19 Carlson--Progress on Table-Top Target Tracking Engageme.ppt

Target Engagement Demonstration Goals of this work: Demonstrate successful table-top experiments to identify and solve any critical issues. Final goal is the complete integration of key elements of the target engagement concept, including hitting target “on-the-fly.” Today I will discuss progress on the Doppler Poisson spot system demos Final goal of demo includes integration of: Poisson spot illumination detection (x,y) position Doppler fringe counting (z position) Active beam steering Glint system Summary of progress on Doppler fringe counting Poisson spot detection Continuous Poisson spot tracking has previously been demonstrated We have demonstrated continuous (25 ms) PS tracking and beam steering with the “beam train”. Update speed is limited by the quality speed of the equipment, which is being upgraded. Next generation off-the-shelf hardware has been evaluated (and mostly ordered) Innovative Techniques to Further Increase Speed Pixel binning - averages groups of pixels for less resolution but faster speed Use position sensitive detector (PSD) to: approximate spot center reduce region of interest Additional fringe counting results confirmed our short range measurements Desire continuous z-axis tracking with 3 in 105 accuracy. Demonstrated ± 5 μm repeatability at short range (0.5 m) travel (5 mm on micron stage.) A more powerful laser longer-travel delivery system are needed to extend the useful range Initial setup was a preliminary proof-of-principle experiment: Limited by HeNe laser stability (power, polarization, wavelength) extraneous fringe counting Low power (0.5 mW) limited useful range Mechanical vibration backlash in micrometer stage Doppler counts forward backward fringes More prototypic target delivery system was needed Drop tower - first step in free-flight tracking Real-time, In-flight Target Tracking (1 of 10) 10-frame in-flight trajectory sequence taken ~25 ms apart Real-time, In-flight Target Tracking (2 of 10) Real-time, In-flig