LADAR Sensor & Vehicle Alignment System (LSVAS)

SPEC proposes to extend its Phase I effort into a full-up, eyesafe LADAR Vehicle Alignment System (L-VAS) prototype, which fully meets cargo alignment requirements during aircraft loading/unloading operations and for safety in sensing personnel in blind areas. Thumb-sized L-VAS sensors precisely locate the transport structure for the guidance system (with no on-the-ground spotter), interacting with the operator to quickly and safely align and insert/extract payloads to within 1mm without the fear of binding on long palletized loads, even when the operator cannot physically view these areas. L-VAS calculates and displays the optimum vehicle maneuver for angular and lateral alignment along with collision avoidance. L-VAS will be easy to maintain, to learn, operate and interface to by a single operator. It will operate in varying lighting/adverse weather conditions while performing loading/unloading operations on any container/palletized cargo platform configurations. L-VAS will provide a wide area protection LADAR safety grid for loading vehicle collision protection, detecting and locating personnel and ground equipment in the immediate area of operation. FCS combat mobility and sustainability is improved, along with operational responsiveness, by quick and efficient transport of supplies, vital to the successful implementation of FCS doctrine of agile, rapid force projection deployment.