Optical design of a laser rangefinder cum thermal imager using binary optics

Avinash Kumar; Ikbal Singh; Om Prakash Nijhawan

doi:10.1117/12.321977

21 September 1998 Optical design of a laser rangefinder cum thermal imager using binary optics

Avinash Kumar, Ikbal Singh, Om Prakash Nijhawan

Proceedings Volume 3482, International Optical Design Conference 1998; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.321977
Event: International Optical Design Conference, 1998, Kona, HI, United States

Abstract

For airborne operations many type of sensors are required for day vision, night vision and ranging purposes. These sensors are required to perform exceedingly well and must be extremely compact and lightweight. A laser range fmder cum thermal imager is one such sensor which is required for airborne applications to range the targets in night time. Although, it will be more appropriate to use C02 laser range fmder in this sensor which operates at 10.6 tm, it is not used because of it's higher weight and limited life period. Nd: YAG laser range fmder operating at 1.06 m is always preferred for ranging the targets. In this paper we have described an integrated laser range fmder cum dual magnification thermal imager which utilises Nd: YAG laser range fmder for ranging the target at 1 .06 tm.. The system is extremely compact as a result of unique optical layout in which there is only one common front channel for receiver as well as collimator of laser range fmder and thermal imager. Two Zinc Sulfide lenses in front of the system acts as a 'common front channel' for collimator as well as receiver of Nd : YAG laser range finder working at 1.06 pm and a dual magnification thermal imager working in 8 to 12 im region. The system provides a versatile approach to utilize Nd :YAG laser range finder operating at 1 .06 im for ranging of targets during night time. Additionally, Binary optics has been utilized to design dual magnification thermal imager which not only improved the performance of the thermal imager but also helped in making the system light weight and compact as total number of lenses required for the system has reduced drastically.

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Avinash Kumar, Ikbal Singh, and Om Prakash Nijhawan "Optical design of a laser rangefinder cum thermal imager using binary optics", Proc. SPIE 3482, International Optical Design Conference 1998, (21 September 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.321977

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KEYWORDS

Thermography

Diffraction

Receivers

Lenses

Collimators

Optical design

Zinc

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