In today's world, the range of technologies with the potential to threaten the security of U.S. military forces is extremely broad. These include developments in explosive materials, sensors, control systems, robotics, satellite systems, and computing power, to name just a few. Such technologies have not only enhanced the capabilities of U.S. military forces, but also offer enhanced offensive capabilities to potential adversaries - either directly through the development of more sophisticated weapons, or more indirectly through opportunities for interrupting the function of defensive U.S. military systems. Passive and active electro-optical (EO) sensing technologies are prime examples. Laser Radar considers the potential of active EO technologies to create surprise; i.e., systems that use a source of visible or infrared light to interrogate a target in combination with sensitive detectors and processors to analyze the returned light. The addition of an interrogating light source to the system adds rich new phenomenologies that enable new capabilities to be explored. This report evaluates the fundamental, physical limits to active EO sensor technologies with potential military utility; identifies key technologies that may help overcome the impediments within a 5-10 year timeframe; considers the pros and cons of implementing each existing or emerging technology; and evaluates the potential uses of active EO sensing technologies, including 3D mapping and multi-discriminate laser radar technologies.

The 10th conference on coherent laser radar technology and applications is the latest in a series beginning in 1980, which provides a forum for exchange of information on recent events, current status, and future directions of coherent laser radar (or lidar or lader) technology and applications. This conference emphasizes the latest advancements in the coherent laser radar field, including theory, modeling, components, systems, instrumentation, measurements, calibration, data processing techniques, operational uses, and comparisons with other remote sensing technologies.

Proceedings of SPIE present the original research papers presented at SPIE conferences and other high-quality conferences in the broad-ranging fields of optics and photonics. These books provide prompt access to the latest innovations in research and technology in their respective fields. Proceedings of SPIE are among the most cited references in patent literature.

This e-book is an essential review of land-based laser sensing methods, such as differential absorption, Raman scattering, laser-induced fluorescence, Doppler effect methods, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, and laser ultrasonics, and their respective application to specific industrial needs, such as natural gas leak detection, hydrogen gas leak detection, pollutant detection, wind profiling for windmill sites, minor constituent monitoring and concrete structure health monitoring. Readers will gain an updated overview of laser remote sensing techniques and their applications to the industrial environment.

There have been many new developments in the ten years since the first edition of Radar and Laser Cross Section Engineering was published. Stealth technology is now an important consideration in the design of all types of platforms. The second edition includes a more extensive introduction that covers the important aspects of stealth technology and the unique tradeoffs involved in stealth design. Prediction, reduction, and measurement of electromagnetic scattering from complex three-dimensional targets remains the primary emphasis of this text, developed by the author from courses taught at the Naval Postgraduate School. New topics on computational methods like the finite element method and the finite integration technique are covered, as well as new areas in the application of radar absorbing material and artificial metamaterials. Matlab [registered] software, homework problems, and a solution manual (available to instructors) supplement the text. Written as an instructional text, this book is recommended for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. introduction to the physics and mathematics of radar cross section in order to better understand the interdisciplinary aspects of stealth. Matlab is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc.

"LiDAR technology and Systems is a tutorial book, covering LiDAR Technology. The introduction sets lidar in context, as one of many sensor technologies utilizing electro-magnetic radiation. LiDAR is in the optical and infrared wavelengths, and it is an active sensor, which collects reflected EM radiation. It is similar to more familiar passive EO/IR sensors in wavelength, and similar to radar in that it uses reflected radiation emitted by the sensor. The second chapter goes the > 50 years of lidar history. Chapter 3 covers the link budget - how much signal a LiDAR must emit in order to get a certain number of reflected photons back. Chapter 4 discusses the rich phenomenology of LiDAR. One of the strengths of LiDAR is its' diverse phenomenology's. As a result, there are many flavors of LiDAR. The most common is 3D imaging, but there are many other types of lidars, with different measurement objectives. The next 4 chapters discuss components of a LiDAR. Chapter 5 discusses laser sources, chapter 6 LiDAR receivers, chapter 7 beam steering approaches, and chapter 8 LiDAR processing. The last 3 chapters are testing, metrics, and applications. Chapter 11, the applications chapter, picks 4 popular applications and discusses these LiDARs, and how to build them, for these applications. Chapter 11 as a result will repeats some information in earlier chapters, but in the context of a particular application"--

The public's serious concern about the uncertainties and dangers of the conse quences of human activities on environmental quality demands policies to control the situation and to prevent its deterioration. But far-reaching decisions on the environmental policy are impaired or even made impossible as long as the relevant ecological relations are not sufficiently understood and large-scale quantitative information on the most important parameters is not available in sufficient quality and quantity. The techniques of remote sensing offer new ways of procuring data on natural phenomena with three main advantages - the large distance between sensor and object prevents interference with the environmental conditions to be measured, - the potentiality for large-scale and even global surveys yields a new dimension for the investigations of the environmental parameters, - the extremely wide, spectral range covered by the whole diversity of sensors discloses many properties of the environmental media not detectable within a single wave band (as e.g. the visible). These significant additions to the conventional methods of environmental studies and the particular qualification of several remote sensing methods for quantitative determination of the natural parameters makes this new investigation technique an important tool both to the scientists studying the ecological relationship and the administration in charge of the environmental planning and protection.

A comprehensive treatment of the fundamentals of optical detection theory. Laser system applications are becoming more numerous, particularly in the fields of communications and remote sensing. This book addresses the theoretical aspects of optical detection and associated phenomenologies, describing the fundamental optical, statistical, and mathematical principles of the modern laser system. The book is especially valuable for its extensive treatment of direct detection statistics, which has no analog in radar detection theory and which has never before been compiled in a cohesive manner in a single book.

Presents a concise, self-contained monograph on laser remote sensing and its applications. Discusses the ways in which lasers can be used to remotely measure the atmosphere and the hydrosphere. Provides an historical perspective and reviews the basic physics needed.

Weather radar is a vital instrument for observing the atmosphere to help provide weather forecasts and issue weather warnings to the public. The current Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) system provides Doppler radar coverage to most regions of the United States (NRC, 1995). This network was designed in the mid 1980s and deployed in the 1990s as part of the National Weather Service (NWS) modernization (NRC, 1999). Since the initial design phase of the NEXRAD program, considerable advances have been made in radar technologies and in the use of weather radar for monitoring and prediction. The development of new technologies provides the motivation for appraising the status of the current weather radar system and identifying the most promising approaches for the development of its eventual replacement. The charge to the committee was to determine the state of knowledge regarding ground-based weather surveillance radar technology and identify the most promising approaches for the design of the replacement for the present Doppler Weather Radar. This report presents a first look at potential approaches for future upgrades to or replacements of the current weather radar system. The need, and schedule, for replacing the current system has not been established, but the committee used the briefings and deliberations to assess how the current system satisfies the current and emerging needs of the operational and research communities and identified potential system upgrades for providing improved weather forecasts and warnings. The time scale for any total replacement of the system (20- to 30-year time horizon) precluded detailed investigation of the designs and cost structures associated with any new weather radar system. The committee instead noted technologies that could provide improvements over the capabilities of the evolving NEXRAD system and recommends more detailed investigation and evaluation of several of these technologies. In the course of its deliberations, the committee developed a sense that the processes by which the eventual replacement radar system is developed and deployed could be as significant as the specific technologies adopted. Consequently, some of the committee's recommendations deal with such procedural issues.