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Utilizing Optical Defocusing and Computational Imaging for Laser Intensity…

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Army 		Award ID:
87171 		Program Year/Program:
2008 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
A082-064-1723 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
Aerodyne Research, Inc.
45 MANNING RD BILLERICA, MA -
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 2008
Title: Utilizing Optical Defocusing and Computational Imaging for Laser Intensity Reduction at CCD Focal Planes
Agency / Branch: DOD / ARMY
Contract: W911QX-09-C-0033
Award Amount: $69,753.00
 

Abstract:

Devising a means to reduce the fluence at the image sensor by a factor of 100 would eliminate the threat from all but the largest, cumbersome sources. We propose that the needed fluence reduction can be achieved by operating the existing imager at a strongly defocused setting, and applying hardware-accelerated existing state-of-the-art image deblurring algorithms to its data stream. Several existing deblurring algorithms are capable of very good inverse filtering performance with a 19x19 blur kernel which corresponds to an approximate fluence attenuation of 360 . The system concept is to interface the unmodified image sensor with a signal processor to implement the deblurring algorithm at the video rate. Aerodyne Research Inc (ARI), and our partner, the University of Notre Dame (UND) spin-off Emu Solutions offer innovative and patented techniques for FPGA hardware acceleration of "non-streamable" algorithms that typify inversion problems in computational imaging. Our Phase II goal is a full-up system implementation, coupling a representative optical imager to a real-time video-rate FPGA implementation of the computational deblurring. Our Phase I efforts will establish the feasibility of our approach, employing computational emulations, laboratory optical confirmation, and preliminary fixed-point arithmetic assessment.

Principal Investigator:

Stephen H. Jones
Principal Engineer
9786639500
sjones@aerodyne.com

Business Contact:

Charles E. Kolb
President
9786639500
kolb@aerodyne.com
Small Business Information at Submission:

AERODYNE RESEARCH, INC.
45 Manning Road Billerica, MA 01821

EIN/Tax ID: 042471226
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No