Compact Lightweight Freeform GRIN Optics for Small Arms Fire Control

In this Phase II SBIR, Voxtel is designing freeform gradient-index (GRIN) optics that will enable a reduction in the number of lens elements required to reproduce color-corrected imagery to benefit squad, crew-served, and sniper fire-control systems by reducing the size, weight, and complexity of the optics used in fire-control systems.  The additional degrees of design freedom enabled by the revolutionary freeform optics materials and processes used in this program will benefit myriad electro-optical lens applications, notably, the U.S. military's need for sensors in smart munitions and lightweight airborne optics.   An optimized gun-hardened riflescope optic with a motorized magnification controller will be field-tested and live-fire-tested. A 36-mm GRIN f4 objective and the Alvarez GRIN optics will be configured with a motorized controller, and the performance of the freeform GRIN optical elements will be optimized then integrated with a freeform GRIN eyepiece and reticle. These results will be used to quantify the size and weight advantages, as a function of performance, that freeform GRIN technologies offer to tactical scopes. The program goal is to achieve efficiencies of at least 20%, as measured by the number of optical elements and the size and weight of the of the optical system.