Shared Aperture Non-mechanical Beam Steering for FLIR/3D SWIR LADAR

ABSTRACT:A SWIR 3D imaging LADAR architecture is proposed in which it shares the aperture with a FLIR sensor. To enable this combined passive and active sensor system, wide angle non-mechanical beam steering (NMBS) will be implemented at the exit window/entrance pupil of the system. Due to the large steering angles the SWIR LADAR is not constrained to the FOV of the passive MWIR sensor, freeing it from the constraints of the direction in which the FLIR is pointing.Boulder Nonlinear Systems (BNS) and our teaming partners, ImagineOptix, and Exciting Technology, will build a prototype shared aperture 3D SWIR LADAR/FLIR system. Using polarization grating technology, and MWIR transparent liquid crystal switches, the 3D SWIR LADAR light will be steered without diffracting the MWIR light that is being collected by the FLIR. With this approach we expect to enhance the capabilities of the sensor system.BENEFIT:The effort proposed here represents an improvement to 3D LADAR imaging and passive and active IR sensors. Several DoD platforms could benefit from the shared aperture approach. In addition commercial 3D mapping would benefit from increased field of view and multispectral capability.