Laser-based projectile speed measurement system

R. C. Kalonia; Gautam Mitra; Amond Kumar; R. K. Varma; Manpreet Singh; V. S. Sethi

doi:10.1117/1.2720825

1 April 2007 Laser-based projectile speed measurement system

R. C. Kalonia, Gautam Mitra, Amond Kumar, R. K. Varma, Manpreet Singh, V. S. Sethi

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 46, Issue 4, 044303 (April 2007). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2720825

Abstract

The design and construction of a system to accurately determine the speed of a projectile (bullet) by measuring the time of flight between two parallel laser screens is described. Each screen is formed by a laser source and a set of prisms. At the detection end of each of the screens, a collector lens focuses the incident laser light beam onto a photodetector. The collector lens and detector are kept in a recess so that no stray or ambient light falls on the photodetector. Whenever a projectile crosses either of the screens, the corresponding photodetector senses the event, due to partial or full obscuration of the incident energy. An electronic circuit is used to accurately record the time when the projectile crosses each screen, and the time interval gives the time of flight. The distance between the screens being known, the velocity is displayed on a computer screen. Because a single collimated beam of light generates the entire optical curtain, the reduction in incident energy at the photodetector plane is independent of the entry point of the projectile into the screen. Due to the baffling of the photodetector from ambient light, the optical screens can be used at indoor or outdoor ranges equally effectively.

©(2007) Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Citation Download Citation

R. C. Kalonia, Gautam Mitra, Amond Kumar, R. K. Varma, Manpreet Singh, and V. S. Sethi "Laser-based projectile speed measurement system," Optical Engineering 46(4), 044303 (1 April 2007). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2720825

Published: 1 April 2007

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