A database of material properties for optical signature modelling

For modelling of optical signature a lot of input data is needed. A large amount of this input data originates from different kinds of reflectivity measurements such as HDR (hemispherical-directional reflectivity) or BRDF (bi-directional reflectance distribution function). As the amount of signature modelling activities increases at FOI, a need for an efficient listing of all input data has emerged. This report describes a database for material properties that has been measured by FOI Sensor Technology or its partners. The database does not contain the data itself but a list of the data available. It includes file information (file names, dates etc), information about the measurement object and information about the data (type of data, spectral range, etc). The database can be used to search for data with certain properties, for example wavelength range, paint type etc. At a first stage about 400 measurements will be registered in the database. As new data is obtained at FOI Sensor Technology the database will be extended. The report contains a background on optical signature modelling and the need for data. There is also a background on optical and thermal properties of materials given. The fields of the database are presented as well as suggestions for a procedure to maintain a good quality. Finally conversion programs are discussed.