Laser Optical Hazard (LOHAZ) Monitoring System

The impending need to test very high power lasers in open air range conditions poses new problems for safety and environmental engineers responsible for those tests. In particular, there is serious concern that a misdirected beam or specular reflection might leave the test range and injure unprotected persons. In response to this requirement, Sensing Strategies, Inc. (SSI) proposes to build and demonstrate a Laser Optical Hazard (LOHAZ) monitoring system that serves as an “optical fence” along the perimeter of a controlled area to alert test personnel if potentially hazardous conditions occur. The LOHAZ system monitors for stray radiation hazards by detecting aerosol scatter from beams leaving the range. The sensors do not need to be in the beam but will look up from the ground for this distributed signal source. The LOHAZ system consists of a series of sensor stations deployed along the perimeter of the controlled area. Each of these sensor stations detects and locates aerosol scatter from laser beams exiting the range. Any detections are transmitted in real time to a LOHAZ base station, which fuses the results from the network of sensors and provides rapid warning to control personnel.