IR Imaging Polarimetry for Human Identification

Covert and robust recognition of individuals is a goal for military check points and entry control points overseas and for law enforcement and border control domestically.Face recognition in the visible spectrum is an important biometric modality and while it has increased in maturity, there are situations in which imaging in different spectral bands are desirable.Thermal polarization has been shown to enhance contrast over that of conventional thermal imaging due to differential polarization emission while retaining the flexibility of not requiring external lighting.Polaris Sensor Technology will compare performance of MWIR or LWIR imaging polarimetry in Phase I.From this study a waveband will be selected and a detailed design for the IR imaging polarimeter will be done for Phase II development.Processing electronics and software will also be integrated to operate the camera and generate real time both radiometric and polarimetric data products.Image/platform motion registration artefacts often present in polarimetric data sets will be addressed.