Think tank develops cutting-edge laser imaging system

Korean engineers have developed a laser imaging system capable of capturing clear images of enemy troops at a distance.

The state-invested Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) on Wednesday said it developed a real-time, 3-D integrated laser radar imaging system.

Since the transfer of the technology, which could be used for military purposes, and exports of such completed devices have been restricted, Korea imported core parts only. The breakthrough is expected to advance the country’s full localization of such devices.

The think tank also developed a device capable of displaying images more than four times the resolution of imported equipment. It can fire laser beams and calculates the time they take to travel back, thus capable of detecting enemy troops up to 1 kilometer away regardless of weather conditions or brightness of the surroundings.

If further development is conducted for military purposes, the institute said, such equipment can be mounted on tanks, aircraft and helicopters as a tracking device for guided weapon. The equipment would be superior to the existing heat tracking system with an infrared sensor. In addition, the new technology can be applied to industrial devices such as unmanned vehicles and visual equipment for industrial robots.

The institute will transfer the technology to domestic companies for commercial development of laser imaging equipment for a number of purposes. In particular, the newly developed equipment can be produced at half the cost of imported devices because it uses the static unified detector, a combination of high-priced components.

“The newly developed system is sophisticated technology with high added value as it can be used for future unmanned vehicles or robot imaging sensors just by adding image interpretation software, let alone serve military purposes,” a researcher said.

enhanced@donga.com