Miniaturized optical correlator

A robust optical correlator that is a miniaturized version of the classic Vander-Lugt correlator is developed. The correlator consists of a simple diode laser for illumination and a CMOS photodetector to detect the correlation peak. A set of roof prisms is configured to fold the light path into a compact design. A holographic plate is used for storing the matched filter. This correlator is particularly applicable to docking autonomous vehicles near a predesignated landing mark. This miniature optical correlator is described in terms of its functional performance.