LSA Technology Descriptions
Laser Communication Systems
LSA's SupraConnect System™ »
Description:
LSA's SupraConnect™ optical wireless communication systems provide layer-one high-bandwidth wireless access for Local Area Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN), and Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN). The System provides line-of-sight connectivity for situations that would be impractical or overly expensive for other forms of communication links. Just like fiber optic cable, the SupraConnect™ system allows transmission of Ethernet data, video, voice over IP, multiplexed data or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). We offer three systems that are capable of full duplex transmission data rates from 1 to 155 Megabits per second (Mbps).
Status:
This product is available for commercial use. For more information please go to the products section of our website or click here.
Patents:
US 6,901,220; US 6,285,476
Ship-to-Shore and Ship-to-Ship FSO »
Description:
Under a Phase II SBIR program sponsored by NAVSEA, LSA has developed a Free Space Optical Ship to Shore Communication System to address a Low Probability of Intercept/Detection (LPI/LPD) communication capability for the littoral environment. An FSO system was desired for this application because current tactical radio frequency (RF) communications can be detected and exploited by the enemy.
On the SBIR program, LSA designed and fabricated five prototype autonomous transceiver nodes that can each autonomously determine their geospatial location and establish a link with another transceiver. Each transceiver node has a 100-Mbps Fast Ethernet communication channel, a 1-km link range, 1550-nm wavelength, eye-safe-at-the-aperture operation, an optical tracking system that has a 10-degree FOV, 200-Hz update rate, and a pointing system that has a 0.015-degree accuracy and 60-degree-per-second tracking speed capability. The five transceivers (pictured above) have been configured into two individual nodes and one master node to allow an "around-the-corner" non-line-of-sight link using FSO communications.
Applications:
military covert operations between ship and shore locations, communications between aircraft and mobile land vehicles and stationary installations, mobile broadband access, emergency communications, telecommunications backhaul, deployable communications, disaster recovery
Status:
Proof of concept hardware developed, initially tested and delivered.
Laser Video Transmission and Relay for Unmanned Vehicles
Description:
LSA has analyzed and developed architecture concepts to use fee space optical communications for telemetry and control between unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). This capability creates a robust, high-data-rate relay capable of video and bi-directional data exchange between the operators and robotic platforms. Integrated optical pointing and tracking, optical data relay, and video image processing achieve airborne relay and ground processing for real-time assessment of remote video images across links ranging up to 10 kilometers. The laser communication link is secure, eye-safe, and has a very low probability of interception or detection.
Applications:
high-bandwidth communication from ground-to-air and air-to-ground, mine and buoy status communication, links and relay between fixed points, aircraft, and land vehicles, wideband metropolitan area networks, airport emergency crew, and video surveillance.
Status:
Conceptual design
Hand-Held Laser Communication
Description:
LSA developed a Hand-Held Laser Communication System for the US Air Force under an SBIR program to provide secure high bandwidth voice communications between two users. By using optical communications, this system has the advantage of worldwide freedom from frequency allocation constraints, the lack of spectral congestion, and the immunity to EMI (electromagnetic interference) such as radar emissions, satellite links, microwave systems, mobile radios, and RF jammers. LSA developed two hand-held prototypes that are about the size of a pair of binoculars and has a transmission range of 100 meters. The operator uses the optical site on the top of the system to point at the other operator. The system operates using eyesafe 1550 nm laser light from batteries or a DC converter and has full duplex bidirectional communications.
Applications:
Covert transmission of video surveillance in urban stakeouts for military missions or drug enforcement, voice and imagery transmission from team back to base for ship-to-shore covert landing operations, covert transmissions to/from an embassy window or rooftop and communications for Special Operations teams and their civilian counterparts such as police SWAT teams, the FBI, and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration).
Status:
Proof of concept and laboratory hardware developed.
Wireless Virtual Reality System »
Prototype System
Prototype Hardware
Description:
The Wireless Virtual Reality System is a wireless wideband, dual-channel video and audio communication link to a mobile virtual-reality user with a head-mounted display. Video and audio transmission are accomplished using free-space optical communication, while wide-area tracking is realized using a combination of inertial optical sensors. The user-worn equipment consists of a belt pack and a head-mounted display equipped with an optical transceiver module. The remaining communication and tracking components are mounted on a gimbal. The system allows a user to roam around in a virtual reality environment without trailing cables. LSA performed systems analysis and tradeoff studies that culminated in the development of proof of concept hardware that could support a single user in a simulation space of approximately 300 square feet. The system concept is extendable to larger areas and additional users.
