Photonics

U.S. military researchers are asking for industry’s help in developing a combination hybrid analog, digital, photonic, and electronic processor to help analyze RF and optical signals for situational awareness. The project seeks to enable U.S. and allied warfighters to understand in near-real-time all the waveform details, source type and class, …

China is developing a new type of spy satellite using ghost imaging technology which could spot stealth aircraft and see through smokescreens and camouflage.   Ron Meyers, quantum physicist at the Army Research Laboratory. Meyers explained ghost imaging, a technique that allows a high resolution camera to produce an image …

Access to spectrum is also critical for future swarm of UAVs, In a vision shared by innovators, entrepreneurs, and planners in both defense and civilian contexts, the skies of the future will be busy with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Unseen but central to the realization of this vision is wireless communication …

The most important element of space is geosynchronous orbit, a circular orbit 22,300 miles above the planet where satellites appear to be stationary above the surface of the earth. British science fiction writer, futurist and inventor Arthur C. Clark mathematically determined the orbit in 1947, the general said.   The …

Urban Warfare Operations are complicated by a three-dimensional environment, limited fields of view and fire because of buildings, enhanced concealment and cover for defenders, below-ground infrastructure, and the ease of placement of booby traps and snipers. DARPA  is  investing in many novel camera technologies . In the event of urban …

Many types of sensors have been proposed for detection of small targets such as tanks and trucks including passive infrared imaging sensors and active Radars. Passive sensing systems, for many types of targets, especially airborne ones, use target motion as a cue for the target detection. However, for stationary small …

ViDAR, or visual radar, is the term coined by Australian computer vision specialist Sentient for a newly developed sensor that combines a high-definition electro-optic (EO) camera with automatic target detection algorithms to detect small maritime targets.   The ScanEagle drone from Insitu  equipped with the ViDAR payload showcased its newest …