Deterministic Finishing of Domes with Buried Electromagnetic Structures

To address the need of the Army in a deterministic method for generating a dome with precise location of a buried grid, Applied Science Innovations proposes development of the Electro-Optical Depth Sensor (EODS), a new tool for non-contact depth measurement. The non-contact measurement from either inside or outside surface of the dome, accurate to better than1 mil, will be independent of the surface optical quality at all stages of dome fabrication. The sensor will be equally effective on all dome materials, regardless of transmission in the visible or other spectral range. The measurement will be possible on the grinder or polisher during fabrication, without removing the dome, and fast, in minutes for the entire dome. Phase I will establish feasibility of the EODS concept. In Phase II, a functional pre-production EODS prototype will be developed and delivered to the Army for evaluation and use. In Phase III, EODS will be packaged for integration into dome fabrication processes, to operate on shop floors of optical manufacturers. Primary EODS applications will be in high performance imaging and tracking systems such as used by the military and in the space industry. A broader range of applications will be in testing reinforced layered structures.