Abstract: Disclosed herein is a highly identifiable material that includes a physical body with an original spectral signature and an artificial tag incorporated on the physical body, which modifies the original spectral signature of the body. The artificial tag is configured to emit passively at least two spectral signatures in response to a source of energy received by the artificial tag. The spectral signatures are signals of interest for imaging technology. The artificial tag spectrally codifies all the information necessary to detect and/or identify a first predetermined feature of the highly identifiable material. The artificial tag may include a spatial pattern, and the spatial pattern may include a predetermined combination of the at least two spectral signatures. Also disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing such a material and a method for identifying such a material.

Abstract: Methods of detecting and/or identifying an artificial target within an image are provided. These methods comprise: applying to a region of the image a primary classification algorithm for performing a feature extraction of the image region, the primary classification algorithm being based on a spectral profile defined by one or more spectral signatures with one or more features in at least part of the infrared spectrum; obtaining a relation between the extracted features of the image region and the spectral profile; verifying whether a level of confidence of the obtained relation between the extracted features and the spectral profile is higher than a first predetermined confirmation level; and, in case of positive (or true) result of said verification, determining that the image region corresponds to artificial target to be detected, thereby obtaining a confirmed artificial target. Systems and computer programs are also provided that are suitable for performing said methods.