Multispectral, Hyperspectral, and Three-Dimensional Imaging Research at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory

We report on the development and application of multispectral infrared imaging technology to problems of interest to the U. S. military. For tactical applications, we show the application of dual-band infrared focal plane arrays to reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. We describe the development of a new dualband LWIR/LWIR focal plane array for detection of the disturbed soil features associated with buried land mines. We will describe the application of dual-band FPAs in the strategic defense arena by presenting dual-band MWIR/LWIR imagery of commercial launch vehicles that shows the utility of such an FPA for a sensor in a boostphase interceptor. In addition, we describe the development of acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTF) for hyperspectral imaging in the MWIR and LWIR bands. These devices hold the promise of producing hyperspectral infrared imagers that are considerably smaller and lighter than current systems. The AOTF allows completely electronic spectral scanning for fast access to a discrete set of narrow spectral bands. We will discuss ARL’s efforts in developing a novel scanerless laser radar (LADAR) system based on the frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) technique. This “flash” LADAR system uses a focal plane array to image the return signals from chirped pulses from a solid state laser to determine both 2D image and range information about a target. This data can then be used to construct a 3-dimensional picture of the target.