Competition summary: seeing through the clouds
Updated 26 May 2016
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cde-themed-competition-seeing-through-the-clouds/competition-summary-seeing-through-the-clouds
1. Summary
Weather has always affected the use of high-resolution visible band and infrared imaging technology. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) would like to understand if emerging technologies offer new opportunities for high-resolution imaging in poor weather conditions.
This Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) themed competition is looking for new and emerging electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) technologies and concepts we haven’t seen before that could provide additional operational capability in these challenging conditions.
Poor visibility is a problem for helicopter landings; fog and mist are a challenge at sea; cloud cover creates a difficult challenge when imaging from the air; and ground sensors need to operate in dust storms, battlefield smoke, fog and snow. Can new imaging techniques help?
We’re looking for active and passive optical imaging through clouds.
For example, active imaging techniques such as burst illumination LAser Detection And Ranging (Ladar) and LIght Detection And Ranging (Lidar) provide some enhanced capability through obscuration, but new sensor technologies (single photon counting) and novel approaches (ballistic photons) may extend the performance to provide a step change in capability.
Passive techniques are likely to be less effective than active, but are more easily exploited. We’re interested in proposals to exploit novel spectral or polarisation effects to enhance target contrast in bad weather conditions. Proposals might include advanced image processing techniques or new sensors to amplify the low-contrast images.
2. Total funding
Up to £500,000 is available for phase 1 of this competition. We expect to fund a number of projects between £50,000 and £100,000, lasting around 6 months. The competition won’t accept proposals for more than £100,000 or projects that last more than 6 months at phase 1.
Up to £1 million will be made available for phase 2. Funding will be considered on a per-project basis. Phase-2 projects will last up to 12 months.
3. Competition close
This competition closes on Thursday 1 September 2016 at 5pm. Proposals must be submitted to CDE online.