Advanced Bio-inspired Imaging System with Multiple Optical Sensing Modes

The U.S. Air Force has a need to develop a new class of advanced, wide field of view (WFOV) imaging system that can sample the radiation field in multiple modes, and with high dynamic range under low-light level viewing conditions. These multimodal systems can be deployed on high altitude drones to enhance their intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. They can also be used on seekers to enhance situational awareness and target identification in cluttered urban environments. Low-light viewing can support troops that are imaging inside buildings and caves, and deep beneath forest canopies without giving themselves away by artificial illumination. The Spectral Imaging Laboratory (SPILAB) proposes the development of a bio-inspired, 9 Mode Artificial Compound Eye (ACE) imaging system operating in the short wavelength infrared (SWIR). The 9 Mode ACE will have a factor of 9 increased dynamic range over conventional SWIR cameras, and it will be able to select between a combination of color filter bands and polarizers to optimize target contrast in a variety of viewing conditions.