Extended Range Optical Underwater Imaging

Aculight has teamed with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD to develop and demonstrate an underwater imager capable of imaging through 7 – 8 attenuation lengths. Such an optical underwater imager capable of imaging mines or other objects of interest is needed by the Navy to enable detection of submerged threats in turbid coastal and harbor waters. The objective of the proposed program is to design and demonstrate an underwater imaging system that will produce high resolution images in such turbid waters. Combining cutting-edge fiber laser technology with a very novel compact, yet large-aperture receiver design yields a high-performance imaging system which will fit easily in available underwater unmanned vehicles (UUVs). The system will provide very substantial increases in sensitivity and optical resolution, enabling detection of threats both overseas and in our home waters.