SBIR Phase I: Spatial Light Modulator for long wavelength imaging

SBIR 第一阶段：用于长波长成像的空间光调制器

• 批准号: 1721433
• 负责人: Charles Partee
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: Steel City Optronics LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-07-01 至 2018-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1721433&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Spatial; Light; Modulator

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is a vastly increased market for millimeter wave imaging products due to the disruptive price and performance of this camera. This sensors technology project will demonstrate the first cost-effective video-rate millimeter wave camera that can image and resolve moving objects from 1-300 meters away. Millimeter wave light is often used for security screening because it is safe to use on people and can penetrate packaging, bags, and clothing to identify both metallic and non-metallic objects. The technology developed in this project makes this revolutionary security screening capability accessible to hospitals, schools, commercial buildings, and public spaces. While it is impossible to put a monetary value on tragedies averted and lives saved, improved public safety will reduce the effects of the fear these actions create on society and on economic growth. Market growth in people screening and security, as well as navigational assistance, is already proven (40+% annual growth rate) but is constrained by the size, cost, and slow speed of existing solutions. The portability, cost, and video-rate capability of this camera will expand the markets as well as enable new markets not yet served. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is a demonstration of a novel component that enables video-rate millimeter wave imaging. Multi-pixel imaging in millimeter wave is cost-prohibitive since each pixel costs hundreds of dollars. This device enables the application of proven optical single-pixel technologies to millimeter wave imaging, thereby greatly decreasing the cost and increasing the accessibility of this technology. The research objective is to fabricate and test a series of designs that vary around the optimum design defined by the modeling, to refine the modeling, and then to repeat the fabrication, in a tighter range of geometries, around the new optimum. The result of this SBIR Phase I project will be a working prototype that can be integrated into an existing still-frame millimeter wave camera to create a millimeter wave video camera.

该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是由于该相机的颠覆性价格和性能，毫米波成像产品的市场大大增加。该传感器技术项目将展示第一款具有成本效益的视频速率毫米波摄像机，该摄像机可以对1-300米远的移动物体进行成像和解析。毫米波通常用于安全检查，因为它可以安全地用于人，并且可以穿透包装，袋子和衣服来识别金属和非金属物体。该项目开发的技术使这种革命性的安全筛查能力可以用于医院、学校、商业建筑和公共场所。虽然无法用金钱来衡量避免的悲剧和拯救的生命的价值，但改善公共安全将减少这些行动对社会和经济增长造成的恐惧。人员筛查和安全以及导航辅助的市场增长已经得到证实（年增长率为40%以上），但受到现有解决方案的规模、成本和速度缓慢的限制。这款相机的便携性、成本和视频速率能力将扩大市场，并开辟尚未服务的新市场。这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目是一个新的组件，使视频速率毫米波成像演示。毫米波中的多像素成像是成本高昂的，因为每个像素花费数百美元。该器件能够将成熟的光学单像素技术应用于毫米波成像，从而大大降低成本并增加该技术的可及性。研究目标是制造和测试一系列围绕建模定义的最佳设计而变化的设计，以改进建模，然后在更严格的几何形状范围内围绕新的最佳设计重复制造。SBIR第一阶段项目的结果将是一个工作原型，可以集成到现有的静止帧毫米波摄像机中，以创建毫米波摄像机。