SBIR Phase II: Computational Low-cost Arrayed Infrared (CLAIR) Cameras

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将为长波红外（LWIR）成像仪的透镜和光机设计及制造工艺开发一种革命性的方法，目标是降低成本、尺寸和重量。 到目前为止，传感器的高成本使得LWIR成像仪只能在性能而不是成本是驱动因素的市场中使用，从而允许昂贵和笨重的光学器件占据主导地位。 新的工艺改进显著降低了LWIR微测辐射热计传感器的尺寸和成本，使光学器件成为重量、尺寸和成本降低的限制因素。 研究目标是扩展第一阶段开发的技术，并验证光学和相机组件的最终制造和测试过程，以表明最终架构在大批量生产时可以满足市场对模块体积，重量和价格的要求。 该开发将把该过程扩展到更大的阵列，并将采取必要的步骤来评估解决方案的机械可靠性。 该解决方案将通过与行业合作伙伴的安排实施和测试。 预期的结果是展示满足红外（IR）视觉增强和热成像市场需求的长波红外相机。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是将IR成像仪的销售扩展到成本敏感的商业应用中。 目前，红外成像仪的目标是昂贵的军事应用，但在安全，安全和工业市场中，热成像提供了在可见光谱上的增强的观察，对降低成本的系统有很大的需求。 热成像仪在完全黑暗的情况下提供可见性，这使得能够在汽车碰撞检测、搜索和救援以及需要在无光条件下识别人的安全应用所需的不利条件下成像。 在工业应用中，长波红外热成像可以通过识别热泄漏来提高能源效率，并可以预测即将发生的过程故障。 对社会的影响与商业机会一样无处不在，并构成了紧急搜索效率，城市街道安全和节能的增加。 不能低估对科学和技术的理解：技术创新在制造能力附近发生得最快。 劳动力成本已经在推动目前劳动密集型的红外透镜海外制造。 拟议的创新消除了劳动密集型组件，支持美国作为这个新兴市场的主导制造商，同时增强了并行工艺开发，材料性能创新和IR传感器性能的科学性。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a revolutionary approach to the lens and opto-mechanical design and fabrication process for long wave infrared (LWIR) imagers with the goal of reducing cost, size, and weight. To date, the high cost of sensors has made LWIR imagers accessible only in markets where performance -not cost - is the driving factor, allowing expensive and bulky optics to reign. New process improvements are significantly reducing the size and cost of LWIR microbolometer sensors, making optics the limiting factor for weight, size, and cost reduction. The research objectives are to extend the technology developed in Phase I and validate the final manufacturing and testing process for the optics and camera assembly to show that the final architecture can meet the market requirements for module volume, weight and price when scaled to high volume production. The development will scale the process to larger arrays and will take the necessary steps to evaluate the solutions mechanical reliability. The solution will be implemented and tested through arrangements with industry partners. The anticipated result is a demonstration of an LWIR camera that meets the needs of the infrared (IR) vision enhancement and thermography markets.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to extend the sale of IR imagers into cost-sensitive commercial applications. Currently IR imagers are targeted for expensive military applications, but there is a large need for reduced cost systems in safety, security, and industrial markets where thermal imaging offers enhanced viewing over the visible spectrum. Thermal imagers provide visibility in complete darkness, which enables imaging in adverse conditions needed by automotive collision detection, search and rescue and security applications that require identification of humans in conditions of no light. In industrial use, LWIR thermography can improve energy efficiency by identifying thermal leaks and can predict imminent process faults. The impact to society is as ubiquitous as the commercial opportunities and constitutes an increase in emergency search effectiveness, city street safety, and energy conservation. The scientific and technological understanding cannot be understated: technological innovation occurs most rapidly near manufacturing capability. Already, labor costs are driving current labor-intensive IR lens fabrication overseas. The proposed innovations remove the labor-intensive component, bolstering the US as the dominant manufacturer in this emerging market while enhancing science in parallel process development, material property innovation, and IR sensor performance.