LADAR Quick Facts

Patent Marketing Summary Title / Laser Radar (LADAR) -- Precision ID and Tracking System
Patent Marking Summary Sub-title / Revolutionary System Instantly Identifies and Tracks Surrounding Vehicles
Major Military and Private Industry Applications
From Cruise Missiles to Self-Driving Cars
VITAL STATISTICS
Patent # / 7948610, 7312855 / Patent Date (MM/DD/YYYY) / 05/24/2011 / Branch of Military / Navy
DoD Lab / Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California
Patent Title / Combined coherent AND incoherent imaging LADAR
What is it / Sensor system / TechLink to Patent
Inventors / Hintz, Robert T. (Ridgecrest, CA), Buser; Rudolf G. (Wall, NJ)
OFFICIAL PATENT ABSTRACT
A long-range, eye-safe laser radar (LADAR) system for use in an environment where real-time non-cooperative identification of an object is required. A laser beam is aimed at an object, and the laser energy reflected from the object is collected by a detector array, generating a composite of both a high resolution 3-Dimensional (3D) shape of the object, and the object's high resolution micro-Doppler vibration spectrum, a characteristic of the object as unique as a fingerprint. The composite is then used to automatically identify the object by comparing a database of similar composite sets of 3D shape and vibration spectrum information with the results of the identification conveyed to the user.
MARKETING SUMMARY
Existing Technology
Existing Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) systems use radio waves to determine the range, angle, or velocity of objects and can be used to detect aircraft, ships, missiles, and motor vehicles. It was first used by the military during WWII.
New Technology
China Lake has been involved in the development of long range eye safe LADAR systems for decades and most recently has come up with an approach that can combine coherent and incoherent sensing on the same focal plane array. LADAR illuminates a target with pulsed or modulated laser light and then measures the reflected energy with a sensor. Differences in laser return times and wavelengths are then used to generate accurate target representations via high-res 3D shape and detailed vibration spectrum data that is as unique as a fingerprint. This data is then compared to an existing database of similar items, and the precision results are instantly conveyed back to the user. Generally, this technology is also known as Light Imaging, Detection, and Ranging (LIDAR).
LADAR provides an unlimited 3 and 4D image of the world around us. LADAR can fingerprint (positive ID) and track other surrounding vehicles including trucks, SUVs, SMART cars, or UAVs even in a swarm. By adding other dimensions (3 or4D), imaging machines now have more information than human perception provides. In short, LADAR can now outperform humans. Initial testing resulted in 97% positive ID up to 2 kilometers—a level never before achieved by this class of sensor. With the advent of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) challenge, the 3-D LADAR has become the sensor of choice for commercial applications for autonomous vehicles of the future.
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) invested more than 100 million dollars over a 10 year period perfecting LADAR for the purpose of revolutionizing target ID and tracking for the Tomahawk Cruise Missile. This ambitious project involved more than ten full-time China Lake scientists and engineers for more than a decade beginning in 1988.
The technology evolved andeventually transitioned to Raytheon Missiles Systems. Demanding size, weight, and performance (SWAP) requirements were met, leading to a successful LADAR demonstration in the small confines of a 13” space that could be accommodated in the front end of a cruise missile.
The China Lake teamachieved numerous “firsts” in this exploding industry where technology has steadily evolvednow into the first fully autonomous automobiles. China Lake flew the first coherent imager on a helicopter in 1980; led the development of the Tri-Service LADAR in 1985; developed the first LADAR signature data base; and developed an eye-safe LADAR, the first autonomous guidance system for a cruise missile. Today, China Lake is still involved in the leading edge of this technology for several applications.
How It Works
This patent addresses a capability to obtain 3D target imagery and representative vibration imagery using a unique focal plane array and a diffractive optic to allow coherent and incoherent processing using the same detector elements (the coherent detection requires the mixing of a laser local oscillator with the reflected return).A laser beam is aimed at an object and the laser energy reflected from the object is collected by a detector array for use in generating a composite of both a high resolution 3-Dimensional (3D) shape of the object and the object's high resolution macro (target motion) and micro-Doppler vibration spectrum, a characteristic of the object as unique as a fingerprint. The composite is then used to automatically identify the object by comparing it to a database of similar composite sets of 3D shape and vibration spectrum information. ID results are conveyed to the user.
Who Benefits
New technology has multi-purpose applications for military, autonomous vehicles, photonics, sensors, and machine intelligence.
BENEFITS (Prioritized Bulleted List)
Major Benefits
  • Precision ID and tracking system for fixed and high-speed surrounding vehicles
  • Picks up where traditional radar leaves off
  • Perfect for military and private industry autonomous applications
  • 97% positive ID up to 2 kilometers—a level never before achieved by this class of sensor

