Data collection and preliminary results on turbulence characterisation and mitigation techniques

In the framework of NATO task group SET 226 on turbulence mitigation techniques for OA systems, a trial was conducted in the premises of RDDC-Valcartier, using indoor and outdoor facilities in September 2016. Images data sets were collected under various turbulence conditions, both controllable (indoor) and natural (outdoor). The imagery of this trial was used in the Grand Challenge, where different experts were asked to process identical input data with state-of-the-art algorithms. The trial also provided a data-base to validate theoretical and numerical models. The paper will give an overview of the experiment set-up (target, sensors, turbulence screens generatorsEL) and present some preliminary results obtained with the collected data in terms of effectiveness of image processing techniques, new methods for turbulence characterisation, modelling of laser beam propagation.