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A dispersive transform spectral imager named FAROS (FAst Reconfigurable Optical Sensor) has been developed for
high frame rate, moderate-to-high resolution hyperspectral imaging. A programmable digital micromirror array (DMA)
modulator makes it possible to adjust spectral, temporal and spatial resolution in real time to achieve optimum tradeoff
for dynamic monitoring requirements. The system’s F/2.8 collection optics produces diffraction-limited images in the
mid-wave infrared (MWIR) spectral region. The optical system is based on a proprietary dual-pass Offner configuration
with a single spherical mirror and a confocal spherical diffraction grating. FAROS fulfills two functions simultaneously:
one output produces two-dimensional polychromatic imagery at the full focal plane array (FPA) frame rate for fast object
acquisition and tracking, while the other output operates in parallel and produces variable-resolution spectral images via
Hadamard transform encoding to assist in object discrimination and classification. The current version of the FAROS
spectral imager is a multispectral technology demonstrator that operates in the MWIR with a 320 x 256 pixel InSb FPA
running at 478 frames per second resulting in time resolution of several tens of milliseconds per hypercube. The
instrument has been tested by monitoring small-scale rocket engine firings in outdoor environments. The instrument has
no macro-scale moving parts, and conforms to a robust, small-volume and lightweight package, suitable for integration with
small surveillance vehicles. The technology is also applicable to multispectral/hyperspectral imaging applications in diverse
areas such as atmospheric contamination monitoring, agriculture, process control, and biomedical imaging, and can be
adapted for use in any spectral domain from the ultraviolet (UV) to the LWIR region.
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