Invited Paper IPF-TuM11
Streak-Tube Imaging and the Virtual Periscope

Tuesday, October 21, 2008, 11:20 am, Room 312

This presentation will survey two distinct types of underwater imaging technology that have been developed in recent years for use by the military community. Areté Associates has developed and patented an innovative LIDAR technology that exploits the high spatial-temporal resolution of a streak-tube to generate extremely high-resolution 3-D images of scenes from a remote platform. This unique approach to 3-D imaging LIDAR enabled unrivaled object detection and classification in turbid media. Since then, Areté has developed several LIDAR systems for the mine countermeasures community that utilizes STIL technology to detect sea mines from air and underwater-borne platforms. Areté Associates' patented Virtual Periscope system enables underwater vehicles to image scenes from below the ocean surface without the need to raise a periscope. This technology improves stealth and mobility of the vehicle and reduces the risk of collisions with surface objects. The Virtual Periscope system uses a compact set of sensors and algorithms to measure and unwrap the image distortions caused by the wavy ocean surface.