VIOLA - Vibration Imaging for Object Liminal Assessment

In the Phase II program, the Exciting Technology (ET) team will develop an imaging vibrometer optimized for the metrology of a wide class of targets including DARPA specified targets and tests. In addition to standard vibration imaging products, ET will focus on characterization of system change of state. ET will update the Digital Holographic Vibration Imaging (DHVI) system requirements, demonstrate key techniques and design a portable metrology instrument.  ET will work with DARPA their contractors to develop initial target phenomenology estimates, specifications for representative vibration targets and conduct to support an Early Phenomenology Test designed to provide further definition of the salient observables. Based on those results, the system requirements will be refined, and the metrology instrument will be developed to conduct phenomenology measurements. The program is focused on development and demonstration of the capability to measure, characterize and understand the spatio-temporal variations of a set of specific targets at extended range. It is based on Exciting Technology’s successful DVHI Laboratory System Design (LSD) and ET’s commercial instrument developments. The program will expand the LSD in two steps focused by the testing activities. First, and Early Phenomenology System (EPS) will be developed to support a short range Early Phenomenology Test (EPT). The EPT will be designed to characterize the target signatures of interest in order to optimize the final Extended Range System (ERS) specifications for the defined mission applications. The baseline  EPT is planned for a remote test, but could be conducted at ET based on surrogate targets if appropriate. The ERS will be designed to enable optimized phenomenology measurements at increased ranges in an Application Demonstration Test (ADT). The ADT will be conducted at a remote site and will be designed to demonstrate key system capabilities, techniques and data exploitation approaches. Finally, the ERS and ADT results will be utilized to form a final recommended mission system specification.  The resulting vibration imaging LiDAR will be suitable for multiple metrology applications across both DoD and commercial markets. The ET LiDAR would have extensive industrial applications, so ET will expand its ongoing efforts to insert the DHVI systems into the commercial metrology market.