Adaptive Multispectral ATR

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to show the feasibility of using a novel, spectrally-selective IR imager for the passive standoff detection of chemical agents and hazardous chemicals. The concept is based on the insertion of a tunable etalon into the field-of-view of an IR imaging system. The approach takes advantage of recent advances in the development of staring IR focal plane arrays, which provide the opportunity to perform passive chemical analysis of large areas through the detection of unique signatures from the chemical compounds of interest. The concept provides spectral resolution comparable to the non-imaging FTIRs now used in standoff chemical sensing and the tuning range requisite to identify specific molecules in a spectrally complex scene. The rapid and random wavelength access capability of technology enables the selective acquisition and smart processing of multispectral data to greatly improve chemical plume identification and tracking. Through the use of adaptive acquisition and processing of the multispectral data, both the data volume and the processing time required to achieve useful results can be reduced significantly. Furthermore, since the data can be acquired rapidly, and with common pixel registry, simplified processing algorithms can be exploited to develop autonomous chemical agent warning and tracking systems. The effort will provide a compact sensor for ground or aircraft-based detection of chemical agents and hazardous compounds in a battlefield environment. The concept is easily extended to autonomous systems for the monitoring of hazardous chemical releases form industrial facilities such as refineries, chemical production facilities, and smelters as well as hazardous waste sites.