Advanced Broad-Spectrum Scene Projector based on a Modified Digital Mirror Device

Development, test and evaluation of a suite of new Infrared Seekers and Munitions in a Hardware-In-The-Loop (HWIL) environment presents a set of design trade spaces that go beyond the current state of the art Infrared Scene projection capabilities. Scene projection solutions such as resistive arrays, large format Infrared LED arrays, and Liquid Crystal arrays are all challenged to support test and evaluation requirements for multiple Seeker types for Advanced developments, while also supporting RDT&E and Programs of Record systems. Limitations of wavebands, framing rates, frame sizes, contrast ratios, and pixel resolutions drive these technologies to multiple unique solutions for differing test and evaluation use cases.   Mustang Optics, Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Texas Instruments (TI) have developed technologies that can provide a solution to these Infrared Target Scene Projection challenges.  Our unique Digital Mirror Device (DMD) capabilities, with our knowledge and understanding of the DMD device physics through extensive models, simulations and laboratory experimentation, allows us to develop new scene projection capabilities supporting the broadest set of capabilities available today. Operating from UV through LWIR spectral bands, while providing high contrast ratios, and scene update rates over large frame sizes allows us to provide this suite of test and evaluation capabilities. Our approach also allows for hybrid scene injection approaches through the utilization of multiple types of IR sources without changing the system design. Our work addresses the entire Scene Projection system, to include the signal processing and algorithms required to generate complex broadband test scenes.  The compact size and the ruggedness of this improved DMD device-based system makes our approach ideal for utilization in high dynamic environments. By utilizing modified COTS hardware and software for our projector solution, this solution is low risk, and affordable.    Under AFRL’s program, we will perform a set of systems trade studies, with modeling, simulation, and laboratory tests, to develop an Improved DMD based scene projector preliminary design for AFRL’s set of testing & evaluation requirements and use cases.  This work will  provide AFRL with an understanding of the solution’s trade spaces and capabilities, and a roadmap for work required to transition to a prototype, and production of the advanced IR scene projector.    Mustang Optics and SMU are currently working with DARPA on similar efforts, and we have demonstrated the capabilities of Improved Infrared DMDs.  We have utilized our hardware to provide simultaneous visible and Infrared imaging tests for IR cameras, and we are in the process of developing a detailed analysis model of the Improved DMD for testing a new class of Neuromorphic (Event) sensors.  We are utilizing our improved DMD devices to provide real time, hardware in the loop, complex scene inputs for these Event sensors.