REMOTE ATMOSPHERIC VISIBILITY MONITORING RAVM

Abstract

Test ranges need advanced knowledge of visibility conditions to increase the robustness of the test data collection and evaluation process. For any given test, the ability to capture high-resolution performance data of aircraft using ground-based film theodolites and electro-optical imaging sensors is subject to uncertainties in imaging capability permitted by the intervening atmosphere. The Remote Atmospheric Visibility Monitoring (RAVM) project is being developed as a suite of three collocated optical sensors that measure the components of atmosphere-induced image degradation. When the component measurements are combined, a ‘transfer function’ is obtained that can project the quality of imaging data without an aircraft being present. The resulting predicted imagery provides valuable pre mission information that can be analyzed and reviewed before incurring expensive fieldtest operations. The RAVM project is a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program that is developing an instrument for providing an atmospheric visibility measurement capability to support range scheduling and test operations. This advanced capability will monitor ‘effective visibility’ in the context of imaging extended targets, such as aircraft, and predicting the degrading effects of the atmosphere on imaging sensors operating in the visible and near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.