FLIPS: Friendly Lisp Image Processing System
Shirley J. Gee · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1991
The Friendly Lisp Image Processing System (FLIPS) is the interface to Advanced Target Detection (ATD), a multi-resolutional image analysis system developed by Hughes in conjunction with the Hughes Research Laboratories. Both menu- and graphics-driven, FLIPS enhances system usability by supporting the interactive nature of research and development. Although much progress has been made, fully automated image understanding technology that is both robust and reliable is not a reality. In situations where highly accurate results are required, skilled human analysts must still verify the findings of these systems. Furthermore, the systems often require processing times several orders of magnitude greater than that needed by veteran personnel to analyze the same image. The purpose of FLIPS is to facilitate the ability of an image analyst to take statistical measurements on digital imagery in a timely fashion, a capability critical in research environments where a large percentage of time is expended in algorithm development. In many cases, this entails minor modifications or code tinkering. Without a well-developed man-machine interface, throughput is unduly constricted. FLIPS provides mechanisms which support rapid prototyping for ATD. This paper examines the ATD/FLIPS system. The philosophy of ATD in addressing image understanding problems is described, and the capabilities of FLIPS are discussed, along with a description of the interaction between ATD and FLIPS. Finally, an overview of current plans for the system is outlined.