The "Plastic Retina": An Innovative Approach to On-Focal Plane Target Detection

Processing of sensor array data downstream is known to become computationally intractable for many critical problems. The clear military need is to output only essential information off the focal plane, a need which this proposal addresses. Conventionally, analog circuitry used for this purpose imposes additional burdens on available space in the sensor readout unit cell. This proposal addresses the problem by an innovation which implements a basic smart function, i.e. center surround response by lateral inhibition of detection, in ad-layers consisting of a non-delineated polymer grid triode array. This structure enjoys an advantage of simple fabrication at the detector foundry much as anti-reflection coatings are presently deposited. The resulting local contrast enhancement forms the basis for a wide variety of smart processing functions. Furthermore, this "plastic retina" technology offers critical advantages in more complete implementations inherent in the nature of continuous voltage-controlled layers -- as opposed to discrete component approaches -- including greater reliability. Many commercial applications would benefit from the expanded dynamic range, including use in high definition television, medical imaging, and other applications where the computational advantage of analog processing on the focal plane enables low power light weight systems.