Advanced Low-SWAP Lidar Imager for Degraded Visual Environments

摘要

Arete Associates has developed a low-SWAP 3D imaging lidar to enhance rotorcraft pilot situational awareness in degraded visual environments (DVE). The lidar incorporates full waveform processing with an agile scanning system and variable pulse repetition rate (PRF) laser into a purpose-built imaging system optimized for operations in DVE. Full waveform processing robustly eliminates false contacts from dust and other obscurants; the agile scanner provides a dense scan pattern over user-defined, mission-based field of regard (FOR); and the laser PRF can be adjusted to provide unambiguous imaging over long ranges. Arete's DVE Lidar is the culmination of a multi-year development effort that included multiple ground and flight tests in DVE scenarios and a repackaging effort to miniaturize processing and support electronics so they could be integrated into the sensor head. We present here a system overview of the Arete DVE Lidar and highlight some of the unique capabilities that make it the system of choice for DVE operations.