Laser-based directed energy systems are often identified as being game-changing technologies in advancing the mission of the Air Force. Precision efforts, minimal collateral damage, rapid response, and nearly unlimited ammunition are compelling advantages to laser weapon systems. Among the primary challenges to development and deployment is beam control, identified in the 2007 report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Directed Energy Weapons and the more recent 2010 US Air Force Chief Scientist?s Report on Technology Horizons as a necessary focus for science and technology research. Based on the success of our Phase I proof-of-concept study, we propose to develop and test a software application for aimpoint maintenance for advanced laser weapons. We will perform extensive simulation studies and collaborate with AFRL to integrate the software into hardware systems of interest.
Benefit: Potential commercial applications will primarily be of a military nature, as the effort proposed herein is heavily focused toward advancing strategic and tactical laser system capabilities. Military applications such as tactical lasers will benefit from tracking and aimpoint maintenance algorithms developed herein. Commercial applications range from optical communication to animation, as the feature-based tracking algorithms under development will support a number of special effects innovations.
Keywords: Bayesian Segmentation, Optical Flow, Active Illumination, Feature Extraction
