Design Approach for a Laser Wire and Wire Like Object Detection System (WWLODS)

摘要

A conceptual design and tradeoff study has been performed for a Wire and Wire-Like Object Detection System (WWLODS). The objective of the study was to recommend three alternative design approaches for a pod-mounted system to be carried on Army helicopters, to be capable of detecting 1/8 inch Army field wire, and to meet a weight goal of 50 pounds, a size goal of 1 cubic foot, and a cost goal of $50,000 per unit averaged over a production run of 4,000 units. The study established WWLODS performance requirements on range, field-of-view, frame time, and scan pattern based on helicopter flight performance limitations and helicopter pilot practices. It was found that a WWLODS based on active Infrared Coherent Optical Radar (ICOR) technology could be designed to meet the weight, volume, and cost goals, but that its range performance would be short enough to require a significant limitation on helicopter flight speed. Relaxing the weight limit to 70 pounds and the volume limit to 1.3 cubic feet would allow the design of a longer-range system with a much higher speed capability, but still within the production cost goal. (Author)