Additional Benefits
  • NA

OPPORTUNITY
Applicable Industries / Customers
Military applications, including Cruise Missiles. Technology applicable to private industry as it pertains to autonomous vehicles, photonics, sensors, or machine intelligence. See “Prototype Testing Description” below for an explanation as to why this is a huge opportunity for an industry to “pick-up” a proven technology that has been extensively tested within the DoD. Multi-use potential is unlimited.
Technology Readiness Level (TRL) (1-9) / 6 / Available for License (Yes/No) / Yes / Express Licensing (Yes/No) / No
Notes
  • TRL for vibration sensing: 6
  • TRL for 3D imaging: 6 (airborne applications and UAV)
  • TRL for 3D and Doppler in same package: 4
Huge potential for collaboration with Navy researchers or private industry
Prototype Available (Yes/No) / Yes
Description
China Lake has LADAR prototypes developed for the Cruise Missile Real-Time Retargeting (CMRTR) program, for the Fire Scout UAV, and 3D LADAR cameras using the 128x128 detector arrays.
Prototype Testing Description
Fantastic Industry Opportunity.
China Lake conceived, developed, and successfully demonstrated LADAR, proving autonomous targeting and tracking capability. Four builds were successfully demonstrated (two jointly with the Air Force). LADAR is a huge opportunity for industry to now move forward with this technology. Again, in summary, the ONR invested more than 100 million dollars in conceiving, developing, testing, and proving this technology. Four highly successful builds were accomplished. However, at the time, this technology did not transition to fleet use. It is now available for continued development
Military Applications.
In over two decades of development,coherent and incoherent LADAR imagers were flown on a variety of aircraft (rotary and fixed wing) and used to collect signatures of military land and maritime targets for automatic target identification. The CMRTR and UAV LADARs were flown on T-39 aircraft and witnessed by the ONR and NAVAIR sponsors. The T-39 aircraft flew at the same speed and altitude as the Tomahawk Cruise Missile and proved that the system could accurately identify specific targets in near real time. In one impressive demonstration, the system instantly identified M-60 tanks (targets of interest) from a field of 35 various armored vehicles in a single fly-over. There are videos of these events. The patent describes the next generation sensor, which has not been built to date.
Following initial successes, the Office of the Chief of Naval Research (OPNAV) later requested that China Lake develop additional automatic target recognition (ATR) capability for UAVs. Over a six year period, an additional 40 million dollars were spent, and China Lake again answered the call and developed a successful ATR system as well.
Private Industry Applications / Autonomous Vehicles / DARPA Challenge
Next, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) followed up with numerous grand challenges, awarding millions in prize money for high-tech winning teams to compete by testing new technologies to advance the autonomous vehicle industry. Numerous unique challenges were structured over a several year period. For example, “DARPA Challenge 2007” created a route in the Mojave desert where vehicles had to follow along a demanding 150-mile route navigating around numerous obstacles in six hours or less. The DARPA Urban challenge increased the complexity of the problem by introducing stationary and moving vehicles into the mix and requiring vehicles to follow actual roads. In order to win, teams first had to choose which sensor system to integrate into their vehicle, considering all parameters. All options were on the table since this was part of each team’s strategy. Interestingly enough, LADAR was the predominant system of choice, employed by all three teams thatsuccessfully completed the course.
High-tech national and international teams competed, including GM, Volkswagen, Honeywell, Raytheon, Cornell, and MIT. Vehicles had to make "intelligent" decisions in real time based on the actions of other vehicles. Other than previous autonomous vehicle efforts that focused on structured situations (such as highway driving with little interaction between the vehicles), this competition operated in a more cluttered urban environment and required the cars to perform sophisticated interactions with each other, such as maintaining precedence at a 4-way stop intersection. This was followed by the FANG Challenge in 2013 and others.
Background / Developmental Testing
Explained above.
Other Related Patents: Please identify all other patents (name and number) that have been issued that directly relate to this subject patent? Do you know if there are related patent applications pending?
Unknown
Key Search Terms (alphabetical order)
Autonomous automobiles,coherent laser radar, diffractive elements, digital read out integrated circuits (DROIC), incoherent laser radar, laser radar imagery, three dimensional (3-D), macro-doppler, micro-doppler, spatially resolved vibration imagery
SUPPLEMENTAL PUBLICATION INFORMATION
Items Downloadable / Description
Quick Facts / All pertinent patent/invention data in one quick downloadable form
Papers / Reports / Supplemental Information – technical paper available
VISUAL AIDS
Photos / LADAR Photos (PowerPoint)
POINTS OF CONTACT
Patent Contact Name / Marti Elder / Phone / 406-586-7621 / Email /

Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release;distribution is unlimited. PR# 17-0255