(IVAR) - Final Report - Strategic Environmental Research and ...

5.1 CONCEPTUAL TEST DESIGN
5 TEST DESIGN
This section describes the tests we designed to demonstrate the six project objectives of the
IVAR project, as described in Section 1.2 and Table 3-1. Figure 2-7 provides a diagrammatic
representation of the major components of the avian radar systems the IVAR project used to
demonstrate those stated objectives. For conveniences, Figure 2-8 summarizes in a single
diagram how all of these components might be deployed in an operational environment: In the
actual tests, we deployed different combinations of components at a single location, while other
situations required communications between components at several facilities.
Section 5.4 organizes the design of the tests the IVAR project developed to evaluate avian radar
systems into categories based on the major performance objectives listed in Table 3-1, which are
in turn derived from the user requirements summarized in Table 1-1. At the highest level, these
tests were designed to answer three fundamental questions about the avian radar systems that are
on the market today (or at least those evaluated by this project):
Do they perform as advertised Digital avian radar systems are relatively new technology
(Figure 2-1). They were not developed following conventional “build-to-spec” protocols,
nor are there any “industry standards” for these systems. In short, most of what a potential
end-user might want to know about these systems came from vendor literature or anecdotal
observations. Thus, the first high-level grouping of the tests the IVAR project designed
asked the fundamental question: what are the capabilities of digital avian radar systems In
particular, are the targets the software is tracking really birds Can they track birds in real
time At what range, through what field-of-view, and to what altitude can these systems
reliably track birds
Can they perform under real-world conditions Given these systems perform as advertised,
can they do so continuously and reliably, 24/7, in different geographic regions, by personnel
with little or no prior experience Can they be operated automatically and remotely How
many birds can they track at once and are they likely to detect at least as many birds as a
human observer would Can multiple radars be operated simultaneously to cover large
facilities
Can they deliver the data where, when, and in the form they are needed What types of data
will be available for each target, and will they be available in real time How can those data
be presented to the users: visually, graphically, in tabular form, and/or exported to thirdparty
products Can the real-time data be reliably streamed across a network and stored in a
database for redistribution and/or historical analysis Can tracks from multiple radars be
integrated into a common display or fused into common tracks Can alarms be set to notify
users when an event occurs, without having to constantly monitor the radar
A fundamental design question was raised early in the IVAR project, one that pertains to radars
in general; namely, the probability a radar can detect a real target that is present in the radar
beam, or conversely, the probability that noise, clutter, or other factors can cause the radar to
report the detection of a target that isn’t really there - a “false detection”. This issue is a
particularly important issue for avian radar systems because birds are small, highly
maneuverable, and poor radar reflectors. In order to detect and track as many birds as possible,
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