REMOTE DETECTION OF FUEL VAPORS AND EXHAUST FUMES

THIS PROPOSAL INVOLVES THE USE OF ADVANCED LASER REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES FOR THE DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF FUEL VAPORS AND EXHAUST FUMES. THE FOCUS OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS TO MAKE AN INITIAL ESTIMATE OF THE FEASIBILITY OF USING REMOTE LADAR SPECTROSCOPY TO DETECT FUEL VAPORS AND EXHAUST FUMES. IF THE INITIAL ESTIMATES ARE FAVORABLE, A DETAILED STUDY OF DECISION FEASIBILITY WOULD BE DONE TO ASSURE THAT THE APPROACH IS SOUND FROM ALL POINTS OF VIEW. IN PHASE II, A SYSTEM SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO DETECT SUCH MATERIALS WOULD BE DESIGNED AND A PROTOTYPE SYSTEM WOULD BE BUILT AND DEMONSTRATED. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WOULD INTRODUCE A NUMBER OF INNOVATIONS TO THIS PROJECT, INCLUDING (1) TECHNIQUES FOR INTERFERENCE SUPPRESSION THAT CAN IMPROVE THE SENSITIVITY BY A FACTOR OF TEN OR MORE, (2) SOPHISTICATED SPECTRAL MANIPULATION AND PROCESSING TECHNIQUES INVOLVING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, THAT CAN INCREASE PERFORMANCE SUBSTANTIALLY, AND (3) WAVE-LENGTH OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES THAT CAN PRODUCE THE HIGHEST PERFORMANCE IN REAL-TIME SYSTEMS THAT ARE CONSTRAINED BY VERY SHORT "LOOK" TIMES. THESE AND OTHER INNOVATIONS CAN INCREASE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SUBSTANTIALLY, AND CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SYSTEM THAT IS ACCEPTABLE AND ONE THAT IS NOT.