W. Matthews, R. Jung
Opt. Eng. 14(2), 142116 (1 April 1975) doi:10.1117/12.7978739
TOPICS: Sensors, Laser development, Video, Photography, Magnetism, Systems modeling, Continuous wave operation, Gallium arsenide, Reconnaissance, Remote sensing
A brief review of the history of the development of laser line-scanning sensors at Perkin-Elmer is given, culminating in the KA-98( ). This development, traced over the past 11 years by means of descriptions of a number of sensors, is characterized by a trend towards improved performance at lower cost, size, and weight. Earlier systems recorded directly onto photographic film, whereas later units employed magnetic video tape and the possibility of real-time data link transmission of the video signals. The most recent model, the KA-98( ), has just completed flight tests. This unit, intended for high-performance aircraft, incorporates a cw GaAs laser and a large field of view. Although originally developed for reconnaissance, these sensors are finding other remote sensing applications such as oil-slick detection.