Time Resolved, Spatially Filtered Imaging System for Obscure Target Detection by MUSIC (Multiplexed Structured Image Capture)

The objective of the Phase-I effort proposed by Spectral Energies LLC and University of Tennessee (UT) team is to demonstrate and build time-resolved, spatially filtered imaging system based on Multiplexed Structured Image Capture (MUSIC) technology for obscure target detection. MUSIC encodes the temporal evolution of the scenes in a single snapshot into spatial frequency shifts; thus, producing multiplexed images. These multiplexed images contain image information from several points in time, which can be separated computationally. Furthermore, MUSIC can essentially bypass the speed limits of electronic and/or mechanical shutters in the high-speed cameras since the encoding is done optically. The MUSIC technology was invented by the team member Prof. Zhili Zhang and was successfully used for capturing of nanosecond time evolution of the 2D scene (i.e., GHz frame rate). During Phase-I SBIR effort, we will build a prototype of Terahertz (THz) imaging system based on MUSIC technique for proof-of-concept demonstration. The proposed MUSIC imaging device will provide effective and efficient time-resolved passive imaging processes for both visible and infrared wavelengths. The whole system with 2048x2048 pixels will weight no more 30 pounds and have great potential to being commercially available for a wide variety of imaging applications.