Advanced Optical Systems has developed the world's smallest and lowest cost, fully functional target recognition and tracking system. The heart of the ULTOR target recognition and tracking system is an optical correlator. The system includes real-time preprocessing, large filter stores, filter management logic, correlation detection and thresholding, correlation tracking, and data output. It is self contained, receiving operational commands as an Internet appliance. We will present a demonstration of some of the capabilities of the system using live video signals and real target models. The ULTOR system has wide application in both military and commercial settings. The Navy is considering use of the ULTOR system in several programs, including missile systems and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Optimum filters for optical correlators have been the topic of several papers in the last few years. How can there be more than one optimum? Because, different approaches optimize different functions. Most research to date has optimized some internal working function of the correlator, such as optical efficiency, or narrowness of the correlation peak. However, in the real world, there is usually some application oriented function to optimize. For example, in a tracking system, the robustness to break-lock may be the most critical function. There is a threshold in the signal to noise required for single pixel tracking. Beyond that, 'optimization power' might better be spent on increasing tolerance to aspect change, rather than increasing signal to noise. This paper will discuss the attention the filter designer must pay to bore slope error, tolerances for distortions, signal to noise, correlation width, transport delay, and other variables.
Two specialized silicon photo-diode detector arrays and supporting electronics have been developed for use in the Fourier plane of a coherent optical image processor. Each detector array has geometrical characteristics tailored for extraction of specific image features. The first detector performs angular measurement of in-plane rotation of simple objects to an accuracy of better than one degree. This detector is being integrated into a system to measure the attitude of missiles in flight. The second detector uses the well-known ring-wedge geometry to measure edge angles and power spectra in the Fourier plane. This detector and supporting neural network software forms a powerful automatic target recognition system. Both detectors are capable of processing images at rates exceeding one thousand frames per second. We describe systems that process NTSC or VGA video images at 60 frames per second.
This paper will discuss the application of optical disk technology to optical processing. The limiting factor in optical image processing is the spatial light modulator. Spatial light modulators are currently limited by pixel size and TV frame rates. Optical disks provide pixel sizes on the order of a micron, fast access times and 650 MB storage space resulting in approximately 60,500 256 by 256 pixel images. CD, CD-Recordable, Magneto-Optic and Phase Change media have been studied. CD and CD-Recordable media provide high contrast, while phase-change media provides moderate contrast and rewritability. This paper will focus on an optical system that uses a phase-change disk as the filter medium in an optical correlator. Specially developed software to write two dimensional images to the phase-change disks will be addressed.
This paper discusses an optical correlator interfaces to a FLIR and laser rangefinder to aid aircraft landing aboard an aircraft carrier. The purpose was to recognize aircraft and provide precision track in spite of the engine plume which is visible in IR images. Toward the end of the program, an opportunity arose to piggyback on tests of a Navy FLIR system, on board the USS Enterprise. The Navy's developmental FLIR and laser rangefinder were mounted on the carrier and provided excellent imagery with concurrent range data. The correlator performed a limited set of experiments at sea, tracking an aircraft from 8000 feet until almost touchdown. The challenges to the correlator we operation in a harsh environment and real time interfacing with other hardware. Real time range information controlled a series of filters in the correlator. The system fit into a standard panel rack and utilized remote alignment. The system operated during the chock of aircraft launch and landing, with no need to open up the optical box.
Many military systems have a critical need for aided target recognition, or cuing. This includes several systems with wide field-of-view search missions such as the UAV, EFOG-M, and Comanche. This report discusses one new approach: a multiple region of interest processor based on diffraction pattern sampling and digital neural network processing. In this concept an optical system segments the image into multiple, rectangular regions of interest and in parallel converts each ROI, be it visible, IR, or radar, to a spatial frequency power spectrum and samples that spectrum for 64 features. A neural network learns to correlate those features with target classes or identifications. A digital system uses the network weights to recognize unknown targets. The research discussed in this report using a single ROI processor showed a very high level of performance. Out of 1024 trials with models of five targets of F- 14, F-18, HIND, SCUD, and M1 tanks, there were 1023 correct classifications and 1 incorrect classification. Out of 1514 trials with those images plus 490 real clutter scenes, there were 1514 correct decisions between target or no-target. Of the 1024 target detections, there were 1023 correct classifications. Out of 60 trials with low resolution IR images of real scenes, there were 60 correct decisions between target and no-target. Of the 40 target detections, there were 40 correct classifications.
Beamsplitter cubes are widely used in white light interferometers to ensure that each interferometer path is balanced with equal amounts of glass. However, commercially available beamsplitter cubes can have alignment errors and size deviations that introduce path differences into the interferometer. A technique for constructing a beamsplitter cube that has extremely well balanced paths is described. Using a tunable dye laser with rhodimine 6G, we have readily measured path differences less than 0.5 μm. By monitoring the beamsplitter path difference with the dye laser, we can adjust the path difference during assembly, thereby sliding the prisms into proper alignment on a layer of UV-cured cement.
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