NOTICE: Due to a lapse in annual appropriations, most of this website is not being updated. Learn more.
Form submissions will still be accepted but will not receive responses at this time. Sections of this site for programs using non-appropriated funds (such as NVLAP) or those that are excepted from the shutdown (such as CHIPS and NVD) will continue to be updated.
An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Perceived Interpretability of Motion Imagery: Implications for Scale Development
Published
Author(s)
J Irvine, G O'Brien, S Israel, Charles D. Fenimore, John W. Roberts, Michelle Brennan, Jeffrey Bartolucci, D Cannon
Abstract
The motion imagery community would benefit from the availability of standard measures for assessing image interpretability. The National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale (NIIRS) has served as a community standard for still imagery, but no comparable scale exists for motion imagery. Previous studies have explored the factors affecting the perceived interpretability of motion imagery and the ability to perform various image exploitation tasks. More recently, a study demonstrated an approach for adapting the standard NIIRS development methodology to motion imagery. This paper presents the first step in implementing this methodology, namely the construction of the perceived interpretability continuum for motion imagery. We conducted an evaluation in which imagery analysts rated the interpretability of a large number of motion imagery clips. Analysis of these ratings indicates that analysts rate the imagery consistently, perceived interpretability is unidimensional, and that interpretability varies linearly with log(GSD). This paper presents the design of the evaluation, the analysis and findings, and implications for scale development.
Irvine, J.
, O'Brien, G.
, Israel, S.
, Fenimore, C.
, Roberts, J.
, Brennan, M.
, Bartolucci, J.
and Cannon, D.
(2007),
Perceived Interpretability of Motion Imagery: Implications for Scale Development, Proceedings SPIE Security and Defense Symposium, Orlando, FL, USA
(Accessed October 14, 2025)