Levy flights for improved Ladar scanning

A new approach has been used to improve Ladar performance in real time applications based on the use of Levy statistics. This approach speeds up target detection and does not require a full scan of the field of view and the subsequent data processing. This leads to a more efficient Ladar system and opens up the possibility for more real time applications. The approach is to use "Levy flights" instead of traditional techniques, such as Raster and Lissajous scanning, to detect the target in the scene. The performances of these latter techniques and this new approach are compared for a variety of conditions. The simulation results show an enhanced performance when using Levy flights as a scanning technique.