Scattering models for 1-D–2-D–3-D laser imagery

Abstract

In security operations or medical imaging, the main challenge is a need for fast identification, which is possible with a laser range profiler or 2-D–3-D laser imagery. This paper discusses scattering models for high temporal resolution ladar (laser detection and ranging) and 2-D–3-D imagery. We describe electromagnetic models of 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D laser signatures, whose surface reflectance of the objects is calculated with the second-order small-slope approximation for polarized incident laser wave and with a model of the effective permittivity. The physics-based model is designed to provide accurate results for the scattering from complex objects.