Research Summaries

Back Dim Light Camera Field Evaluation for Underwater Night-time Operations

Fiscal Year 2020
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Oceanography
Investigator(s) MacMahan, James H.
Sponsor Office of Naval Research (Navy)
Summary The current generation of low-light video cameras equals or exceeds the ability of dark-adapted human eyes for nighttime object detection. The proposed effort is in collaboration with Dr. Curtis Mobley for estimating a Visual Range (VR) contour that depends on the object's location and orientation relative to the observer in an underwater setting (Figure 1). The VR contour is believed to vary as a function of depth, available moon or star light, inherent optical properties, viewing orientation, object contrast, and camera sensitivity. The VR defines the parameter space for field evaluating the dim-light camera for underwater operations. Dr. Mobley's effort will be in parallel with NPS camera elevation. In Year 1, NPS will purchase low light camera equipment & underwater housing, test the camera on land, and develop an underwater field evaluation. NPS will also evaluate whether the camera, as advertised, can operate in dim light underwater conditions. If it does, are the camera observations similar to first order estimates of Hydrolight for modeled VRs.
Keywords
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal