Lidar: Trends in Remote Detection and Measurement in Aerospace and Defense

Jan 19, 2021 Active optical technologies such as lidar have been scientifically evaluated in a broad range of fields. Nikolaus Schmitt provides a short overview of key application fields and lidar technologies used — such as Doppler wind, Raman air parameter measurement in aircraft, lidar atmospheric monitoring from satellites, long-range 3D imaging of threats, and remote detection of dangerous agents in military fields.

The main challenges are long-range operation in all-weather situations and the requirements of high resolution, low weight and size, high efficiency, and reliability. Modern lasers and detector technologies are key enablers for demanding applications.

While lidar is restricted to applications that provide line-of-sight visibility and is limited by photonic noise, it also delivers very good discrimination and resolution not provided by radar technologies. Thus, lidar is an excellent complementary technology approach in many aerospace and defense applications.

***This presentation premiered during the 2021 Photonics Spectra Conference Lasers track. For information on upcoming Photonics Media events, see our event calendar here.

Nikolaus Schmitt - Independent Consultant