Model-based beam control for illumination of remote objects

On September 1, 2003, Nukove Scientific Consulting, together with partner New Mexico State University, began work on a Phase 1 Small Business Technology TRansfer (STTR) grant from the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). The purpose of the grant was to show the feasibility of taking Nukove's pointing estimation technique from a post-processing tool for estimation of laser system characteristics to a real-time tool usable in the field. Nukove's techniques for pointing, shape, and OCS estimation do not require an imaging sensor nor a target board, thus estimates may be made very quickly. To prove feasibility, Nukove developed an analysis tool RHINO (Real-time Histogram Interpretation of Numerical Observations) and successfully demonstrated the emulation of real-time, frame-by-frame estimation of laser system characteristics, with data streamed into the tool and the estimates displayed as they are made. The eventual objective will be to use the frame-by-frame estimates to allow for feedback to a fielded system. Closely associated with this, NMSU developed a laboratory testbed to illuminate test objects, collect the received photons, and stream the data into RHINO. The two coupled efforts clearly demonstrate the feasibility of real-time pointing control of a laser system.