Spatially Registered Multispectral Polarimetric Sensor

Polarization imaging has the potential benefit target detection, discrimination, and tracking applications as well as applications for characterizing and identifying short duration phenomena such as muzzle flash and rocket launches. Spectro-polarimetric systems offer the most comprehensive types of data to characterize fast, high temperature events, such as muzzle flashes, missile exhaust plumes, missile intercept events, lightning strikes, hypervelocity impacts, etc., especially in the MWIR and LWIR bands. Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc. is proposing in this Phase II SBIR for AFRL / RY to pursue polarimetric and spectral approaches to address these interests. Polaris will build several instruments in this Phase II SBIR whose designs were completed and proven under the Phase I. Specifically, Polaris will develop the Pixelated Multi-Spectral Imaging Polarimeter (PMSIP) based on a pixelated mid-wave infrared (MWIR) polarimetric sensor being by adding multi-spectral capability to this sensor. Polaris will also develop the Foveating Multi-Spectral Imaging Polarimeter (FMSIP) utilizing an IR mega-pixel array by integrating both multi-spectral and polarimetric filters in a manner that enables high-speed image collection. Polaris will build a camera system including dewar/electronics/computer around the ROIC/FPA. We will also build a Visible Multi-spectral Imaging Polarimeter utilizing similar architectures to measure the visible properties of the events. BENEFIT: Polaris will pursue commercialization opportunities with other branches of the military, with the Primes, and for commercial applications including plume characterization and environmental monitoring. Polaris will market the sensors developed under this SBIR independently and with the manufactures providing the COTS imagers. In this manner, Polaris will penetrate multiple markets simultaneously.