Dr. Kenneth Hintz

There has been a slow and persistent progression of sensor systems from isolated, independent, and single-purpose sensors to federated, networked, integrated, multi-modal, and heterogeneous sensors with which to acquire data for situation assessment (SA) both in the real and cyber world. Associated with this, is the inexorable increase in the quantity, quality, and diversity of data which these systems provide leading to a data-rich, information poor (DRIP) environment. While the density and availability of data has been increasing, so too have the constraints in our ability to process this data to extract relevant information. In order to provide a minimal-uncertainty, maximum mission-valued situation assessment for decision makers it is necessary to design a sensor/information source system architecture based on information theory and the implementation of a system of systems (SoS) approach to managing heterogeneous sensors. The purpose is to avoid the big data problem by choosing what information our mission-valued situation requires and choosing the best sensor with which to acquire that data while operating in real-time.
This talk will present a brief outline of the motivation behind and the integration of the partitioned components required to produce an information-based, heterogeneous-sensor management system. The design is intended to operate in real-time in a physically and computationally constrained environment while maximizing the expected information value rate (EIVR) of data from the real or cyber world into a mathematical model of that world for decision makers. This talk is excerpted from the presenter’s recent book, Sensor Management in ISR (Artech House, 2020).

For 32 years, Dr. Kenneth Hintz served as a tenured faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. During that time he designed and implemented the ABET accredited B.S. in Computer Engineering degree program as well as the M.S. in Computer Engineering Degree Program. During his tenure he taught courses in sensor engineering, image processing, and computer engineering. He retired from Mason in September 2019.

Dr. Hintz' current research interest is in Information Based Sensor Management (IBSM). He also developed patented methods for the pre-shot detection of barreled weapons based on his discovery of cavity induced modulation (CIM), the detection of non-metallic landmines utilizing ground penetrating radar and syntactic pattern recognition, and the calibration of consumer grade cameras as radiometers for sea-turtle light pollution measurements.

Before joining GMU, Dr. Hintz was with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, VA, working in electronic warfare and radar signal processing where he conceived of, designed, and built the original AN/ULQ-16 pulse analyzer which introduced atomic frequency standards to EW. Prior to working at NSWC, Dr. Hintz was with the U. S. Navy as a designated Naval Aviator stationed for 3 years in Rota, Spain flying Electronic Warfare Reconnaissance with Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two (VQ-2). During that time he became qualified as an Electronic Warfare Aircraft Commander (EWAC) in both the EC-121 and EP-3E aircraft.

Dr. Hintz holds 28 patents, is a Fellow of SPIE, a Senior Life Member of IEEE, authored the book Sensor Management in ISR published by Artech House in February 2020. He received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia.