SBIR Phase I: Novel MEMS Based Low Cost Thermal Camera

这项小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段研究项目提出了一种突破性的微电子机械系统(MEMS)设备，有望克服目前红外传感器的缺点和局限性。基于一种新颖的微光机械传感器设计，所提出的MEMS技术被动地将热红外辐射转换成可由手机类型的相机读取的可见光图像。这种新型热像仪制作简单，可改装成大型高分辨率阵列，功耗低，不需要冷却，并且由于消除了电子噪声而提高了灵敏度。所有热物体都会在红外光谱波段发射电磁辐射。热像仪探测物体本身发出的红外辐射，因此可以在完全黑暗的情况下看到物体并测量它们的温度分布。人体和动物的身体在红外线波段发射7到10微米的辐射，这使得热成像无论在白天还是晚上都是探测它们的理想选择。热像仪可以看得很远，可以透过雨、雪、雾甚至烟雾看到东西。虽然人类在这个波段看不见，但自然界的许多生物都有很好的热视能力，比如蛇和甲虫。提供这种能力的热像仪代表了最好的可用技术，以满足日益为人所知的全条件成像市场。然而，现有方法固有的高昂成本使95%的潜在用户无法使用这些方法。如果成功，这项拟议的技术将带来一类颠覆性的低成本热像仪，打开一个以前没有得到服务的巨大市场。它将实施关键的传感器配置改进，将灵敏度提高一倍；使该技术更接近实际应用。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research project proposes a breakthrough Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) device that holds the promise of overcoming the drawbacks and limitations in present IR sensors. Based on a novel micro-photomechanical sensor design, the proposed MEMS technology passively transfers thermal infrared radiation into a visible image that can be readout by a mobile-phone type camera. This new thermal imager is simple to manufacture, amendable to large high resolution array, consumes little power, requires no cooling, and higher sensitivity due to the elimination of electronic noise. All hot objects emit electromagnetic radiation in the infrared spectral band. Thermal cameras detect infrared radiation emitted by the object itself and, therefore, can see objects in total darkness and measure their temperature profile. Human and animal bodies emit radiation at 7 to 10 microns in the infrared band, making thermal imaging ideal to detect them in either day and night. Thermal cameras can see far and can see through rain, snow, fog, and even smoke. Although humans can not see in this wave band, many of nature's creatures have good thermal vision, such as snakes and beetles. Thermal cameras that provide this capability represent the best available technology to address what is becoming known as the all-condition imaging market. However, the inherent high costs of the incumbent approaches have made them inaccessible to 95% of potential users. If successful the proposed technology will lead to a new class of disruptively low cost thermal camera that opens up a large previously un-served market. it will implement a critical sensor configuration improvement that doubles the sensitivity; bring the technology closer to practical application.