SBIR Phase II: Low-Cost 2D and 3D Millimeter Wave Image Sensors

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是推动毫米波(毫米波)成像和相关数据分析系统的发展。该系统具有潜在的应用，如药品生产检查物品的个别药丸水平。这项技术可以审计瓶子、袋子或泡罩包装中药丸的数量或类型，以及盒子中的瓶子；它还可以寻找损坏的地方，如破碎的小瓶或瓶子。改进的分辨率与拟议的数据分析软件相结合，将提供关于项目的准确指标，而不需要昂贵的人力。在其他领域，如机器人和自动化，毫米波传感器可以在恶劣天气和烟雾环境中成像，而光学传感器在这些环境中失效。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目寻求(1)开发具有更高成像分辨率的3D毫米波成像系统，以及(2)开发能够自动提取图像数据并快速评估指标的图像处理软件。该项目将专注于开发60 GHz 3D成像解决方案和分析，以从这些图像中检索重要的指标。通过将工作频率提高到60 GHz，毫米波图像分辨率可以提高到3-5 mm体素大小。此外，虽然毫米波图像可以近乎实时地产生，但这些图像仍然必须由人来分析。将在第二阶段开发的分析软件将自动提取特定于每个行业用例的场景的关键指标。该项目将通过开发低成本、模块化、高分辨率的毫米波成像系统来推动毫米波成像技术的发展，该系统与自动化分析相结合，实现具有广泛行业应用的低成本自动化审计功能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to advance a system for millimeter wave (mmWave) imaging and associated data analytics. This system has potential applications such as pharmaceutical manufacturing inspection of items on an individual pill level. The technology could audit the number or type of pills inside a bottle, pouch, or blister pack; bottles inside a case; and it could look for damage, such as a broken vial or bottle. The improved resolution coupled with the proposed data analytics software will provide accurate metrics about an item that does not require costly human labor. In other fields, such as robotics and automation, mmWave sensors enable imaging in inclement weather and smoky environments, where optical sensors fail. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project seeks to (1) develop a 3D mmWave imaging system with improved imaging resolution and (2) develop image processing software that can automatically extract image data and rapidly evaluate metrics. This project will focus on development of 60+ GHz 3D imaging solutions and analytics to retrieve important metrics from those images. By increasing the frequency of operation to 60+ GHz, mmWave image resolution can be improved to 3 – 5 mm voxel size. Additionally, while mmWave images can be produced in near-real-time, these images must still be analyzed by a human. The analytics software to be developed in Phase II will automatically extract key metrics about the scene specific to each industry use case. This project will advance the state of the art in mmWave imaging by developing a low-cost, modular, high-resolution mmWave imaging system that is coupled with automated analytics, enabling a low-cost automated auditing function with broad industry applicability.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.