Second-Generation System for Three-Dimensional Imaging Using a Single Laser Pulse

Abstract

This paper describes the design of a second-generation version of an optical detector capable of producing a 3-D image using a single laser pulse. The method consists of detecting reflected light from an object illuminated by a short laser pulse using a detector that provides high temporal resolution for each spatially-resolved pixel. The detector utilizes a fiber optic image converter to transform a square focal plane into a line array that projects onto a streak camera to obtain high time resolution in all pixels. Both versions have a 16x16 angular field and a range resolution of 4 cm. The second-generation version incorporates a new fiber optic converter utilizing a binary optic input to improve focal plane coverage and smaller fiber cores to improve the angular resolution. This work builds upon our results reported in March 1989 at the Laser Radar IV SPIE conference.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 23, 1990
Accession Number
ADA230963

Entities

People

  • D. I. Klick
  • D. P. Ryan-howard
  • F. J. Knight
  • J. R. Theriault Jr.
  • M. Holz

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Cameras
  • Converters
  • Detectors
  • Focal Planes
  • Image Converters
  • Image Processing
  • Images
  • Laser Applications
  • Laser Diodes
  • Laser Pulses
  • Lasers
  • Light (Electromagnetic Radiation)
  • Light Pulses
  • Optics
  • Remote Sensing
  • Streak Cameras
  • Three Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Image Processing and Computer Vision.
  • Optical Fiber Sensing and Electromagnetic Propagation.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy