A Polarimetric Imaging Streak Tube Lidar (PISTL)

"Polarimetric imaging has proved useful in providing an additional discriminator in a number of active and passive sensors. In this Phase II SBIR proposal Aret¿ Associates describes a carefully constructed development and test effort that furtherdemonstrates the capabilities of the Polarimetric Imaging Streak Tube Lidar(PISTL). The system has been developed to provide target detection and identification in a number of applications key to the defense and security of the United States and its armedforces. In conjunction with cost sharing partners, the Office of Naval Research and Textron Systems in conjunction with the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense, Aret¿ Associates will conduct airborne field tests of the breadboard system developed inPhase I and development and demonstration of a more rugged and compact brass-board version of PISTL. A key deliverable of the Phase II effort will be a government owned PISTL that can be deployed in later research programs. However, the variety ofapplications to be studied in Phase II, through data collection and analysis will assure significant advancement in the state-of-the-art of active polarimetric imaging for target detection and identification."