Low observable targets, such as sea skimming and terrain skimming missiles are presently hard to detect on an air based platform. Filter wheel technology causes significant problems in real time processing of the spectral information because of issues such as pixel miss alignment. This problem results in large periods of time being spent post processing the image to align pixels so that useful image processing can be done. Liquid Crystal technology results in significant energy loss resulting in a poor signal to noise ratio at the image sensor plain. Photonic Systems Incorporated proposes adapting our Acousto Optic solid state 300-1100 nm spectrally sensitive camera to the Mid Infrared region and develop spectrally sensitive image processing wavelets to process the scene information in real time using a true image cube technique. Photonic Systems Incorporated will deliver at completion of Phase I contract a conceptual design of the Mid Infrared camera as well as demonstration software illustrating the spectrally sensitive wavelets. In Phase II funding, Photonic Systems will complete the Phase I design of the spectrally imaging camera and build the Mid Infrared Camera. In addition, spectrally sensitive wavelets will be produced for an array of targets.
