Title: Chemical/Biological Agent Standoff Detection

Spectral Sciences, Inc. proposes an innovative standoff detection system to enable military personal to detect the presence of chemicals agents and other hazardous materials from large (multiple kilometer) distances. The proposed system combines a revolutionary adaptive spectrometer concept with advanced signal processing algorithms to provide detection and quantification based on the thermal infrared signature of the agent. The adaptive spectrometer is a compact and inherently stable optomechanical system, with no moving parts, that exceeds the performance of current FTIR systems. The spectrometer's spectral range, resolution, and other operating characteristics can be set in software, on-the-fly, providing the flexibility to adapt to a variety of measurement scenarios. The spectrometer can be programmed to perform specific detection algorithms directly in hardware, thereby reducing processing time and increasing selectivity for detecting weak spectral signatures against complex spectral backgrounds. Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of the approach and develop a conceptual design for a Phase II prototype standoff chemical monitor.