Improving UAVs Using Holographic Adaptive Optics
Dr. Geoff Andersen, senior researcher at the Laser and Optics Research Center at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, is leading a team of researchers who have successfully demonstrated the latest new type of adaptive optics, which incorporate holograms.
The conventional, computer-based technology has been in use for over two decades, but is not suitable to some military applications, including UAVs because of its required calculations and high computing costs.
The new technology will be able to be incorporated on unmanned aerial vehicles because it is very compact and lightweight.
“We will see hugely improved images from these new surveillance platforms that holographic adaptive optics will make possible,” said Andersen.
“The current system for UAV imagery, lasers and optics is computer software driven, but the next phase is to replace that with an electronics system called High Altitude Large Optics,” he said. “Such a system would be orders of magnitude faster than anything else available, while being much more compact and lightweight.”
It is hoped that HALOS will become the standard in adaptive optics of the future. It may also create entirely new markets for sharper telescopes and camera images that will be used for military purposes.
ABOUT AFOSR:
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research, located in Arlington, Virginia, continues to expand the horizon of scientific knowledge through its leadership and management of the Air Force's basic research program. As a vital component of the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFOSR's mission is to discover, shape and champion basic science that profoundly impacts the future Air Force.
Media Contact
More Information:
http://www.afosr.af.milAll latest news from the category: Physics and Astronomy
This area deals with the fundamental laws and building blocks of nature and how they interact, the properties and the behavior of matter, and research into space and time and their structures.
innovations-report provides in-depth reports and articles on subjects such as astrophysics, laser technologies, nuclear, quantum, particle and solid-state physics, nanotechnologies, planetary research and findings (Mars, Venus) and developments related to the Hubble Telescope.
Newest articles
Economies take off with new airports
A global study by an SUTD researcher in collaboration with scientists from Japan explores the economic benefits of airport investment in emerging economies using nighttime satellite imagery. Be it for…
CAR T–cell immunotherapy targets
Pan-cancer analysis uncovers a new class of promising CAR T–cell immunotherapy targets. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital found 156 potential CAR targets across the brain and solid tumors,…
Stony coral tissue loss disease
… is shifting the ecological balance of Caribbean reefs. The outbreak of a deadly disease called stony coral tissue loss disease is destroying susceptible species of coral in the Caribbean…
