3DLASE-M: three-dimensional lidar airborne system emulator, maritime

Imaging flash LIDAR (LIght Detection and Ranging) is an effective method for airborne searches of the ocean surface and subsurface volume. The performance of ocean LIDAR depends strongly on the sea surface (e.g., waves, whitecaps, and flotsam), water turbidity, and the characteristics of the objects of interest. Cost-effective design of the LIDAR system and processing algorithms requires a modeling capability that can deal with the physics of light propagation through the air-water interface, into the ocean, and back to the LIDAR receiver. 3DLASE-M is a physics-based LIDAR simulator that yields high-fidelity images for three-dimensional algorithm development and performance predictions.