{"id":{"repo_id":"calpoly","oai_identifier":"oai:digitalcommons.calpoly.edu:theses-1357"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/calpoly/oai:digitalcommons.calpoly.edu:theses-1357","repository":{"repo_id":"calpoly","name":"Cal Poly","base_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Modular Laser Combat System for Remotely Operated Vehicles: Bridging the Gap Between Computer Simulation and Live Fire","abstract":"In the emerging industry of small unmanned vehicles, pioneered by small businesses and research institutions, a suitable combat system test platform is needed. Computer simulations are useful, but do not provide the definitive proof of effective operation necessary for deployment of a combat system. What is needed is an affordable simulated weapons system that enables live flight testing without the used of live weaponry. A framework is developed here for the construction of a simulated weapon using Free Space Optical (FSO) infrared communication. It is developed in such a way to ensure compatibility with a variety of platforms including ground and aerial vehicles, so that identical but configurable modules can be used on any vehicle that is to take place in a live combat simulation. A proof-of-concept implementation of this modular laser combat system framework is also presented and tested. The implemented system shows the value of such a simulated weapons system and future areas of improvement are also explored.","abstract_html":"In the emerging industry of small unmanned vehicles, pioneered by small businesses and research institutions, a suitable combat system test platform is needed. Computer simulations are useful, but do not provide the definitive proof of effective operation necessary for deployment of a combat system. What is needed is an affordable simulated weapons system that enables live flight testing without the used of live weaponry. A framework is developed here for the construction of a simulated weapon using Free Space Optical (FSO) infrared communication. It is developed in such a way to ensure compatibility with a variety of platforms including ground and aerial vehicles, so that identical but configurable modules can be used on any vehicle that is to take place in a live combat simulation. A proof-of-concept implementation of this modular laser combat system framework is also presented and tested. The implemented system shows the value of such a simulated weapons system and future areas of improvement are also explored.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Fulenwider, Thomas Edward"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS in Electrical Engineering","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Electrical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["John Saghri"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:31:03Z","subjects":["unmanned aerial vehicle","UAV","free space optical","FSO","infrared communication","IR","combat simulation","Electrical and Electronics","Other Electrical and Computer Engineering","Systems and Communications"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10.15368/theses.2010.103"],"render_values":[{"text":"10.15368/theses.2010.103","href":"https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2010.103","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/335","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["John Saghri"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Fulenwider, Thomas Edward"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2012-06-16T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Electrical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS in Electrical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["unmanned aerial vehicle","UAV","free space optical","FSO","infrared communication","IR","combat simulation","Electrical and Electronics","Other Electrical and Computer Engineering","Systems and Communications"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/335","10.15368/theses.2010.103"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In the emerging industry of small unmanned vehicles, pioneered by small businesses and research institutions, a suitable combat system test platform is needed. Computer simulations are useful, but do not provide the definitive proof of effective operation necessary for deployment of a combat system. What is needed is an affordable simulated weapons system that enables live flight testing without the used of live weaponry. A framework is developed here for the construction of a simulated weapon using Free Space Optical (FSO) infrared communication. It is developed in such a way to ensure compatibility with a variety of platforms including ground and aerial vehicles, so that identical but configurable modules can be used on any vehicle that is to take place in a live combat simulation. A proof-of-concept implementation of this modular laser combat system framework is also presented and tested. The implemented system shows the value of such a simulated weapons system and future areas of improvement are also explored."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Modular Laser Combat System for Remotely Operated Vehicles: Bridging the Gap Between Computer Simulation and Live Fire"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["John Saghri"],"dc:creator":["Fulenwider, Thomas Edward"],"dc:date.available":["2012-06-16T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["In the emerging industry of small unmanned vehicles, pioneered by small businesses and research institutions, a suitable combat system test platform is needed. Computer simulations are useful, but do not provide the definitive proof of effective operation necessary for deployment of a combat system. What is needed is an affordable simulated weapons system that enables live flight testing without the used of live weaponry. A framework is developed here for the construction of a simulated weapon using Free Space Optical (FSO) infrared communication. It is developed in such a way to ensure compatibility with a variety of platforms including ground and aerial vehicles, so that identical but configurable modules can be used on any vehicle that is to take place in a live combat simulation. A proof-of-concept implementation of this modular laser combat system framework is also presented and tested. The implemented system shows the value of such a simulated weapons system and future areas of improvement are also explored."],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/335","10.15368/theses.2010.103"],"dc:subject":["unmanned aerial vehicle","UAV","free space optical","FSO","infrared communication","IR","combat simulation","Electrical and Electronics","Other Electrical and Computer Engineering","Systems and Communications"],"dc:title":["Modular Laser Combat System for Remotely Operated Vehicles: Bridging the Gap Between Computer Simulation and Live Fire"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Electrical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS in Electrical Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:31:03Z"}