Abstract: Disclosed is an air vehicle mounted or mountable transmitting and/or receiving equipment including a transmitting and/or receiving turret allowing at least a forward field of view, the device being mounted or mountable on a fuselage such that it extends away from the fuselage to which it is mounted; and a fairing mounted to the fuselage adjacent the device at a rearward side of the device for reducing aerodynamic drag, the fairing being retractable by, for example, an electrically driven mechanism, to afford the device a rearward (arrow R), or more effective rearward, field of view for transmitting and/or receiving.

Abstract: A feed structure for a wearable antenna incorporates a microstrip transmission line designed for mounting on opposite sides of a fabric. The transmission line has a perforated ground plane which reduces capacitance and offers an appropriate impedance, even when the fabric is thin, and allows the use of a relatively robust line conductor having a width of 3 mm or 5 mm or more. The ground plane can be extended to provide the ground plane of a balun and the material of that ground plane can in turn be extended to provide the wearable antenna.

Abstract: A system and method for hyperspectral image processing receives (202) partial hyperspectral image data representing a portion of a complete hyperspectral image. The method computes (204) estimated mean and covariance values for the partial hyperspectral image data, and executes (206) a hyperspectral image processing algorithm using the estimated mean and covariance values as estimates of global mean and covariance values for the complete hyperspectral image.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for detecting a target within a scene. The system comprises a sensor for acquiring hyperspectral image data of the scene, a repository for storing a set of target spectra and a processor for processing spectra generated from locations within the scene with the known set of target spectra. The processor is further arranged to generate a probability that the spectra generated from locations within the scene correspond with one or more target spectra based on the comparison between the spectra generated from locations within the scene with the target spectra.

Abstract: A corrosion sensor includes an insulating substrate, a thin film of a first metallic material formed on the substrate; and an array of areas what includes a second metallic material provided at the surface of the thin film. A method for manufacturing such a sensor is also disclosed. An exemplary embodiment is disclosed in which the thin film is patterned to define a number of tracks, the resistance of which can be monitored in order to determine the degree to which the thin film has corroded.

Abstract: A method of controlling a radar system by: receiving a radar return signal from a target and generating a range-Doppler target image signature of the target; selecting a spectral line within the range-Doppler target image signature from a modulation feature on the target which includes an effective point scatterer; providing a range profile for the spectral line; obtaining a reference range profile of a reference point scatterer; and determining a difference between a power at a range shorter than a peak corresponding to the modulation feature in the range profile and a power at a corresponding range of the reference range profile. The method may further include controlling provision of the range-Doppler target image signature based on the difference.

Abstract: The invention relates to a joint and welding configuration used during repair of metal and metal alloy plates specifically for providing a means of joining metal plates and filling voids in metal plates where access from one side is restricted. A joint arrangement suitable for repairing a void in at least one element, wherein said at least one element has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the thickness of the at least one element is at least 10 mm, further comprising two or more insert elements, each of said two or more insert elements each being friction stir welded at their abutted surfaces to said at least one element, characterised wherein said at least one element comprises at least one recess portion, wherein a Friction Stir Weld is caused from the direction of said first surface.

Abstract: In apparatus for the acoustic transmission of power or data through a solid barrier such as a ships hull, assembly of an acoustic transducer to the hull is facilitated by bonding it first to an intermediate element by a thin layer of bonding adhesive and then bonding the intermediate element to the barrier using a second bonding layer. Acoustic matching of the transducer to the intermediate element is achieved by the thin layer, and the mechanically more robust base of the intermediate element can be rubbed on the barrier surface to displace or abrade away any unwanted debris or imperfections which might otherwise prevent the achievement of a thin second bonding layer. This makes the mounting and bonding process more tolerant of imperfections in the barrier surface due to either surface defects or particulate contamination. The transmit and receive transducers may be positioned relative to each other so as to suppress or attenuate multiple-transit signals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing an observation of an object to be classified, the method comprising using a particle filter in which an observation of an object to be classified is used to weight particles on a plurality of models for the object. The method may further comprise performing at least one further iteration of using the particle filter to weight the particles on the plurality of models for the object using a further observation of the object to be classified. The method may further comprise providing respective classification probabilities that each respective model corresponds to the object based on the weightings of the particles of the respective model. Each of the respective particles may be divided into a respective plurality of sub-particles.

Abstract: The following invention relates to an improved correcting lens for head up displays (HUDs) particularly to Liquid Crystal Display modules for use with a Head Up Display (HUD) device. The correcting lens is preferably selected from a compound prismatic lens, wherein the lens may be either a positive or negative lens, in optical connection with a prism, provided that the two optics have different dispersion functions.

Abstract: A portable work screen apparatus including a semi-rigid screen and at least two supports, each having an attachment device, the attachment device having a magnet for, in use, releasably connecting the screen to a surface proximal to a workpiece, wherein the at least two supports are spaced apart, such that, in use, the screen is extending therebetween and is flexed to a desired configuration.

