HYBRID SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR FOR JOINT PROCESSING OF RADAR AND OPTICAL IMAGES

THE PROBLEM OF DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN TARGETS AND DECOYS IN A SDI OR BMD SCENARIO WILL MOST LIKELY REQUIRE THE USE OF IMAGING SYSTEMS OPERATING AT TWO OR MORE VASTLY DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS (E.G. MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL). REAL-TIME OPTICAL PROCESSORS THAT COULD, FOR EXAMPLE, EMPLOY IMAGE UNDERSTANDING TECHNIQUES AND THEREBY EXTRACT AND COMBINE THE SALIENT FEATURES OF, SAY, RANGE-DOPPLER RADAR IMAGES AND HIGHLYCLUTTERED OR DEGRADED OPTICAL IMAGES FOR TARGET IDENTIFICATION COULD PROVE MOST USEFUL. IT IS PROPOSED TO INVESTIGATE IN THIS PHASE I STUDY, (A) THE FEASIBILITY OF A SPATIAL LIFHT MODULATOR THAT COULD BE USED TO MIX TWO SUCH IMAGES, AND (B) COMPATIBLE ALGORITHMS (BASED ON OPTICAL ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY AND IMAGE UNDERSTANDING TECHNIQUES) FOR FEATURE EXTRACTION, IMAGE IDENTIFICATION, AND CLUTTER REJECTION. THE VERSATILITY OF THE PROPOSED SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR ALSO MAKES IT USEFUL FOR COMBINING GENERAL ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL SIGNALS, AND AS EITHER AN ELECTRONIC-TO-OPTICAL OR OPTICAL-TO-OPTICAL TRANSDUCER. IT COULD, THEREFORE, BE USED IN GENERAL PURPOSE OPTICAL PROCESSORS FOR OTHER SDI SURVEILLANCE, ACQUISITION AND DISCRIMINATION TASKS.