries, as well as image processing, signal processing,
mapping, and general data manipulation features. Engineers, scientists,
business analysts, and software developers access this robust and
extensive set of functions through an array-oriented programming
language. PV-WAVE also includes advanced GUI development tools that
facilitate the construction of intuitive front-ends, making the
product's functionality easily accessible to others in an organization.
Smith, an employee of Coleman Federal, has been using PV-WAVE for
more than six years. Currently, he is using the software to build
an infrared sensor model and a signal/image processing test environment
called the Passive Sensor Workbench. "PV-WAVE is used extensively
to execute, display, evaluate, and analyze data at various extraction
points in the sensor and signal/image processing chain," Smith explained.
"The Passive Sensor Workbench, which utilizes PV-WAVE, is currently
being used to support the government in evaluating the performance
of the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) sensor subsystem,
making it a very important tool for our national defense."
According to Smith, PV-WAVE's strengths as it relates to the Passive
Sensor Workbench are its ability to "generate the graphical user
interface, perform advanced data analysis and number-crunching,
and present the data graphically in differing formats for detailed
analysis."
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
The 50 members of Smith's department share PV-WAVE, which they run
on personal computers running Windows 98 and Windows NT. Prior to
using PV-WAVE, Smith tried IDL and MatLab, but neither had the numerical
analysis functionality he required. "PV-WAVE provides significant
value not only because of its powerful visualization tools, but
also the strong data analysis capabilities offered through Visual
Numerics' IMSL Numerical Libraries, which are included in PV-WAVE.
This is an area that clearly separates Visual Numerics from its
competition," Smith said.
WORLD CLASS PRODUCTS, SERVICES,
AND SUPPORT
Visual Numerics has provided technical software
solutions for numerical analysis and visualization for over 30 years.
The company's software products help users understand complex data
from a variety of sources and build business-critical applications.
Visual Numerics offers two product lines: the IMSL® Numerical
Libraries for powerful mathematical and statistical analysis and
the PV-WAVE® visual data analysis development environment. Visual
Numerics also offers customized consulting services for applications
that involve mathematical, statistical, or visual data analysis
to meet today’s business analytical needs.
