Dual Waveband Artificial Compound Eyes

ABSTRACT: The U.S. Air Force has a need to develop a new class of advanced, wide field of view (WFOV), dual band infrared sensors that can be deployed on Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) as well as micro-air vehicles (MAVs), missile seekers and smart munitions. The Spectral Imaging Laboratory (SPILAB)proposes the development of a 120 degrees field-of-view artificial compound eye (ACE) sensor with simultaneous 3 - 5 um middle wavelength infrared (MWIR) and 8 - 10 um long wavelength infrared (LWIR) capability. BENEFIT: A nadir pointing version of the sensor can enhance the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability of the larger RPAs, and a forward looking version can enhance the guidance, navigation and control of the MAVs, seekers, and munitions within cluttered urban environments. The WFOV capability will eliminate the need for heavy gimbals and thereby reduce the overall size, weight, and power of seekers and munitions. The dual band capability will enable the simultaneous imaging of cold bodies in the LWIR and hot surfaces or missile plumes in the MWIR.