Deep Image Prior Amplitude SAR Image Anonymization

An extensive evaluation of the Deep Image Prior (DIP) technique for image inpainting on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images.

Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images are a powerful tool for studying the Earth's surface. They are radar signals generated by an imaging system mounted on a platform such as an aircraft or satellite. As the platform moves, the system emits sequentially high-power electromagnetic waves through its antenna. The waves are then reflected by the Earth's surface, re-captured by the antenna, and finally processed to create detailed images of the terrain below.

SAR images are employed in a wide variety of applications. Indeed, as the waves hit different objects, their phase and amplitude are modified according to the objects' characteristics (e.g., permittivity, roughness, geometry, etc.). The collected signal provides highly detailed information about the shape and elevation of the Earth's surface. SAR images are also used for monitoring natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides, as well as for detecting changes in land-use patterns, such as urbanization and deforestation. Due to their nature of providing detailed imagery regardless of daylight and weather conditions, SAR images are also a precious asset in military applications. As a matter of fact, SAR images can be used to detect sensible military targets like aircrafts, airports, ships, tanks or other vehicles.