SBIR Phase II: Low-Cost 2D and 3D Millimeter Wave Image Sensors

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to advance a system for millimeter wave (mmWave) imaging and associated data analytics. This system has potential applications such as pharmaceutical manufacturing inspection of items on an individual pill level. The technology could audit the number or type of pills inside a bottle, pouch, or blister pack; bottles inside a case; and it could look for damage, such as a broken vial or bottle. The improved resolution coupled with the proposed data analytics software will provide accurate metrics about an item that does not require costly human labor. In other fields, such as robotics and automation, mmWave sensors enable imaging in inclement weather and smoky environments, where optical sensors fail. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project seeks to (1) develop a 3D mmWave imaging system with improved imaging resolution and (2) develop image processing software that can automatically extract image data and rapidly evaluate metrics. This project will focus on development of 60+ GHz 3D imaging solutions and analytics to retrieve important metrics from those images. By increasing the frequency of operation to 60+ GHz, mmWave image resolution can be improved to 3 – 5 mm voxel size. Additionally, while mmWave images can be produced in near-real-time, these images must still be analyzed by a human. The analytics software to be developed in Phase II will automatically extract key metrics about the scene specific to each industry use case. This project will advance the state of the art in mmWave imaging by developing a low-cost, modular, high-resolution mmWave imaging system that is coupled with automated analytics, enabling a low-cost automated auditing function with broad industry applicability. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.