Tactical Optical Data Relay

NOVASOL proposes a feasibility study for a Tactical Optical Data Relay (TODR). TODR will provide a data link enabling teleoperation of a Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle (TUGV) from a remote Operator Control Unit (OCU). TODR will support realtime videotransmission from the TUGV, together with a realtime control channel to the TUGV, via Free Space Optical (FSO) communications through an airborne relay. NOVASOL's innovative approach incorporates modulating retroreflector technology, yielding alight-weight and low-power UAV package. Precision pointing techniques maintain the data link in the presence of vehicle motion at all three nodes (TUGV, UAV, OCU). The proposed system has inherently low probability of interception/detection (LPI/LPD), andthe flexibility to meet a wide range of tactical needs. Free space optical communications holds great promise for solving bandwidth and covertness problems in military applications. But to adapt this technology for tactical deployment, inexpensive,light-weight, low-power links capable of operating between moving platforms separated by large distances are crucial. NovaSol's TODR innovation asnwers this need. Our technology can be expanded to fill a range of dynamic communications link needs, bothmilitary and civilian.