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Adaptive Controls for Aero-Optics Compensation
Title: VP Dayton Operations/Sr.
Phone: (937) 432-6560
Email: whiteley@mza.com
Title: President
Phone: (505) 245-9970
Email: praus@mza.com
MZA proposes to conduct laboratory testing of adaptive control for wavefront compensation of aerodynamic optical disturbances. The laboratory system will use a low-cost polymer deformable mirror with actuator patterns specialized for adaptive control. Aero-optical disturbances will be imparted in the laboratory by a liquid crystal spatial light modulator using wind tunnel measurements. A Hartmann wavefront sensor and scoring camera will be operated in scaled real-time using a WaveTrain-Lab controller. Performance comparisons will be made between the adaptive control algorithm and a conventional control method. Laboratory build-up and initial compensation tests will occur in the first year of the effort. Performance characterizations and optimizations will be conducted during the second year. MZA also proposes to conduct wave-optics simulations of the adaptive controller applied to candidate laser directed energy systems to determine the performance benefit offered by advanced adaptive optics control.
* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *