Research on laser protection at the Fraunhofer IOSB

Since the invention of the laser in 1960, the protection of human eyes and sensors against dazzle and damage by laser radiation is a hot research topic. As long as the parameters of a laser source (e.g., the wavelength) are known, adequate laser safety can be ensured by utilizing conventional laser protection filters. This is typically the case in cooperative environments like a laboratory. A very different situation prevails in military defence or civil security. There, the parameters of a threatening laser are usually unknown. Here, we present an overview of the research on laser protection at the Fraunhofer IOSB comprising measures against laser damaging and laser dazzling.