The head of the Applied Optics Branch at the U.S Naval Research Laboratory, Dale C. Linne von Berg, has been selected as a fellow for The Optical Society (OSA) 2017 class.
Nominated by his peers in the global optics community, Linne von Berg is one of 96 OSA members out of 177 nominations.
The Optical Society started in 1916 encouraging the application and documenting of optics and photonics knowledge, with the responsibility of distributing that knowledge worldwide. The OSA educates and connects scientist, engineers, educators, businessmen and technicians to further cultivate the field of optics and photonics.
Selections are made considering scientific, engineering, and technological contributions. The society also examines industry leadership and service to the OSA and international optics community, along with relevant publications and patents.
The OSA maintains a significant international presence amid 19 different countries represented in the 2017 fellows class, with Linne von Berg being one of the few representing the United States.
Before becoming an OSA fellow Linne von Berg served as a committee member-at-large, strategic planning committee member, Chair for the Imaging Systems Conference, and as editor for the Applied Optics journal for a featured issue. Additionally, Linne von Berg is an active member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and SPIE - the international society for optics and photonics.
Starting with NRL in 1994, Linne von Berg has performed research & development leading to the transition of advanced imaging acquisition, processing, and display technologies. His expertise has been key in the development and application of these significant technologies to the U.S. military and commercial sector. As head of the Applied Optics Branch at NRL, he provides senior technical leadership and motivation in the development of complex optics research initiatives and transitions of technology.
“…no one person can do anything because we build a lot of systems that transition into the warfighter, so any one of our successes is everybody’s success. And there are a lot of people who contribute to any person’s success,” said Linne von Berg.
Linne von Berg is the inventor of, ARIES (Airborne Real-time Image Exploitation System), the first real-time in-cockpit digital imagery display and processing capability for tactical fighter aircraft. Before Linne von Berg’s invention, the U.S. Navy had problems with reconnaissance imagery collected by tactical fighters prior to landing. His invention allowed for real-time imagery and dissemination while in-flight. This enhanced the entire logistics of reconnaissance, resulting in direct command-to-action practices, and new support methods for front line forces.
Additionally, Linne von Berg co-invented and developed the architecture for Vantage software. This software provides quick display and exploitation of tactical imagery, supports many sensor types and video streams, and can also operates on several hardware platforms. This innovation has been adopted in all Department of Defense tactical ground systems utilizing airborne intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance sensor data.
Linne von Berg has worked at NRL for over 20 years and his innovations are certainly saving American lives. “That’s what gets me up in the morning!”, stated Linne von Berg.