Abstract: A potentially small, gimballed, multi-sensor system employs a shared aperture for at least some of the image sensors. Applications include intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR), and guiding autonomous vehicles. The system can actively blend images from multiple spectral bands for clarity and interpretability, provide remote identification of objects and material, provide anomaly detection, control lasers and opto-mechanics for image quality, and use shared aperture using folded optics.

Abstract: A tool for attaching a treatment head to a wash media element of a vehicle wash component includes a nose portion and a handle portion. The nose portion is sized to pass through an opening in the wash media element. The nose portion includes a slot for receiving and retaining a base portion of the treatment head to secure it to the wash media element such that the nose portion and treatment portion are disposed on opposite sides of the wash media element.

Abstract: A potentially small, gimballed, multi-sensor system employs a shared aperture for at least some of the image sensors. Applications include intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR), and guiding autonomous vehicles. The system can actively blend images from multiple spectral bands for clarity and interpretability, provide remote identification of objects and material, provide anomaly detection, control lasers and opto-mechanics for image quality, and use shared aperture using folded optics.

Abstract: A configurable optical baffling includes an outer housing positioned above a fixed platform and has an outer opening. An inner housing is layered below the outer housing and above the fixed platform and has inner openings and inner shaded sections. The outer opening includes an elongated sensing boresight having a longitudinal boresight axis and opposing ends. An outer boresight opening end is open to the light from the scene, and a reflecting end has a flat fold mirror that is configured to reflect light from the outer boresight opening in towards the inner housing so that the optical baffling is configured to receive light from the scene solely from a single look direction along the boresight axis, the single look direction being changeable by rotation of the outer housing.

Abstract: A configurable optical baffling includes an outer housing positioned above a fixed platform and has an outer opening. An inner housing is layered below the outer housing and above the fixed platform and has inner openings and inner shaded sections. The outer opening includes an elongated sensing boresight having a longitudinal boresight axis and opposing ends. An outer boresight opening end is open to the light from the scene, and a reflecting end has a flat fold mirror that is configured to reflect light from the outer boresight opening in towards the inner housing so that the optical baffling is configured to receive light from the scene solely from a single look direction along the boresight axis, the single look direction being changeable by rotation of the outer housing.

Abstract: A configurable sunshade for use with a multiple-camera system that has multiple camera sensors with associated fields of view. The sunshade has multiple portions that are independently rotatable with respect to a fixed platform such that in distinct orientations with respect to each other, specified cameras may be blocked from receiving light from a scene, in whole or in part. In other embodiments, individual apertures of a multi-sunshade housing may be separately activated.

Abstract: Improvements to atom interferometers. An improved atom interferometer has a single polarization-preserving fiber, coupled for propagation of beams of two Raman frequencies, and a parallel displacement beamsplitter for separating the laser beams into respective free-space-propagating parallel beams traversing at least one ensemble of atoms. A reflector generates one or more beams counterpropagating through the ensemble of atoms. Other improvements include interposing a beam-splitting surface common to a plurality of parallel pairs of beams counterpropagating through the ensemble of atoms, generating interference fringes between reflections of the beams to generate a detector signal; and processing the detector signal to derive at least one of relative phase and relative alignment between respective pairs of the counterpropagating beams.

Abstract: A tool for attaching a treatment head to a wash media element of a vehicle wash component includes a nose portion and a handle portion. The nose portion is sized to pass through an opening in the wash media element. The nose portion includes a slot for receiving and retaining a base portion of the treatment head to secure it to the wash media element such that the nose portion and treatment portion are disposed on opposite sides of the wash media element.

Abstract: A configurable sunshade for use with a multiple-camera system that has multiple camera sensors with associated fields of view. The sunshade has multiple portions that are independently rotatable with respect to a fixed platform such that in distinct orientations with respect to each other, specified cameras may be blocked from receiving light from a scene, in whole or in part. In other embodiments, individual apertures of a multi-sunshade housing may be separately activated.

Abstract: An atomic interferometer and methods for measuring phase shifts in interference fringes using the same. The atomic interferometer has a laser beam traversing an ensemble of atoms along a first path and an optical components train with at least one alignment-insensitive beam routing element configured to reflect the laser beam along a second path that is anti-parallel with respect to the first laser beam path. Any excursion from parallelism of the second beam path with respect to the first is rigorously independent of variation of the first laser beam path in yaw parallel to an underlying plane.

Abstract: An atomic interferometer and methods for measuring phase shifts in interference fringes using the same. The atomic interferometer has a laser beam traversing an ensemble of atoms along a first path and an optical components train with at least one alignment-insensitive beam routing element configured to reflect the laser beam along a second path that is anti-parallel with respect to the first laser beam path. Any excursion from parallelism of the second beam path with respect to the first is rigorously independent of variation of the first laser beam path in yaw parallel to an underlying plane.

Abstract: Improvements to atom interferometers. An improved atom interferometer has a single polarization-preserving fiber, coupled for propagation of beams of two Raman frequencies, and a parallel displacement beamsplitter for separating the laser beams into respective free-space-propagating parallel beams traversing at least one ensemble of atoms. A reflector generates one or more beams counterpropagating through the ensemble of atoms. Other improvements include interposing a beam-splitting surface common to a plurality of parallel pairs of beams counterpropagating through the ensemble of atoms, generating interference fringes between reflections of the beams to generate a detector signal; and processing the detector signal to derive at least one of relative phase and relative alignment between respective pairs of the counterpropagating beams.

Abstract: Methods of and systems for automated color control are provided. These methods and systems are suitable for use in various oxidation processes for the coloration of heat treated steel, for example razor blade steel. A feedback loop (closed loop control) is established, including the steps of measuring color, comparing the measured color to a target color and quantifying the difference there-between, and, if the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, adjusting a color adjustment parameter, e.g., the airflow to the oxidation zone, so that the measured and target colors are equivalent or within a predetermined variance.