BAE Systems PLC
Relating to remote sensing

Abstract:

A system for remotely sensing light from within a monitored environment containing one or more retro-reflective optical elements. The system includes an illuminator including a light source and a reflector unit comprising a deformable mirror arranged to receive light from the light source and to reflect the received light. This outputs illumination light from the illuminator for illuminating the optical element(s) within the monitored environment. A detector is arranged to receive light returned by the one or more retro-reflective optical elements in response to the illumination light. The detector determines a wavefront of the returned light and detects a property of the monitored environment according to the returned light. The reflector unit is arranged to deform the deformable mirror according to the determined wavefront such that light from the light source is reflected by the deformable mirror so deformed to output illumination light with a modified wavefront.