Low-power portable scanning imaging ladar system

Dana Pyburn; Roberto Leon; B. Haji-Saeed; Sandip K. Sengupta; Markus Testorf; John Kierstead; Jehad Khoury; Charles L. Woods; Joseph Lorenzo

doi:10.1117/12.487995

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21 August 2003 Low-power portable scanning imaging ladar system

Dana Pyburn, Roberto Leon, B. Haji-Saeed, Sandip K. Sengupta, Markus Testorf, John Kierstead, Jehad Khoury, Charles L. Woods, Joseph Lorenzo

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Proceedings Volume 5086, Laser Radar Technology and Applications VIII; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.487995
Event: AeroSense 2003, 2003, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

We propose and are in the process of progressively implementing an improved architecture for a laser based system to acquire intensity and range images of hard targets in real-time. The system design emphasizes the use of low power laser sources in conjunction with optical preamplification of target return signals to maintain eye safety without incurring the associated performance penalty. The design leverages advanced fiber optic component technology developed for the commercial market to achieve compactness and low power consumption without the high costs and long lead times associated with custom military devices. All important system parameters are designed to be configured in the field, by the user, in software, allowing for adaptive reconfiguration for different missions and targets. Recently we have started our transition from the initial test bed, using a laser in the visible wavelength, into the final system with a 1550nm diode laser. Currently we are able to acquire and display 3-D false-color and gray-scale images, in the laboratory, at moderate frame rates in real-time. Commercial off-the-shelf data acquisition and signal processing software on a desktop computer equipped with commercial acquisition hardware is utilized. Significant improvements in both range and spatial resolution are expected in the near future.

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Dana Pyburn, Roberto Leon, B. Haji-Saeed, Sandip K. Sengupta, Markus Testorf, John Kierstead, Jehad Khoury, Charles L. Woods, and Joseph Lorenzo "Low-power portable scanning imaging ladar system", Proc. SPIE 5086, Laser Radar Technology and Applications VIII, (21 August 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.487995

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