Airborne imaging lidar, detection and classification of surface and subsurface objects in a marine environment
- SatCon Technology, Tucson, AZ (United States)
The current problem of imaging objects located within a body of water is overcome by the use of a Gated Imaging Lidar System. Due to variation of suspended particulate matter within a body of water, normal visible video reconnaissance has proven to be highly unreliable. By using nanosecond short pulsed, low repetition rate blue-green laser signals that are exclusively tuned for specific water conditions, Lidar systems are capable of reproducing clear images from oceanic surface to significant depths. One of the major advantages of gated Lidar is that back scatter from layers above and below the region to be searched is basically reduced to zero. This discrimination in layer searching greatly increase the signal to noise ratio of the system, substantially increasing the likelihood of target recognition. Imaging Lidar systems have been successfully used for numerous military applications, studying of marine life forms, and oil spill detection and classification. Gated imaging Lidar systems are light weight with low power consumption and can be operated by personnel with minimal instruction. 6 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 390810
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960613--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Helicopter-based lidar in remote sensing of coastal waters
Imaging LIDAR through Fog and Dust for Maritime Surveillance
Related Subjects
44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AERIAL SURVEYING
AIR POLLUTION
BACKSCATTERING
CONFIGURATION
IMAGE SCANNERS
LASERS
MARINE SURVEYS
OIL SPILLS
OPTICAL PUMPING
OPTICAL RADAR
REMOTE VIEWING EQUIPMENT
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO
SPECIFICATIONS
WATER POLLUTION