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High Bandwidth Solid State Focal Plane Array Readout for Laser Radar System

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: FA8650-06-C-1018
Agency Tracking Number: F051-223-0306
Amount: $749,982.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: AF05-223
Solicitation Number: 2005.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2005
Award Year: 2006
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2006-04-27
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2008-08-27
Small Business Information
P.O. Box 6024
Sherman Oaks, CA 91413
United States
DUNS: 082191198
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Gregory J Fetzer
 Deputy Division Director
 (520) 571-8660
 gfetzer@arete.com
Business Contact
 Dave Kane
Title: Vice President
Phone: (520) 571-8660
Email: dkane@arete.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

High-resolution lidar imaging provides fully three-dimensional (3D) images that have distinct advantages in comparison to two-dimensional images. Some of the advantages provided by the additional range information are the ability to reject clutter, to accurately discriminate decoys from targets, and to provide an additional dimension for detection and classification. Areté Associates, in conjunction with its partner MYTeK, proposes research on a LADAR readout that exploits Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers to achieve the high speed sampling necessary for 3D imaging. The proposed receiver exploits VCSELs and high bandwidth detectors and amplifiers developed by the telecommunications industry to provide a compact, high precision, high bandwidth imaging LADAR readout architecture. The proposed readout architecture is independent of detector pitch, allowing low F-number optics, yet accommodates high-pixel-count 2D detector arrays and long range records. The objective of the Phase II program is to develop and demonstrate the proposed readout and in doing so provide a highly refined 3D imaging capability to the Air Force. The Phase II prototype is a 6 x 6 x 40 voxel (az x el x range) system that can be used to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept. The concept can be extended beyond the Phase II configuration in a straightforward fashion to provide an operationally flexible, compact, rugged and low-cost ladar receiver.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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