Design and Preliminary Evaluation of an Underwater Laser-Based Imaging System

摘要

The design and preliminary evaluation of an underwater laser-based imaging system (UWLIS) being developed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the Naval Sea Systems Command is described. The system is composed of a synchronously scanning argon-ion laser beam and a very narrow (4 milliradian) field-of-view detector. The laser beam and detector field of view are separated at the imaging system, but converge at the target to reduce the common optical scattering volume. The system produces a standard real-time TV image and has a predicted range of 100 m for 5 watts of laser power. The results of evaluations conducted in a 15-m deep tank at the Naval Coastal Systems Center are presented and discussed. The performance of the UWLIS in various turbid water conditions is compared to typical low-light-level underwater TV systems. (ERA citation 13:034540)