Abstract: A method and a system for photoacoustic inspection of a part are provided herein. The method may include the following steps: photo-acoustically exciting a predetermined position in a predetermined region on a part by pulsed laser illumination, to yield ultrasonic excitation of the part; coherently illuminating a predetermined location in the predetermined region on the part; detecting an illumination scattered from the predetermined location; determining, based on the scattered illumination, a plurality of sequence of two or more temporally-sequential de-focused speckle pattern images, wherein each of the sequences corresponds to one of the predetermined illuminated locations; and determining a set of translations, each determined based on the sequences, wherein each translation in the set is determined based on two temporally-sequential speckle patterns images in the respective sequence.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining real-world geographic locations of multiple interconnected members are provided herein. The method may include: determining distances between at least some members of a first subgroup of the multiple members; determining movement vectors of members of a second subgroup of the multiple members; determining real-world geographic locations of members of a third subgroup of the multiple members; and determining, based on the distances between the at least some members of the first subgroup, the movement vectors of the members of the second subgroup and the real-world geographic locations of the members of the third group, the real-world geographic locations of the multiple members.

Abstract: An impulse radio (IR) ultra-wide band (UWB) transceiver adapted for a rake receiver is provided herein. This may be implemented as follows: on the transmitter side, the input data is converted to N-parallel streams having different delays, each stream is transmitted by an impulse radio signal with defined different carrier frequency. On the receiver side, the multicarrier RF signal is converted into base band signal, emulating multipath channels, so that rake receiver technique is used for an optimal demodulation of the received signal.

Abstract: An impulse radio (IR) ultra-wide band (UWB) transceiver adapted for a rake receiver is provided herein. This may be implemented as follows: on the transmitter side, the input data is converted to N-parallel streams having different delays, each stream is transmitted by an impulse radio signal with defined different carrier frequency. On the receiver side, the multicarrier RF signal is converted into base band signal, emulating multipath channels, so that rake receiver technique is used for an optimal demodulation of the received signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for vibrations detection in a scene. Systems comprise at least one coherent light source configured to illuminate the scene, an optical unit configured to focus scattered light from the scene onto a pixelated detector, the detector configured to provide pixel intensity signals, and a processing unit configured to analyze the pixel intensity signals over the pixels of the detector to derive a vibration spectrum of elements in the scene that correspond to the pixels. The signal modulation at each pixel may be used to indicate the vibrations of the scene element(s) that corresponds to the pixel(s). Vibration information concerning the scene may be used to direct other methods of vibration measurements, such as speckle interferometry, according to derived vibration images of the scene.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining real-world geographic locations of multiple interconnected members are provided herein. The method may include: determining distances between at least some members of a first subgroup of the multiple members; determining movement vectors of members of a second subgroup of the multiple members; determining real-world geographic locations of members of a third subgroup of the multiple members; and determining, based on the distances between the at least some members of the first subgroup, the movement vectors of the members of the second subgroup and the real-world geographic locations of the members of the third group, the real-world geographic locations of the multiple members.

Abstract: A system and a method for sensing an object using two-stage photo-acoustic excitation are provided herein. The method may include: scanning the object at a first resolution by alternately and repeatedly photo-acoustically exciting and sensing each of multiple first regions on the object to yield multiple first outputs; determining, based on the multiple first outputs, at least one first region of the multiple first regions that includes at least one zone and a specific depth of the at least one zone below a surface of the object; scanning the first region that includes the at least one zone at a second resolution by alternately and repeatedly photo-acoustically exciting and sensing each of multiple second regions in the at least one first region thereof to yield multiple second outputs; and determining, based on at least one of the multiple second outputs, specified parameters of the at least one zone.

