Field Demonstration of a Photon Counting Laser Radar for Imaging Through Foliage

摘要

We have developed a small Jigsaw payload weighing about 45 kg (100 Ib) designed to fit in an unmanned aircraft system. The Jigsaw system is designed to provide autonomy in sensor operations and data collection, 3D volumetric processing onboard the air platform, and down-linking of the data products and displaying it to the ground analyst. The Jigsaw system is modular and could be retrofitted, using a simple mating bulkhead, to either a manned or an unmanned aircraft. The system has been installed onboard a manned UH-1 helicopter and used for flight data collections. The UH-1 helicopter was used as a surrogate platform for the flight campaigns while the unmanned platform development is completed. The UH-1 flight campaigns involved imaging of various military targets under various foliated and camouflaged target scenes. Targets hiding under tree obscurations (open and moderate to heavy obscurations) were imaged and could be visually identified with ease.