Holographic Imaging to Support Air-to-Air, High-Bandwidth, Image-Based, Active Tracking

ABSTRACT: Guidestar Optical Systems proposes using digital holography to track an extended target in the presence of scintillation and speckle. Speckle is mitigated using an iterative metric optimization method on received images and then time averaged to remove scintillation effects. A wave-optics simulation will be performed in Phase I to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system, shifting to hardware in Phase II.; BENEFIT: High energy laser systems require actively illuminated targets for fine tracking purposes.This active illumination causes speckle and scintillation artifacts, which Guidestar proposes to mitigate using digital holographic imaging.This digital holographic imaging technique allows for decreased illuminator power, which will significantly enhance the size, weight, and power of the tracking system, a critical performance metric for airborne systems.In addition to the active tracking application, high resolution imagery produced by the digital holographic imaging technique enables target identification, kill assessment, three dimensional imaging, fine detail extraction in surveillance missions, and target material composition.Industrial applications include defect detection and identification, as well as stress and failure detection and analysis.Potential commercial applications include three dimensional video recording for the next generation of three dimensional video projection systems.