SBIR/STTR Award attributes
SWIR polarimetry has potential applications for target detection, discrimination, and tracking for land and maritime environments. In recent years, researchers have applied imaging polarimetry to applications including detection of disturbed earth, detection of objects and swimmers in water, and target detection with background clutter. The application space for imaging polarimetry is increasing the demand for commercially available imaging polarimeters. Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc. (PST), along with their commercial teammate proposes to develop two copies of a Pyxis® SWIR camera, , a small lightweight LWIR imaging polarimetric sensor, onto the AeroVironment (AV) PumaAE UASa small lightweight short-wave infrared (SWIR) band imaging polarimetric sensor. Pyxis SWIR will have size, weight, and power (SWAP) appropriate for both ground vehicles and UAV/UAS aerial platforms. Pyxis SWIR will be a large format, high dynamic range (starless night to full sun) camera with an integrated pixelated polarizing filter and processing electronics. The camera will operate in a stand-alone mode providing real-time polarimetric and radiometric video at 30 Hz and a Scientific Mode where the camera is connected to a laptop computer recording data at full frame rates. In the Option, Pyxis SWIR will be tested in scenarios including Route Clearance and counter UAS applications.
