Compact Optical Proximity Sensor

To address the Army need for a small, low cost, optical-based proximity sensor for fuzing applications, Intellisense Systems, Inc. (ISI) proposes to develop a new Compact Optical Proximity Sensor (COPS) based on a novel integration of miniaturized and ruggedized time-of-flight measurements and optical triangulation to rapidly determine the distance to a target. COPS’ innovative optical design will improve the efficiency of collecting light reflected from a target, at reduced power. Specifically, the proposed COPS device will have a target detection range of 1 m to 20 m while consuming <150 mW of power. It is compact (<5 cm^3) and suitable for use with various types of munitions and for detection of various targets as requested by the Army. In Phase I, ISI will conduct a feasibility study of the COPS concept and its capability to meet Army requirements, identify the equipment and resources needed to prototype the COPS, and provide unit cost estimates. An initial simplified COPS prototype will be fabricated and tested. In Phase II, ISI plans to fabricate and test several generations of COPS prototypes, demonstrate their performance and manufacturability, and deliver them to the Army for gun-fired tests.