Sea Water Attenuation Remote Measurement by LIDAR (SWARM-L)

Arete Associates proposes to design, build, and test a LIDAR-based, hand-held sea water attenuation measurement device. This device, referred to as the K-meter, will be tested and characterized both in the lab and against a variety of water types both ocean and coastal. In the base period, Arete will perform the full optical, electrical, and mechanical design of the K-meter. Drawings and specifications will be generated and presented at a design review. After the design review, limited parts procurement will be performed followed by a lab test demo and K-meter characterization. After a"swimming pool"test with the laboratory prototype, the results will be analyzed and the final report written. Under Option 1, Arete will perform full procurement and proceed with software development. A working prototype of the K-meter will be built. After another set of lab and swimming pool tests, the K-meter will be used at a field test to measure sea water attenuation. Analysis of those results and the writing of the final report will mark the end of Option 1. The Option 2 period will consist of an additional ocean test at a different site and, if possible, an ocean test from the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).