A shielded apparatus (101) comprising a device (103) and a shield (105), and a method of producing a shielded apparatus. The device (103) attenuates x-rays by different amounts in different parts of the device (103), providing a first span of x-ray attenuations. The shield (105) comprises a layer of x-ray attenuating material (109) that attenuates x-rays by an amount that varies across the shield (105), providing a second span of attenuations. The second span of attenuations has a magnitude between 20% and 120% of the magnitude of the first span of attenuations.
F41H 3/00 - Camouflage, i.e. means or methods for concealment or disguise
G01N 23/04 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups , or by transmitting the radiation through the material and forming images of the material
G21F 1/00 - Shielding characterised by the composition of the material
A radiation detector is disclosed. The detector comprises: a conversion device configured to develop a voltage when subject to incident radiation; and a switch operable configured to move between a first state and a second state when triggered by a threshold voltage. The conversion device is connected to the switch such that, when the threshold voltage is developed across the conversion device, the switch is triggered to move from the first state to the second state. The detector further comprises an interrogation circuit operable to determine whether the switch is in the first state or the second state, thereby to determine whether the detector has been subjected to a threshold level of radiation associated with the threshold voltage. A system comprising radiation sensitive apparatus and the radiation detector is also disclosed.
A safety assembly for use with a laser-directed energy weapon is disclosed. The assembly comprises a control system comprising a photodetector and a processing unit; and an optical device configured to attach to a target such that, when attached, the optical device provides a light beam to the photodetector. The processing unit is arranged to compare the received light beam against one or more predetermined attributes, and to permit the laser-directed energy weapon to fire only when the received light beam is determined to have the one or more attributes.
A cover for an intake of an air-breathing engine in a missile is disclosed. The cover comprises a motive arrangement operable to move from a first configuration in which the cover is lockable to a missile, to a second configuration in which the cover is pushed outwardly from the missile. In the first configuration, the surface of the cover is flush with the surface of the missile and the motive arrangement is located inwardly of the cover surface. A missile provided with such a cover is also disclosed.
A mission planning method for use with a weapon is disclosed. The method comprises:obtaining a first training data set describing the performance of the weapon; using the first training data set and a Gaussian Process (GP) or Neural Network to obtain a first surrogate model giving a functional approximation of the performance of the weapon; and providing the first surrogate model to a weapons system for use in calculating a performance characteristic of the weapon during combat operations.
An inductive power transfer system (1) for coupling a power source to a load across an air gap (11) is disclosed. The system (1) comprises a primary unit (3) associated with a host platform and a secondary unit (5) arranged to receive power transmitted inductively from the primary unit (3). The primary unit (3) includes a phase detection circuit (21) configured to detect phase changes in a signal in the primary unit (3) indicative of changes in an operating condition within the secondary unit (5), and a drive circuit (17). The drive circuit (17) is configured to adjust the power level transmitted to the secondary unit (5) depending on the detected phase.
H02J 50/12 - Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling of the resonant type
H02J 50/80 - Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
H02J 7/02 - Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
An interferometric position sensor for sensing the position of an object is disclosed. The position sensor comprises a light source arranged to emit light, a beam splitter, and a detector array. The beam splitter is arranged to split the light between first and second optical paths, which are configured such that the split light is recombined so as to form an optical interference pattern dependent on the difference between the optical path lengths of the first and second optical paths. The detector array is arranged to measure the intensity of at least a part of the optical interference pattern. At least one of the first and second optical path lengths is arranged to be dependent on the position of the object, such that changes in the optical interference pattern can be related to changes in the position of the object.
G01B 9/02015 - Interferometers characterised by the beam path configuration
G01B 9/02017 - Interferometers characterised by the beam path configuration with multiple interactions between the target object and light beams, e.g. beam reflections occurring from different locations
G01B 11/26 - Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for testing the alignment of axes
8.
IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO MONOPULSE RADAR APPARATUS
Monopulse radar apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a digital processor and an antenna having a plurality of receive channels through which signals received by the antenna are passed to the processor. Each receive channel includes an analogue to digital converter, and the processor is arranged to calculate sum and difference signals from the signals received through each receive channel. The processor is also arranged such that, in the event that a malfunction is detected in one of the plurality of receive channels, compensated sum and difference signals are calculated by the processor using the signals from the remaining, functioning receive channels.
