ARLINGTON, Va., May 4 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've created holographic optics that can help unpiloted aerial vehicles, high energy lasers and optical communications run faster.
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research said the new technology can help transform software into computer-free electronics.
Geoff Andersen, senior researcher at the Laser and Optics Research Center at the United States Air Force Academy led the study that demonstrated the latest new type of adaptive optics, which incorporate holograms. He noted conventional, computer-based technology has been in use for more than two decades, but it is not suitable to some military applications because of its required calculations and high computing costs.
Scientists said the new technology will be able to be incorporated on unmanned aerial vehicles because it is very compact and lightweight.
"We will see hugely improved images from these new surveillance platforms that holographic adaptive optics will make possible," Andersen said. "The current system for UAV imagery, lasers and optics is computer software driven, but the next phase is to replace that with an electronics system called High Altitude Large Optics. Such a system would be orders of magnitude faster than anything else available, while being much more compact and lightweight."
He said the new technology might become the standard in adaptive optics of the future and also create sharper telescopes and camera images.
