OPTRA’s Two-Band IR Scene Projector
Contact: Julia Rentz Dupuis, Senior Scientist, [email protected], 978-887-6600 x125
OPTRA has developed a two-band infrared (IR) scene projector for testing advanced IR threat
detection systems. This projector can accurately simulate the spectral, spatial, temporal, and radiant
intensity properties of an approaching threat with a unique ability to project two independent midwave IR
spectral bands (loosely called “red” and “blue”) with controllable relative intensities. OPTRA’s approach
employs two digital
micromirror
devices (DMDs) as
the scene
generating
elements. The
projector includes
two miniature IR
thermal sources and
a series of IR
imaging optics and spectral filters to illuminate the two DMDs (one for each spectral band), fuse the
projected image by each DMD, and project the fused two-band image to a unit under test. Relative to
resistive arrays, OPTRA’s scene projector has better uncorrected uniformity, higher operability, and more
simplistic thermal management. Relative to projectors based on lasers or LEDs, the OPTRA system
projects more
representative broadband
Specification
Value
energy.
1. Spectral bands
3.4 – 4.2 μm (red), 4.2 – 5 μm (blue)
The two-band
2. Max. radiant intensity in red band
≥ 1 W/ster
IR scene projector
3. Grey level resolution
1024 levels
specifications are shown
4. Update rate
40.5 Hz
in the table to the right.
A solid model of the
5. Scene duration
54 s
projector with self6. Field of View
1.8°
contained drive
7. Angular resolution
220 μrad
electronics is shown
below (three views). The prototype is approximately the size of a small suitcase and interfaces with a
laptop PC.
Beam Combiner
Projection Lens
“Red” DMD
“Blue” DMD
Illumination
Optics