Blackbody Tiling Calibration System (BTCS)

This SBIR Phase I proposal proposes to developĀan advanced Blackbody with extended exiting aperture size of 24▓ for accurate and reliable radiometric imager calibration. This project will involve the use of our proprietary design.Ā It serves as a building block to create an extended area source of any size, e.g., 24▓ by 24▓ which is scalable to an even larger size. This mechanism will be developed to meet the requirements of ground and air target calibration under diverse conditions.Ā The ultimate goal for this project is to provide the capability for better truth sources, with the potential to have six to eight pixels, each having an independently controlled temperature up to 600 oC, for banded radiometers on the test range of 100 yards or beyond.During Phase I, a thorough investigation into the BTCS feasibility for reach 24▓ by 24▓ aperture size at 600 oC temperature will be conducted to discern the optimal choice that seamlessly integrates all the elements into a rigid and fieldable BTCS system. Various aspects, such as temperature stability, uniformity, environment resistance, and endurance, will be analyzed to guarantee that the resultant platform can be proficiently hosted inside a mobile container for field test purpose under all weather conditions, with a preliminary design reaching TRL 3. ĀThe Phase II is to develop and validate theĀBTCS prototype of TRL 6 or higher.