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机电系统（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电传感器设计，所提出的MEMS技术被动地将热红外辐射转换为可被移动电话型相机读取的可见图像。这种新型热成像仪制造简单，可用于大型高分辨率阵列，功耗小，不需要冷却，并且由于消除了电子噪声而具有更高的灵敏度。所有热的物体都发出红外波段的电磁辐射。热像仪检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。人类和动物的身体在红外波段发出7到10微米的辐射，这使得热成像在白天和晚上都是检测它们的理想选择。热像仪可以看得很远，可以穿透雨、雪、雾甚至烟雾。虽然人类看不到这个波段，但自然界的许多生物都有很好的热视觉，比如蛇和甲虫。提供这种功能的热像仪代表了解决众所周知的全方位成像市场的最佳技术。然而，现有方法固有的高成本使95%的潜在用户无法使用它们。如果成功的话，这项技术将带来一种新型的低成本热像仪，这将打开一个巨大的市场。它将实现一个关键的传感器配置改进，使灵敏度提高一倍；使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.