AN AIRBORNE LASER DEPOLARIZATION IMAGING SENSOR FOR TERRESTRIAL MEASUREMENTS

THERE ARE THREE MAIN GOALS OF THE PHASE I RESEARCH EFFORT. THE FIRST AND OVERALL GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A PRELIMINARY SYSTEM DESIGN WHICH DEMONSTRATES THE FEASIBILITY OF BUILDINGA PULSED LASER IMAGING SENSOR FOR MEASURING THE DEPOLARIZINGEFFECTS OF MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES ON THE EARTH'S SURFACE. THE SECOND IS TO INVESTIGATE DATA ANALYSIS AND IMAGING PROCESSING TECHNIQUES WHICH WILL ENHANCE THE PRESENTATION OF THE ACQUIRED DEPOLARIZATION DATA TO ASSIST IN ITS INTERPRETATION. THE THIRD GOAL IS TO INVESTIGATE THE PERFORMANCE OF TYPICAL COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CCD CAMERAS. THE RESULTS OF THE SYSTEM DESIGN OF PHASE I WILL BE USED IN PHASE II TO DEVELOP A FINAL DESIGN, AND FABRICATE THE ACTUAL SYSTEM WHICH WILL BE CALIBRATED IN THE LABORATORY AND THEN FLOWN ABOARD A HELICOPTER OR AIRCRAFT. THE DATA ACQUIRED DURING THE PHASE II FLIGHTS WILL BE USED TO EVALUATE THE SYSTEM'S PERFORMANCE. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE IMAGES WHICH ARE SENSITIVE TO SMALL VARIATIONS IN DEPOLARIZATION WHICH WILL MAKE THE SYSTEM INVALUABLE IN AREAS WITH COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL SUCH AS CROP AND LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, POLLUTION AND OIL SPILL DETECTION, AND GEOLOGICAL AND MAN-MADE FEATURE CHARACTERIZATION AND IDENTIFICATION.