Abstract: A seat for a vehicle is configured such that an occupant can be seated in either a lower position or in an upper position. The seat includes a base member for accommodating an occupant in the lower position and a seat back, positioned to extend generally upwards from the region of the base member. The seat back is configured to accommodate an occupant's back. A selectively deployable perch member is also provided. In a first condition, the perch member is configured as an extension of the seat back for when the occupant is seated in the lower position. In a second condition, the perch member is configured as an additional base member for supporting an occupant in the upper position.

Abstract: The following invention relates to an improved lens apparatus for use in a head up display (HUD), particularly for providing a HUD with an active virtual one which has variable and selectable distance to the user. The display device for vehicles comprises, at least one display, which provides system information that is to be displayed to a user, a partially reflecting combiner, which magnifies the system information from the display, and provides an active primary virtual image of said display, at least one fluidic lens located between the at least one display and said partially reflecting combiner, to provide the active primary virtual image.

Abstract: An alignment device and a method of alignment using the device, are disclosed. The device is configured to receive, in a generally aligned configuration, workpieces which are to be joined together. In addition, the device is further configured such that, in use of the device, a joining line between the two workpieces is visible for checking alignment, and such that, in use of the device, each workpiece can be marked at a predetermined distance from the joining line. The device and the method of alignment using the device are particularly suited to the joining of pipes in the construction of marine vessels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating an optical rotating joint (2); comprising: routing optical signals through an optical rotating joint (2) by using a first optical circulator (64) on a first side of the optical rotating joint (2) to receive an optical signal and direct the optical signal onward to a first side of the optical rotating joint (2), and using a second optical circulator (93) on a second side of the optical rotating joint (2) to receive the optical signal from the second side of the optical rotating joint (2) and direct it onwards. The signals may be sensor control signals or sensor output signals to/from a plurality of sensors (26, 28, 30), for example camera sensors. The apparatus may further comprise one or more wavelength division multiplexers (68, 94) and/or wavelength division demultiplexers (66, 95).

Abstract: A method of simulating a terrain view from the point of view of an airborne object and a terrain view simulation system which obtain a geo-referenced terrain to the airborne object, correlate in a computer the position and orientation information with the geo-referenced view of the terrain as seen from the airborne object, and display this simulated view.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a design for a system (2) that comprises a plurality of subsystems (4, 6) is provided. Criteria to be satisfied by the system (2) are identified. For each subsystem (4, 6), further criteria that are to be satisfied by that subsystem (4, 6) are determined and a parametric model (8, 16) is then determined. These comprise inputs (10, 18) and outputs (14, 22) that are dependent on the inputs (10, 18). A systems engineering model (100) comprising, as inputs, parametric model inputs (10, 18) is then determined. System model outputs (28) are dependent on the system model inputs. Groups consisting of some of the system model inputs are formed and an optimisation process is performed, for each group, to determine inputs that optimise the system model outputs (28). A set of inputs that optimise the system model outputs (28) provides a design for the system.

Abstract: A corrosion sensor for detecting the action of corrosive media on a metallic component when the sensor is mounted in the vicinity of the metallic component in use is disclosed. The sensor includes an electrically conducting corrodible element mounted on a non conducting substrate, the corrodible element being covered with a protective coating such as paint adapted to protect the corrodible element from corrosive media. The protective coating defines a temporary feature such as a paint defect which extends across the corrodible element and is designed to permit attack on the corrodible element by corrosive media after a predetermined period of time. The corrodible element comprises a pair of spaced tracks extending generally in a longitudinal direction and a series of corrodible tracks, each corrodible track extending generally in a lateral direction and forming an electrical connection between the spaced tracks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus (1) for processing SAR imagery data, comprising: determining variance ratio data from the SAR imagery data; and processing, for use in change detection, the determined variance ratios data by making use of the F-distribution. The method may further comprise selecting a desired false alarm rate; and wherein making use of the F-distribution comprises determining a change detection threshold for the determined variance ratios data that is dependent upon the F-distribution and the desired false alarm rate. Another possibility is that making use of the F-distribution comprises using the F-distribution to determine probabilities for the determined variance ratios data.

Abstract: A projection display is provided including a first plate-like waveguide (7), an image providing light source device (10 and 11) located to inject image bearing light into the first plate-like waveguide 7. An input means (12) is provided on the waveguide (7) to reflect the image bearing light internally along the waveguide (7). A transmission grating (13) within the first plate-like waveguide (7) is provided to output image bearing light from the waveguide (7). A second plate-like waveguide (8) is located co-planar with the first plate-like waveguide (7) and has a coupling grating (17) therein to receive the image bearing light from the first plate-like waveguide (7). The second plate-like waveguide (8) also includes an exit grating (18) therein for diffracting the received image bearing light, diffracted by the coupling grating (17) out of the second plate-like waveguide (8) towards a viewer (6).