Off-axis Laser Event Recorder (OALER)

Physical Sciences Inc. will develop an Off-Axis Laser Event Recorder (OALER) that can robustly detect, characterize, and classify indirect laser illumination in the 400-1700nm spectral range.ÝThe program objective is to design and demonstrate a compact cost-effective wide angle (?120∞ Horizontal, >110∞ vertical) sensor that can discriminate between indirect laser, direct laser, and non-laser events, and subsequently record key laser characteristics including wavelength, incident power, pulse characteristics, and angle of incidence while avoiding false positives due to naturally occurring events such as solar glints. The sensor will serve as an early warning system for threat detection and classification (targeting, sensing, damaging, or lethal) of incoming laser light. The OALER sensor will be man-portable, robust, low-cost, and battery-powered.ÝÝThe Phase I program will demonstrate feasibility through the development of a high-fidelity system model, which will be validated by a breadboard. Detection algorithms will be developed as part of the Phase I effort using data collected from the breadboard. The refined system requirements and prototype design will be developed to enable fabrication of a prototype OALER system in Phase II.Ý