Plenoptic Rain Drop Measurement

To address the Air Force’s need for a rain drop measurement system, Intellisense Systems, Inc. (ISI) proposes to develop a new Plenoptic Rain Drop Measurement (PARES) system based on the novel integration of an orthogonal plenoptic camera system and a dual-wavelength short-pulse laser diode. Specifically, the innovative implementation of plenoptic cameras allows the system to capture volumetric rain drops by capturing not only the intensity variation but also angle information in a single-snapshot 2D image providing angular as well as spatial information, i.e., 3D information. Therefore, the PARES system will provide detailed characterization of the simulated rain drop size distribution (DSD) in three-dimensional space, directly addressing the Holloman High Speed Test Track (HHSTT) requirements. In Phase I, ISI will demonstrate the feasibility of measuring individual rain drop characteristics and producing accurate DSD, liquid water content (LWC), and volumetric rain rate measurements with PARES on the HHSTT rainfield under the specified conditions. Based on the results of Phase I, during Phase II we will develop a functional prototype compatible with the Air Force requirements with hardware and software and capable of measuring rain drops, including diameter, velocity, and shape properties.