SBIR-STTR Award

In this SBIR Phase I proposal, Kent Optronics proposes to proposes to develop a Multispectral Target and Scene Projector (MSTSP) based on our innovative liquid crystal display technology. The system projects a UV-visible background with one primary and 3 or more moving targets, each of which are independently adjustable in radiance, spectral contents, and light angular extents in the entire UV to long wave infrared spectrum. The novel LCD technology enables the final system with no moving parts so that it is rigid against mechanical impact, allowing the future integration on a flight motion table. The background display has the option to be upgraded into a 2-D imagery format in the future. The ultimate goal is to achieve and deliver a fully functional MSTSP package with technology readiness level (TRL)6 at the Phase II end and TRL8/9 in another 2 years. Phase I efforts are to design, develop, and demonstrate feasibility of the MSTSP in the spectral range showing the capability to meet all the design goals. In Phase II, fully packaged MSTSP prototype will be developed, qualified and delivered, reach TRL>6.

Benefit:
The applications of the MSTSP product include testing hardware-in-the-loop systems incorporating multiple sensors across multiple EO/IR bands, such as missile seekers, ISR camera systems, and targeting systems. It also provides a critical laboratory-based pathway for the development of EO/IR algorithms employing sensor fusion and the merging of information across multiple bands to achieve increased accuracy. Industries include Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Missile Defense. The product(s) will join our current high definition SP production line of high temperature IRSP, multispectral polarized scene projector (MPSP), visible, near IR and shortwave IR projectors. Customer(s) are the US Navy, Army, and Air Force and Government Defense Contractors as well as U.S. ally government agencies, defense industry players, research institutions, universities are also the customers. The commercial customers are in autonomous driving sensor.

Keywords:
scene projector, scene projector, Sensors, Multispectral, Liquid crystal, UV to long wave infrared, missile seeker, Target Projector

In this Phase II proposal, Kent Optronics (KOI) proposes to develop a Kent Optronics (KOI) proposes to develop a Multispectral Target and Scene Projector (MSTSP) operating in the spectral bands of UV, visible, shortwave infrared (SWIR), mid-wave infrared (MWIR), and long wave infrared (LWIR). The MSTSP is built using the liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) technology which has been implemented in our prior delivered scene projection system in the visible, SWIR, MWIR and LWIR. The Phase II Base aims at developing and qualifying a 1st stage MSTSP module in the MWIR, SWIR, and UV bands, while the Phase II Option is to add the visible and LWIR display bands to form the final MSTSP in b-version product format with TRL6, which will be delivered to the Navy Crane Base. The system projects dynamic video based photonic imagery of scenes representing flares, aircrafts, moving IR countermeasures, and realistic background.

Benefit:
The product from this program is the MSTSP. DoD Interested Application(s) include testing hardware-in-the-loop systems incorporating multiple sensors across multiple EO/IR bands, such as missile seekers, ISR camera systems, and targeting systems. It also provides a critical laboratory-based pathway for the development of EO/IR algorithms employing sensor fusion and the merging of information across multiple bands to achieve increased accuracy. Other extended applications of the MSTSP product include testing hardware-in-the-loop systems incorporating multiple sensors across multiple EO/IR bands, such as missile seekers, ISR camera systems, and targeting systems. It also provides a critical laboratory-based pathway for the development of EO/IR algorithms employing sensor fusion and the merging of information across multiple bands to achieve increased accuracy. Industries include Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Missile Defense. The product(s) will join our current high definition SP production line of high temperature IRSP, multispectral polarized scene projector (MPSP), visible, near IR and shortwave IR projectors. Customer(s) are the US Navy, Army, and Air Force and Government Defense Contractors as well as U.S. ally government agencies, defense industry players, research institutions, universities are also the customers. The commercial customers are in autonomous driving sensor.

Keywords:
scene projector, Multispectral, missile seeker, Liquid crystal, UV to long wave infrared., Target Projector, Sensors