OMNIDIRECTIONAL OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR SHORT RANGE NAVIGATIONAL AIDS

AN OMNIDIRECTIONAL OPTICAL SYSTEM THAT DIRECTS LIGHT FROM AN EXTENDED SOURCE (TUBULAR IN CIRCULAR FORMAT) INTO A HORIZONTAL PLANE WITH A HALF POWER VERTICAL DIVERGENCE OF +4.5 DEGREES WITH A MAXIMUM MEAN HORIZONTAL INTENSITY IS DESIRED FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF MARITIME (AND OTHER) NAVIGATION. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO INVESTIGATE NOVEL METHODS OF LIGHT PROJECTION USING NON-IMAGING OPTICAL SURFACES, WHICH CAN REACH THE THEORETICAL LIMITS OF RADIATIVE TRANSPORT AND BE MORE EFFICIENT THAN CONVENTIONAL OPTICS, TO DESIGN INNOVATIVE, CANDIDATE NON-IMAGING LIGHT PROJECTING SYSTEMS THAT MEET OR EXCEED THE DESIRED REQUIREMENTS AND SELECT THE MOST APPROPRIATE OPTICAL DESIGN FOR PROTOTYPE DESIGN. THE ADVANTAGES OF A NONIMAGING OPTICS SYSTEM ARE: (1) NO MOVING PARTS FOR OMNIDIRECTIONAL COVERAGE;(2) ACCURATELY CONTROLLEDVERTICAL DISPERSION; (3) MAXIMIZED INTENSITY; (4) EASY ASSEMBLY AND SERVICING; (5) LOW PROFILE; AND (6) STACKING FOR SEQUENTIALLY FLASHED MOTION SIMULATION. THE PHASE I EFFORT WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY SETS TECHNOLOGY PERSONNEL IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS; REQUIREMENTS STUDY AND ASSESSMENT, NON-IMAGING OPTICAL DESIGN, COMPARISON WITH CONVENTIONAL OPTICAL DESIGNS, DEVELOPMENT OF A CANDIDATE MECHANICAL SUPPORT DESIGN, OPTICAL EFFICIENCY, AND UTILITY AND FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENTS. THE RESULTS OF THE PHASE I EFFORT WILL BE DIRECTLY APPLICABLE TO A PHASE II PROTOTYPE.