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COMPACT MULTI-SPECTRAL INFRARED CAMERA WITH 4-MEGAPIXEL FOCAL PLANE ARRAY WITH INTEGRATED SPECTRAL FILTERS

Completed TRL 4 (started at 2, targeting 4)

Description

QmagiQ proposes to develop and deliver a small, lightweight, low-power 4-MEGAPIXEL (2Kx2K) multi-spectral infrared camera covering a broad spectral band from 1-14 microns. A key feature is a broadband high-quantum-efficiency strained layer superlattice focal plane array (High-QE SLS FPA) with spectral filters deposited directly on the FPA – a design that allows the camera to be very compact and reliable. The spectroscopic information provided by the filters will be useful in detecting and identifying a variety of targets at distance. The proposed camera will greatly improve ground resolution due to the high pixel count and small pixel pitch, allow more chemical analysis due to broader spectral coverage, and be smaller, lighter, and more reliable than the current state of the art which uses a 1-megapixel FPA with 3-12 micron spectral coverage and discrete attached filters. In addition to detecting, tracking and chemically analyzing fires, a drone/airplane equipped with such a camera can be used to detect and analyze industrial gas leaks and pollution with high ground resolution.

Benefits

1) LANDSAT Thermal InfraRed Sensor (TIRS) 2) Compact Thermal Imager (CTI) 3) Detection, tracking and chemical analysis of fires and gas leaks 4) Mapping and analysis of forests and vegetation 5) Space-based astronomy, e.g. future versions of the Spitzer Space Telescope 6) Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) 7) BOReal Ecosystem Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) 8) Other infrared earth observing missions 9) Atmospheric mapping 10) Pollution chemistry

1) Gas leak detection and identification for the petrochemical, gas, and mining industries 2) Crop health monitoring and analysis 3) Missile detection for countermeasures systems 4) Thermography 5) Product inspection for pharmaceutical and agricultural industries 6) Security and surveillance

Details

Technology areaSensors and Instruments > Remote Sensing Instruments and Sensors > Detectors and Focal Planes
ProgramSmall Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer (SBIR/STTR)
Lead organizationQmagiQ, LLC, Nashua, NH
Start date2023-08-03
End date2024-02-02

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