Polarimetric Sensor for Airborne Platforms Navy SBIR FY2008.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2008.1 Topic No.: N08-007 Topic Title: Polarimetric Sensor for Airborne Platforms Proposal No.: N081-007-1070 Firm: Bodkin Design & Engineering, LLC P.O. Box 81386 Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481 Contact: James Daly Phone: (617) 795-1968 Web Site: www.bodkindesign.com Abstract: Polarimetric imaging is a form of remote sensing that measures the relative intensity of the polarized components of reflected radiation from natural sources in an uncontrolled environment. In a natural scene, the majority of photons are randomly polarized. However, polarization can be induced by reflection off planar surfaces. This is particularly useful for detecting reflection from machined (man-made) surfaces. Polarization is also induced in an object's self-emitted (thermal) radiation. Polarization information has been demonstrated to discriminate targets/objects from camouflage and clutter. Additionally, it has been shown that partially buried land mines can be discriminated by the polarization content of their thermal self-emission. This proposal describes a unique polarimetric device that, when incorporated into an imaging camera, will produce two orthogonally polarized images and measure the complete Stokes vector from a single focal plane in wavebands spanning the visible through the long wave infrared. Furthermore, this device has no moving parts, is non-lossy, and extremely compact. We will develop and demonstrate the polarimetric imager under the Phase I contract, and incorporate it into a compact multiband camera capturing simultaneous video in the visible and infrared in Phase II. Benefits: The proposed technology has wide military applications. Its primary application will be target detection, typing and discrimination through camouflage, vegetation and clutter. It will enhance the safety of our troops by detecting and characterizing objects/obstacles (including mines) hidden by grass or vegetation. Due to its compactness, robustness, low-weight and low-cost, it will be used on a variety of platforms of Future Combat Systems including Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), micro-UAVs, Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), Armed Robotic Vehicles (ARVs), reconnaissance and surveillance vehicles, and Multifunction Utility/Logistics and Equipment (MULE) vehicles. Furthermore, this technology will have wide applications in enhancing the data collected by IR sensors and will greatly benefit the performance of automatic target recognition (ATR) systems. Return