Applications:
War gaming, collaborative augmented reality, embedded training, military simulation and training entertainment, telerobotics, remote control of autonomous vehicles, 3D virtual reality gaming and visualization, architectural design, biomedicine, and industrial design
Status:
Systems analysis, tradeoff studies and proof of concept hardware developed, tested and delivered.
Patents:
US 6,630,91
High-Speed Untethered Computing
Description:
Under the High-Speed Untethered Computing program, LSA worked with the US Air Force to analysis and develop an indoor point-to-multipoint optical communication system. The architecture is based on extensions to the IrDA and IEEE 802.11 standards and uses a combination of optical access points (control nodes) and user nodes to establish and maintain fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) interior communication network. The system uses a novel non-imaging technique for the ceiling mounted optical access point, which provides a large zone of coverage in the room. Optical communications have the advantage of being secure and do not interfere with other RF signals, which makes this system ideal for use in secure military areas.
Applications:
Secure computing, in-building networking, wireless networking in classified computing areas, financial institution computing, law enforcement, private and proprietary information control (e.g., networking within medical centers and high-rise buildings or other “shared” RF airspace).
Status:
Systems analysis and laboratory hardware developed and delivered.
Digital Optical Data Bus
Description:
The Navy asked LSA to develop concepts for using free-space-optical communications as a method to provide secure voice and data aircraft intercommunications (ICS). Originally conceived for the E-2C Hawkeye carrier-based tactical airborne early warning system platform, our system is extendable to many different types of military aircraft including the P-3, C-130, MV-22, CV-22, MC2A, E-8C. The system facilitates secure communications within the aircraft without requiring crew personnel to use hardwired cabled connections between the ICS station and their helmet. This capability provides increased safety by eliminating cables that tether the crew to a particular work station and allows the crew member to move freely without becoming tangled in cables and more importantly, decreases the changes of accidental cable entanglement during life-threatening situations. An additional benefit of our system is that it provides significantly increased user mobility to perform operational tasks, while still maintaining the ICS protocols.
Applications:
relay views cargo holds, instrumentation panels and controls, troops deploying, external scenes, damage assessment, technical documentation for repairs, system status and instrument displays, views of damaged aircraft from another aircraft, classified information.
Status:
Conceptual design developed
Smart Retroreflector Optical Communications
Description:
Applications:
Status:
Night Vision
Multi-Spectral Low-Light Imaging
Description:
Applications:
Status:
Blooming Mitigation System
Description:
Applications:
Status:
Wide-FOV Night-Vision System
Description:
Applications:
Status:
Novel Optical Systems
Precision Metric Zoom Lens »
Description:
Applications:
Status:
Integrated Periscope Displays
Description:
Applications:
Status:
Patents:
US 7,056,119
Wide Angle Beam Steerer »
Description:
Applications:
Status:
Non-Mechanical Tunable Optical Filter
Description:
Applications:
Status:
Mid-Wave IR Polarization Control
Description:
Applications:
Status:
Mid-Wave IR Polarizing Beamsplitter
Description:
Patents:
US 6,212,014
Wide Dynamic Range Wavefront Detection
Description:
Applications:
Patents:
US 7,119,911
Status:
Fire Detection System »
Prototype
Description:
This long-range fire-detection system is capable of detecting small fires with a low false alarm rate. The engineering model demonstrates the advanced features of the detector, telescope, and merit function. The device, shown in the photograph, was tested by detecting a small Sterno fire at a range of 50 meters. Most infrared fire-detection sensors have a maximum detection range of 33 meters for a large gasoline fire. The system design can be customizing to extend the detection range to 1000 meters and can be used both for indoor and outdoor applications.
Applications:
munitions storage areas, aircraft storage hangers, forest-fire detection from ranger stations, oil refineries and gas processing plants, rocket and missile launch and test facilities
Status:
Proof of concept and laboratory hardware developed.
^Back to Technology IndexHolographic Data Storage Systems
Description:
Applications:
Status:
Patents:
US 6,172,777
LSA, Inc is seeking to expand its business in both commercial and government sector. The above technologies are in various stages of development and LSA is looking for interested funding agencies or investors to commercialize the above technologies. For more information about any of the technologies listed above please contact us at:
LSA, Photonics Division
180 Gordon Drive, Suite 107
Exton, PA 19341
Phone: (610) 363-5808
Fax: (610) 363-5825