The Low Cost Microsensors (LCMS) Program recently demonstrated state-of-the-art imagery in a long-range infrared (IR) sensor built upon an uncooled vanadium oxide (VOx) 640 x 480 format focal plane array (FPA) engine. The 640 x 480 sensor is applicable to long-range surveillance and targeting missions. The intent of this DUS&T effort was to further reduce the cost, weight, and power of uncooled IR sensors, and to increase the capability of these sensors, thereby expanding their applicability to military and commercial markets never before addressed by thermal imaging. In addition, the Advanced Uncooled Thermal Imaging Sensors (AUTIS) Program extended this development to light-weight, compact unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications.
The Low Cost Microsensors (LCMS) Program recently demonstrated state-of-the-art imagery in a long-range infrared (IR) sensor built upon an uncooled vanadium oxide (VOx) 640 X 480 format focal plane array (FPA) engine. The 640 X 480 sensor is applicable to long-range surveillance and targeting missions. The intent of this DUS&T effort is to further reduce the cost, weight, and power of uncooled IR sensors, and to increase the capability of these sensors, thereby expanding their applicability to military and commercial markets never before addressed by thermal imaging.
The principle of Offner's refractive null lens has been extended to test the transmission wavefront through conformal window optics and provide feedback during surface fabrication. First, the basic theory of the refractive null lens is reviewed followed by design examples for conformal optics. Second, given a specific window shape, the results and interpretation of a conformal widow test are described. Finally, a method of data analysis to reduce the transmission wavefront map to a more useful sag table is presented.
For the past three years, the Precision Conformal Optics Consortium has been developing a revolutionary new class of optics. These optics are characterized by outer window elements that conform to aerodynamic rather than optical requirements. Conformal optical elements can greatly improve the aerodynamic performance of the host platform. To make conformal optics a reality, challenges had to be overcome in design, fabrication, and testing. This was accomplished in October 1999 when Raytheon demonstrated the world's first conformal optical system. This fineness ratio one system was a risk reduction effort to develop technology for later systems. It is comprised of a calcium fluoride conformal optical dome, a TI-1173 aspheric corrector, and a calcium fluoride solid catadioptric telescope. The design involved overcoming large amounts of aberration that varied with gimbal look angle. Efforts also included aligning the system to tight tolerances and testing highly aspheric optical elements. Overall, the actual system performance compared very favorably with the design model. With the proven success of this risk reduction demonstration, the path was cleared for new higher performance conformal optical systems.
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