Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for determining a range to an object in a fluid. The system includes a polarized light source directed to the object in the fluid, a first imaging sensor, a second imaging sensor, and at least one processor. The at least one processor characterizes a depolarization rate of the fluid and determines the range to the object. The method includes generating polarized light via a polarized light source, polarizing an imager relative to the polarized light, transmitting the polarized light from the polarized light source into the fluid, receiving reflected light from the object, characterizing a depolarization rate of the fluid, based, at least in part, on the reflected light, and determining the range to the object, based, at least in part, on the depolarization rate of the fluid.

Abstract: An underwater imaging system is carried by a submersible platform to capture images that are processed into three-dimensional images stitched together to create a 3D dimensional video at video rate speeds that are transmitted to a control unit above the surface of the water. The imaging system utilizes a high speed image sensor or camera to capture sequential gated images that are synced via a gating module to two sequential laser beam pulses. The laser beam pulses illuminate an object in each gated image. When the object is within a gate overlap region, the two images may be processed using 3D imaging techniques to generate a 3D representation of the object in the overlap region of the two gates.

Abstract: A laser transmission assembly for shearography and related systems utilizing transmissive geometric phase plate pairs in place of Risley prism pairs or movable mirrors therein. Transmissive geometric phase plates provide for a system that is more compact than systems utilizing mirrors or Risley prism pairs while maintaining or improving the adjustability of the system and further offering beamshaping to provide desired illumination patterns.

Abstract: An underwater imaging system is carried by a submersible platform to capture images that are processed into three-dimensional images stitched together to create a 3D dimensional video at video rate speeds that are transmitted to a control unit above the surface of the water. The imaging system utilizes a high speed image sensor or camera to capture sequential gated images that are synced via a gating module to two sequential laser beam pulses. The laser beam pulses illuminate an object in each gated image. When the object is within a gate overlap region, the two images may be processed using 3D imaging techniques to generate a 3D representation of the object in the overlap region of the two gates.

Abstract: Underwater navigational systems and methods utilizing sunlight polarized via scattering through the water column that does not require an underwater vehicle to surface or use a global position system to maintain precise navigational positions and headings. These navigational systems and methods may be employed by manned or unmanned underwater vehicles and may be utilized by individual units and by units operating in a swarm.

Abstract: A shearography a system and method for regularizing phase resolved shearograms with an arctan regularization function to produce regularized phase resolved shearogram outputs is provided. The system and method of the present disclosure optimizes the processing of phase resolved shearography allowing interference fringe analysis techniques to be applied to the regularized phase resolved shearogram output results of the processing.

Abstract: A self-localizing autonomous underwater vehicle swarm that is operable to accurately localize each individual unit within the swarm while only requiring a single node at a known location to do so. The methods described herein can localize all members of a swarm with minimal, if any, effect on the size, weight, power, and cost of a system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for three-dimensional (3D) shape estimation of objects embedded in light-scattering media via polarimetry are provided. The systems and methods utilize polarization to exploit forward scattering in the light-scattering medium to mitigate backscatter interference (BSI).

Abstract: Systems and methods for three-dimensional (3D) shape estimation of objects embedded in light-scattering media via polarimetry are provided. The systems and methods utilize polarization to exploit forward scattering in the light-scattering medium to mitigate backscatter interference (BSI).

Abstract: Underwater navigational systems and methods utilizing sunlight polarized via scattering through the water column that does not require an underwater vehicle to surface or use a global position system to maintain precise navigational positions and headings. These navigational systems and methods may be employed by manned or unmanned underwater vehicles and may be utilized by individual units and by units operating in a swarm.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for determining a range to an object in a fluid. The system includes a polarized light source directed to the object in the fluid, a first imaging sensor, a second imaging sensor, and at least one processor. The at least one processor characterizes a depolarization rate of the fluid and determines the range to the object. The method includes generating polarized light via a polarized light source, polarizing an imager relative to the polarized light, transmitting the polarized light from the polarized light source into the fluid, receiving reflected light from the object, characterizing a depolarization rate of the fluid, based, at least in part, on the reflected light, and determining the range to the object, based, at least in part, on the depolarization rate of the fluid.

Abstract: A self-localizing autonomous underwater vehicle swarm that is operable to accurately localize each individual unit within the swarm while only requiring a single node at a known location to do so. The methods described herein can localize all members of a swarm with minimal, if any, effect on the size, weight, power, and cost of a system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for double-exposure image processing utilizing inversion techniques are provided. The systems and methods of the present disclosure recover single-exposure images from double-exposure images and strain images from double-exposure images.

Abstract: Systems and methods for double-exposure image processing utilizing inversion techniques are provided. The systems and methods of the present disclosure recover single-exposure images from double-exposure images and strain images from double-exposure images.

Abstract: Systems and methods for computationally simulating and optimizing shearography systems are provided. The systems and methods for simulation and optimization avoid ray tracing, and, instead, implement a phase screen approach to image computation. The systems and methods include physics-based surface texture and surface motion simulations, the application of phase screens to computer-generated simulations of shearographic remote sensing, and the inclusion of de-polarization due to multiple scattering and birefringence at a surface being imaged. The systems and methods include further greatly optimize diffraction computations by treating an optical transfer function (OTF) of an arbitrary aperture as a sum of separable OTFs.

Abstract: Systems and methods for computationally simulating an optical image are provided. The systems and methods generate a simulated scene having at least one variable optical property, compute an optical transfer function (OTF) via at least one computed phase screen, express the OTF as a sum of at least one separable OTF, convolve the at least one separable OTF with the simulated scene to simulate electromagnetic (EM) fields of the optical image, and compute image intensities of the optical image from the simulated EM fields of the optical image.

Abstract: Systems and methods related to pre-processing images and estimating PSFs for image deblurring in a noise-robust manner. The pre-processing may include iteratively denoising a reference image, iteratively denoising a scene image containing at least one straight edge within the scene image while preserving the at least one straight edge. The pre-processing may include smoothing, subtracting and dividing to provide a pre-processed image. The PSF-estimation process may include generating, with the at least one processor, a first noise value from portions of an edge intensity profile, generating a second noise value from a difference between the edge intensity profile and an integral of the noise-regularized inversion of the integration operator operating on the edge intensity profile and determining a value of a local curvature regularization parameter resulting in the first noise value and the second noise value being within a tolerance range.

Abstract: A system and method thereof identifies and locates a submarine or other similar object located in the ocean. The thermocline in the water column is utilized to identify objects based on signals carried by the internal wave (IW) in a mixed layer (ML) of water established between a less-dense and/or warmer upper layer of water and a more-dense and/or cooler lower layer of water. The system can detect objects moving in the ML. Additionally, the system detects non-moving objects in the ML based on shadowing and/or scattering effects established by naturally occurring waves contacting the object.

Abstract: An object detection system uses a change in a linear polarization statistic between a first image at a first time and a second image at a second time to determine the presence or the likelihood of an object beneath a surface. The presence of the object may be determined by regions of anomalously high changes in the polarization statistic. The system may use a polarization change detection detector which may simultaneously capture images in multiple polarization channels. Further, the polarization change detection detector may be coupled with a laser interferometry system.

Abstract: An object detection system uses a change in a linear polarization statistic between a first image at a first time and a second image at a second time to determine the presence or the likelihood of an object beneath a surface. The presence of the object may be determined by regions of anomalously high changes in the polarization statistic. The system may use a polarization change detection detector which may simultaneously capture images in multiple polarization channels. Further, the polarization change detection detector may be coupled with a laser interferometry system.