Visible/UV Image Projector for Sensor Testing

Projecting high radiance, broadband scenes in the spectral range from 0.2-14 mm is desired to simulate operating environmental scenarios for testing ultraviolet , visible and infrared sensors in a hardware-in-the-loop environment. The ideal solution will provide high radiance levels over the entire spectral range along with the capability for both broad and narrowband emission, as is appropriate to the particular sensor under test. The adopted technology should be capable of being “tuned,” in the sense of projecting different spectral regions without having to change technology platforms, which would enable swapping out projector chips within a common projector system to meet differing sensor test requirements. Plasma display technology, the subject of this proposal, holds enormous potential for scene simulation across the spectrum in terms of its ability to produce very high radiance, as well as other critical performance figures of merit such as temporal response and dynamic range. Plasma-based devices are capable of high yields at relatively low cost due to the inherent device simplicity, the ability to leverage modern microelectronics-based techniques as well as a commercial plasma display community that continues to improve performance and drive manufacturing costs down.