Miniature Laser Designator for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc. (ASC) has developed 3D Flash LIDAR range finding cameras based on its patented 3D focal plane array (FPA) technology and is producing high powered compact diode pumped lasers. Flash LIDAR Cameras (FLC) are 3D vision systems that return range and intensity information for each pixel in the FPA simultaneously in real time. The 3D FPA will allow the laser designator to track the laser spot location and provide feedback to the tracking algorithm. In the Phase I effort ASC demonstrated a 40mJ pulsed lasers with a 10ns pulse and developed a system concept that uses the compact laser and a 3D FPA in a compact gimbal to track and designate targets from a UAV. In the Phase II effort ASC will design, fabricate and test a 30mJ 1.064 laser designator and tracking sensor that will fit into a light weight gimbal. The miniature laser and 3D sensor will be scalable so that it will meet size, weight and power (SWAP) goals for a phase III implementation into a UAV such as the Scan Eagle.