Abstract: A method and a system for photoacoustic inspection of a part are provided herein. The method may include the following steps: photo-acoustically exciting a predetermined position in a predetermined region on a part by pulsed laser illumination, to yield ultrasonic excitation of the part; coherently illuminating a predetermined location in the predetermined region on the part; detecting an illumination scattered from the predetermined location; determining, based on the scattered illumination, a plurality of sequence of two or more temporally-sequential de-focused speckle pattern images, wherein each of the sequences corresponds to one of the predetermined illuminated locations; and determining a set of translations, each determined based on the sequences, wherein each translation in the set is determined based on two temporally-sequential speckle patterns images in the respective sequence.

Abstract: Navigation systems and methods are provided. A classifier is configured to transform a received image of a terrain into a classified image in which patches of pixels from the received image are represented as being in one of a specified number of material classes, each associated with respective terrain parameters. A physical traversability module is configured to determine, for the material parameters, a terrain topography and given vehicle parameters, a degree of traversability of the vehicle through the terrain as represented by the received image, to yield a traversability map. A routing module is configured to derive traversability measure(s) for route(s) through the classified image and with respect to the traversability map, between a given origin and a given destination or within a region with respect to a user-defined mission. A graphical user interface is configured to display the route(s) according to the traversability measure(s).

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided, which use at least two coherent light sources with known phase relations between them, which are configured to illuminate a target with at least two corresponding spots, an optical unit comprising a mask and configured to focus, onto a sensor, interfered scattered illumination from the spots of the target, passing through the mask, to yield a signal, at least one shifter configured to shift a frequency of at least one of the coherent light sources to provide a carrier frequency in the signal, and a processing unit configured to derive a vibration frequency of the target from the sensor signal with respect to the carrier frequency. The vibration frequency of the target is separated from the carrier frequency and speckle disturbances may be attenuated or avoided.

Abstract: Power amplification units and methods are provided, which use a combiner and an auxiliary signal to feed the power amplifier (PA) with a signal that prevents or reduces operation of higher amplification stages during off periods of the received RF signal. The PA output is delivered through an output matching circuit configured to pass the RF signal and attenuate the auxiliary signal; and the combiner combines the RF signal and the auxiliary signal through respective filters to generate the RF input signal to the PA. An auxiliary signal generator may be configured to generate the auxiliary signal with relation to the RF signal as having a frequency spectrum lower than a cutoff RF frequency. Resulting lower power consumption, particularly in case of low duty cycle RF signals, reduces heating, enables longer battery use and increases reliability performance.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided, which use at least two coherent light sources with known phase relations between them, which are configured to illuminate a target with at least two corresponding spots, an optical unit comprising a mask and configured to focus, onto a sensor, interfered scattered illumination from the spots of the target, passing through the mask, to yield a signal, at least one shifter configured to shift a frequency of at least one of the coherent light sources to provide a carrier frequency in the signal, and a processing unit configured to derive a vibration frequency of the target from the sensor signal with respect to the carrier frequency. The vibration frequency of the target is separated from the carrier frequency and speckle disturbances may be attenuated or avoided.

Abstract: Multi-channel communication devices and methods are provided, which employ a filter bank, connected between antenna(s) and wideband converter(s), that comprises many narrowband surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters having respective distinct frequency bands within a bandwidth of the wideband converter(s). For example, devices may be configured as multi-channel receivers with SAW filters replacing current heterodyne circuitry and achieving effective separation of reception channel and effective attenuation of adjacent blocking signals in a compact device. In other examples, devices may be configured as multi-channel transmitters and/or transceivers, possibly having a variable number of channels, to realize compact multi-channel radio.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for vibrations detection in a scene. Systems comprise at least one coherent light source configured to illuminate the scene, an optical unit configured to focus scattered light from the scene onto a pixelated detector, the detector configured to provide pixel intensity signals, and a processing unit configured to analyze the pixel intensity signals over the pixels of the detector to derive a vibration spectrum of elements in the scene that correspond to the pixels. The signal modulation at each pixel may be used to indicate the vibrations of the scene element(s) that corresponds to the pixel(s). Vibration information concerning the scene may be used to direct other methods of vibration measurements, such as speckle interferometry, according to derived vibration images of the scene.

