Infrared Scene Simulation Projector for Extremely Wide Angle IR Imagers

This SBIR Phase I project builds upon Digital Optics Corporation's experience in the design, fabrications, and integration of diffractive optics with lasers and electronics to provide an innovative laser beam steering approach for laser radar systems. Scene simulation projectors, both visible and infrared, are increasingly being used to test and validate imagining systems performance against a variety of scenarios. The cost of transporting hardware and personnel to field sites is avoided using this hardware. Imager applications such as fuzes or surveillance systems typically image over very large fields of view and no such simulation hardware is currently available to conduct this type of testing. OPTICS 1, Inc. proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of a scene simulator appropriate for testing extremely wide angle imaging. Design forms will be shown that meet requirements of wide-angle imaging systems and impart minimal influence to the image quality of the system under test. Point design will be demonstrated in this proposal sufficient to operate with two-dimensional emitter arrays or scanned laser diode bars as the scene projection source.