Directed-Energy Weapon Assessment System for Collateral Damage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
As directed-energy weapons (DEWs) become more powerful, the risk of collateral damage to non-target items in the target environment increases, highlighting the need for improved control and assessment systems to minimize such damage.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that utilize a directed-energy weapon to assess the target environment by detecting energy deflected from the target, determining engagement efficiency, and controlling the energy delivery based on continuous line of sight and material properties to minimize collateral damage, using a combination of assessment and engaging phases with varying power and beam divergence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the power of the directed-energy weapon is increased to ensure effective target engagement, then the effectiveness of target engagement is improved, but the risk of collateral damage to non-target items increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a preliminary assessment phase before the engaging phase to map the target environment and identify the temporal window for effective engagement. By determining the time for which continuous line of sight exists and calculating engagement efficiency in advance, the system prepares optimal engagement parameters before delivering high-power energy, thus preventing collateral damage while ensuring effective target engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the power level and beam divergence of the directed-energy weapon based on real-time assessment data. During the assessment phase, the system uses lower power to map the environment, then transitions to optimized power levels during the engaging phase based on calculated engagement efficiency and line-of-sight conditions, allowing adaptive control to minimize collateral damage while maintaining effectiveness.
2Loss of information
If a separate assessment system is used to evaluate the target environment, then the ability to calculate risk of collateral damage is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The directed-energy weapon is designed to perform multiple functions: during the assessment phase, it acts as both the energy delivery system and the assessment tool by mapping the target environment and detecting deflected energy. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate dedicated assessment system, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the ability to calculate engagement efficiency and collateral damage risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the directed-energy weapon itself to perform the assessment function by directing energy at the target environment and detecting the deflected energy to map the surroundings. This self-service approach allows the weapon to gather its own engagement data without requiring external assessment equipment, thereby reducing system complexity while obtaining necessary information for safe engagement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the risk of collateral damage by optimizing energy delivery during both assessment and engagement phases, ensuring effective targeting while minimizing harm to non-target objects.
Implementation Method 1
a directed-energy weapon (18) arranged to direct energy towards the target environment
Implementation Method 2
The assessment comprises detecting energy deflected from the target environment to determine the data relating to the map
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for a directed-energy weapon comprises an assessment system arranged to, during an assessment phase,perform an assessment of a target environment, wherein the target environment comprises a target; and a controller arranged to, during the assessment phase, control the directed energy weapon to direct energy towards the target environment so that the assessment system can perform the assessment using the directed energy.