Abstract: The present invention provides fluidic (both air and liquid) exchange systems configured to retrofit standard cell/tissue culture well plates (6, 12, 24, 48, 96, 384, 1536 wells, and the like) and petri dishes by plugging into the openings of each well or dish.

Abstract: Embodiments of a multi-plenoptic system with image stacking and method for wide field-of-regard (FOR) high-resolution image are generally described herein. The multi-plenoptic system may include a subfield separator to decompose an image within a wide field of view into a plurality of multi-pixel subfields. The subfield separator may rotate a chief ray within each multi-pixel subfield by a differing amount relative to a rotation of other rays of the subfield. The multi-plenoptic system may also include a subfield modulator to selectively block or pass light from at least a portion of one or more of the subfields and a subfield image formation element to relay the portions of the subfields that are passed by the subfield modulator onto substantially overlapping areas of a common image plane. A single focal-plane array (FPA) may be aligned with the common image plane to provide for high-resolution imaging over a wide FOR.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for blur-calibration of an imaging sensor using a moving constellation are generally described herein. In some embodiments, blur-calibration of an imaging sensor includes moving a known target pattern across the field-of view (FOV) of the imaging sensor to present the target pattern across different frames at different pixel phases. Frames of images of the moving target pattern as seen in the FOV of the imaging sensor are captured to generate image data output. The image data output may be subsequently processed to generate data products representative of a shape of a point-spread function (PSF) from a high-resolution composite image generated from the captured frames. A chopper modulation may be applied to the moving target sequence and separate chopper-open and chopper-closed composite images are created. The PSF may be determined based on the difference between the chopper-open and chopper-closed composite images.

Abstract: Some embodiments pertain to an optical zoom system. The optical zoom system includes a first inward-facing surface that is at least partly reflective and a second inward-facing surface that is at least partly reflective. The optical zoom system further includes a first aperture that includes a plurality of sub-apertures which are positioned around at least a portion of an outer periphery of one of the first and second inward facing surfaces. Each sub-aperture includes an optically powered element. The optical zoom system further includes a second aperture that exists proximate a central region of the optical zoom system. Light is reflected on the first and second inward facing surfaces as the light travels between the first aperture and the second aperture such that the light is optically combined into a single image before exiting the second aperture.

Abstract: Embodiments of a multi-plenoptic system with image stacking and method for wide field-of-regard (FOR) high-resolution image are generally described herein. The multi-plenoptic system may include a subfield separator to decompose an image within a wide field of view into a plurality of multi-pixel subfields. The subfield separator may rotate a chief ray within each multi-pixel subfield by a differing amount relative to a rotation of other rays of the subfield. The multi-plenoptic system may also include a subfield modulator to selectively block or pass light from at least a portion of one or more of the subfields and a subfield image formation element to relay the portions of the subfields that are passed by the subfield modulator onto substantially overlapping areas of a common image plane. A single focal-plane array (FPA) may be aligned with the common image plane to provide for high-resolution imaging over a wide FOR.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for blur-calibration of an imaging sensor using a moving constellation are generally described herein. In some embodiments, blur-calibration of an imaging sensor includes moving a known target pattern across the field-of view (FOV) of the imaging sensor to present the target pattern across different frames at different pixel phases. Frames of images of the moving target pattern as seen in the FOV of the imaging sensor are captured to generate image data output. The image data output may be subsequently processed to generate data products representative of a shape of a point-spread function (PSF) from a high-resolution composite image generated from the captured frames. A chopper modulation may be applied to the moving target sequence and separate chopper-open and chopper-closed composite images are created. The PSF may be determined based on the difference between the chopper-open and chopper-closed composite images.

Abstract: Some embodiments pertain to an optical zoom system. The optical zoom system includes a first inward-facing surface that is at least partly reflective and a second inward-facing surface that is at least partly reflective. The optical zoom system further includes a first aperture that includes a plurality of sub-apertures which are positioned around at least a portion of an outer periphery of one of the first and second inward facing surfaces. Each sub-aperture includes an optically powered element. The optical zoom system further includes a second aperture that exists proximate a central region of the optical zoom system. Light is reflected on the first and second inward facing surfaces as the light travels between the first aperture and the second aperture such that the light is optically combined into a single image before exiting the second aperture.

Abstract: A target identification and tracking system includes a carrier vehicle and one or more tracking vehicles. The carrier vehicle may determine an aimpoint of a target from a high resolution image of the target and may generate an offset from a tracking point to the aimpoint. The offset may be conveyed to an assigned tracking vehicle for tracking the tracking point of the target while navigating toward the aimpoint of the target. The tracking point may be the target's centroid. The carrier vehicle may employ a high-resolution LIDAR imaging system to identify the aimpoint from a target's features; while the tracking vehicle may employ a lower resolution optical imaging system for tracking the target's tracking point. The carrier vehicle may correct the offset for parallax and the offset may be revised as the tracking vehicle approaches the target.

Abstract: A position encoder uses a track encoded with a pattern of bit-widths in accordance with a sequence. The sequence may be any sequence having unique subsequences, and may be a pseudo-random noise (PRN) sequence such that each N-bit subsequence occurs only once on the track. Sensors detect transitions between the bits and bit-widths as the track moves with respect to the sensors to provide in-phase and quadrature-phase pick-off signals. The pickoff signals are summed and absolute value thresholded. The absolute value thresholded sum signal is sampled when the quadrature pairs are in the “00” or “11” quadrants, and latched when the sum signal goes high to distinguish between wide and narrow bit widths. The latch is shifted into a shift data register for use in determining the position of the encoder track. In the case of a PRN sequence having a length of 2N bits, the position may be an absolute position when the number of valid bits in the shift data register is at least N.

Abstract: A plurality of sensor vehicles collect imaging data from an assigned location of a target region having targets and non-targets. The imaging data may be combined based on its location and the combined data is matched to a threat object map to identify the actual targets from the non-targets. In some embodiments, the sensor vehicles may be redirected to collect velocity and/or range information on the identified targets.

Abstract: A position encoder uses a track encoded with a pattern of bit-widths in accordance with a sequence. The sequence may be any sequence having unique subsequences, and may be a pseudo-random noise (PRN) sequence such that each N-bit subsequence occurs only once on the track. Sensors detect transitions between the bits and bit-widths as the track moves with respect to the sensors to provide in-phase and quadrature-phase pick-off signals. The pickoff signals are summed and absolute value thresholded. The absolute value thresholded sum signal is sampled when the quadrature pairs are in the “00” or “11” quadrants, and latched when the sum signal goes high to distinguish between wide and narrow bit widths. The latch is shifted into a shift data register for use in determining the position of the encoder track. In the case of a PRN sequence having a length of 2N bits, the position may be an absolute position when the number of valid bits in the shift data register is at least N.

Abstract: A gimballed camera (34) is attached to a moving body (20) so that it can remain pointed at a desired target (28) as the body (20) moves. A gyroscope (38) is attached to the camera (34) so that it may move independently from the camera (34), so that the gyroscope (38) continuously points in one direction while the camera (34) moves relative to the gyroscope (38). Measurement devices determine the positions of the moving body (20) and gyroscope (38) relative to the camera (34). The sum of these measures yields the position of the target relative to the gyroscope (38), which translates to a command to point the gyroscope (38) at the target. The camera (34) is then moved independently to a specified alignment relative to the gyroscope (38).