Paper
14 July 1988 DIME Upgrade For Imagery
George A. Vogel, John A. Inderhees
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
The generation of real-time dynamic infrared (IR) scenes is a fundamental problem when evaluating current and planned IR tracking systems. This problem has been the subject of a number of studies and a tri-service working group. The Dynamic Infrared Missile Evaluator (DIME) at the Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories (AFWAL) must be able to simulate real-time dynamic IR scenes/targets, if it is to stay current with advanced IR missiles and evaluate countermeasure techniques against them. This paper discusses an approach which will give the DIME this dynamic IR scene simulation capability. The approach selected is the result of a study of many alternatives by Quest Research Corporation under a task entitled, "Dynamic Infrared Missile Evaluator Upgrade." The advantage of the selected approach is the ability to generate an IR image which is flicker free and does not require special high speed, real time digital image generation. The key component of the system is a Hughes liquid crystal light valve (LCLV) which converts a visible image into an IR image. A visible transparency is made of the desired IR scene and projected onto the LCLV. Scene motion is simulated with an x-y translation of the transparency and a 100/1 computer controlled zoom lens. The transparency will be generated in house using an image processing system. This system will allow the visible transparency contrast to be adjusted to precompensate for the optical transmission characteristics of the visible and IR portions of the simulator so that the true inband contrast is presented to the seeker under test. Limitations of this approach include a maximum seeker-to-target range variation of 100/1 and the inability to vary the target/scene aspect during a missile flyout.
© (1988) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
George A. Vogel and John A. Inderhees "DIME Upgrade For Imagery", Proc. SPIE 0940, Infrared Scene Simulation: Systems, Requirements, Calibration, Devices, and Modeling, (14 July 1988); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.947164
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KEYWORDS
Infrared imaging

Missiles

Infrared radiation

Projection systems

Mirrors

Visible radiation

Transparency

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