US focuses on deployable hologram generator
The US Army's Geospatial Center (AGC) has awarded Zebra Imaging a USD3.8 million contract to finalise development of a Field Deployable Hologram Production Capability (FDHPC).
According to a 12 August company statement, Zebra Imaging's M2 holographic imaging system - a third generation of its holographic imager product line - will provide the hologram production capability. The system "produces high fidelity, three-dimensional (3-D) Tactical Digital Holography (TDH)", which is essentially static 3-D views of the battlespace for pre-mission analysis and planning functions, as well as rehearsal, execution and debriefing tasks.
Zebra Imaging's latest contract is intended to further mature the imager and ruggedise the basic technology for deployments in theatre. Having the FDHPC forward deployed can help reduce production and delivery times, support more source data and enhance the holograms, the company said.
Currently this sort of imaging work is done by request in the United States and then sent into theatre, according to Eric Doane, a defence and intelligence programme specialist for Zebra Imaging.
Moving the machines themselves into theatre can reduce the delivery times from weeks to days or hours, Doane told Jane's on 15 August. Once the systems are approved for use, commanders in Iraq andAfghanistan can request the capability from the Department of the Army.
Meanwhile, a tabletop screen that produces a dynamic image which can be altered by near-realtime updates from sensors - such as LIDAR (light detection and ranging) - is set to move from a science and technology project to a programme within one of the military services.
Earlier this year the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced it had wrapped up development work for the Urban Photonic Sandtable Display (UPSD) programme, for which the agency had awarded an initial contract to Zebra Imaging in 2005.
DARPA's project sought to create "a real-time, colour, 360-degree 3-D holographic display to assist battle planners", as planning tools previously were consigned to 2-D, high-resolution flat-panel colour displays and 3-D static monochrome images.
The UPSD programme, which unfolded over the past five years, supported technology that would enable planners to view a large interactive 3-D display without requiring special glasses or 3-D goggles. Moreover, 2-D print-outs of the images could then be produced for use on missions away from the equipment.
Zebra Imaging first demonstrated its scalable full-colour holographic display system for UPSD in 2010.
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