Visual Effects Assessment of the Green Laser-Baton Illuminator (GLBI)

• NCJ Number: 189571
• Author(s): Richard Dennis; James Harrison; Wallace Mitchell; Douglas Apsey; Steven Cora; John Williams
• Date Published: May 2001
• Length: 23 pages
• Grant Number(s): 98-DT-CX-A040
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Technical)

Annotation

This report presents a visual effects assessment of the green laser-baton illuminator.

Abstract

The Green Laser-Baton Illuminator (GLBI) was developed by LE Systems Inc., of Glastonbury, CT, and is the first non-lethal technology laser illuminator to incorporate a green (532 nm) laser. Green laser light is attractive because it is 8.27 times more sensitive to the eye during the day than red (650 nm) light. The GLBI has an eye hazard zone of 1.4 m and then becomes very eye safe because of a large beam divergence. AFRL/HEDO was employed by the National Institute of Justice to measure the GLBI laser beam characteristics and to write a human use protocol to collect GLBI effectiveness data. Effectiveness tests included: daytime visibility thresholds, glare source effects on a vehicle operator, flashblindness determination, and the effect of GLBI on night vision goggle (NVG) wear. The GLBI did not perform well as a daytime tagging device but worked well as a nighttime glare source. Although visible to NVG, the GLBI is much more covert to NVG than red illuminators. The most essential improvements to GLBI would be to miniaturize the device with a laser diode design and to homogenize the beam profile. Notes, figures, tables, references, appendix