Infrared Reflectance Measurements of Replica Mines and Reference Targets
Abstract
Remote minefield detection (RMD) can be performed by mount ing downward-looking sensors on airborne platforms such as remotely-piloted vehicles (RPVs). Scatterable mines lying on the surface of the ground may be detected using a carbon-dioxide laser mounted on the RPV as a source of thermal infrared radiation and by measuring the reflected signals to create an image of the terrain below. Such an active infrared system is capable of operating covertly at all times of the day or night and makes use of much of the technology found in current passive infrared sensors (ie. forward-looking infrared imagers, FLIRs, on military aircraft, ground vehicles, and ships). This report presents reflectance data on a number of replica mines which have been found to be specular (mirror-like) at thermal IR wavelengths. The measurements of the replica mines and a number of reference materials were made in a laser laboratory, and retro-reflectivity data for each target are presented graphically as a function of the angle at which the IR laser beam hit the target surface. The fact that the replica mines are specular means that the RMD sensor must be downward-looking and only those mines within a fairly small angular field-of-view will give significantly large reflected signals. Keywords: Mine detection; Infrared detectors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA209084
Entities
People
- G. C. Stuart
Organizations
- Defence Research and Development Canada