Dr. Alfred D. Ducharme
CTO at Hoverfly Technologies, Inc.
SPIE Involvement:
Author | Instructor
Area of Expertise:
MTF , Laser Speckle , Solid-State Lighting , Optical Systems Testing , LED , Optics
Profile Summary

Alfred D. Ducharme is a distinguished electrical engineer and innovator with a prolific career in academia and industry. He earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Central Florida and a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts – Lowell. As the Chief Technology Officer at Hoverfly Technologies, Ducharme played a pivotal role in advancing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, notably developing the world's first professional multi-rotor flight controller, HoverflyPRO and HoverflyGPS, used by National Geographic Explorer Team. He holds over 30 U.S. and international patents, reflecting his inventive contributions to solid-state lighting, UAV systems, and optical technologies.

Throughout his academic career at the University of Central Florida, Ducharme significantly contributed to the development of the BSEET-Photonics degree program, expanding engineering education and online course delivery. His leadership as Assistant Dean of Distance and Distributed Learning was marked by the modernization of distance education systems, impacting thousands of engineering students. Ducharme's research interests span optical testing, LED technologies, and robotics, with numerous publications and awards, including the prestigious Rudolf Kingslake Award from SPIE. His career reflects a deep commitment to innovation, education, and the practical application of engineering principles.
Publications (13)

SPIE Journal Paper | 1 September 2008
Alfred Ducharme, Sarah Temple
OE, Vol. 47, Issue 09, 093601, (September 2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.10.1117/1.2976798
KEYWORDS: Modulation transfer functions, Detector arrays, Speckle, Spatial frequencies, Charge-coupled devices, Imaging systems, Cameras, Sensors, Distance measurement, Speckle pattern

Proceedings Article | 29 August 2008 Paper
Proceedings Volume 7060, 70600U (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.792520
KEYWORDS: Modulation transfer functions, Detector arrays, Speckle, Spatial frequencies, Charge-coupled devices, Sensors, Imaging systems, Speckle pattern, Distance measurement, Cameras

Proceedings Article | 5 December 2001 Paper
Alfred Ducharme, Fritz Morgan
Proceedings Volume 4445, (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.450036
KEYWORDS: Light emitting diodes, Light sources and illumination, Solid state lighting, Prototyping, Network architectures, Control systems, Analog electronics, Power supplies, Sensors, Manufacturing

Proceedings Article | 3 February 1999 Paper
Alfred Ducharme, Constantine Markos, R. Rieder, Geert Wijntjes
Proceedings Volume 3541, (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.339087
KEYWORDS: Transducers, Sensors, Actuators, Modulation, Phase measurement, Signal detection, Fiber optics, Electromagnetic coupling, Fiber optics sensors, Distance measurement

Proceedings Article | 11 August 1998 Paper
Alfred Ducharme, Peter Baum, Geert Wijntjes, Orr Shepherd, Constantine Markos
Proceedings Volume 3362, (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.317435
KEYWORDS: Transmitters, Receivers, Modulation, Semiconductor lasers, Optical tracking, Sensors, Head, Optical metrology, Magnetic sensors, Magnetism

Proceedings Article | 20 April 1998 Paper
Proceedings Volume 3292, (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.305499
KEYWORDS: Liquid crystals, Phased array optics, Phase measurement, Modulators, Beam steering, Antennas, Sensors, Phase shifts, Microwave radiation, Feedback loops

SPIE Journal Paper | 1 August 1995
OE, Vol. 34, Issue 08, (August 1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.10.1117/12.207144
KEYWORDS: Holography, Modulation transfer functions, Detector arrays, Speckle, Integrating spheres

SPIE Journal Paper | 1 March 1995
Arnold Daniels, Glenn Boreman, Alfred Ducharme, Eyal Sapir
OE, Vol. 34, Issue 03, (March 1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.10.1117/12.190433
KEYWORDS: Modulation transfer functions, Transparency, Spatial frequencies, Infrared radiation, Visible radiation, Imaging systems, Staring arrays, Sensors, Solids, Cameras

Proceedings Article | 31 August 1993 Paper
Proceedings Volume 1969, (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.154720
KEYWORDS: Point spread functions, Modulation transfer functions, Modulation, Sensors, Projection systems, Infrared radiation, Collimators, Bragg cells, Laser scattering, Fourier transforms

Proceedings Article | 31 August 1993 Paper
Arnold Daniels, Glenn Boreman, Alfred Ducharme, Eyal Sapir
Proceedings Volume 1969, (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.154714
KEYWORDS: Modulation transfer functions, Spatial frequencies, Staring arrays, Phase measurement, Sensors, Image resolution, Phase shift keying, Charge-coupled devices, Signal to noise ratio, Target detection

Proceedings Article | 31 August 1993 Paper
Proceedings Volume 1969, (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.154734
KEYWORDS: Speckle, Modulation transfer functions, Speckle pattern, Monte Carlo methods, Sensors, Optical simulations, Laser damage threshold, Solids, Optical filters, Distortion

SPIE Journal Paper | 1 February 1993
OE, Vol. 32, Issue 02, (February 1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.10.1117/12.60851
KEYWORDS: Modulation transfer functions, Speckle, Staring arrays, Spatial frequencies, Detector arrays, Imaging systems, Sensors, Integrating spheres, Speckle pattern, Solids

Proceedings Article | 12 August 1992 Paper
Proceedings Volume 1683, (1992) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.137767
KEYWORDS: Modulation transfer functions, Speckle, Cameras, Imaging systems, Detector arrays, Spatial frequencies, Fourier transforms, Distance measurement, Charge-coupled devices, Target detection

Showing 5 of 13 publications
Course Instructor
SC156: Basic Optics for Engineers
This course introduces each of the following basic areas of optics, from an engineering point of view: geometrical optics, image quality, flux transfer, sources, detectors, and lasers. Basic calculations and concepts are emphasized.
SC157: MTF in Optical and Electro-Optical Systems
Modulation transfer function (MTF) is used to specify the image quality achieved by an imaging system. It is useful in analysis of situations where several independent subsystems are combined. This course provides a background in the application of MTF techniques to performance specification, estimation and characterization of optical and electro-optical systems.
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