Abstract: Multi-channel communication devices and methods are provided, which employ a filter bank, connected between antenna(s) and wideband converter(s), that comprises many narrowband surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters having respective distinct frequency bands within a bandwidth of the wideband converter(s). For example, devices may be configured as multi-channel receivers with SAW filters replacing current heterodyne circuitry and achieving effective separation of reception channel and effective attenuation of adjacent blocking signals in a compact device. In other examples, devices may be configured as multi-channel transmitters and/or transceivers, possibly having a variable number of channels, to realize compact multi-channel radio.

Abstract: Navigation systems and methods are provided. A classifier is configured to transform a received image of a terrain into a classified image in which patches of pixels from the received image are represented as being in one of a specified number of material classes, each associated with respective terrain parameters. A physical traversability module is configured to determine, for the material parameters, a terrain topography and given vehicle parameters, a degree of traversability of the vehicle through the terrain as represented by the received image, to yield a traversability map. A routing module is configured to derive traversability measure(s) for route(s) through the classified image and with respect to the traversability map, between a given origin and a given destination or within a region with respect to a user-defined mission. A graphical user interface is configured to display the route(s) according to the traversability measure(s).

Abstract: Method and system for addressing line of sight (LOS) blockage in satellite communication networks are provided herein. The method may include the following stages: obtaining forecast input parameters; forecasting at least one future LOS blockage in two or more communication links established between at least one communication satellite and at least one platform-mounted communication system having at least one antenna, based on the forecast input parameters; and addressing the future LOS blockage by applying at least one of: rerouting the communication links between the at least one platform-mounted communication system and at least one of the communication satellite; changing a power level of at least one of the communication links; changing at least one of: spreading, modulation and coding of at least one of the communication links; changing mobility parameters of the platform-mounted communication system.

Abstract: System for determining authenticity of an object in which a light-source directs collimated or telecentric light toward an authentication-region on the object, which impinges on the authentication-region at a predetermined angle relative to the normal of a plane defined by the object, a portion of the light is reflected from the authentication-region and another portion of the light is scattered from the authentication-region, an imager, focused on the authentication-region, acquires a focused-image of the scattered-light, the image includes image-features related to surface-features-scattering-phenomena of the authentication region, the processor determines correspondence between part of the acquired image and a corresponding part of a stored-image corresponding to the authentication-region, the processor identifies the object as authentic when the acquired-image corresponds to the stored image, the processor identifies the object as non-authentic when the acquired-image does not corresponds the stored-image

Abstract: A mobile ad-hoc communications network with multi-interface dynamic routing includes multiple mobile nodes with mobile wireless communication and multiple mobile nodes with mobile wireless communication and satellite communication. At least some of the mobile nodes with mobile wireless communication are dynamically-switched between operating as an ordinary node or as a backbone node. At least some of the mobile nodes with mobile wireless communication and satellite communication are dynamically-switched between operating as an ordinary node or as a backbone node. All of the mobile nodes communicate over a dynamically-formed ordinary communication link. Mobile nodes operating as backbone nodes additionally communicate over a dynamically-formed backbone link.

Abstract: In a method of preparing a ruthenium-containing catalyst on a non-conductive metal oxide support comprises dissolving one or more ruthenium precursor compounds in an liquid organic polyol, combining the thus obtained solution with (a) nano-powder(s) of one or more metal oxides in a ratio of moles metal oxide(s) to moles ruthenium atoms in the one or more ruthenium precursor compounds of about 0:1 to about 6:1, the metal oxide nano-powder(s) having a surface area of from about 5 to about 300 m2/g and a point of zero charge (PZC) of pH 5.5 or higher, agitating the thus obtained mixture, adding pre-shaped alumina support pellets to the agitated mixture, which is than heated at a temperature of about 50° C.