SBIR Phase I: Spatial Light Modulator for long wavelength imaging

由于该相机具有颠覆性的价格和性能，该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是大大增加了毫米波成像产品的市场。该传感器技术项目将展示首个具有成本效益的视频速率毫米波相机，该相机可以对1-300米外的移动物体进行成像和解析。毫米波光通常用于安全检查，因为它可以安全地用于人体，并且可以穿透包装，袋子和衣服，以识别金属和非金属物体。在这个项目中开发的技术使这种革命性的安全检查能力可用于医院、学校、商业建筑和公共场所。虽然不可能用金钱来衡量避免的悲剧和挽救的生命，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的影响。人员筛选和安全以及导航辅助的市场增长已经得到证实（年增长率超过40%），但受到现有解决方案的规模、成本和缓慢速度的限制。这款相机的便携性、成本和视频速率能力将扩大市场，并开拓尚未涉足的新市场。该小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目演示了一种能够实现视频速率毫米波成像的新组件。用毫米波技术进行多像素成像的成本高达数百美元。该器件使成熟的光学单像素技术应用于毫米波成像，从而大大降低了成本并增加了该技术的可及性。研究目标是围绕模型定义的最佳设计制造和测试一系列不同的设计，以改进模型，然后在更紧凑的几何形状范围内，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相机中，以创建毫米波摄像机。

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.