A method of correcting errors in the output of an image detector is disclosed. The method comprises measuring an output signal (Vm) of a capacitor (Csh) holding a voltage corresponding to a signal detected by the image detector;comparing the value of output signal (Vm) to the value of the previously measured output signal (Vm-1) of the capacitor (Csh);calculating the error in the output signal (Vm) using a predetermined correction factor and the difference between the value of the output signal (Vm) and the value of the previously measured output signal (Vm-1); and providing a corrected output value (Vcrt) in accordance with the calculated error. Detectors, methods of calibrating detectors, image correction apparatus and guidance systems comprising the detectors are also disclosed.
A ground-based source (12) of a jamming signal capable of disrupting a GNSS satellite-based navigation system, for example a GPS jammer, is located with a detector (20, 22, 24) carried by a suitable platform (10), for example an airborne UAV or missile. The detector, when the platform (10) is at a first location (16a),measures a characteristic of the jamming signal. The platform (10) and its detector are then moved to a chosen second location (16b),from which a further measurement of the jamming signal is made. The measurements made by the detectorare then used to determine the location of the source (12) of the jamming signal.
An imaging apparatus and method are provided for improving discrimination between parts of a scene enabling enhancement of an object in the scene. A camera unit (12) is arranged to capture first and second images from the scene (8) in first and second distinct and spectrally spaced apart wavebands. An image processing unit (14) processes the images so captured and processes polarimetric information in the images to enable better discrimination between parts of the scene. An image of the scene, including a graphical display of the polarimetric information, may be displayed on a visual display unit (16) thus enhancing an object in the scene for viewing by a user. Correlation parameters indicating, possibly on a pixel-by-pixel basis, the correlation between the actual image intensity (30) at each angle of polarisation and a modelled expected image intensity may be used to enhance the visibility of an object.
A radar receiver (200) comprises an analogue receiver (230) for receiving a radar echo signal and a digital receiver (240). The digital receiver (240) includes an analogue-to-digital converter (300A-D) arranged to receive and sample an IF analogue signal from the analogue receiver (230). The sampling is undersampling according to the Nyquist criterion, so that a plurality of IF digital signals are produced, in different Nyquist zones, including one or more aliased IF digital signal. The digital receiver (240) is arranged to select an IF digital signal from the one or more aliased digital signals.
A method of guiding a pursuer to a target is provided, and is of particular use when the possible target location is described by non-Gaussian statistics. Importantly, the method takes into account the fact that different potential target tracks in the future have significantly different times to go. That can give rise to emergent behaviour, in which the guidance method covers several possible outcomes at the same time in an optimal way. An example embodiment of the method combines Particle Filter ideas with Swarm Optimization techniques to form a method for generating guidance commands for systems with non- Gaussian statistics. That example method is then applied to a dynamic mission planning example, to guide an airborne pursuer to a ground target travelling on a network of roads where the pursuer has no-go areas, to avoid collateral damage.
The invention covers a missile canister (10) for accommodating a missile (20) along a longitudinal axis (L) of the canister. The canister comprises a plurality of generally planar longitudinal wall portions (14) connected together to form a tubular vessel having a polygonal cross - section. The interconnecting portions (16) between wall sections (14) are generally flexible so that when a missile (20) is launched the bending moment at the interconnecting portions (16) generated by the increase of pressure in the vessel is substantially less than the bending moment (10) generated at the wall portions (14). The interconnecting portions (16) allow relative angular deflection between adjacent wall portions (14) at respective interconnecting portions (16) when said missile (20) is launched.
An image-processing method comprising convolving a selected feature of interest (FOI) within the image with a mask of a first size, repeating the convolution with a mask of a second size, and calculating the ratio of the convolution responses, as an indication of the size of the FOI. Preferably the convolution masks are Laplacian of Gaussian. The method can be useful for prioritising potential targets in a field of view for presentation to an operator.
A target scene generator for testing an imaging ladar in a Hard Ware in the Loop arrangement, such as might be employed for testing an optical seeker on a guided missile, the generator comprising an array of pixel elements (10), a photodetector (20) for detecting incident light from a ladar a laser source (18) for generating pulses of light representing returned ladar pulses, and a reconfigurable fibre network (14) including an optical switch selectively coupling the laser (18) to the pixel elements, and a controller (22) which selectively reconfigures the fibre network, to present to selected pixel elements the pulses of light with selected time delay characteristics such that light emitted from the pixels represent light returned from a target illuminated by the ladar.
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