Abstract: A fiber optic directional sensor has a substantially hemispherical dome surface and a substantially flat surface. The sensor is formed from a plurality of optical fibers fused to one another, and each optical fiber extends from the dome surface to the flat surface. One end of each optical fiber is substantially perpendicular to the sensor's dome surface, and the opposite end of the fiber is substantially perpendicular to the sensor's flat surface such that an end face of the fiber is substantially tangent to the dome surface, and another end face of the fiber is substantially tangent to the flat surface. The sensor further includes an optical element which expands the field of view of the sensor and chromatically controls the incoming light. Using the sensor, light from projectiles, such as missiles, bullets, and other weaponry, can be detected, and the locations of the projectiles can be determined.

Abstract: An image capture system comprises a plurality of cameras and a camera mount. The camera mount has a curved portion, and the plurality of cameras are secured to the curved portion. The cameras are oriented radially inward relative to the curved portion of the camera mount, such that the lines of sight of the cameras intersect. Images are captured substantially simultaneously with the plurality of cameras. The captured images are stitched together to form a collective image. The image capture system may be positioned in an aerial vehicle to provide overhead views of an environment, and captured images may be transmitted to a remote location for viewing in substantially real time. A remote user may indicate a region of interest within the collective image, and the image capture system may render a portion of the collective image in accordance with the user's indications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to ophthalmic lenses. In particular, the invention provides ophthalmic lenses with reduced astigmatism. The lenses are composed of a surface and a compensating surface, the surface geometries of which are defined by segments of a size suitable to be defined by a tenth order x,y polynomial with Zernike coefficients.