Adaptive Optics

[walkstep]

I met a person this evening at a party at my business who is working on an a rifle scope with electronically variable power. He works at the Sandia National Lab in New Mexico and they are developing a scope for for the Special Forces where the user pushes a button to change the power.

He mentioned 1 x 5 power for CQB to 200 yards. He said that the technology uses polymer lens that change shape. The OP would not have to remove his eye from the target. They would eventually like to license the tech to the civilian market. I offered to be a beta test for the system

[brando]

Weird. Of course, the term Adaptive Optics is currently applied to an image processing technique for astronomers where the distortion of the image by the molecules in the air is predicted via laser and use to correct the image gathered by the optic, resulting in a much cleaner result. My first guess with your post was that it was a CCD based system using an electronic zoom, but it's really weird that it would be using polymer lenses that distort to zoom. I'm not entirely sure how beneficial that would be over existing technology.

[Scarecrow Repair]

Probably be tougher, more resistant to damage from banging around with no moving parts.

Might not be as clear.

Probably would only need battery power to change shape, so it wouldn't be much of a battery drain.

Might be able to include some sooper dooper feature that it would black out unless some secret set of focus settings was selected consecutively. That would make it useless to the enemy.

[aplinker]

They've been working on fast switching lenses like this for a while.

I'm pretty sure they'll come into play in optical gun sights, but not for a while longer.

My guess is they're getting $ off a DARPA grant.

Weird. Of course, the term Adaptive Optics is currently applied to an image processing technique for astronomers where the distortion of the image by the molecules in the air is predicted via laser and use to correct the image gathered by the optic, resulting in a much cleaner result. My first guess with your post was that it was a CCD based system using an electronic zoom, but it's really weird that it would be using polymer lenses that distort to zoom. I'm not entirely sure how beneficial that would be over existing technology.

adaptive optics actually alter the optic, not just he image, as just working over the image wouldn't be nearly as effective.

I'm betting it's not an electronic CCD system.

Also, it would have to be polymer (at least now) as those are the lenses they can distort. They're sort-of gelatinous.... unless they're using tech different than what I've seen.

[wcnones]

Why not a 10 megapixel lens sending a signal to a screen with Zune/Ipod Touch-level resolution? Crosshairs are digitized images superimposed over the image on the screen. Never lose your zero due to bouncy reticle....