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Theme 5.3: Non-RF Fabric-Enabled Communications
The ability to quarry at the speed of light specific assets including the fellow Soldier on the battlefield, positively identify them and even direct communications to them without compromising target acquisition are all enabled by free space line of sight optical communications. And while direct visualization has been, and always will remain the primary source of information collection and target acquisition there is currently no efficient high-bandwidth method to directly quarry or communicate with observed objects on the battlefield. Ad-hoc free space optical communications addresses this deficiency, in particular in dense urban operations situations where the combination of RF jamming devices and various interference mechanisms (MPI) wreak havoc on RF communications and RF positioning devices. This theme will present a unique and elegant solution to the problem of large area optical detection and thus will enable pervasive combat “laser to uniform” communications. For the first time the entire uniform or surface area of a vehicle will become a functioning optical receiver. At the heart of our approach is the development of a fabric that is at the same time a sensitive optical receiver. The objective of this project will be to develop the fiber detector materials, integrate them into a fabric, design the electrical interface and communications system. The “laser-to-uniform” communications system that we propose will take voice spoken into a microphone and convert it to an optical signal embedded on a laser beam. This signal will be sent by directing the laser beam at the recipient’s uniform. The signal will be received by a Soldier’s uniform and then converted to audio. The “laser-to-uniform” communications system will result in high fidelity communications even with partially obscured sources. This system will enable line of sight communications at distances that far exceed shouting and thus can be operated covertly. Of particular interest is the ability to integrate this system with UAV’s which would allow the commander to combine direct feed optical imaging information with directed optical communications.
Project 5.3.1: Laser-to-Uniform Directed Optical Communications
Theme 5.3 Researchers
Prof. Yoel Fink, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Prof. John D. Joannopoulos,
Department of Physics
Prof. Steven B. Leeb, Department
of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Prof. Rajeev Ram, Department
of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
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