TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Common Laser Range Finder Refresh - ACAT IV

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OBJECTIVE: Develop a celestial azimuth sensor capable of operating under less than ideal weather conditions, including clouds and precipitation, day and night.

DESCRIPTION: Current celestial based systems are capable of determining azimuth under clear sky conditions but cannot operate under lightly overcast conditions or during any precipitation and take considerable time to compute azimuth. The best systems can determine azimuth when there is enough daylight to see your shadow in the daytime and under equivalent atmospheric conditions at night. The proposed sensor is to determine the observer to target azimuth to an accuracy of 2 mils within 2 seconds and operate day and night, and to operate under greater cloud cover than existing sensors can today, with the objective of operating under total cloud cover and under light precipitation. The total sensor package must weigh under 0.5 pounds, be of a size and cost compatible with handheld laser rangefinders. The focus of this effort should begin with analysis of available celestial light at the wavelengths considered, followed by effects of atmospheric attenuation, scintillation, and scattering based on the wavelengths and composition of air molecules and size of water and ice vapor and precipitation droplet size under different weather conditions, optical filters, optical losses, sensor sensitivity and noise, electronic noise, and processing gain. A multispectral sensor coupled with carefully selected optical filters at wavelengths of high transmission will increase the signal to noise such that celestial objects can be viewed under non-ideal atmospheric conditions.

PHASE I: Identify appropriate wavelengths of light to maximize the percentage of time the sensor will provide an azimuth solution. Perform modeling and simulation that determines the conditions under which the sensor will meet the performance goals, and what percent of time the sensor will operate when considering worldwide annual weather patterns.

PHASE II: Develop a prototype sensor based on the sensors, optics, filters, and processing selected in Phase I that maximize the conditions under which the sensor will satisfy the performance requirements. Perform tests under simulated and/or real weather conditions that demonstrate sensor performance.

PHASE III: The expected transition product is a TRL level 6 prototype celestial azimuth sensor. Upon successful transition, the Program Office will utilize RDT&E funding for a Phase III effort. This effort will require completion of a production representative design for the Common Laser Range Finder Refresh Program that satisfies the performance, cost, logistical, and schedule goals of the Common Laser Range Finder Refresh program.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: An azimuth determination sensor system that operates under a broad variety of weather conditions has vast commercial applications. It would be useful for ship and aircraft navigation, search and rescue operations, and any general purpose navigation that currently uses a magnetic compass.

REFERENCES:

KEYWORDS: Targeting, Azimuth, Celestial, Sensor, Laser, Rangefinder

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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