TOYON RESEARCH CORPORATION — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N191-039

Description

Work in this effort will be focused on the challenge of providing a high-performance, ruggedized, low size, weight, and power (SWaP) dual-band, mid-wave infrared/short-wave infrared (MWIR/SWIR) camera. In recent years there have been a number of advances in the area of MWIR camera systems, including larger focal plane arrays with smaller pixels, new materials that can operate at higher temperatures and with sensitivity across a broader range of wavelengths, and high-speed digital read out integrated circuits (ROICs) that can deliver digitized imagery at over 1000 frame per second. All these advances are pushing MWIR-imaging technology towards lower-SWaP implementations, however the active cooling requirement of these sensors continues to be a primary factor in limiting the achievable SWaP of these systems. While industry leaders like Lockheed Martin Santa Barbara Focalplane (LM-SBF) are continuing to push the limits of MWIR focal plane array (FPA), ROIC, and cooler technology, there remains significant opportunity for advancements in SWaP reduction through the innovative use and implementation of image processing techniques. To address this need Toyon, in partnership with LM-SBF, proposes to utilize innovative image enhancement algorithms to further reduce the cooling requirement of LM-SBF’s latest high-operating temperature (HOT) dual-band sensor.