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Real-time Atmospheric Disturbance Compensation Using Hardware-Accelerated…

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Missile Defense Agency 		Award ID:
77979 		Program Year/Program:
2006 / STTR
Agency Tracking Number:
B064-006-0148 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
EM Photonics, Incorporated
51 East Main Street Suite 203 Newark, DE -
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 2006
Title: Real-time Atmospheric Disturbance Compensation Using Hardware-Accelerated Speckle Imaging
Agency / Branch: DOD / MDA
Contract: HQ0006-06-C-7509
Award Amount: $99,946.00
 

Abstract:

Atmospheric disturbances are a major performance-limiting factor in long-range optical systems. In particular, for the Airborne Laser (ABL) the ability of distinguish targets from a long distance is crucial for mission success. Despite the progress in optics and sensor technology, blurring in long-range imaging caused by atmospheric movements and density changes will remain an issue. Digital signal processing techniques can be used to compensate for these atmospheric effects, using algorithms like the bispectrum speckle method developed by researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. Unfortunately, these algorithms are computationally intensive and require several seconds to process a single frame in high-end workstations, making them unsuitable for real-time video surveillance applications. We propose the development of a custom hardware processor, based on FPGA technology, which is able to implement the speckle algorithm two orders of magnitude faster than current PCs, thereby enabling real-time video feed processing. To this end, we plan to collaborate with the creators of the speckle algorithm at LLNL. Furthermore, FPGAs are uniquely suited for airborne platforms given their footprint and power consumption. For this project, we will develop a real-time atmospheric compensation solver that occupies less than 120 cubic inches and consumes less than 25 W of power.

Principal Investigator:

James Durbano
Chief Hardware Architect
3024569003
durbano@emphotonics.com

Business Contact:

Eric Kelmelis
Vice President
3024569003
kelmelis@emphotonics.com
Small Business Information at Submission:

EM PHOTONICS, INC.
51 East Main Street Suite 203 Newark, DE 19711

EIN/Tax ID: 510411701
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
Research Institution Information:
LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABS
7000 East Ave., L-795 P.O. Box
Livermore, CA 94550
Contact: Carmen Carrano
Contact Phone: (925) 422-4211
RI Type: Federally funded R&D center (FFRDC)